UA Little Rock Launches Inaugural Workforce Development Center Advisory Board

Justin Bates
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Business leaders have a roundtable discussion.
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is a statewide economic development program based at UA Little Rock. Through its network of offices, ASBTDC works with all types of for-profit businesses, from home-based to high-tech. Clients receive one-to-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research at no charge, or they can expand their expertise by participating in low or no-cost events. Photo by Benjamin Krain.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has announced the formation of a new Workforce Development Center Advisory Board, a strategic step to expand collaboration with industry and education partners in support of Arkansas’s workforce and economic growth.

“Workforce development is central to how UA Little Rock fulfills its responsibility to students, employers, and our communities,” said Ann Bain, provost and executive vice chancellor. “By bringing together leaders from across business, education, healthcare, industry, and government, this advisory board strengthens the connection between education and opportunity while supporting the long-term economic vitality of Arkansas.”

The inaugural members of the Workforce Development Center Advisory Board include:

  • Kristi Barr, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Toni Lindsey, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
  • Sen. Jane English, Arkansas State Senate
  • Kenneth Calhoun, former Career Education and Workforce Development Board Chair
  • Dr. Jeremy Owoh, Superintendent, Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District
  • Dr. Summer Khairi, Nuclear Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 
  • Steve Shepard, Retired Senior Vice President, Greenway Equipment Inc.

The advisory board will help guide program priorities and identify opportunities for collaboration across key workforce sectors.

“Creating this advisory board allows us to bring employer and community voices directly into the conversation as strategic advisors and thought partners on emerging workforce trends and community needs,” said Aaron Duvall, executive director of Workforce Development at UA Little Rock. “Their insight helps us design upskilling training and credentialing opportunities that are relevant, flexible, and aligned with the skills Arkansas employers are seeking both now and in the future.”

UA Little Rock’s Workforce Development Center serves as a hub for professional skills training, professional development, industry-recognized credentials, and customized programs for employers. 

Located in the Reynolds Business Building, the Workforce Development Center is home to the offices of Study Abroad, University Career Services, Corporate and Community Education, and Concurrent Enrollment. For more information about the Workforce Development Center, visit ualr.edu/workforcedevelopment.

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