Work with Us

To promote and support a talent development system in Southwest Arkansas that offers employers, individuals, and communities the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic prosperity.

The Southwest Arkansas Workforce Development Board, in partnership with the chief elected officials, is the strategic leader of efforts that promote and broker effective relationships between businesses, economic development, education, and workforce partners throughout the local area. 

 The Regional Board is responsible for developing a strategy to continuously improve and strengthen the workforce development system through innovation, alignment and improvement, employment, training, and education that promotes economic growth.  

The Board actively participates and collaborates closely with the required partners of the workforce development system, including public and private organizations. This engagement is crucial in the Board’s role to help integrate and align a more effective job-driven workforce system that invests in the connection between education and career preparation. The majority of Board Members are business representatives who are owners, chief executives, operating officers, or other business executives with optimum policymaking or hiring authority. These representatives are uniquely suited to communicate the emerging workforce needs of employers in high-growth, in-demand sectors to the local Board.

Business Representatives (minimum 51% of board)

Whitney Peterson, Owner, Peterson Heat/Air & Electrical

Becky Ives, Talent & Organizational Capability, Lockheed Martin

Diann Epps, Owner, State Farm Insurance

Talia Worth, Human Resources Manager, Albemarle

Chad Martin, VP US Operations, Standard Lithium

Ivory Curry, Owner, Curry Enterprises

Kelly Wilson, HR Supervisor, Nexans Amercable

Ophelia Strickland, Owner, A&L Solutions

Don White, Owner, Don & Son Car Care Center

Pamela Willis, Manager, Wal-Mart

Shaun Clark, Sr. HR Business Partner, Weyerhaeuser/Dierks Lumber

Representatives of the Workforce (minimum 20% of board)

Phoebe Bailey, Director, Southwest AR Edu. Cooperative

Christopher Donaldson, Business Manager, IBEW Local 301

Voniece French, Training Director, El Dorado Electrical JATC Local 436

John Mack, Director, Vietnam Veteran's Organization

Kevin Smith, Business Manager, Local Union 436 I.B.E.W.

Education Entities

Barbara Hamilton, Director, SAU Tech Adult Ed.

Dr. Steve Cole, Chancelor, UA Cossatot

Government and Economic Development

Tracie Lee, CDBG Administrator, Economic Development

Shemekia Hicks, Regional Outreach Manager, AWC

LaVennier Brown, Area Manager, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services

Executive Committee:

Whitney Peterson – Chair

Ophelia Strickland

LaVennier Brown

Tracie Lee

Phoebe Bailey

One Stop Committee:

Ophelia Strickland – Chair

Whitney Peterson

Barbara Hamilton

Dr. Steve Cole

Shemekia Hicks

Diann Epps

Disability Committee:

LaVennier Brown – Chair

Sandra Manning 

Andrea Britt

John Mack

Lou Talley

AdHoc Committee – Training Providers/Apprenticeship:

Tracie Lee – Chair

David Mason

Kevin Smith

Paul Harness

Becky Ives

Talia Worth

Chad Martin

Kelly Wilson

Shaun Clark

Don White

Chris Donaldson

Voniece French

Youth Committee

Phoebe Bailey – Chair

Shannon Puckett

Katie Robertson

Beau McCastlain

Ivory Curry

Pamela Willis