REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appoint Kirk Vartan and Nate Williams to the NOVA Workforce Board
Report
BACKGROUND
The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) stipulates the composition, roles and responsibilities of the local workforce board. The local chief elected official appoints the local workforce board. The Sunnyvale City Council serves as the Local Chief Elected Official for the NOVA consortium. The local workforce board (NOVA Board) determines how many seats are on the board. It is required to have a majority of representatives from business and representation from at least the following stakeholders:
• Business Executives (majority and chair);
• Education providers from adult education and higher education;
• Labor and community-based organizations representing the workforce;
• Economic and community development agencies; and
• State agencies representing employment development and vocational rehabilitation programs.
The roles and responsibilities of NOVA Board members include (but are not limited to):
• Taking a leadership role in forging a strong and vital partnership between business and the workforce development community, resulting in an entrepreneurial, market-driven, accountable and exceptional workforce development system;
• Contributing specific expertise from key industries and articulating evolving industries’ needs, critical to aligning the workforce with the jobs of the 21st Century;
• Developing and approving policy for workforce initiatives in NOVA service-delivery area;
• Helping create and providing oversight of a local strategic plan and participate in the development of a regional plan;
• Evaluating and monitoring program performance according to specified outcomes and measures; and
• Promoting the NOVA Board and workforce through collaboration and relationship building with other businesses, local workforce boards, organizations and groups.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 5.1.1: Socio-Economic - Goals and Policies: Education and Training Goal 5.1F: Provide job training and employment services, within constraints of operative Federal regulations and available Federal funding, to address the locally-determined employment and training needs of economically disadvantaged residents and others with special needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The NOVA Board Nominating Committee is comprised of Councilmember Gustav Larsson and NOVA Board Co-Chair Andy Switky and Vice Chair Rosanne Foust. The Committee is charged with the responsibility of recommending candidates for appointment to the NOVA Board, for consideration by the City Council. The Nominating Committee is recommending the appointment of Kirk Vartan and Nate Williams because of the individual strengths and assets they can bring to the NOVA Board. In addition, their appointments will fill WIOA-mandated seats representing business.
About the Candidates:
Mr. Kirk Vartan
Co-Founder and General Manager, A Slice of New York
Established in 2006, A Slice of New York pizzeria has been in operations for nearly 15 years and is considered a best-in-class product. Today, the company employs 27 workers at two locations in Sunnyvale and San Jose. In 2017, the company evolved into an employee-owned business and is thought to be Silicon Valley’s first brick-and-mortar Worker Cooperative. As former co-owner and now general manager, Mr. Vartan is responsible for daily operations, team safety and wellness, employee recruitment and performance, and overall management. He also serves on A Slice of New York’s Board of Directors and is an officer in the company. Mr. Vartan brings to the Board diverse experience in the hospitality industry, significantly impacted by COVID-19, and the technology sector. He also has a passion for addressing the challenges facing essential workers seeking equity in pay and respect. Mr. Vartan is a founding member of the Worker-Owned Recovery California Coalition, a state-wide advocacy group advancing worker-ownership strategies. Mr. Vartan’s contributions will be invaluable to the Board in elevating underpaid workers with greater opportunities for self-sufficiency and advancement.
Mr. Nate Williams
Director of Public Policy Team, LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet, with more than 756 million members, in over 200 countries worldwide. Through its proprietary platform, members create and share their professional profile online, build professional networks, and identify suitable employment opportunities. Founded in 2003, LinkedIn employs more than 6,000 employees locally, with headquarters in Sunnyvale and offices around the globe. As director on the public policy team, Mr. Williams leads LinkedIn’s partnership with multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, World Bank, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). His work is research-oriented which entails collaborating with the company’s policy, product, business development and data science functions. This has led to insights about the Future of Work and Economic Graph, a real-time map of the global economy. Mr. Williams brings to the Board nearly two decades of workforce-related experience in federal government and business. He has a deep understanding of regulatory requirements, corporate human capital strategy and leading-edge recruitment practices. His contributions will be invaluable to the Board in aligning the changing economy with the skills required for employment success.
These appointments comply with the requirements of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Appoint Kirk Vartan and Nate Williams to the NOVA Workforce Board.
Staff
Prepared by: Eileen Stanly, Analyst, NOVA Workforce Services
Reviewed by: Kris Stadelman, Director, NOVA Workforce Services
Reviewed by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager