Mardy Leathers

Director, Missouri Office of Workforce Development

Dr. Mardy L. Leathers was appointed to serve as the Director of the Missouri Office of Workforce Development in October 2017. In his capacity, Leathers serves as Executive Director to Missouri’s State Workforce Development Board, Director of Apprenticeship Missouri, and oversees Missouri’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Programs. Since his appointment, he has served an integral role in transforming Missouri’s public workforce development system, expanding and modernizing apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, supporting the Job Centers of the Future, Talent for Tomorrow, and Best in Midwest initiatives, and launching the Missouri-United Kingdom Apprenticeship Partnership. Leathers has led his organization through a myriad of challenges including organizational restructuring, natural disaster, merger of state agencies, and global pandemic. Prior to becoming the Director of Workforce Development, he most recently served as Executive Director of the Center for Workforce Development at East Central College in Union, Missouri. There, he played a key role in developing the statewide Community College Workforce Development Network and oversaw the college’s business and industry training efforts, community education, healthcare career certification and WIOA programs. Additionally, Leathers served as Crawford County, Missouri Clerk, holds a BS from Southeast Missouri State University, a MBA from William Woods University, a Doctor of Management from Webster University.