The 2026 CWA Executive Bootcamp: Master Your Role, Lead Your Community
A Year-Long Executive Cohort Led by CWA Executive Director Adam Peck and Tim Aldinger
The role of a Workforce Development Executive Director is one of the most demanding in public service. You are accountable for meticulous fiscal stewardship and program compliance while simultaneously being challenged to be a visionary convener, a community strategist, and an economic entrepreneur.
The California Workforce Association's Executive Bootcamp is the definitive year-long training and cohort experience designed to help you master this dual imperative. This program moves beyond abstract theory to provide the practical tools and strategic frameworks needed to solve your most pressing, real-world challenges. Whether you are navigating a complex board relationship, managing WIOA performance negotiations, or aligning partners for a local/regional plan, this program provides the high-level insights and on-the-ground tactics to lead with confidence.
What You Will Gain
This program is built on a foundation of practical application, peer-to-peer learning, and executive-level problem-solving. You will learn to:
Master the Dual Imperative: Confidently navigate the central tension of your role—balancing meticulous fiscal and WIOA compliance with the high-level strategic vision of a systems leader.
Forge a Powerful Board Partnership: Elevate your board from an oversight body to a strategic asset. The curriculum provides proven strategies for mastering governance, facilitating high-impact meetings, and building an unshakable partnership with your Board Chair.
Lead Beyond Your Authority: Gain the sophisticated skills to lead a complex system of one-stop partners, community stakeholders, and elected officials—none of whom report to you.
Command Your Fiscal & Performance Data: Move beyond simple compliance to use your fiscal and performance data as a strategic management tool to drive quality and continuous improvement.
Solve Real-World Challenges: This program is a year-long guided cohort. You will bring your actual problems to the sessions and work with your peers and facilitators to develop actionable solutions.
Join an Elite Peer Network: Build lasting, confidential relationships with fellow executives, sharing best practices and forming a trusted support system that lasts long after graduation.
Meet Your Facilitators: A Partnership of Practice and Perspective
This Bootcamp offers an unparalleled leadership perspective, jointly led by the executive practitioner who runs your state association and the systems architect who helped build this renowned program.
Adam Peck, Executive Director, CWA: As the head of the California Workforce Association and with over 18 years of experience as the Executive Director of the Tulare Workforce Investment Board, Adam is the executive practitioner. He brings the real-world, in-the-seat perspective of an executive director, from managing board dynamics and local politics to driving impactful community leadership.
Tim Aldinger, Vice President, Workforce and Climate Innovation, Foundation for CA Community Colleges: As a co-creator of the Workforce Executive Bootcamp, Tim is the program's chief architect. His deep experience with the National Association of Workforce Boards and his work aligning California's vast community college system provides unmatched expertise in systems change, partnership development, and national best practices.
Together, Adam and Tim provide a 360-degree view of the executive role, blending state-level strategy with the on-the-ground operational realities you face every day.
Program Structure & Strategic Focus
This year-long program is intentionally structured to build your executive capacity. The curriculum is focused not just on what you need to know, but how to lead.
Session 1: Leadership, Partnership & The Strategic Ecosystem
Strategic Focus: This session lays the foundation for executive success. You will dive deep into personal leadership, mastering your executive presence, and, most critically, learning the art of board governance. You will leave with concrete tools to manage your board relationship, not let it manage you.
Session 2: Fiscal Stewardship, Performance & Operational Excellence (In-Person)
Strategic Focus: Tackle the "engine room" of your organization. This module reframes compliance as a tool for excellence. You will master the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200), learn to negotiate performance goals, and build data-driven oversight systems that ensure accountability and drive quality.
Session 3: System Leadership, Economic Development & The Future of Work
Strategic Focus: This is where you learn to lead beyond your authority. We provide advanced strategies for aligning your system with local and regional economic development, mastering complex partner negotiations (like Infrastructure Funding Agreements), and positioning your board as a leader on the future of work.
Session 4: Graduation & Strategic Integration
Strategic Focus: You will integrate your learnings from the year and be celebrated for your commitment to executive excellence. This session is held in conjunction with CWA's Meeting of the Minds conference, immediately immersing you in a broader network of state and national leaders.
Who Should Attend?
This exclusive, cohort-based program is offered to CWA members only. It is ideal for:
New Executive Directors and Deputy Directors
Established Executive Staff and Emerging Leaders being groomed for director-level roles
Veteran Directors looking to refresh their strategic framework and mentor the next generation
Schedule & Locations
Session 1 January 15, 2026 from 8:30am until 4:00pm; Downtown Sacramento, CA - Exact location TBA
Session 2 April 29, 2026 from 2:00pm until 5:00pm & April 30, 2026 from 8:30am until 12:00pm; Irvine Marriot (following WORKCON)
Session 3 July 9, 2026 from 8:30am until 4:00pm; Location TBA
Session 4 (Capstone Presentation) September 8, 2026 from 9:00am until 11:00am; Monterey Marriott: 350 Calle Principal, Monterey CA, 93940
Investment
Program Fee: $2,950
Includes: The program fee covers all executive-level instruction, all program materials, continental breakfast and lunch for all in-person sessions, and a graduation lunch in Monterey.
Note: This program is open to CWA members only. The cost does not cover participants' travel, parking, Wi-Fi, or lodging.
Ready to master your executive role?
This exclusive cohort fills quickly. Secure your seat and invest in your leadership.