Kwame and Gross Spearhead Creation of Regional Jobs Taskforce

WASHINGTON – Today, At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown announced that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) passed a resolution creating a taskforce on regional workforce development. The Workforce Competitiveness Taskforce was spearheaded by COG Chairwoman Penelope Gross and Vice-Chairman Kwame Brown. The taskforce will be responsible for generating new policies for improved regional workforce enhancement and job creation. The taskforce was created yesterday on the heels of a report that the District has reached 9.3% unemployment.

“I want to thank Chairwoman Gross for taking the initiative on creating this taskforce,” said Councilmember Brown. “This has become increasingly important as unemployment continues to rise and the recessions hits families hard. This taskforce is another opportunity for us to retool our workforce and come out stronger on the other side.”

The taskforce will have up to twelve members, who will be appointed in mid-March 2009. The first meeting will be in April and the taskforce will ultimately generate a work program framework that will focus on:

• Understanding and aligning regional and local economic development goals and strategies
• Education and training infrastructure
• Strengthening and improving workforce system coordination and communication
• Creating opportunity out of crisis

According to the work program approved by COG, members of the taskforce will consist of “COG member officials and representatives of regional, local, and state economic development, education (K-12, community college and higher education) and workforce development and training organizations.”

About Chairwoman Penelope Gross

(From the COG website: http://www.mwcog.org/about/board)

Penelope Gross, COG Chairman. Gross has served as the Mason District Supervisor on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors since 1996. In 2009, Gross was chosen to also serve as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

Gross was the original Chair of COG’s Chesapeake Bay Policy Committee in 1998. In 2005, she served as COG President. Gross also represents Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia on the National Regional Councils Board of Directors.

For more information or to interview Councilmember Brown, please contact Press Secretary Michael Price at 202-445-4510 or mprice@dccouncil.us.

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