For Immediate Release.
Date: May 26, 2016
Contact: Cory Kelly
Telephone: 515-330-5646
Email: cory.kelly@iwd.iowa.gov
DES MOINES, IA - Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development, has been appointed chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA).
Townsend, a veteran of the United States Air Force, is a passionate and tireless advocate of programs and initiatives to provide veterans with improved access to employment and education opportunities.
“We are grateful to have leaders in our nation’s workforce agencies like Beth,” said Scott B. Sanders, NASWA Executive Director. “She has been actively engaged in our association to bring resolve to important national workforce issues such as giving states flexibility in determining how best to serve and connect employers and workers, giving veterans priority of service and helping Americans get back to work.”
NASWA, a national organization of state administrators of the state workforce system, is focused on driving the national workforce agenda. The Veterans Affairs Committee is one of NASWA’s seven committees and will be hosting the fourth annual Veterans Conference, Aug. 16-18, 2017, in Washington, D.C.
Townsend was named vice chair of the committee in October of 2016. Her chair appointment is through September of 2018.
Townsend is a member of the Nebraska and Iowa state bar. She retired from the Air Force Reserve in 2010 as a Lieutenant Colonel after 21 years of active and reserve duty. Townsend was appointed director of Iowa Workforce Development in 2015.