Iowa Senators want quick confirmation for Townsend

DES MOINES - Beth Townsend, Gov. Terry Branstad's choice as director of Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), told senators Monday she is the process of making positive changes aimed at boosting employee morale and restoring IWD's reputation as an agency that makes competent, impartial decisions in a timely fashion.

Townsend, 51, a lawyer and an Air Force veteran, inherited a state agency in turmoil after former IWD director Teresa Wahlert abruptly retired in January amid contentions the department had become a hostile work environment where overworked administrative law judges felt their judicial independence had been improperly threatened under a business-friendly leadership team.

Townsend, who previously served as the director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, said she spent her first 60 days at her new assignment meeting with employees and managers in all IWD divisions to discuss her view of the agency's mission and hear suggestions and concerns and discuss ways to improve moral moving forward. She also has visited four of the agency's 16 field offices around Iowa and also talked with community college partners in workforce development efforts.

'They seem to me to be very hungry to do the good work that IWD does and to change the conversation, if you will, about IWD and focus on the positive and the productive services that we are providing to the state of Iowa,” she said. 'I've been very encouraged about that.”

During Monday's Senate subcommittee meeting, Townsend declined to discuss personnel issues that transpired at IWD, including a recent lawsuit filed by an IWD administrative law judge against the state and Wahlert alleging she was suspended in retaliation for criticizing management during a legislative hearing last year.

Townsend also acknowledged recently receiving recommendations from the U.S. Department of Labor stemming from a complaint brought by Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, alleging 'inappropriate influence” by Wahlert advising the agency to 'insulate” itself from 'outside pressures” that might compromise fairness and impartiality.

Townsend, who Branstad credited with turning around a dysfunctional agency with a long backlog of unfinished work while she was in charge of the state's civil rights office, said she did not feel she would be in a position to implement a new management approach until she has been confirmed by the Iowa Senate.

Dotzler said he still has concerns about the agency but believes Townsend will be fair and he supports getting her confirmed by a two-third majority of the 50-member Senate as soon as possible to 'straighten out” the problems that have plagued the state's workforce development efforts.