Senate Resolution 4 - Introduced
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 4
BY KRAAYENBRINK, SINCLAIR, ZAUN, JOHNSON, EDLER,
SCHULTZ, ROZENBOOM, LOFGREN, KOELKER, ZUMBACH,
GARRETT, GREEN, COSTELLO, BROWN, R. SMITH, DAWSON,
SHIPLEY, REICHMAN, DRISCOLL, CARLIN, COURNOYER,
WHITING, J. TAYLOR, DICKEY, KLIMESH, WHITVER,
CHAPMAN, GUTH, SWEENEY, WILLIAMS, DOTZLER, GIDDENS,
BOLKCOM, J. SMITH, CELSI, KINNEY, BISIGNANO,
T. TAYLOR, BOULTON, JOCHUM, TRONE GARRIOTT, MATHIS,
PETERSEN, LYKAM, RAGAN, WAHLS, and QUIRMBACH
1 A Resolution honoring the achievements and
2 contributions of Steve Ovel.
3 WHEREAS, Steve Ovel worked at Kirkwood Community
4 College as the Executive Director of Governmental
5 Relations for 30 years; and
6 WHEREAS, after retiring from Kirkwood in 2013, Mr.
7 Ovel served as the legislative liaison and consultant
8 for the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
9 until retiring from that position in 2018; and
10 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel is recognized as the premier Iowa
11 community college expert in economic development and
12 workforce training; and
13 WHEREAS, several of Iowa’s community college
14 workforce programs crucial to the strength of Iowa’s
15 individual colleges were developed while Mr. Ovel
16 served in his capacity at Kirkwood, leading to
17 innumerable positive benefits to those who received
18 training at Iowa community colleges; and
19 WHEREAS, during Mr. Ovel’s tenure as a legislative
20 liaison, he played a key role in bringing focus to
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1 workforce education programs at Iowa community colleges
2 by assisting in legislation and developing methods to
3 fund community college workforce development through
4 the use of gaming revenues; and
5 WHEREAS, the Iowa Skilled Worker Job Creation Fund,
6 the Pathways for Career and Employment Program, the
7 Kibbie Skilled Workforce Shortage Tuition Grant, the
8 Adult Basic Education and Adult Literacy Program, the
9 GAP Tuition Assistance Program, the Work-Based Learning
10 Intermediary Network, the Workforce Training and
11 Economic Development Fund, and the Accelerated Career
12 Education Infrastructure Program would not exist as
13 they do today if not for Mr. Ovel’s efforts; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel assisted in the development of
15 Iowa law by helping to define a career academy and
16 developing the funding formula used by all 15 of Iowa’s
17 community colleges to equitably distribute state
18 general aid and workforce program funding; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel was integral in the redesign of
20 Iowa’s workforce development delivery by ensuring
21 community college boundaries align with state workforce
22 service areas and that community colleges offer
23 training services to unemployed and underemployed
24 individuals across the state; and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel created a legislative summary each
26 year of all the actions taken during the most recent
27 legislative session in order to provide historical
28 content and information sharing to all Iowa community
29 colleges; and
30 WHEREAS, for Mr. Ovel’s efforts as a legislative
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1 liaison, he was named a Pioneer Lawmaker on April 5,
2 2017; and
3 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel played a unique role in providing
4 training and guidance on how to best implement
5 new programs he assisted in developing across
6 all 15 Iowa community colleges by sharing best
7 practices, supporting local control, and emphasizing
8 uniformity; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Ovel served on several community
10 college working groups and became a central point
11 of contact community college staff would turn to
12 for assistance with legislative and workforce
13 programming; and
14 WHEREAS, through this work, the community colleges
15 now have workforce programs that can assist all
16 populations from unemployed individuals seeking the
17 skills to achieve an occupation with a good salary, to
18 college students entering into a high-demand occupation
19 at their local community college, and to companies
20 trying to increase or reskill their workforce; NOW
21 THEREFORE,
22 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate honors
23 Steve Ovel for the numerous programs and legislation he
24 helped develop which have benefited, and will continue
25 to benefit, countless Iowans; and
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of this
27 resolution, the Secretary of the Senate shall transmit
28 a copy of this resolution to Steve Ovel.
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