Gov. Hutchinson Appoints New Career Board

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 282 views 

Governor Asa Hutchinson has named the members of his new Career Education and Workforce Development Board, his office announced Monday.

Created by Act 892 of 2015 and composed of 13 industry representatives and seven ex officio members, the board will create a statewide program to prepare workers for jobs. It also will supervise all state vocational, technical and occupational education programs, including the new Office of Skills Development. Members also will work with the Department of Workforce Services’ Arkansas Workforce Development Board.

The new board replaces the Department of Career Education’s State Board of Career Education.

Voting board members whose terms expire June 30, 2016, are: Dan Serrano of Lowell, retired vice president of human resources at Tyson Foods; Dr. Keith Vire of Fayetteville, CEO of Arkansas Support Network; Jenifer Price of Springdale, vice president of planning and development and Arvest asset management at Arvest Bank; and Hugh McDonald of Little Rock, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas.

Voting board members whose terms expire June 30, 2017, are: Jeff Standridge of Conway, vice president of audience solutions at Acxiom; Burton Weis of Fort Smith, vice president of human resources at USA Truck; Dr. Adam Arroyos of Fayetteville, founder and CEO of Grandslam Performance Associates; Dr. Steven Collier of Augusta, CEO of ARcare; and Scott Copas of Little Rock, president and CEO of Baldwin and Shell Construction Company.

Board members whose terms expire June 30, 2018, are Gina Radke of Sherwood, CEO of Galley Support Innovations; Michael Garner of Hensley, general manager of Haas Factory Outlet (Jeffreys Manufacturing Solutions); Stacy Gunderman of Batesville, FutureFuel Chemical Company director of administration and human resources; and Troy Keeping of Marion, president and general manager of Southland Park Gaming and Racing.

Ex officio members are: Johnny Key, Arkansas Department of Education commissioner; Dr. Brett Powell, Arkansas Department of Higher Education director; Bill Stovall, Arkansas Community Colleges executive director; Mike Preston, Arkansas Economic Development Commission director; Daryl Bassett, Arkansas Department of Workforce Services director; Dr. Paul Beran, chancellor of the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and a representative of the Arkansas Association of Public Universities; and Dr. Richard Abernathy, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators executive director.