WGU President to Join Leaders in Technology, Workforce Development, and Education on American Workforce Policy Advisory Board

News provided by

Feb 13, 2019, 16:45 ET

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Governors University (WGU) President Scott Pulsipher is among a group of 25 U.S. governors, Fortune 500 CEOs, education leaders, and workforce association leaders appointed to serve on the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced today. The Advisory Board, co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, will collaborate with the National Council for the American Worker to develop strategies that will better align education with 21st century workforce needs.

"WGU's participation on this board fully supports our mission – to improve the quality and relevancy of education while expanding access," said Pulsipher. "We know that education is one of the surest pathways to opportunity, enabling individuals to change their lives through better, more fulfilling jobs, and that American industry needs more workers with 21^st century skills. The large gap in workforce supply and demand, combined with the rapid evolution of required skills for the future of work, make a strong case for reinventing education-to-employment pathways. I look forward to working with the members of this Board to build a brighter future for American workers."

The American Workforce Policy Advisory Board will provide strategic recommendations to the newly-formed National Council for the American Worker, an advisory and planning body that will focus on closing the skills gap and retraining American workers to transition to the new jobs of the 21st century. Board terms will last through 2021.

The members of the Board include:

Jay Box, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Walter Bumphus, President & CEO, American Association of Community Colleges
Jim Clark, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Tom Donohue, CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Juanita Duggan, President & CEO, National Federation for Independent Business
Elizabeth Goettl, President & CEO, Cristo Rey Network
Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President, & CEO, Lockheed Martin
Eric Holcomb, Governor, Indiana
Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA
Al Kelly, CEO, Visa
Vi Lyles, Mayor, Charlotte, North Carolina
Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP America
Sean McGarvey, President, North America's Building and Trades Unions
Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart
Craig Menear, Chairman, President, & CEO, Home Depot
Michael Piwowar, Executive Director, Milken Institute
Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University
Kim Reynolds, Governor, Iowa
Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, & CEO, IBM
Scott Sanders, Executive Director, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, Society for Human Resource Management
Jay Timmons, President & CEO, National Association of Manufacturers
Sheree Utash, President, WSU Tech 
Marianne Wanamaker, Professor, University of Tennessee

Pulsipher was nominated for the Board by both Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and former Senator Orrin G. Hatch. In nominating Pulsipher, the Governor noted the WGU president's leadership helps WGU maintain its "finger on the pulse of skills gaps at the state level," while addressing growing educational and workforce concerns across the country. Senator Hatch referred to Pulsipher as a "champion of work-based and demand-driven training programs."

Learn more about the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and the other new appointees here.

About WGU
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 113,000 students nationwide and has more than 133,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

Contact for media inquiries:
Marty Carpenter – 24NINE
801-971-3601
[email protected]

SOURCE Western Governors University