FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              CONTACT: Ann Hatchitt

DATE: July 7, 2008                                                                  PHONE: (512) 463-8556

  

TWC Employer Commissioner Ron Lehman
Ends 10 Years of State Service

 

AUSTIN - Ron Lehman, Commissioner Representing Employers for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), today announced his resignation effective July 18, 2008, after 10 years of service to the state of Texas.

 

"Ron has been a leader in creating a workforce system that engages Texas employers and promotes job creation," said Gov. Rick Perry. "His emphasis on innovation, competitiveness and accountability has helped make our state a national leader in economic development." Commissioner Lehman has served Gov. Perry as TWC Employer Commissioner after initially being appointed to the position by then-Gov. George W. Bush in July 1998.

"In the last 10 years, I have been privileged to serve as an advocate for Texas employers," said Commissioner Lehman.  "Together, we have focused on retaining and growing jobs by creating a market-driven workforce system that helps meet the real world business needs of employers." 

Commissioner Lehman was instrumental in the establishment of the online job-matching system WorkinTexas.com, with more than 250,000 employers enrolled as users and more than 1.3 million job seekers hired since the launch of the site. He pioneered the creation of "Performance Measures that Matter," a system which holds workforce boards accountable for results that have a positive impact on Texas employers, such as achieving a fivefold increase in the number of employers as customers, gaining faster access to qualified workers and realizing dramatic reductions in the costs of Unemployment Insurance.  

Along with his fellow commissioners, Commissioner Lehman displayed strong fiscal discipline, which has led to record low Unemployment Insurance tax rates and hundreds of millions of tax dollars returned to Texas employers, keeping that money in the local economy.

Commissioner Lehman also is responsible for major increases in employer education programs, with nearly 60,000 employers enrolled in the Texas Business Conferences, 120,000 subscribing to the Texas Business Today newsletter, and thousands more receiving information on Texas business laws and regulations.

 

"The success we have enjoyed in creating a world-class workforce system was built on the ideas and efforts of countless individuals," said Commissioner Lehman. "The innovation and competitive position of Texas would not be possible without the hard work of my TWC colleagues and staff, the local workforce board members and their staffs, and the partnerships we have established with business and industry associations and the economic development community. I offer my sincere thanks to all of them."

In January 2003, Commissioner Lehman was recognized by the National Federation of Independent Business for his service and commitment to the small business community of Texas. In December 2006, he was awarded the Manufacturing Mainspring Advocate award by the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center for his efforts to sustain and grow a skilled manufacturing workforce.

Prior to his appointment to TWC, Commissioner Lehman served in various leadership positions within IBM Corp. He's held management and staff positions in manufacturing, personnel, finance, engineering, customer engineering, management development and technical education in Austin and New York.

Commissioner Lehman holds a bachelor's degree in management from St. Edward's University, and is a graduate of The President's Class-Advanced Business Institute at Harvard University and the Systems Approach to Education-Corporate Learning Institute at Vanderbilt University.

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Texas Workforce Commission . 512-463-8942 . http://www.texasworkforce.org . Equal Opportunity Employer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Workforce Commission is a state agency dedicated to helping Texas employers, workers and communities prosper economically. For details on TWC and the programs it offers in unison with its network of local workforce development boards, call (512) 463-8556 or visit http://www.texasworkforce.org.

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