Mike Rogers, who most recently worked as senior director of maintenance and refrigeration for Tyson Foods, has been appointed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to become the state’s first chief workforce officer (CWO).
His appointment came on the heels of Sanders signing an executive order on February 9 to create not only the CWO position, but also the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, of which the CWO chairs.
Among Rogers’ duties will be to coordinate, manage and direct the governor’s workforce policies and career education strategy for the state.
In addition to the CWO, other members of the workforce cabinet include the state secretaries of commerce, corrections, education, human services, labor and licensing and veterans affairs, or designees of each of those department secretaries.
“I’m pleased to announce that Mike Rogers will be Arkansas’ first-ever chief workforce officer, overseeing the workforce cabinet and its initiatives,” Sanders said in a press release. “It’s time for our state to build a strong pipeline of skilled, qualified workers. Mike’s expertise will be crucial to getting that done. He has been on the ground floor of companies across our state, training young workers and developing technical education programs, making him the clear choice to lead our whole-of-government approach to this issue. I look forward to working together as we roll out a host of new programs to unleash a new era of growth and prosperity in our state.”
In his previous role at Tyson Foods, Rogers guided a team that traveled across the country to conduct trainings on industrial maintenance, refrigeration, and reliability engineering, and is also responsible for starting technical programs close to Tyson Foods facilities.
Rogers also taught agriculture and industrial maintenance at Siloam Springs High School for 20 years and was the energy manager for the Siloam Springs School District for 16 years.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from University of Arkansas and later completed his Master’s in Education.
Rogers holds six additional teaching licenses with the Arkansas Department of Education for secondary and post-secondary education. He is an NCCER Master Trainer and holds three journeyman level certificates in HVAC, welding, and industrial maintenance. Rogers was runner-up for 2016 Arkansas Teacher of the Year and currently is a member of the Arkansas Workforce Education Council.
Sanders’ term as governor began with her inauguration on January 10, 2023. She is a second-generation Arkansas governor, with her father, Mike Huckabee, serving in that capacity from 1996 to 2007.
From 2017 to 2019, Sanders worked for the federal government as White House press secretary.
