Published: 07-08-08
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 250000 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 60000 employers enrolled in the Texas Business Conferences 120000 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.
