AGENDA  Updated: 2/22/2026 - 

NAJA 43rd Annual National Conference “Tie Dyed - Bringing It All Together”  Downtown Dallas Sheraton, May 11-15, 2026

Monday, May 11, 2026

11:45 A.M.  Welcome to NAJA:  Macey Prince Swinson, CEO and President, NAJA and General announcements Heddy Kagawa, Vice President, NAJA

12:00 - 1:30 P.M. (plenary) Welcome to Dallas and America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age:  USDOLETA Region 4: M. Frank Stluka, Acting Regional Administrator—Dallas & Dudley Light—Regional Director Office of Apprenticeship—Dallas

1:30 - 2:15 P.M.  (plenary) Workforce Pep Talk - Jan Vogel, CEO - Southbay WIB

2:15 -  3:30 P.M.  (plenary) Understanding Your Grant Agreement (plenary) Retired Deputy Assistant Secretary, USDOLETA Laura P Watson , Conference Keynote

3:30- 3:45 P.M. Networking Break

3:45 - 5:15 P.M. (fiscal) 2 CFR 200 UG, 2 CFR 2900 & other mandatory requirements: US DOLETA Dallas Region:  Glarion Webb, Grants/Financial Management Specialist; and Tamika Wright, Accountant

3:45 -5:15 P.M. (program) The Current State of AI in Workforce Development:  The Good, The Bad, and What’s Next - Josh Davies, Workforce Futurist
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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

8:00 - 9:00 A.M. (plenary) RESILity: The Key to Thriving in Uncertain Times" (plenary) Josh Davies, Workforce Futurist 

9:00 - 10:00 A.M. (plenary)  “The Top Ten Things To Know About Registered Apprenticeship” Maria Brady, M.A. Multi-State Navigator, Office of Apprenticeship, Dallas Regional Office

10:00 - 10:15 A.M. Networking Break

10:15 - 11:15 A.M.  (plenary) Artificial Intelligence - Chris Bernhardt, Sr.  Manager, NOVAworks 

11:15 A.M. - 12:15 P.M. (plenary) “Best Practices to Protect Personal Identifiable Information (PII)” Nancy Meeden, Esq. Sr. Workforce Policy Manager, AZ DES

12:15 - 1:30 P.M. Lunch ON YOUR OWN

1:30 - 2:30 P.M. (plenary) Let’s Talk Fiscal With Program Staff - Zaskia Ruiz, Executive VP, KRA

2:30 - 3:45 P.M. (fiscal) Cash Management ETA Region 4: Kristy Woodard, DFMAS Division Chief/Regional Grant Officer; Brian Johnston, Fiscal Management and Program Analyst; and Shalonda Thompson, Fiscal Management and Program Analyst

2:30 - 3:45 P.M. (program) Case Management Including Follow-up Systems emphasizing placement and retention. Akil Bektemba, President/CEO Vanguard Consulting Group, LLC - and Sheron Morgan, Executive Director, Worksource Coastal and SETA President

3:45 - 4:00 P.M. Networking Break 

4:00 -  5:30 P.M. (fiscal) Financial Roundtable on Common Findings ETA Region 4: Kristy Woodard, DFMAS Division Chief/Regional Grant Officer and Glarion Webb, Grants/Financial Management Specialist, Lisa Thomas, VP of Finance, Southwest Partnership for Training and Employment; Marilyn Mireles,  Sr. Finance Analyst, Workforce Connections, Catherine Bondoc, Retired LA City Finance Director

4:00 - 5:30 P.M. (program) Opportunity Youth Deep Dive into the strategic plan to address a region’s 42K opportunity youth - Robert Sainz, President and Executive Director At New Ways to Work

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Wednesday,  May 13, 2026

8:00 - 9:15 A. M. (plenary) There is a Pony in that Pile! Leading with Hope and Vision in Uncertain Times,  Richard Maher, Adaptive Human Capital, LLC; John Helton Principle and Founder, Bright Idea Collaborative; and Ron Painter, Principal, Forbes Field Associates 

9:15 - 10:30 A.M. (plenary) Audit Resolution w/A New Spin - how to respond (practical advice) how to meet/greet your auditor & how to respond to USDOLETA Retired DAS Laura P Watson

10:30 - 10:45 A.M. Networking Break

10:45  A.M. - 12:00 P.M.  (plenary) Closeout, Thomas Diel, CPA

12:00- 1:30 P.M. Lunch ON YOUR OWN

1:30 - 2:30 P.M. (plenary) LMI Session: Patterns in Labor Market Data:  Bureau of Labor Statistics Dallas Region:  Italina DiFulvio, Branch Chief of Industry and Employment Statistics,  and Margaret Humphrey, Branch Chief of Occupational Unemployment, Employment and Wages Statistics

2:30 - P.M. (program) Laura Bishoff, Rapid Response  Coordinator and ETPL Coordinator, Southbay WIB Topic TBD

2:30 - 3:45 P.M. (fiscal) Fiscal Monitoring ETA Region 4: Glarion Webb, Grants/Financial Management Specialist and Amber Flowers, Accountant and Catherine Bondoc, retired Director of Finance, LA City

3:45 - 4:00 Networking Break

4:00 - 5:15 P.M. (fiscal) Closeout Tom Diel, CPA

4:00 - 5:15 P.M. (program)  The Future of Jobs and Work - John Chamberlin, Esq.

