Dan Pilcher

CACI Chief Operating Officer

E-Mail: dpilcher@COchamber.com

www.COchamber.com

Friday, December 2, 2011

New Rules to Receive Unemployment Insurance Benefits Take Effect January 1^st

On November 14^th, the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment (CDLE) held a rule-making hearing to discuss proposed changes to current regulations regarding eligibility requirements for laid-off workers actively seeking employment while receiving unemployment insurance benefits.

The CDLE’s actions were based on its discovery of a large number of improper payments that have been issued to individuals claiming unemployment insurance benefits who may not have been following work-search requirements.

As of November 14^th, the proposed changes have been adopted and the rules will take effect January 1, 2012.

The new rules include the following changes:

•  Definitions and guidelines of what represents a work search; 

•  Requirement of claimants to maintain a written record of contacts they made while seeking work and defines the length of time the record must be maintained; 

•  Provides that failure to make the required number of job contacts could result in disallowance of benefits; and

• Provides for formal warnings to claimants who fail to meet the work-search requirements.  Once the warning is issued, the claim is flagged for future auditing and potential suspension of benefits.

CACI believes these changes are important steps toward deterring improper payments being made to individuals who may not have met the Colorado’s requirements to receive such benefits.  CACI applauds the Department’s efforts to enact these important rulemaking changes.

CACI members with questions or concerns should contact Loren Furman, CACI Vice President of Governmental Affairs, 303.866.9642.

Business Coalition Backs Sole Finalist to head Colorado Health Benefit Exchange

CACI and four other leading business organizations have united to endorse the sole finalist for the position of executive director of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange.  The other business organizations are Colorado Concern; the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce; Colorado Competitive Council, an affiliate of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce; and the National Federation of Independent Business.

The five business organizations sent a joint letter of support for Patty Fontneau to the Legislative Health Benefit Exchange Implementation Review Committee.

Fontneau was, until this past summer, the chief operating officer for Holme Roberts & Owens LLP.  Before joining HRO, she worked as the chief administrative officer for The IMA Financial Group.  In 2004, she became of vice president and general manager of the Western Service Center of TIAA-CREF.

Fontneau has served on the boards of College Invest, the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Auraria Foundation, the Metro Denver Chamber Foundation, Qualistar Early Learning and SafeHouse Denver. She participated on then Governor-Elect Bill Ritter’s transition team for higher education.

Lockheed Martin Hosts Rare Opportunity for CACI-Sponsored Legislative Tour of Advanced Technology Facilities

Yesterday, CACI Gold Partner Lockheed Martin hosted a CACI-sponsored legislative tour of its operations located southwest of Denver.

The seven lawmakers, who participated in the visit, were House Speaker Frank McNulty (R-Highlands Ranch), Representative Libby Szabo (R-Arvada), Representative Max Tyler (D-Lakewood), Representative Spencer Swalm (R-Centennial), Representative Chris Holbert (R-Parker), Senator Linda Newell (D-Littleton) and Sen. Ted Harvey (R-Highlands Ranch).  Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora) and Representative Angela Williams (D-Denver) were invited, but were unable to attend. 

Participants had the unique opportunity to view several nationally critical space programs designed and built by Lockheed Martin, including:

·         A viewing of the navigation technology that guides a space shuttle onto a landing pad;

·         A tour of a virtual reality facility where the company designs and builds GPS satellites;

·         An opportunity to virtually dock a space shuttle; and

·         An incredible chance to see the actual Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, NASA’s next generation Crew Exploration Vehicle.

Lockheed Martin’s Denver facility employs a majority of the Corporation’s 9,000 workers based in Colorado.  Nationally, Lockheed Martin employs about 126,000 workers, including almost 70,000 scientists and engineers.  Lockheed Martin has been very active in contributing to the local metro Denver community through various charities and educational opportunities.

There are four divisions of Lockheed Martin:

1. Aeronautics;

2. Electronic Systems;

3. Space Systems; and

4. Information Systems and Global Solutions

The Lockheed Martin facility in Denver is the headquarters of the Corporation’s Space Systems Company and is home to a number of key space programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA and other government agencies.

CACI is very grateful to Lockheed Martin for the rare opportunity the Corporation provided to the legislative delegation to tour the facility.

Coca-Cola Hosts CACI-Sponsored Legislative Tour

On Tuesday, CACI Bronze Partners member Coca-Cola hosted a CACI-sponsored legislative tour at its plant and distribution center located in Denver.

Senator Michael Johnston (D-Denver), who represents the state senate district where the Coca-Cola facility is located, participated in the tour along with CACI staff and Coca-Cola representatives.  Representative Crisanta Duran (D–Denver), who also represents the House district where the facility is located, was invited to participate but was unable to attend.

The Coca-Cola plant in Denver was founded in 1933, and has been serving the metro Denver area for more than 78 years.  The plant employs 525 workers and is responsible for mixing the syrup, bottling and distributing 103 stock-keeping units and 34 flavors of Coca-Cola products.  The tour participants saw such different operations of the plant as the warehouse, the water plant, the quality-control process and the bottling process.  The plant, which distributes 11.5 million cases of soda each year, serves most of Colorado.  A second plant in Colorado Springs serves southern Colorado. 

Coca-Cola emphasizes recycling and creating lightweight products.  The facility recycles almost 97 percent of its materials used in their production processes and works with its partners to increase their recycling efforts.  The company also has been very active in supporting the local community through college scholarships and contributing to such community efforts as the Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Food Bank of the Rockies.

CACI Wraps Up 2011 Legislative Site Visits

The CACI-sponsored legislative visits this week to Coca-Cola and Lockheed Martin bring to ten the number that CACI has sponsored with its member companies since the legislature adjourned in May.  The tours have given legislators an on-the-ground understanding of a company’s operations, number of employees, contributions to the state’s economy and local community as well as the impact of state laws and regulations on the company.  Here are the ten legislative site-visits sponsored by CACI:

1. July 8^th – Stolle Machinery

2. July 14^th - CoorsTek

3. July 28^th – Best Sorting

4. Sept. 6^th – Medtronic

5. Sept. 15^th – McLane Western

6. Sept. 21^st – Climax Molybdenum

7. Oct. 11^th - Walker Mowers

8. Oct. 28^th – Black Hills

9. Nov. 29^th – Coca-Cola

10. Dec. 1^st – Lockheed Martin

Apokalyyis, Inc., to be Platinum Sponsor of the Annual CACI Business Day at the Capitol in January

CACI’s Annual Business Day at the Capitol is scheduled for Thursday, January 19^th, with Governor John Hickenlooper set to be the keynote speaker at the 12 Noon Luncheon at the Sheraton Denver Downtown.

The Platinum Sponsor will be Apokalyyis, Inc., a CACI Partner.  Lou Hutchison, CEO of Apokalyyis, Inc., is a member of the CCI Board of Directors and serves on the Board’s Executive Committee.

The afternoon session from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. in the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the State Capitol will feature legislative leaders who will address important business issues in the 2012 session of the Colorado General Assembly.

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Tricia Smith, Vice President of Events and Political Fundraising, 303.866.9629.