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Federal Agencies Supporting Employee Ownership

Note: This is a past event, additional resources may be available below.

Tue Apr 9, 2024

Date

Tue Apr 9, 2024
12:00am

Location



Contact

Hosts

  1. Economic Opportunities Program

Description

Agencies across the US government are engaged in supporting employee ownership. And in recent years, this engagement has grown as new laws such as the WORK Act, the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, and other pieces of legislation have passed. In this discussion, we’ll hear from a variety of agencies about the strategies and programs they are implementing, the lessons they are learning, and how stakeholders around the country can partner with them to expand ownership in their communities.

Speakers

Lisa Gomez

Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of LaborLisa M. Gomez was sworn in as assistant secretary for Employee Benefits Security Administration on October 11, 2022. Previously, Gomez was a partner with the law firm Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP and the chair of the firm’s management committee. She has deep technical and practical experience in the multifaceted field of employee benefits law and has spent almost three decades representing various Taft-Hartley and multiemployer pension and welfare plans, single employer plans, jointly administered training program trust funds, a federal employees health benefit plan, supplemental health plans, and voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations covering employees in a wide array of industries.Lisa served as a co-chair of the board of senior editors of the Bloomberg BNA treatise employee benefits law. She also served in various leadership positions with the American Bar Association (ABA) section of labor and employment law, including as the union co-chair of its employee benefits committee. She is a graduate of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Leadership Development Program and served as the union co-chair for that program. She was a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance. Lisa was inducted as a fellow of The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Inc. in recognition of her over 20 years of practice in employee benefits law and her contributions to the field, including as a frequent speaker on numerous employee benefits issues. Lisa was also a member of the advisory board of The Peggy Browning Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing law students who wish to pursue careers protecting workers’ rights. She previously served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association as well as a volunteer mediator for the New Jersey state courts. She was also a guest lecturer for the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations on employee benefits. Lisa was named as a super lawyer for Employee Benefits on the Super Lawyers New York Metro Annual Lists for 2021 and 2022. Lisa earned her law degree from the Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University.

Alex Jacquez

Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development and Industrial Strategy, National Economic Council, The White HouseAlex Jacquez serves as special assistant to the president for economic development and industrial strategy for the White House National Economic Council. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, he served as senior policy advisor for labor and economic policy on the Senate Budget Committee under Chairman Bernie Sanders,  US Senator for Vermont. He has previously served in various policy and engagement roles for Senate democratic leadership, the Obama-Biden White House, the US Department of Agriculture, and federal and state campaigns. He graduated from Lehigh University.

David Brown

Director of Policy, Office of the Administrator, US Small Business Administration(Bio forthcoming)

Leroy Garcia

Chief of Staff, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, US Department of Agriculture(Bio forthcoming)

Moderator

Maureen ConwayMaureen Conway,

Vice President, The Aspen Institute
Executive Director, Economic Opportunities ProgramMaureen Conway serves as vice president at the Aspen Institute and as executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program (EOP). EOP works to expand individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.Full Bio – Maureen Conway

Description

Agencies across the US government are engaged in supporting employee ownership. And in recent years, this engagement has grown as new laws such as the WORK Act, the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, and other pieces of legislation have passed. In this discussion, we’ll hear from a variety of agencies about the strategies and programs they are implementing, the lessons they are learning, and how stakeholders around the country can partner with them to expand ownership in their communities.

Speakers

Lisa Gomez

Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Administration, US Department of LaborLisa M. Gomez was sworn in as assistant secretary for Employee Benefits Security Administration on October 11, 2022. Previously, Gomez was a partner with the law firm Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP and the chair of the firm’s management committee. She has deep technical and practical experience in the multifaceted field of employee benefits law and has spent almost three decades representing various Taft-Hartley and multiemployer pension and welfare plans, single employer plans, jointly administered training program trust funds, a federal employees health benefit plan, supplemental health plans, and voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations covering employees in a wide array of industries.Lisa served as a co-chair of the board of senior editors of the Bloomberg BNA treatise employee benefits law. She also served in various leadership positions with the American Bar Association (ABA) section of labor and employment law, including as the union co-chair of its employee benefits committee. She is a graduate of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Leadership Development Program and served as the union co-chair for that program. She was a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance. Lisa was inducted as a fellow of The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Inc. in recognition of her over 20 years of practice in employee benefits law and her contributions to the field, including as a frequent speaker on numerous employee benefits issues. Lisa was also a member of the advisory board of The Peggy Browning Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing law students who wish to pursue careers protecting workers’ rights. She previously served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association as well as a volunteer mediator for the New Jersey state courts. She was also a guest lecturer for the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations on employee benefits. Lisa was named as a super lawyer for Employee Benefits on the Super Lawyers New York Metro Annual Lists for 2021 and 2022. Lisa earned her law degree from the Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University.

Alex Jacquez

Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development and Industrial Strategy, National Economic Council, The White HouseAlex Jacquez serves as special assistant to the president for economic development and industrial strategy for the White House National Economic Council. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, he served as senior policy advisor for labor and economic policy on the Senate Budget Committee under Chairman Bernie Sanders,  US Senator for Vermont. He has previously served in various policy and engagement roles for Senate democratic leadership, the Obama-Biden White House, the US Department of Agriculture, and federal and state campaigns. He graduated from Lehigh University.

David Brown

Director of Policy, Office of the Administrator, US Small Business Administration(Bio forthcoming)

Leroy Garcia

Chief of Staff, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, US Department of Agriculture(Bio forthcoming)

Moderator

Maureen ConwayMaureen Conway,

Vice President, The Aspen Institute
Executive Director, Economic Opportunities ProgramMaureen Conway serves as vice president at the Aspen Institute and as executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program (EOP). EOP works to expand individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.Full Bio – Maureen Conway

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