Kandiyohi County Commissioner Dennis Peterson attended the 2012 National Association of Workforce Boards Forum on Dialogue for Workforce Excellence from March 10 to 13 in Washington, D.C. Peterson is a member of the Central Minnesota Joint Powers Board and the Central Minnesota Workforce Investment Board, which serves Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Pine, Renville, Sherburne and Wright counties. Peterson is in his 12th year on the joint powers board and is chair.
While in Washington, Peterson and others received the 2012 W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award Grand Prize for the development of the Youth Workforce Protégé Program, an innovative work experience and mentoring model that leverages local business support for at-risk youth.
Also, Peterson met with Labor Department Assistant Secretary Jane Oates, Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Rep. Chip Cravaack, Rep. John Kline, and Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.
