Keith Peterson has been named dean of workforce development at NorthWest Arkansas Community College and will begin his new duties on Jan. 21.
He will have the primary responsibility for providing strategic leadership, direction, and management for all efforts related to non-credit education and training as well as credit culinary and hospitality programming.
Peterson also will be responsible for providing administrative leadership in the development of workforce education that addresses the needs of local, regional and global businesses and industries.
The dean will report to Tim Cornelius, vice president of learning: global business, health professions, and external programs.
Peterson comes to the college from Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale, where he worked as vice president of instruction since May 2011. In that capacity, Peterson provided leadership to 45 full and part-time instructors. He also managed industry advisory boards and reviewed recommendations to provide maximum benefit for relevant industry and community demands.
Prior to the vice president role, Peterson served as resources coordinator at NTI. He also worked for five years as assessment and curriculum program supervisor for the Arkansas Department of Career Education.
“We are pleased to have someone with Keith’s experience and commitment to workforce training and career education,” Cornelius said. “His ability to foster relationships with the business community and to meet the needs of a rapidly changing work environment will be invaluable to the College’s workforce education initiatives.”