Pictured above: USHE Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development and Industry Engagement Jessica Gilmore

USHE Commissioner Dave R. Woolstenhulme to refocus existing positions

The Utah System of Higher Education welcomes Jessica Gilmore, Ed.D., former Associate Provost of Community Outreach and Economic Development at Utah Valley University, as Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development and Industry Engagement. This newly-created position will focus on workforce and industry engagement as well as aligning academic programs to ensure increased student access, success and completion across the USHE system.

Gilmore will begin work at USHE on February 3, 2020. 

“We are pleased to have Jessica Gilmore join USHE with her extensive knowledge in education and economic and community development,” said Commissioner Dave R. Woolstenhulme. “A vital initiative of the USHE Board of Regents is to create an educated workforce, with increased workforce outcomes for students, and Jessica will be essential to meeting those objectives.”

Gilmore is currently the Associate Provost of Community Outreach and Economic Development at UVU where she works to establish and oversee outreach relationships for economic, workforces and community development; coordinate university deployment of technology to support community engagement, lead university-wide efforts to address needs and accelerate business and community development to support regional workforce needs and collaboration; provide administrative direction for Continuing Education, Professional Education, Executive Education, Concurrent Enrollment, Career & Technical Education, satellite campuses, and instructional extension sites, and the Business Resource Center; and more.

Other USHE staff changes:

• Julie Hartley, Ph.D. has been named Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs. She has served in this role on an interim basis since September and was previously the Assistant Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs. Hartley will act as the state’s Chief Academic Officer and will oversee academic programs, student affairs, equity and diversity, Concurrent Enrollment, certificate and degree pathways and transfer initiatives.

• Following the announcement that Greg Benson, Ph.D. has decided to retire from his position as USHE Assistant Commissioner of Academic and Student Affairs at the end of June 2020, duties for Assistant Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Blair Carruth, Ph.D. will shift from a focus on Career and Technical Education and Perkins Programs toward coordination of academic program reviews and the Major Committees. Carruth will continue his role as the state lead for veterans and military affairs.