Rodney Ellis has been named as the Workforce Training Director for the Springdale Public Schools.
"I am truly honored to be part of the Springdale District leadership team, working towards implementing a vision to merge academics and workforce training skills necessary to enhance and support all CTE career pathways for student success in local and regional business and industry roles across Springdale and Northwest Arkansas."
Ellis began his new role on July 1st saying "this role will allow me to work within the Springdale District developing, enhancing, and strengthening career readiness and industry related skills training needed for student success in business and industry roles."
Ellis was raised in eastern Arkansas on a cotton, rice, and soybean farm. His parents worked both on and off the farm to provide necessary income, demonstrating strong work ethic and values which he strives to incorporate into his life. Ellis worked in aviation and other technical fields for 20 years before getting into education.
"I was blessed to be part of the planning and implementation of one of the first high school industrial maintenance programs in Arkansas at Siloam Springs." said Ellis.
The Career Academy of Siloam Springs brought an opportunity to become part of the Tyson maintenance and refrigeration training group in June of 2017. As the Tyson technical education liaison, his primary directive included creating ,developing, and supporting programs similar to the Career Academy of Siloam Springs across 60 Tyson locations in the US. These projects invested in secondary, post-secondary, and incumbent local workforce training applicable to all local industries, as well as creating maintenance talent pipelines for Tyson locations. The Tyson directive allowed opportunities to work along with the Springdale School district leadership in developing and implementing the Don Tyson School of Innovation Industrial Maintenance program along with enhancing and supporting other district related technical programs. The culmination of those projects led to the opportunity to work within the Springdale District as the Workforce Training Director.
Dr. Jared Cleveland, district superintendent, said that Mr. Ellis will help to reimagine public education, develop the relationships with our community partners, and create healthy, flexible, and productive systems.
"He understands the immediate and future business/industry needs and will help us reimagine flexible pathways to careers for our students that will start well before high school graduation." said Dr. Jared Cleveland, district superintendent.
Ellis is married to Robyn Ellis and has two sons Cole, Caleb, and daughter-in-law Meghan.