Thursday, September 4, 2025

Dear UNT Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

This morning, UNT launched the Texas Talent Accelerator, a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen North Texas’ talent pipeline and support the state’s thriving economy. Our region is the epicenter of one of the most remarkable growth stories in American history, and this bold initiative positions our university as a leader in the region for workforce development.

Funded by the 89th Texas Legislature, the Texas Talent Accelerator is designed to produce insights about the skills today’s students will need to compete in tomorrow’s workforce and to expand opportunities across our region through stronger partnerships with industry and higher education. This initiative was made possible through strong support from our inaugural partners — the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Strada Education Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, as well as Collin College, Dallas College, North Central Texas College, Texas State Technical College, Texas Woman’s University, and UNT Dallas.

The Texas Talent Accelerator is designed to serve as an intelligence network — a collaborative that connects employers, higher education institutions, chambers of commerce, economic development partners, and other stakeholders in real-time, ongoing dialogue about what our region needs to thrive. We are committed to providing employers with the talent they need to compete globally, while creating more opportunities for our students and other individuals across our region to succeed.

I also want to introduce Ben Magill and welcome him to UNT. Ben joined the university as its inaugural executive director of the Texas Talent Accelerator and the university’s chief economic development officer. He has worked as an economic development professional for municipalities, public schools, chambers of commerce, community colleges and universities in North Texas since 2006. Previously, he served as founding executive director of the Labor Market Intelligence Center at Dallas College, guided an $8.8 million federal grant to create a regional workforce training collaborative in biotech and life sciences, and led the design and launch of nine next-generation sector partnerships. I am looking forward to drawing on his expertise as we propel this initiative forward.

The Texas Talent Accelerator represents a fundamental reimagining of how higher education and employers can work together in a regional ecosystem. Together with our partners, we will shape the future of the workforce for our region, our state, and beyond.

Respectfully,

Harrison Keller, Ph.D.
UNT President