President's Report Masthead
President's Report
DECEMBER 2008
Distributed on January 7, 2009
New Year's Message

Happy New Year!  If you are anything like me, the beginning of a new year is a time for tough self-evaluation and the creation of life-altering resolutions. Once I've resolved to abandon those resolutions -- it is time to get back to work. And that is exactly what we need to focus on in 2009: Getting people back to work and keeping those gainfully employed growing within their professions.
 
Governor Charlie Crist has made strengthening our state's workforce a centerpiece of his agenda and as he noted in his own New Year's Day message, "Florida is blessed to have an innovative workforce that contributes to the economic development of our state." The Governor's focus is rightfully on the people of the State of Florida and he is very clear that our state's competitive advantage within the global economy must be our talent. That is our charge here at Workforce Florida and our top priority. Whether you are a board member, workforce professional, or other stakeholder, 2009 is your year to build Florida's competitive advantage.
Special Session Underway

Adding to the challenges we have before us this year are imminent budget reductions from the 2009 Special Session being held in Tallahassee this week and next. While it is true that most of Florida's workforce system is federally funded, we do have state allocated funds that bolster and support our efforts. The Agency for Workforce Innovation, led by Monesia Brown, and the Florida Workforce Development Association, led by Bruce Ferguson, are both working diligently and in concert with us to advocate on behalf of Florida's workforce system. I am encouraged by this joint effort that budget reductions during the Special Session will minimally impact the workforce system, which is vital to our state's ability to respond to increasing needs for employment and training, especially as unemployment continues to rise. Collectively, we also are laying a strong foundation with the Governor's Office, legislators and their staffs, as we head into the Regular Session in March.
Workforce & Economic Development

Governor Visits Tallahassee One-Stop Center
WORKFORCE plus CEO Kimberly Moore provided a guided tour of the Tallahassee One-Stop Center for Governor Crist on December 22. While there, the Governor visited briefly with several people searching and applying for jobs. Kimberly also has conducted similar tours for staff members from the Governor's Office of Policy and Budget as well as several House and Senate committees. Around the state, other Regional Workforce Boards provide similar tours for policy and business leaders, which offer outstanding opportunities to help not only tell the story of the workforce system, but to show these leaders up close the work underway to support employment, job retention and business growth.
 
Workforce Florida Signs Landmark Agreement
As many of you may have read, Workforce Florida recently signed an agreement with Gulf Coast Community College, The St. Joe Company and Gulf Power Company creating a model for collaboration to address emerging training needs for new businesses and jobs in Northwest Florida. The Memorandum of Understanding targets workforce development in the West Bay area, the largest mixed-use planned community in the state.
 
The agreement marks the first time Workforce Florida has joined with education partners and companies to develop and implement a plan for responding to emerging workforce needs spurred by a planned community and a major infrastructure project. The 75,000-acre West Bay area is home to the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport, which is scheduled to open next year and serves as a catalyst for economic development and job creation for the region and state.
 
Governor Crist had this to say about the memorandum, "Partnerships like the one cemented today are key to building the world-class workforce that will strengthen Florida's economy for generations to come. This landmark agreement is a wonderful example of state government and the private sector coming together to create new jobs and exciting new opportunities for the Sunshine State."
 
I would like to thank Workforce Florida Board member Jennifer Grove of Gulf Power Company and Andra Cornelius, Workforce Florida Vice President for Business and Workforce Development Opportunities, for their work on this agreement. I would also like to thank Jennifer and Board member Shayne Stewart for joining us for the announcement, along with Kim Bodine, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, Allan Bense, incoming Vice Chairman of Enterprise Florida, Inc., Al Wenstrand, President of Florida's Great Northwest, and many other partners whose contributions moving forward will be vital to the success of this initiative. As has been noted by Workforce Florida Chairman Katherine Wilson: "The memorandum represents a significant first step that will become even more meaningful as we move into the implementation phase, along with the Regional Workforce Boards directly impacted by development of the West Bay area and other business, education, economic development and community partners."
 
To view the news conference announcing the agreement, please go to the Workforce Florida Web site or click here.
Staff Announcements

Comings and Goings
It's a bittersweet time at Workforce Florida as we say goodbye to Jennilee Robins and Letha Paulhus, while welcoming Dehryl McCall to our staff. Letha has accepted a position with one our state agency partners, the Department of Children and Families, and we wish her well in her new role. Jennilee will retire in January. Her vast knowledge of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has been invaluable to not just our organization, but has benefited the entire workforce system and most importantly Florida's families, as we've carried out our mission to help welfare recipients transition to self-sufficiency. I want to take this opportunity again to thank Jennilee for her leadership and contributions to our organization in many areas.
 
Meanwhile, I am pleased to introduce Dehryl. A 13-year workforce veteran, Dehryl will serve as a program manager overseeing youth and workforce readiness initiatives as part of the Workforce Readiness and Performance team. He will also provide support across all workforce program areas, with special emphasis on Trade Adjustment Act (TAA), Wagner-Peyser and Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Dehryl joined Workforce Florida after six years at the Agency for Workforce Innovation, where he was most recently a Senior Management Analyst Supervisor.
Key Dates

January 5-16: Special Session of the Florida Legislature.

January 20-22: Enterprise Florida Board and Stakeholders Council Meetings. Tallahassee

February 17-19: Workforce Florida Board of Directors' Meetings. Tallahassee

February 19: Space Florida Board of Directors' Meetings. Tallahassee

March 3: Opening Day of the 2009 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature.
Thank you for your commitment to creating a world-class workforce in Florida.
 
Sincerely,

Chris Hart Signature

Chris Hart IV
President/CEO
Workforce Florida, Inc.
Table of Contents
Special Session
Workforce & Economic Development
Staff Announcements
Key Dates
Workforce Snapshot
Available Workforce:
Up 88,000

Unemployment Rate:
7.3%

Job Growth by Sector:
Education and Health Services
Up 40,400

Government
Up 1,000

Source: Florida Labor Market Statistics Center (November 2008 data)