Message from the President

I hope this message finds you well and filled with excitement for the future. I would like to thank
the UCOWF Board of Directors for nominating me to be the 48th President of UCOWF. I am
deeply honored and grateful for your trust and support as we navigate this journey together. I
also want to acknowledge the leadership and mentoring provided by Ashley Wilkes over the last
year.

Each year, we provide our members with the opportunity to attend our annual training
conference. Our goal is to make each year better than the last. To all UCOWF members, and
especially the conference committee members who helped put the Tulsa conference together,
thank you for your passion, dedication, and time commitment. We have received great feedback
from those in attendance and will work to make our next conference even better. While in Tulsa,
the Board of Directors established connections with Pennsylvania UCOWF members in
attendance so that when the conference committee is up and running for the 2026 Pittsburgh
conference, we will have boots on the ground to help us find speakers, recommend AV vendors,
and suggest evening activities.

Before the Tulsa conference, the regional election voting process for the Board of Directors was
updated to be clearer and to allow members to learn about candidates in advance. A “meet and
greet” for 2026 Board of Directors candidates is also planned for the Pittsburgh conference.
We are all volunteers with families and jobs that take priority, but my vision for UCOWF in the
coming year is centered on expanding our membership through outreach and new connections.
Member involvement is crucial to achieving these goals, and I will be working with our
membership committee to move this forward.

This past year, UCOWF launched a quarterly fraud call, which has received very positive
feedback. While at the conference, I received excellent suggestions for future topics and guest
speakers. Our October fraud call looks like it will feature some great discussions, and I hope
you will all be able to attend. I look forward to continuing these quarterly calls and welcome your
ongoing feedback.

During the Tulsa Board of Directors meeting, the Intergovernmental Committee was elevated to
board status. This change provides stability by removing yearly turnover and strengthens efforts
to promote program integrity and educate Congress. I will continue supporting our
Intergovernmental Board in the great work that they do. In addition to submitting outstanding
comments and correspondence reflecting UCOWF’s stance on maintaining program integrity,
they serve as subject matter experts in welfare fraud, educating Congress and advancing our
mission. They have worked extremely hard to promote UCOWF’s goals and initiatives, and I
could not thank them enough for their dedication both past and future.

On a professional level, being nominated as UCOWF President is an honor. It is a badge I will
wear with pride, the same pride I felt when I graduated from boot camp and earned the title of
U.S. Marine, and again when I graduated from the police academy and had my badge pinned
on my chest.

I welcome your suggestions, ideas, input, and support toward our efforts to defend the integrity
of public assistance programs. I look forward to seeing what the Board of Directors and
Executive Committee can accomplish over the next two years. Let’s Get Talking!!
Sincerely,

Keith Miskie

President, The United Council on Welfare Fraud