Upskill NWA Appoints Carol Silva Moralez As President / CEO

October 7, 2021

Upskill NWA is thrilled to announce the appointment of Carol Silva Moralez as President / CEO. In this role, Moralez will be responsible for developing the goals, plans, policies, and short and long-term objectives for Upskill NWA . This new organization is being incubated within Excellerate Foundation, during which time, Moralez will report directly to the Foundation’s President / CEO, Jeff Webster.

“We are very excited to have Carol step into the leadership role of Upskill NWA,” said Webster. “Her business experience and community engagement skills combined with her unique personal journey makes her the ideal person to lead this exciting new venture.”

“I am honored to work with Excellerate Foundation and all the philanthropic, educational, and community health partners of Upskill NWA,” said Moralez. “I look forward to waking up every day with a mission to connect people to new careers by helping them access educational and job opportunities. I am passionate about this life-changing work and can’t wait to lead this talented team in paving the way for our future leaders. Adelante!”

Moralez previously served as a Partner at Serve2Perform by GPA, LLC where she led the Client Relationship and Diversity and Inclusion Practices. She also served as Lead Partner and Co-Chair of LatinXNA, and empowerment campaign with a mission to elevate, engage, and empower Latinos in Northwest Arkansas where she put her organizational development expertise to work. Moralez also had a career with Walmart spanning more than 25 years, taking on multiple leadership roles in which she put her skillset in People Leadership, Talent Development, and Financial Acumen to work. Moralez is proud to be part of the 70% of Walmart associates who worked their way up through the various leadership roles, which included Store Manager roles in El Cajon, CA and San Antonio, TX and a Market Manager role in Northwest Oklahoma before landing in the learning space at the Walmart Home Office where she led teams in the design and development of functional and leadership training for Walmart's U.S. workforce. She also held a leadership role in Walmart's Associate Resource Group. She began her career at Walmart as a Store Manager in both El Cajon, CA and San Antonio, TX, working her way into increasing leadership functions throughout her tenure.

In addition to her career experiences, Moralez brings additional professional affiliations to her new role, including the Bentonville Mayor’s Community Council, Rotary Satellite Club of Bentonville, and Vice President of the board of Community Clinic Northwest Arkansas. Moralez has a record of excellence having earned the coveted Helen Walton Community Award from Walmart and in 2020 she was a NWA Business Journal Top Ten Women in Business Award winner. 

ABOUT UPSKILL NWA 

Excellerate Foundation and Walton Family Foundation have partnered to create Upskill NWA, a new organization that will move lower-income wage earners to higher wage, high demand jobs through additional education and certification. Excellerate will incubate the new organization internally, offering day-to-day guidance and support to its staff and operations.

The first cohort of 100 participants is launching in January 2022. Upskill NWA will provide assistance with tuition and all academic fees, as well as connect participants to additional wraparound services (e.g. rental assistance, child care, transportation, etc.) that will allow regular class attendance. It will also provide “career navigators” that will work with each participant to develop “life skills” (e.g. time management, teamwork, financial literacy, credit counseling) to better their chances of success in the workplace and at home.

ABOUT EXCELLERATE FOUNDATION

For more than 20 years, Excellerate Foundation (formerly Endeavor Foundation) has worked diligently to improve the lives of all those who call the region home, investing over $115 million into the community during that time. By identifying the region’s most pressing needs, connecting the key stakeholders that shape our daily lives, and helping drive lasting change, Excellerate aims to give everyone in Northwest Arkansas the opportunity to thrive.

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS

For more information or to schedule an interview with the Foundation or any of our grantees or partners, please contact Ali Johnson, Director of Marketing, Excellerate Foundation. Ali can be reached at ali.johnson@excelleratefoundation.com or by phone at (479) 530-5786.