The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) is working to strengthen its internal systems, governance capacity, and regional communication as the region grows toward one million residents by 2050. The FUSE Executive Fellow will help NWARPC modernize internal operations, clarify strategic direction, and build a coordinated external communication framework that supports regional alignment and long-term infrastructure investment. This two-year fellowship will build on NWARPC's existing leadership by strengthening institutional capacity and advancing efficient, transparent, and accountable regional governance.

Fellowship Dates: October 26, 2026 - October 20, 2028

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Across the country, fast-growing metropolitan regions face increasing pressure to coordinate infrastructure, land use, environmental planning, and mobility systems across jurisdictional boundaries. When a region is growing across numerous cities at once rather than around a single central city, it becomes harder to coordinate planning and decision-making. As population increases and infrastructure costs rise, local governments must balance community-specific priorities with shared regional investments. Without strong regional systems and clear communication, growth can strain infrastructure, delay projects, and create confusion about funding, governance, and long-term priorities.

Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States and is projected to surpass one million residents by 2050. The region includes multiple mid-sized cities, each with its own elected leadership and local priorities, in addition to 39 distinct local jurisdictions with independent decision-making authority. NWARPC serves as the Council of Governments and designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), coordinating transportation planning, grant administration, and regional initiatives. As regional transportation investments expand, including transit alternatives, resilience initiatives, stormwater coordination, and innovative financing strategies, NWARPC's responsibilities are growing in scale and complexity. At the same time, the organization operates with a small staff and legacy systems that were designed for a smaller region and a narrower scope of work.

NWARPC is currently developing a five-year strategic plan that will examine organizational structure, revenue models, and long-term service delivery to translate long-range regional priorities into a near-term roadmap that aligns resources, clarifies roles, sets performance benchmarks, and coordinates partners for integrated regional planning. This FUSE Executive Fellowship presents a timely opportunity to strengthen internal systems, improve cross-departmental workflows, modernize project and financial tracking, and build a cohesive external communication strategy. By aligning organizational capacity with regional growth and strengthening the way the Commission communicates its role, priorities, and funding realities, NWARPC can enhance public understanding, support informed decision-making, and build durable regional alignment around long-term infrastructure investments.

PROJECT APPROACH

Beginning in Fall 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission leadership and staff to strengthen internal systems, modernize operational practices, and develop a strategic regional communication framework aligned with the Commission's long-term vision. The first 90 days of the fellowship will focus on in-depth discovery and relationship-building. The fellow will conduct a comprehensive listening tour with NWARPC staff, executive leadership, board members, municipal partners, state transportation officials, philanthropic partners, and other regional stakeholders. This phase will include reviewing the Commission's five-year strategic planning materials, current project management and financial tracking systems, grant administration practices, board governance structures, and public communication tools. The fellow will also research best practices from comparable metropolitan planning organizations and councils of government, particularly in similarly fast-growing, polycentric regions. Areas of focus may include project management systems, financial tracking and grant compliance tools, organizational design, staffing benchmarks, performance management practices, and regional communication strategies. Based on the insights gathered, the fellow will develop and present refined project goals, priorities, and anticipated Year One deliverables for NWARPC leadership's review and approval.

Following the discovery phase, the fellow will focus on two interconnected priorities: strengthening internal operational systems and designing a cohesive regional communication framework. Internally, the fellow will evaluate and recommend improvements to project management, budget tracking, grant compliance monitoring, and reporting workflows. This may include identifying and supporting the implementation of project management software, standardized budget tracking tools, cross-functional reporting systems, and documentation protocols that increase transparency, improve cash flow visibility, and reduce administrative burden. The fellow will also assess organizational structure, staffing models, and benchmarking data from peer agencies to inform long-term capacity planning. Externally, the fellow will develop a strategic communication framework that clearly articulates NWARPC's mission, value proposition, and regional role. This work will include synthesizing complex transportation and infrastructure funding realities into accessible, public-facing narratives; clarifying distinctions between regional entities; and supporting board members and staff with tools, talking points, and materials that strengthen consistent messaging. The fellow may also design performance dashboards, public-facing summaries, or educational materials that explain funding constraints, project timelines, and long-term regional tradeoffs in clear, transparent language.

Throughout Year One, the fellow will support structured engagement with board members and partner jurisdictions to strengthen shared understanding of regional priorities and governance considerations.

By the end of Year One, NWARPC is expected to operate with clearer internal workflows, improved visibility into project and financial performance, and a unified external communication approach that strengthens credibility and regional alignment. Additionally, the fellow and City leadership will collaborate in the final months of Year One to define more specific goals, success measures, and the scope for Year Two of the fellowship, informed by lessons learned and early progress.

During the second year, the fellow will focus on deepening implementation and embedding sustainable practices within NWARPC operations. This may include refining and institutionalizing project management systems, formalizing governance and reporting protocols, integrating performance metrics into board decision-making, and expanding public-facing communication tools. The fellow may also support alignment between internal system improvements and emerging regional initiatives, including transportation governance discussions, resilience planning, or new funding mechanisms, ensuring that NWARPC is positioned to support long-term regional investment strategies.

By the conclusion of Year Two, the overarching goal is for NWARPC to operate with modernized internal systems, strengthened governance capacity, and a publicly credible communication framework that supports informed regional decision-making and sustainable infrastructure investment across Northwest Arkansas.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

By October 2027 (end of Year One), the fellow is expected to have supported:

• Organizational Systems Assessment and Modernization Plan - Delivered a comprehensive assessment of internal workflows, staffing benchmarks, project tracking, and financial management systems, with clear recommendations and initial implementation steps to improve efficiency, transparency, and scalability.
• Implemented Project and Financial Tracking Framework - Supported selection and initial deployment of standardized project management and budget tracking tools that improve visibility into grant compliance, reporting timelines, and cash flow management.
• Regional Strategic Communication Framework - Developed a cohesive communication strategy, including core messaging, board-ready talking points, and public-facing materials that clarify NWARPC's role, funding realities, and long-term infrastructure priorities.
• Performance and Reporting Dashboard Prototype - Designed and piloted internal and/or public-facing dashboards that communicate project status, funding gaps, and progress toward adopted regional plans in clear, accessible formats.
• Year One Institutional Capacity Report and Year Two Roadmap - Synthesized lessons learned and progress into a set of prioritized recommendations to guide Year Two system embedding and long-term organizational growth.

By October 2028 (end of Year Two), the fellow is expected to have supported the following high-level outcomes:

• Institutionalized Modern Regional Operations Framework - Embedded durable project management, financial tracking, and reporting systems that support NWARPC's expanding portfolio and long-term strategic growth.
• Established a Sustainable Regional Communication and Governance Model - Positioned NWARPC with a consistent, transparent, and publicly credible approach to communicating regional priorities, funding tradeoffs, and infrastructure strategies, strengthening alignment across jurisdictions and stakeholders.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Executive Sponsor - Tim Conklin, Executive Director, NWARPC
• Project Supervisor - Nicole Gibbs, Assistant Director, NWARPC

QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in organizational transformation and change management, from practitioner to enterprise-level leadership.
• Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
• Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
• Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
• Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
• Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
• Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground. Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.