Building on Success
Northwest Arkansas Council Helps Businesses Recruit and Expand
Categories: Membership Meeting
NOARK is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP℠ or SHRM-SCP℠. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit shrmcertification.org.
This Program has been approved for 0.99 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).
The use of this official seal confirms that this Activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
The Northwest Arkansas Council and our regional partners are pursuing new goals after the successful completion of almost every task described in a previous strategic plan.
The Council’s three-year plan, unveiled in 2015, prioritizes strengthening the region’s workforce and regional employers’ connections to educators. The Council and its partners want to upgrade the region’s infrastructure, and the Council still works hard to help employers recruit talent and expand their businesses in Northwest Arkansas.
Workforce Development
Lead the transition to a best-of-class, demand-driven workforce model to increase the supply of appropriately skilled labor.
REGIONAL STEWARDSHIP
Champion placemaking and provide leadership, collaborative capacity, and resource alignment to ensure the region remains a vibrant, attractive, community for businesses and people for decades to come.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Invest in physical infrastructure that will enable sustainable long-term growth and improve competitiveness.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Enhance the proactive regional approach to economic development in Northwest Arkansas to grow and attract targeted, career ladder-job opportunities,
Nelson Peacock
Nelson Peacock currently serves as the President and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council.
Prior to joining the Northwest Arkansas Council in July, Mr. Peacock served as Senior Vice President Government Relations at the University of California Office of the President. In this role he oversaw all aspects of state and federal governmental relations for the University of California system, which includes ten UC campuses, five academic medical centers and three national lab.
Before moving to California, Peacock worked in served the nation as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, where he oversaw all Congressional relations activities for the 240,000 person, $60 billion Department and as Senior Counsel for then-Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Senate Judiciary Committee in the United States Senate. In this role, Nelson advised Senator Biden on homeland security, crime, and intellectual property issues. Nelson played a key role in developing and passing into law the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on October 13, 2008.
Nelson was born and raised in Arkansas. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctor from University of Arkansas and a Masters of Law from George Washington University School of Law.