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Thursday, May 14, 2026

8:00 - 9:30 P.M. (program) Board Governance - John Chamberlin, Esq.

8:00 - 9:30 A.M. (fiscal) Admin vs Program Costs Deep Dive  Catherine Bondoc, Retired Finance Director, LA City

9:30 - 9:45 -  Networking Break

9:45 - 11:15 A.M. (plenary) Registered Apprenticeship: Building Partnerships and Braiding Resources.” A panel discussion moderated by Maria Brady featuring Joy Jamerson M.B.A. and Harry Dispensa, Retired Federal employee, USDOL, Office of Apprenticeship, SF

11:15 - 12:00 (plenary) Washington Update Robert (Bob) Knight, Equus Senior Manager and Ron Painter, Principal, Forbes Field Associates

12:00 -1:30 P.M.  Lunch ON YOUR OWN

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. (plenary) Performance Management  USDOLETA Dallas - Region 4: Cliff Atkinson, Performance Management and Program Analyst

2:00 - 3:30 P.M. (plenary) Up-to-date Federal Indirect Cost Requirements Victor Lopez,  Retired USDOL – Former Chief of the Division of Cost Determination/S&A/OSPE/OASAM.  Also, Victor will assist w/grantee specific meetings Tuesday afternoon - Thursday.  Art Campbell,  Retired USDOL,OASAM Cost Negotiator Wednesday afternoon - Friday

3:30 - 3:45   Networking Break

3:45 - 5:00 P.M.  (plenary) Allowable Facilities Costs, Thomas Diel, CPA 

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Friday, May 13, 2026

8:00 - 9:30 A.M. (plenary) Compliance to Connection:  Data Storytelling and AI to Bridge the Gap -  Zaskia Ruiz, Executive VP, KRA

9:30 - 9:45 A.M. Networking  Break

9:45 - 11:15 A.M.  (plenary) Big Picture Trends in Public Workforce Policy - Robert (Bob) Knight, Equus Senior Manager

11:15 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.  (plenary) Q&A and Closing - Macey Swinson & Art Campbell

We hope you can join us.  See conference registration and hotel reservation details at NAJA.org

We hope you can join us.  See registration and reservation details at NAJA.org

Thank you all for supporting NAJA. And a huge thank you to our presenters.

This draft is subject to changes.

Mrs Prince Swinson  worked 34 years for the US Department of Labor30 years for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) as a Grants and Contracts professional and in other capacities (Fiscal Accounting Specialist, Budget Analyst, and Program Manager). She worked four years for the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics in the accounting and budgeting offices. 

During her tenure with ETA, she assisted with developing program regulations; designed the original ETA 9130 reporting formats and instructions (the first ever ETA automated reports); assisted with developing ETA  administrative and financial policy, assisted with developing numerous monitoring guides and tools for ETA grant programs.   She served as an expert on a national office team that was responsible for addressing complex issues related to the administrative and financial management system requirements for ETA programs.  She provided administrative and financial professional guidance to other regional offices’ grantees for complex issues at the request of the ETA national office.   She was responsible for training the San Francisco regional office staff in the Contracting Officer’s Technical Requirements (COTR) and/or  Grant Officer’s technical requirements (GOTR) as well as other Federal grant requirements. Other duties included training ETA administrative and financial management and program staff as well as the ETA grants community in ETA grant specific and Federal Uniform Guidance requirements.  This included training the staff on-site during the monitoring reviews, providing on-site professional and technical guidance to ETA grantees; recommending corrective actions and assisting with resolving issues identified during monitoring and in audit reports   Many of the issues cross-cut Federal, State and local governments agencies including the U.S. Department of Education (School to Work), Job Corps, Health and Human Services (Welfare to Work), the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Departments of Labors’ agencies: Office of Cost Determination and the  Office of the Inspector General.  She also worked with various state, Indian Tribal and local areas/agencies (Commerce, Governors Office, Legislative Offices, Departments of Treasury, Departments of General Service, UI Judges, Departments of Finance, Bureau of Indian Affairs) on cross-cutting issues.

She is now a consultant providing professional/technical assistance and training to ETA grantees for indirect and direct cost. Mrs. Prince Swinson serves on two boards:  CEO and President for the National Association of Job Training Assistance (NAJA) and the Idaho Shakespeare Board.