Berg Announces Job Service ND Official to Testify Before Congress

<p><location value="LU/us.dc.wash" idsrc="xmltag.org">WASHINGTON</location>, <chron>Oct. 5</chron> -- Rep. <person>Rick Berg</person>, R-<location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">N.D.</location> (at large), issued the following news release:</p><p>Congressman <person>Rick Berg</person> today announced that <person>Maren Daley</person>, the Executive Director of <person>Job Service North Dakota</person>, will be testifying before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources.</p><p>With <location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota</location> leading the nation in job growth and having the lowest rate of unemployment in the nation, Daley was asked to share her experiences working with <location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota's</location> reemployment efforts and offer suggestions for what <location value="LU/us.dc.wash" idsrc="xmltag.org">Washington</location> can do to better engage the unemployed and provide States more flexibility in assisting them.</p><p>"Our country continues to face significant economic challenges, and with thousands of Americans seeking employment, it's critical that states have the flexibility they need to best help their residents get back to work," Berg stated. "<location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota</location> has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation, in large part due to the common sense policies that we've adopted, both for business growth and for unemployment assistance. I'm happy to welcome Maren to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, and look forward to hearing her share with the Subcommittee stories of <location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota's</location> success and her ideas for helping the long-term unemployed in our country."</p><p>The hearing is being held to review the unemployment benefit proposals in the President's latest jobs plan and assess whether they will help the long-term unemployed return to work. The hearing will begin at <chron>9:00 A.M. EST</chron> on <chron>Thursday, October 6</chron>. More information on the hearing may be found here.</p><p>"I'm honored to have the opportunity to speak before the <org>Ways and Means Committee</org>," Daley stated. "Our state and <person>Job Service North Dakota</person> understand the importance of helping the unemployed return to work. <person>Job Service North Dakota</person> has experienced positive results with reemployment activities and believes using innovative options and having flexibility to implement strategies that are good for our state ultimately provide for faster economic progress."</p><p>Berg is a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, which has jurisdiction over unemployment insurance issues in the House. He introduced the HIRES Act in August, which would allow states to best serve the needs of their unique populations by permitting states to apply for waivers to test a demonstration project designed to expedite reemployment of unemployment insurance recipients. Berg, along with Ways and Means Chairman <person>Dave Camp</person> (R-MI) and Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman <person>Geoff Davis</person> (R-KY), also introduced the JOBS Act in May, which provided states additional flexibility in how states utilize unemployment funds.</p><p><person>Maren Daley</person> was appointed Executive Director of <person>Job Service North Dakota</person> by Governor <person>John Hoeven</person> in <chron>December 2000</chron>. She grew up on a farm in the <location>Red River Valley</location>, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at the <org>University of North Dakota</org>, and went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from the <org>University of North Dakota School of Law</org> in 1983. Maren spent the first 17 years of her career as a banker and lawyer with First National Bank North Dakota in <location value="LU/us.nd.grdfrk" idsrc="xmltag.org">Grand Forks</location>, now known as <org value="OTC-PINK:ALRS" idsrc="xmltag.org">Alerus Financial</org>, holding the positions of senior vice president, loan product manager and corporate secretary for the bank.</p><p><person>Job Service North Dakota</person> administers the state and federal unemployment insurance program, the public labor exchange via <a href="http://jobsnd.com">jobsnd.com</a>, provides labor market information and delivers specific workforce services through a network of one-stop career centers across the state. The agency also administers <location value="LS/us.nd" idsrc="xmltag.org">North Dakota's</location> Workforce 2020 and New Jobs Training Programs. In connection with her position as Executive Director, Maren currently chairs the <org>Labor Market Information Committee</org> for the <org>National Association of State Workforce Agencies</org>.</p><p>TNS mv45 111006-3618081</p>