Fort Smith Regional Chamber Of Commerce: Chamber Announces Vice-President Of Workforce Development

Press release from the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce:

June 02, 2021

For Immediate Release
Contact Tim Allen, 479-783-3111 / tallen@fortsmithchamber.com
Chamber Announces Vice President of Workforce Development

FORT SMITH, Ark. (May 26, 2021) — The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce
has tapped a labor and education expert from Tennessee to fill the workforce
development position focused on strengthening ties between educational institutions
and the business community.

Anita Brackin will be joining the Chamber in June to focus on building relationships
between schools in the Fort Smith region and employers to better prepare students for
careers and meet the needs of the workforce.

The position originally grew from a $1.3 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation
for a focus on expanding workforce initiatives in the area. The grant is split equally
between the Northwest Arkansas Council and the Fort Smith Chamber and the funds
are part of the expanding effort to build a regional infrastructure to develop the talent for
a variety of career pathways, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare and
information technology jobs.

“We’re pleased to welcome Anita to the community and have someone with her
enthusiasm and experience join us in this role,” said Tim Allen, President and CEO of
the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. “As evident by the recent partnership
announcements at the PEAK Innovation Center, business leaders absolutely see the
value in the effort and the long-range return on investment for their companies. And
education leaders throughout the area are structuring their strategies to help build the
workforce we need.”

Most recently, Brackin served as Associate Vice President, Workforce, Economic
Development and Continuing Education at Southwest Tennessee Community College.
In that role, she was responsible for fostering business and industry relationships for
developing and administering workplace-training programs. She also identified unique
training opportunities with external partners as well as collaborating with the Workforce
Investment Network, Tennessee Career Centers and other state and federal agencies
on funding opportunities for programs and students. Prior to that role, she worked for
the Greater Memphis Chamber as the Director of Workforce Development and
Education.  Brackin sat on the boards of several entities, including the Bartlett Area Chamber of
Commerce, the Shelby County Joint Regional Economic Development Board, the
Graduate Memphis Steering Council and the Tennessee Valley Authority Workforce
Development Institute.
The Fort Smith Chamber has been working closely with the Fort Smith Public School
System and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, as well as area businesses, to build
a coalition that can focus on developing the talent and workforce to fulfill the area’s
current job requirements but also position Fort Smith at the forefront of future workforce
needs. The most noticeable effort has led to the development of the PEAK Innovation
Center, currently being built and expected to open in the fall of 2021.
“To say I’m excited and ready would be an understatement,” remarked Brackin. “Being
a part of the effort that will help education and business thrive is a responsibility and
challenge I’m ready to tackle. The Fort Smith community is succeeding in so many ways
already and advancing workforce development is key to that continuing.”
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This press release was produced by the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author’s own.