LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING NOTES February 1, 2017

LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING NOTES – February 1, 2017 In Attendance: Linda Angel, Horace Dicks, Susan Kamas, Sue Bailey, Jerry Haisler, Vickie Gideon, Kimberly Patterson, Roy Highsmith, Lewis Boren, Ben Lopez, Gerry Fluharty, and Terry Gearhart.

Last Meeting: Horace’s additional Phone: In progress, complete in next two weeks.

FLSA Update: Access to W drive is working OK.

Travel Policy Training: Scheduled for Feb 10 in PM at both locations.

Webpage: Gerry indicated that improvements are being made and addition of items related to American Job Centers is done!

Best Companies: Contact Sandra if you want to go.

Dress Code: Jerry has discussed with Vets and other partner staff. May need to send out a reminder.

Workforce Updates: HR: TWC and all state agencies except DPRS have implemented a hiring freeze. No merit or salary adjustments will be processed. Performance leave will be approved.

Harker Heights Foundation: Linda has a table with 3 available slots if anyone wants to go. Let Linda know today.

Time Sheets page 55-57: Jerry reported that TH Enterprises has deployed a COG financial data management component to the COG’s system that will do what we are seeking to do for timekeeping and budgeting. This option has been there from inception but no divisions at COG have used it. The system allows each employee to enter their timesheet and it populates budget fund codes and provides real time access to leave balances. Supervisors can see leave balances and edit by sending back requests that are incorrect. There will be edits to ensure correct leave requests. Submission times do not change. Reconciliation would move to Mitzi and David as opposed to CTCOG fiscal. Jerry also reported that COG earned leave time for current month can’t be used until the following month. There will be a nominal and affordable cost for TH Enterprises to adapt the system to our specifications. ACTION: Test with Belton Board staff starting March 1, 2017. For now, all other timesheet submissions will continue as before including our automated test group. Development of our own automated timesheet system will be suspended pending review of this system.

Conference of Mayors, Page 6: The Workforce Development Council discussed summer jobs. President Trump’s budget is out. Congress will probably revise as required. How do we reinvent ourselves with fewer available resources? Emphasis is more on apprenticeships and OJT. LT discussed possibilities and limitations based on past experiences. The Conference of Mayors is a large supporter of workforce. Nothing is yet a done deal. We are in sound fiscal and budget condition now. Just continue doing excellent work and addressing customer needs.

Contractors: WD Letters and TEGL’s make it clear that there will be open procurement for workforce service contractors. Historically other WF areas have procured changed contractors often. The profit margin is really only in one place: personnel and associated costs. So contractors cut numbers of staff and reduce salaries and benefits. This is clearly not good for retention and maintaining an experienced and engaged level of staff. WFSCT has never approached operations that way and is the reason we have a “managing director” model. We value staff and recognize the importance of providing a good work environment, with competitive salaries and outstanding benefits. LT discussed possible options i.e. managing director, for profit and not for profit contracts. Our current contract for managing director (Jerry) ends June 2017. RFP will be out in March. This will be closely monitored by TWC.

The “branding” of centers is to be discussed further and be standardized for us. See page 52, handbook.

Public Policy Committee Meeting: We will host state legislators for a Ft Hood visit on Friday Feb. 3.

The Texas Senate budget reduces Texas A&M Central Texas’ budget by 47%. This could result in a 50% reduction in faculty and 700-800 fewer students enrolled. Tuition/fees reduction will be dramatic. CTC will experience some of this but not as much. Higher education cut by 1.3 billion.

Camp Workforce: possible dates are April 11-13.

ESL Classes: Lewis reported that ESL classes have been implemented at the Killeen Center in the CTC lab.

VR Integration, pages 11-18: We are on track for the Killeen move with the final renovation plans being reviewed by TWC. Downstairs veterans/BSU areas being reconfigured. Accessibility equipment is an area of question re location within the Centers. We were required to purchase a TWC prescribed list of equipment. Interestingly, VR does not currently have these items nor has there been a demonstrated need. The VR move will be more like a co-location rather than integration. VR will have their own T-1 line, printers, copiers, and computers with TWC images on PC’s. We do not agree on this approach but it will not be changed. They will be on our phone system but not our e-mail. From our mutual customers and staff relations perspectives, we should do everything possible to make this seem like we are integrated.

