LT. GOVERNOR JENNINGS RECEIVES NATIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AWARD

TALLAHASSEE -Lt. Governor Toni Jennings was honored today with the William L. Heartwell Award from the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). The award recognizes an individual outside of the state workforce agency system who has made a significant contribution to the labor force.

“Advancing Florida’s workforce is paramount to continued economic prosperity in our state,” said Lt. Governor Jennings. “I am honored to receive such a prestigious award and thank the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ for their devotion to the improvement of our nation’s workforce.”

NASWA is a national organization composed of state administrators of employment and training services, labor market information and unemployment insurance from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This year, the NASWA annual conference is on September 12-15 in Rapid City, South Dakota.

A successful Orlando businesswoman, former two-term President of the Florida State Senate and former fifth grade school teacher, Lt. Governor Jennings is one of the most distinguished and versatile public servants in Florida’s history. She is an authority on workforce issues. Jennings championed solutions to Florida’s rising workers’ compensation costs and helped launch Florida’s successful efforts to move citizens from welfare to work. As Chairman of Workforce Florida from 2000-2002, she balanced the needs of Florida’s workers with Florida’s business needs in seeking skilled and job-ready employees. Her unwavering support for education and training initiatives have made a significant impact on preparing Florida’s future workforce.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this national award than Lt. Governor Jennings,” said Tramm Hudson, Chair of the Workforce Florida Board of Directors. “She is one of Florida’s most publicly recognized leaders in workforce development. Her commitment to workforce issues spans some 24 years. More than any other individual in the state, she has fostered the reform of Florida’s workforce system and rechanneled its focus towards employer-driven initiatives.”

After the Lt. Governor left her legislative career, she was appointed the first chair of the Workforce Florida Board. One of her first acts was to challenge the Board to find, within 100 days, unsubsidized jobs for 1,000 at-risk youths and to train another 2,000 Floridians for better-paying jobs. The Board met the challenge by leveraging state funds with local investments to help current and former welfare recipients, youth and other eligible participants in need of training.

As Lieutenant Governor, Jennings has brokered public and private partnerships and has led statewide initiatives to establish development goals in Governor Bush’s strategic plan for economic development, Roadmap for Florida 2004-2009. An important recommendation in the plan is establishing regionally concentrated, industry-driven Workforce Education Cluster Centers. She has also chaired the Florida Space Authority’s Board of Supervisors, and most recently was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to chair the new Commission on the Future of Space and Aeronautics in Florida, which is responsible for determining strategies to keep Florida competitive in the space industry.

The William L. Heartwell Award recognizes Lt. Governor Jennings’ strong long-term advocacy for workforce education and training, strengthening the alliance between employers and institutions preparing students to enter the workforce.

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