FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2019

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Melanie Harding, Office of Mayor Victoria Woodards, melanie.harding@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5156

 

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards Appointed Vice Chair of 

U.S. Conference of Mayors’ ‘Jobs, Education, and the Workforce’ Standing Committee 

TACOMA, Wash. – Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards has been appointed vice chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) “Jobs, Education, and the Workforce” Standing Committee. This committee focuses on the education and workforce development needs of cities in order to build a skilled workforce for a 21st century global economy. Specific issue areas include education; workforce development; public service employment; STEM; at-risk youth; summer jobs; youth employment and development; national service; dislocated workers and advanced manufacturing among others.

“I am honored to take a leadership role on this committee,” said Mayor Woodards. “In Tacoma, and in other cities across the country, we must prepare our community members today for the jobs of tomorrow.” 

“Mayor Woodards began her term last year by immediately engaging in conversations on how we can create opportunities and build a skilled workforce for our nation,” said Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who also serves as USCM president. “In her new leadership role, I know she will help the USCM develop a proactive, strategic agenda on these priority issues.” 

In Pierce County, Mayor Woodards also serves as chair of WorkForce Central’s Executive Board. 

“This national appointment recognizes Mayor Woodards’ commitment toward ensuring our local residents have access to the requisite education, training and support to best position them for living wage jobs,” said WorkForce Central Chief Executive Officer Linda Nguyen. “In this leadership role, Mayor Woodards will be able to share local best practices on the national stage and bring home best practices that she learns from her peers. As chair of WorkForce Central’s Executive Board, Mayor Woodards will continue to lead and facilitate enhancements to our local workforce development system.”

USCM works to strengthen federal-city relationships; ensure that federal policies meet urban needs; provide mayors with leadership and management tools; and create a forum in which mayors can share ideas, information, and best practices. USCM is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,408 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Mayors contribute to the development of national urban policy by serving on one or more of the conference’s standing committees. More information about USCM is available at usmayors.org. 

More information about the City of Tacoma is available at cityoftacoma.org. Information about the City’s progress toward its Tacoma2025 goals is available on the Results253 page at data.cityoftacoma.org.

 

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