Northwest Arkansas Council hires regional workforce program director

The Northwest Arkansas Council has hired David Giesige as the founding executive director of a new regional workforce program designed to connect employers, educators and community partners around workforce needs.

Giesige, a Fulbright Scholar who most recently was chief program officer at the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium, will lead the initiative as it seeks to create a more coordinated approach to regional workforce development.

The program, launched by the council, has support from the Walton Family Foundation. According to the council, there will be approximately 50,000 local job openings in the coming years, making it important to improve the education-to-workforce pipeline. The position was created by the council following the 2024 assessment of the region’s education-workforce system

“Northwest Arkansas’ employers are creating tremendous opportunities, but we need stronger alignment between the skills they need and the education and training pathways that prepare people for those careers,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “David brings a compelling vision for connecting employers, educators and community partners around a shared strategy to develop and retain more talent in Northwest Arkansas, creating clearer pathways to opportunity for residents across the region.”

A central focus of the new program is expansion of internship, apprenticeship and other work-based learning while aligning education and training programs with key regional industries. The program is also tasked to increase the number of graduates who stay and build careers in Northwest Arkansas.

At the Greater Cleveland Career Consortium, Giesige led the expansion of a regional career-connected learning system serving nearly 30,000 students across nine school districts. He coordinated more than 150 education, employer and public-sector partners and helped expand internships, work-based learning opportunities and career pathways aligned with workforce needs.

“My goal is to build this initiative as a formalized collective impact model, serving as a neutral convener, aligner and optimizer of the strong programs and partnerships that already exist in this region,” said Giesige. “By bringing the community together around a shared vision, we can develop a talent ecosystem that produces tangible outcomes for students, employers and the region while setting the foundation for a nationally recognized model.”

Giesige holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from The Ohio State University. As a Fulbright Scholar, he studied vocational training models and workforce readiness systems in the Netherlands.