Governor Abbott Appoints Three Members To Task Force On Consolidation Of Workforce And Social Services

On January 3rd, Governor Abbott announced the appointment of three members to the Task Force on Consolidation of Workforce and Social Services. See below for the announcement and member bios:

From the Office of the Governor:

"Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Courtney Arbour, Leslie Cantu, and Sylvia Kauffman to the Task Force on Consolidation of Workforce and Social Services for terms set to expire at the pleasure of the Governor. The Task Force was created to develop a plan for the consolidation of workforce development programs administered by the Texas Workforce Commission and safety-net programs administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Courtney Arbour of Austin is the workforce director of the Texas Workforce Commission. She has successfully implemented numerous statewide initiatives and programs aimed at training and connecting Texans with high-demand jobs. She is the vice chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) Employment & Training Committee, co-chair of the NASWA Apprenticeship Sub-Committee, and a member of the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Coordinating Council. Additionally, she previously was appointed by Governor Abbott to serve on the Texas Early Learning Council. Arbour received a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Howard Payne University.

Leslie Cantu of Poteet is the vice president of administration at Toyotetsu Texas, Inc., an auto parts manufacturer located in San Antonio. She is the president of the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education – Alamo Chapter, chair of the Workforce Solutions Alamo Board of Directors, and a member of the Texas Association of Workforce Boards. Cantu received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University.

Sylvia Kauffman of Austin is the president and CEO of Sylvia Kauffman Consulting, LLC, where she specializes in advising clients on strategy, Medicaid, program integrity, data analytics, and health IT. She is the former inspector general for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She is a member of the Stanford Club of Austin and Harvard Club of Austin and former catechism instructor at The University of Texas at Austin Catholic Center. Kauffman received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University and Master of Science in Public Policy from Harvard University."