Loren Rodgers
The extensive coverage of President Trump’s executive order to halt payments for foreign aid has missed one of the order’s unintended consequences: the impact it will have on the thousands of people who work at U.S.-based employee-owned companies that implement many USAID projects. Companies that have employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are heavily represented among the contractors affected by the executive order.
Loren Rodgers
On January 29, the Trump administration appears to have rescinded its executive order freezing federal grant funding. A prior order freezing foreign aid is still in effect. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested, however, that the freeze might continue in some form in a post on X: “This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court's injunction. The President's EO's on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.” A separate executive action, still in effect, offers buyouts to over two million federal workers.
Loren Rodgers
At 8:45 am Eastern time on January 16, the Federal Register released the public inspection versions of two proposed rules, both of which would affect the determination of the value of shares in ESOP transactions. Both proposed rules are from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) at the Department of Labor (DOL). (Original links below replaced with links to the DOL PDFs hosted on our site after the DOL took down the pages.)
Loren Rodgers
The election for the NCEO’s board of directors opens on January 7, 2025, for three-year terms that begin on April 1, 2025.
Loren Rodgers
Annual elections for our board of directors will take place in January. NCEO members in good standing are invited to nominate themselves or other members during the nomination window, from now through December 6, 2024.
Loren Rodgers
On September 19, 2024, the Assistant Secretary of Labor, Lisa M. Gomez, attended the NCEO’s Fall Forum to address attendees. In her role as the head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Assistant Secretary Gomez is involved in key issues that affect the employee ownership community, including both regulation and promotion.
Loren Rodgers
One theme of most speakers at our conferences is that ownership culture makes employee-owned companies outperform their competitors. People say that because it’s true and supported by data from many independent researchers. The NCEO is proud to have contributed to that finding.
Loren Rodgers
With the appointment of an experienced worker ownership professional, Hilary Abell, as the division chief of the Division of Employee Ownership, the federal government now has a full-time staff member dedicated to helping employers and employees learn about employee ownership.
Loren Rodgers
On April 30, 2024, Assistant Secretary of Labor Lisa M. Gomez spoke at the NCEO’s annual conference in Tampa, Florida. Assistant Secretary Gomez leads the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). As the head of EBSA, she is at the center of some of the most important decisions affecting ESOPs and employee ownership.