TVC Summit, page 24: will be in Austin on Feb 6. Jerry may attend.

Veteran and Military Spouse Funds, pages 19 and 20: $267k has been allotted as a special TWC grant for spouses. It is similar to the Ft Hood Grant in scope and services. It is projected through both of these grants this will allow us to provide these services through 2018.

Texas Association of Business: they want to establish a partnership between us and them for transitioning veterans. A duplication of Commissioner Hughes/Gov. Abbott’s Operation Welcome Home so this is not needed. Susan will meet with the Ft Hood garrison commander to discuss further. No promise to the TAB.

Training: TSTC wants to work with CT to fill 200 welding slots that HOT Workforce could not fill with customers. We have had preliminary discussions and told them the demand is small here; likewise Martin Traylor, Soldier for Life, said the same thing. They are in a bind to meet the deliverables for this grant. See e- mails dated 1-30-2017.

Greg Newton Visit, page 26: Attendees include: Tuesday Feb 14 AM all staff; PM Lt and other selected workforce staff including AEL, VR, and Board office, with a mixed and assigned groups e.g. 6 tables with 12 each. This will be a “working session” to understand how we each operate and how we can better partner and serve our customers. There should be a mix of program people so release as many as we can from as many programs to participate. Wednesday Feb 15 A.M: same staff as PM Tuesday. Wednesday PM, basically workforce administrators staff, supervisors, Vivian or Terry for document management, other key staff and the PIT. No VR or AEL. Note: VR Tony Lawrence and Tonya Morgan-Evans will attend all sessions.

Best Companies, handout and pages 47-51: Linda covered the handout and info in the book. Had 89% overall positive response last year versus 92% this year. Definitions were changed so may pinpoint more closely where there is less satisfaction. LT reviewed the actual comments from the survey. ACTION: review the material, think about it, and revisit at the next LT meeting. Consider another improvement day. Incorporate as part of our “refresh” on quality which will start with LT and Board staff. Linda to explore scheduling dates with Mac McGuire, Texas Quality.

FB Marketing, page 52: not sure AJC has to be on business cards. If so, would have to be 2-sided. DOL rule doesn’t specify business cards. ACTION: Linda exploring options with Mary Duke. Provide a recommendation at the next LT meeting.

Action Teams: Customer Satisfaction, Page 58: The major work of this group is complete except for survey to employers. Kim P is working with John Clark on a survey and will test soon. Vickie reported that Job seeker survey testing is complete and should now be expended to other areas. This group will now work on customer service. ACTION: Kim P to finalize and test employer survey by Feb. 28.

Emergency Operations: See page 60 & 61 for activities. Active shooter training is complete. Site plan template updated and is complete. There are 7 defibrillators now on-hand for distribution to centers. CPR and AED (defibrillators) staff training can be done in-house by Meredith and Stacey who are now trained in these areas. Selection of Emergency Response Teams (ERT) is next step and in process. Summary of staff skills will be done by Survey Monkey set up by Wanda. “Verbal Judo” training is on- line and may be transferred to the network for individuals to see at their desk. Instruction on use of fire extinguishers can be done by the Temple FD – explore further. Emergency Contact Form can be done on-line and sent to the W drive for limited retrieval by persons authorized to do so. The employee decides what info they want to include i.e. it is voluntary completion.

Performance pages 62-69: We met or exceeded all for last year. Common measures are more or less gone. WIOA measures (pages 63-64). Targets are not there yet but have been approved. We will have a working session with Greg Newton and Adam Leonard on Feb. 15 to try to get clarity on the best avenues for success.

CHOICES is strong. NCP has served 400 with a total of $1.36 mil. child support paid out to date. Referrals are increasing. PFG in Temple is considering some NCP folks. The contract for the additional NCP $$ for Central Texas (from OAG) is in route and we received the amount expect which will support our current staffing and work.

Horace Report: a new cleaning contract starts today for Temple and the board office. Monitoring report from Richard Rogers is out - needs our responses. The October report is not yet signed off - awaiting youth data.

Next LT Meeting: March 8, Temple WFC.

Meeting Evaluations: What was good? Best Companies data Thanks for casserole and snacks I am optimistic WIOA will survive but realize that we will probably suffer large budget cuts. Great discussions All information Good info, thanks for the update! Love it all Lewis opening up ESL classes at the center Performance report Great comeradery (sic) Great information

What could we improve?