(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today announced the retirement of Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) Director Teresa Wahlert. Wahlert formally notified the governor late Friday that she would retire effective today, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015.
"I wish to thank Teresa Wahlert for her work to help lead initiatives like Skilled Iowa, which trains workers with the skills needed to fill the high-paying careers available across Iowa, Home Base Iowa and the National Career Readiness Certificate," said Branstad. "Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I wish her all the best as she begins her retirement."
"Director Wahlert`s energy and passion to serve the people of Iowa was evident in her dedication to ensuring that Iowa workers had access to programs that would assist them in filling the new, highly-skilled careers coming to Iowa," said Reynolds. "Under her direction, Iowa Workforce Development was a key partner as 168,700 jobs were created in the past 4 years."
Branstad appointed Beth Townsend, current executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, as acting director of IWD. He appointed Don Grove, former Iowa Civil Rights Commission director and current Iowa Civil Rights Commission employee, the acting executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.
The governor will appoint a permanent director at a later date. A timeline for naming a permanent director has not been set.
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