WRTP | BIG STEP names David D. Polk new CEO

The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program (WRTP | BIG STEP) has named David D. Polk its new chief executive officer.

Polk most recently served as director of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, where he oversaw record growth in registered apprenticeships statewide beginning in 2022, according to a press release from WRTP | BIG STEP, and has also served as board president of the National Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors.

Polk is a graduate of WRTP | BIG STEP’s pre-apprenticeship training program, which prepared him for a registered plumbing apprenticeship with Plumbers Union Local 75. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University and served as associate dean of apprenticeship and trade director at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

“Coming back to WRTP | BIG STEP as CEO feels like coming home,” Polk said in a press release. “Having started my own career here as a trainee, I have seen firsthand the incredible impact this organization has on individual lives and our community.”

Founded in 1975, WRTP | BIG STEP is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that connects employers, industries and communities to family-sustaining careers through workforce training and apprenticeship pathways. It has additional offices in Madison, Neenah, Racine and Superior.

As CEO, Polk will work with local, state and national partners to strengthen workforce development and expand opportunities in manufacturing, construction and emerging industries.

“David’s passion for WRTP | BIG STEP, combined with his experience, enthusiasm and vision for the growth of the organization, made him a tremendous choice as our next CEO,” said Henry Hurt, co-chair of the organization’s board of directors.

Madison365 is a news outlet covering communities of color in Wisconsin.