On Jan. 29-30, 2026, the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) opened the year with a two-day session in Brighton, Colo., focused on the theme of Building Future Ready Collaborations.
Thursday’s sessions, led by Jonathan Liebert, included key updates from CWDC Steering Committees, a preview of the 2026 Legislative Session, and discussion around the proposed WIOA State Plan modifications.
Friday began with a sector partnership panel that included Jess Fuller, representing Workforce Colorado: Jefferson, Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Dee Wittmer, representing Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, who spoke about the Aerospace sector and the CWDC Good Jobs grant, along with Matt Wiggins, representing the Boulder Chamber, spoke about his involvement with four different sector partnerships, including tree care and the Denver/Boulder quantum partnership.
Friday was also a day of intentional collaboration, as the Council held a joint session with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE). The joint portion of the meeting included discussions on the impacts of the Talent Pipeline Report, Workforce Pell, and the implementation of Executive Order 2025-006 Reimagine the Future of the Postsecondary Talent Development Systems in Colorado, emphasizing a unified approach to student and worker success. These discussions were followed by a presentation from Tal Goldhammer on AI’s impact on education and workforce.
The meeting closed with a leadership transition, with Peter Brissette officially stepping into the role of Chair for the Council. A huge thank you to Past-Chair Jonathan Liebert for his years of leadership of the Council and to Peter for stepping into the role.
Key Meeting Outcomes
WIOA State Plan Modifications: The council unanimously voted to apply for four federal waivers (Waivers #1, #2, #3, and #4) to streamline WIOA operations and service delivery. Additionally, the council voted to delegate the final approval and posting of the PY26-27 WIOA State Plan modifications for public comment to the CWDC Executive Committee.
The Council voted to continue to workshop the WIOA KPI metrics.
Council and Commission discussion and input were captured to inform work moving forward related to Workforce Pell, implementation of Executive Order 2025-006, and the Talent Pipeline Report.
Council Leadership & Governance: The council officially voted to approve Michael Maynes to fill the CWDC Treasurer role and installed Peter Brissette as the Board Chair.
Welcome to the new Sectors Steering Committee Chair Chris Romer. Thank you to outgoing Chair Karla Nugent.