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Workforce Network of Kansas
Leadership Team
January 10, 2003
Conference Room
Flint Hills Technical School
3301 W. 18th Street, Emporia, Kansas

Members present at the meeting were Ken Bell, Ed Berger, Gerald Cook, Valorie DeFever, Dwayne Peaslee, and Lynn Peterson. Staff members Barb Reavis and Konnie Leffler were also present.

Guests present included Bill Layes, Dave McGee, Steve Jack, and Armand Corpolongo all of the Kansas Department of Human Resources. Also in attendance were Nancy Guthrie and Glenn Fondoble, Local Area I; and Jim Decoursey, David Brennan and Kris Kitchen, Local Area II.

Bell called the meeting to order at 10:05 and those attending offered self-introductions. Minutes from the October 18, 2002, November 7, 2002, and November 13, 2003 Leadership Team meetings were approved following Berger/Cook, Cook/Berger, and Berger/Peaslee motions.

Bell first reviewed the Workforce Network of Kansas vision, mission, and conceptual framework. He announced the new Leadership Team appointees, Karin Brownlee, Lew Ferguson, Lynn Peterson, and Alicia Salisbury; and then turned to a discussion of the packet of background materials distributed at the beginning of the meeting.

Bell referred the Leadership Team to copies of a three-page letter the Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP) had sent to him, asking the Team to read it and give him any feedback they might have. Bell plans to attend a meeting with the REAP Economic Development Committee to discuss their concerns about uses of state set-aside funds and the proposed research project.

Bell then introduced Armand Corpolongo, KDHR, who explained criteria recommendations for WIA State Set-aside funds including those planned for incentives for local areas, technical assistance in local areas, and one-stop development assistance.

After extensive discussion, Peterson moved and Berger seconded a motion to propose allocating the $150,000 in incentive funds (divided equally across the 17 performance measures from the WIA IB program) to Local Areas that have met or exceeded 100% on those 17 measures. This item will be added to the WNK Board meeting agenda for January 30, 2003.

A Berger/Peaslee motion was made to authorize appropriate KDHR staff to contact and negotiate with Local Areas as needed to spend up to $150,000 for technical assistance. Unspent dollars are to be reallocated, and KDHR will report to the Board on what technical assistance is given. This item will be added to the WNK Board meeting agenda for January 30, 2003.

On a Cook/DeFever motion, it was agreed to allocate up to $190,000 (no more than $38,000 per Local Area) across the five Local Areas for one-stop development based on their plans, expected outcomes, measurements, and reports being approved by the Leadership Team and KDHR. The first requirement for application is a report on how last year's $65,000 of state set-aside funds were used. This item will be added to the WNK Board meeting agenda for January 30, 2003.

Bell called for a task force to be established to look at a forward framework for incentives and technical assistance goals.

Estes gave an update on the Kansas Workforce Summit, reporting that to date they had 160 registrants and were expecting more. The organizers are still checking to see whether the Lt. Governor and Governor will be attending, and they have offered a few vendor spaces after being contacted by vendors.

The National Association of Workforce Boards meeting to be held March 1-4 in Washington D. C. was discussed with Bell strongly recommending members attend if they can. Reavis will send information out to the board about this meeting next week.

Members agreed that the WNK Board should take a year to work on feedback from the Kansas Award for Excellence before applying for Level 2. Bell commented that it is more difficult to go to Level 2 for a board than for a function.

The Board only received two responses to the RFI for the proposed research project. Bell asked for approval for the Review Team to meet and negotiate with the consortium made up of KDHR, WSU, and Fort Hays State in order to move forward to the next step of the research process. This was approved on a Peaslee/Berger motion.

Reavis reported that the WNK staff had relocated to the office of the Acting Secretary of Human Resources.

Members set the balance of the January 30, 2003 agenda.

On December 18, 2002, a Regents' action will require degree-granting technical colleges to have North Central accreditation. They will also sponsor legislation to separate technical colleges from K-12 governance.

Bell reported that the Kansas Technical Training Initiative was pushing to start an Aircraft and Powerplant certification program by March 1, 2003. Bell is serving on an advisory committee for KTTI and is also serving on a steering committee for Wichita Area Technical College.

Reavis reported that the Secretary of Appointments would welcome Board members' recommendations with regard to the structure of the Board. Members suggested that the Local Workforce Investment Board Chairs (or their designees) should be asked to be part of the Board and that more economic development people need to be on the Board. Any other feedback needs to be sent to Reavis immediately.

Bell adjourned the meeting at 1:25 p.m.