Georgia labor commissioner lays out strategic plan to modernize services and connect workers to jobs

Barbara Rivera Holmes, the newly appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor, told a House committee the agency is pursuing a four-pillar strategic plan to modernize operations and better connect workers and employers across the state. Holmes said she was sworn in in April after being appointed in March and that Governor Kemp charged her with transforming the agency to "deliver for Georgians every day."

Holmes told legislators that GDOL's mission is "to serve all Georgia by creating an environment where workers and employers can succeed together," and she tied the strategic plan to the department's budget and legislative priorities. The plan, which Holmes called "The Future of A Bold Transformation," rests on customer-centric transformation; empowering talent and leadership; modernization and operational excellence; and strategic influence and partnerships. "Every program, every service, every initiative that we lead is about connecting people to opportunity," she said.

On modernization, Holmes warned that the agency still runs its unemployment platform on code and infrastructure originally built in 1986 and described a planned transition to a secure, cloud-based system intended to "improve the user experience, reduce fraud, and significantly accelerate claims processing." She said the department operates 34 career centers and highlighted recent and upcoming relocations: the Statesboro career center reopened in mid-January at 127 Main Street and the DeKalb center is scheduled to open March 2 at 4572 Memorial Drive in Decatur.

Holmes highlighted two reemployment initiatives intended to shorten spells of unemployment and improve job matches: a Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program (named in testimony) and a reentry program called "Walking the Last Mile," which she said engages participants before release and prepares them for employment. "This program turns second chances into workforce solutions," Holmes said, adding that the department partners with the Georgia Department of Corrections and the private sector on reentry placements.

Holmes also introduced members of her executive leadership team, including Janssen Head (chief of staff), Nicole Hill (legislative and special projects), Denise Beckwith (head of UI), Jeffrey Babcock (legal), Corey Smith (labor market statistics), Morgan Howard (executive assistant/legislative), Blake Poole (community affairs) and Clay (communications). She asked the committee to consider funding to strengthen call-center operations; Holmes said the House budget recommendation to bolster call centers would help the agency "better serve a growing workforce in a rapidly changing economic environment."

Holmes closed by asking for continued legislative partnership and said GDOL would follow up with members who requested more detail or meetings on specific concerns. The committee adjourned without votes on the department's budget or policy recommendations at the end of the briefing.