California Workforce Association

Call for Workshop Proposals

Meeting of the Minds – Monterey

September 8–10, 2026  •  Monterey Marriott, Monterey, CA

Shape the conversation. Lead the field. Submit your session proposal for California’s premier workforce leadership conference.

Submit Your Proposal

About Meeting of the Minds – Monterey

Meeting of the Minds – Monterey is California Workforce Association’s flagship leadership conference, convening workforce development executives, local board members, supervisors, and key decision-makers from across the state and beyond.

Unlike practitioner-focused events, Meeting of the Minds is designed for the people who set the direction — those responsible for governance, strategy, policy, and organizational leadership in California’s workforce system.

This conference is a space for honest dialogue, strategic thinking, and peer-to-peer learning among workforce leaders. We believe the best sessions aren’t lectures — they’re conversations. We strongly encourage interactive, discussion-based, and collaborative session formats that invite participants to engage, share, and problem-solve together.

Proposer Training Sessions

Before you submit, join one of our free training sessions designed specifically for prospective workshop presenters. We’ll walk you through how to craft a compelling proposal and what makes a session a strong fit for Meeting of the Minds – Monterey — including our goals, focus areas, and the audience you’ll be presenting to. Both sessions cover the same content — choose the date that works best for you.

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Session 1

Date & Time: TBA

Registration Coming Soon
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Session 2

Date & Time: TBA

Registration Coming Soon

What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking session proposals that:

  • Address the strategic and operational challenges facing workforce development leaders today
  • Encourage group discussion, peer exchange, and collaborative problem-solving
  • Bring fresh perspectives, emerging research, or real-world case studies relevant to workforce leadership
  • Are facilitated by experienced practitioners, executives, or subject-matter experts with direct experience in the workforce field

Audience note: Sessions should be tailored for executive directors, deputy directors, board members, program managers, and supervisors — not front-line staff or entry-level practitioners.

Focus Areas

Proposals should align with one or more of the following focus areas:

Workforce System Strategy & Innovation

Big-picture thinking on workforce system transformation, emerging policy landscapes, cross-sector collaboration, and innovative regional and statewide models shaping the future of workforce development.

Leadership, Governance & Organizational Excellence

Workforce board governance, executive leadership development, strategic planning, change management, and building high-performing teams and organizations.

Business & Industry Engagement: An Executive Perspective

Executive-level strategies for employer partnerships, sector-based approaches, and industry-led workforce solutions that drive regional economic impact.

Policy, Funding & Fiscal Oversight

Translating state and federal policy into strategic decisions, navigating funding landscapes, grants oversight, performance accountability, and compliance from a leadership vantage point.

Regional Collaboration & Community Impact

Cross-sector partnership-building and regional strategies for driving community and economic outcomes at scale.

Career Pathways & Education Alignment: A Systems Approach

Strategic alignment between workforce boards, higher education, and training providers — with a focus on policy levers, funding alignment, and system-level pathway development.

Youth & Young Adult Strategy

Leadership perspectives on youth workforce investment, opportunity youth initiatives, and building systems that support young adults' long-term economic mobility.

Artificial Intelligence, Technology & the Future of Work

How AI and emerging technologies are reshaping workforce systems, labor markets, and organizational operations — and what it means for workforce leaders. Topics include AI adoption strategies, ethical considerations, automation's impact on jobs and training, and how boards and organizations can lead thoughtfully in a rapidly changing technology landscape.

Ready to Share Your Expertise?

We’d love to hear from you. Submit your proposal today and help shape the agenda for California’s workforce leadership community.

Submit Your Proposal