Supervisors press for details before approving regional workforce-board appointments

Cochise County supervisors on March 5 pressed state workforce officials for more information about several nominees to the local Workforce Investment Board, asking why some nominees live outside Cochise County and how the board is constituted.

Vicki Simmons, deputy director for Arizona at Work (Southeastern Arizona), told supervisors the board is a federally mandated local workforce board under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and includes about 19 members representing mandated partners and employers. "Cullen Scarboro lives in Sierra Vista. I believe he's in Mr. Crosby's district, but he is the dean of workforce development and military programs at Cochise College," Simmons said, introducing one of the proposed appointees. Simmons explained one DES supervisory vacancy required a temporary appointment of Desiree Galantes until a supervisor is hired, and said if the board does not fill required seats within 120 days the state could decertify the local board.

Several supervisors said they were uncomfortable approving nominees without knowing where board members live, how many seats are allocated to Cochise County, and what oversight the county retains. One supervisor said the process felt like a "rubber stamp" and asked for a full member list and district mapping. Supervisor Crosby pressed broader governance questions, saying, "I believe fundamentally we should not make new geographical lines that blur existing lines," and urging clarity on regional membership and authority.

County staff and Arizona at Work agreed to provide the board with a list of current members and the statutory provisions that govern approval and vacancy-filling. Supervisors asked staff to research the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act's implementation details at the state level and to deliver information by the following Tuesday; some members asked to consider tabling decisions until they have had time to review the material.

The discussion did not produce a recorded vote on the appointments during the work session. The board directed staff to return with a clearer description of the board's makeup, which members represent Cochise County, and options for addressing vacancies and removals before taking final action at a future meeting.