Veterans Employment Committee

December 2, 2020: 10:00 AM
Frances Perkins Rm, 45 Commerce Dr., Augusta, ME

Meeting Minutes from SWB Veterans Employment Committee ZOOM Meeting December 2, 2020 (10:00am - 12:30pm)

Members and Interested Party Attendees: J.R. Abbott, DVOP/LVER, Springvale CareerCenter, Bill Benson, Director, Boots2Roots, Mark Cafiso, LVER, Portland CareerCenter, Mark Cater, AMYX Program Support Specialist, Leo Deon, LVER, Lewiston CareerCenter, Aaron Dombroski, Coordinator, TRiO Veterans upward Bound, USM, Robin Doody, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Northern Light Health, Camden Ege, Director, Maine State Approving Agency, Veterans Education, Nicole Frydrych, Community Coordinator, VOANNE, Jen Fullmer, Board Chair, Boots2Roots, Andy Gibson, Director, Deployment Cycle Support, MARNG, Jennifer Giroux, GPD Case Manager, VOANNE, Mike Gray, HVRP Project Coordinator and Military and Veterans Services Director, Easterseals Maine, Adria Horn, VP Workforce, Tilson, Debbie Kelly, Maine Director, Veterans Employment and Trainings Services (VETS), USDOL, David Klein, Division Director, BES, MDOL, Amy Line, Director, Military and Veterans' Services, UMA, Frank Martin, LVER, Tri-County CareerCenter, Bethanie Mazzaro, Volunteer Supt Technician, ESGR, Ashley Pringle, VP of Operations, Maine and Company, Dave Richmond, Director, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Kaleb Roy, National Recruiter, Cianbro, Nate Russell, Veteran, Sarah Sherman, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, Alley Smith-Morrissey, Assistant Coordinator of Veterans Services, USM, Roger Stefani, DVOP, Tri-County CareerCenter, Joe Tatem, Soldier and Family Readiness Specialist, MANG Family Program, John Wagner, DVOP, Southern Midcoast CareerCenter, Fred Webber, Former Board Chari, State Workforce Board, David Young, VR&E Counselor, VA VR&E Togus, Scott Young, Deputy Commissioner, DVEM

Staff: Auta Main, MDOL BES Veterans Program Manager

SWB Staff: Josh Howe, Program Coordinator, State Workforce Board, Cheryl Davis, Labor Program Specialist, State Workforce Board

SWB VEC Chair, Joe Tatem: Welcome & Opening Remarks

SWB VEC Chair, Joe Tatem: Round the zoom introductions.

SWB VEC Chair, Auta Main: Approval of notes from September 16, 2020

Announcement of New SWB VEC Chair, Joe Tatem, Soldier and Family Readiness Specialist, MANG Family Program - Joe Tatem was nominated as the chair in July and received unanimous approval from SWB VEC members.

SWB VEC Strategic Priorities 2020/2021 - Updates

a. Marketing to Veterans and Employers
i. Outreach to Veterans - MHAV outreach ii. Outreach to Employers MHAV outreach i. The Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign was a huge contributor to the committees outreach to both b. Education Employers i. Veteran Hiring for Employers Leo Deon.
ii. Advanced Military Culture COL Andy Gibson.

c. Education Veterans i. All of our organizations (SWB VEC members) have their own systems for registering/educating/training/preparing veterans for employment. Still one "preparing veterans for employment" workshop for all veteran jobseekers in Maine may be beneficial. TBD. See curriculum outline Joe Tatem, Mark Cater, Leo Deon and others.

d. Veteran Friendly Employer Award i. Debbie Kelly, Maines DVET announced the Maine employer recipients of the USDOLs HIRE VETS Medallion Award BIW/General Dynamics, Dead River and Career Systems Development Corporation/Penobscot Job Corps Center.
ii. Bethany Mazzaro shared ESGR award information and info about the ESGR Annual Meeting in September 2020.

e. SWB VEC Membership i. The updated list was shared at the September 2020 meeting and has since been updated see attached Rev. December 2020. *New Members who have joined in 2020 include: - David Young, VA VR&E, Togus - Kaleb Roy, Cianbro - Ashley Pringle, SWB Board Member, Vice President Operations at Maine & Co. and a Veteran

f. Future Agenda Items - Business Relationships Follow-Up

Mark Your Calendars for SWB VEC Meetings 2021 VIRTUAL or Frances Perkins Rm, MDOL January 20, March 17, May 19, July 21, September 15 and November 17

The meeting adjourned at 12:30pm

Attachments