Denise Esslinger, Chair, Region 5
Adrienne Carrol, Region 1
Danni Mancusi-Shreve, Region 1, COABE Fellow 2023
Patricia Rusin, Region 1
Melinda Haines, Region 3
Lisa Cruea, Region 4
Amy Wood, Region 4
Maeve Warrick, Region 5
Eulalia Gomez-Lebario, Region 5, COABE Fellow 2024
Christina Persson, Region 6
Rob Moore, Region 8
Konnie McCollum, Region 9 & 10
Katie Walton, Region 9 & 10
Dustin Bentz, Region 10
Jenn Wigginton, Region 11, COABE Fellow 2021
David Battle, Region 2
Katie Nelson, Region 4
Marilyn Pitzulo, DWD Representative
Lara Pastore, DWD Representative
Jerry Haffner, DWD, Representative
Advocacy Committee Meetings:
2nd Tuesday of Each Month at
10:00 am Central/11:00 am Eastern
Meeting ID: 837 5750 8354
Passcode: 950580
Advocacy Survey
Future Policy Needs
Share your thoughts
The Movement is the Unification of Indiana Adult Education Providers. Showing Pride and Cause for Adult Education.
Join the Movement
Advocacy Alert
IAACE Community:
It ismportant to address an important matter regarding our efforts to secure adequate funding for adult education in the upcoming budget session.
As you know, communicating with legislators is crucial in advocating for our programs. To streamline this process and maximize our impact, we are implementing an influencer success form for all contact with legislators.
Key Points:
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Purpose: This information will be shared with our lobbyists for effective follow-up and to ensure a coordinated approach.
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Influencer Success Form: Please use this form to document any communication you have with legislators regarding adult education. The form will be sent to our lobbyists (Lauren Box and Joe Loftus), the IAACE Advocacy Committee Chair, Rob Moore, and Jerry Haffner.
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Important Resources: DWD Talking Points and Indiana Adult Learning Landscape (created by DWD)
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Deadline: Begin using this form immediately for all legislative contacts.
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Submission: Please submit completed forms to this link within 48 hours of any legislative interaction.
The use of this form is vital to our success in securing adequate funding for adult education. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Thank you for your continued dedication to our cause.
Best regards,
Denise Esslinger
IAACE Advocacy Committee Chair
IAACE will recognize all champions submitted at /iaace.com/advocacy/adult-education_champions/
The Latest
12/4/24
The Braun Transition Team released Governor-Elect Mike Braun’s full policy agenda on 12/3. The agenda outlines the following policy priority areas: tax relief, government efficiency, education, workforce development, economic development, healthcare, and quality of life. The full agenda:
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Open in new tab 11/20/24
The 2025 Legislative Session is officially underway! November 19, 2024, the House and Senate kicked off Organization Day with swearing-in ceremonies for new legislators, leadership addresses, resolution votes, and the adoption of the session calendar. The 124th Indiana Legislative Session will formally begin on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
For detailed information about the legislative session, including Organization Day highlights, check out the B&T Organization Day memo and other important resources available in our updates.
Governor-Elect Mike Braun: Inauguration and Transition Updates
Governor-elect Mike Braun has announced the inauguration schedule and event sponsorship opportunities.
Additionally, Governor-elect Braun recently unveiled his Transition Council Leadership in a press release. Stay tuned for more updates as the transition progresses.
Preparing for the 2025 Session
Our Lobbyist Team is actively gearing up for the upcoming session. If you have questions about legislative developments or the governor’s inauguration, please reach out to an advocacy committee member.
Advocacy Events:
Advocacy on behalf of Indiana adult education can take many forms – interacting with IAACE online, inviting a community partner to visit your program, sharing a student story with your legislator. We aim to provide you with tools to help you incorporate advocacy in easy and effective ways. Join us in making the importance of adult ed known!
Below are various resources to help you advocate for adult education. Additional resources will be added and please let us know (via the contact form) if there are specific tools you would find helpful in your advocacy efforts!
- Share your stories of students who have achieved successful results!
- Send us press releases, photos and/or related information. We’ll share them throughout the state and nationally.
- Host an activity or event to raise awareness of adult education and family literacy. Share it with us so we can help spread the word.
- Invite legislators and policymakers to your program to see your work firsthand.
The following organizations have provided some excellent resources to help advocate for adult education.
- COABE Media Outreach Toolkit for COABE Members
- Pro Literacy’s AEFL Toolkit
- National Coalition for Literacy AEFL Week Flyer
- National Skills Coalition Middle-Skills Fact Sheet (for Indiana)
- National Skills Coalition Fact Sheet
- Finish Your Diploma campaign toolkit – PSAs, videos, printable materials, social media assets, and helpful tips to engage your community and partners.
Meet Our Lobbyist
Advocacy Reports
Lauren M. Box, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg
- 11 South Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204-3535
P:317-231-7289
F:317-231-7433
Lauren is a Partner in Barnes & Thornburg’s Government Services and Finance Department. Lauren represents a variety of public and private sector clients before the Indiana General Assembly and in dealings with state government agencies.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg full-time, Lauren worked as a law clerk and summer associate in the firm’s Indianapolis office. Additionally, she served as a program manager intern with the Indiana Department of Government Efficiency and Financial Planning and as an intern in the office of former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.
Professional and Community Involvement
Vice-chair, Indianapolis Hiring Committee
Board member, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Central Indiana
Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, Class of 2016-2017
Honors
The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, 2021-2024
The Indiana Lawyer, Leadership in Law Up and Coming Lawyer, 2019
Educate & Elevate
Educate and elevate is a collaboration of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) and the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education (NCSDAE) Adult Education Campaign. The site includes the ability to submit success stories from adult learners, teachers, and employer success, As well as a map locator tool by the state that provides you with tools for the successes of your state. For example, the Indiana page COABE Fact Sheet, State Data Analysis PIAAC Skills Map, and highlights State innovations and Success Stories. You may subscribe and share as well at educateandelevate.org/subscribe/.
Some 55,000+ adult education leaders stand united in a national campaign to educate America about the importance of Adult Education in advancing career and college readiness for millions of people.
We urge policymakers to stay informed on our successes and to fund Adult
Education at the $649 million level, as called for in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act enacted in 2014. Check out our page on the Educate and Elevate website (here) and view Indiana’s successes and innovations.
If you have a story, testimonial, or innovation, you may submit it by going to the Educate & Elevate website.
- Success Story— a narrative that shares the challenge(s), solution(s), and outcome(s) of a student or employer.
- Customer Testimonial— a first-person quote from a student about how adult education supported their goals and dreams and/or from an employer who had a great experience with an adult education organization and/or an adult learner.
- Innovation— a narrative summary of an adult education program, project, or initiative that you believe has been innovative in helping students, employers, and/or your community.
The power of these collective stories across the nation will inspire and inform policymakers, business leaders, community leaders, and many more!