Bismarck, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong announced the appointment of Workforce Service Director Phil Davis as interim executive director of Job Service North Dakota following the upcoming retirement of current Executive Director Pat Bertagnolli on June 12.
According to the announcement, Davis has been selected to lead the agency during the transition period. He currently serves as workforce service director, a position he has held since 2019, overseeing North Dakota’s nine workforce centers as well as a unit responsible for administering multiple workforce programs across the state.
Davis originally joined Job Service North Dakota in 2007 as an industry liaison. He was promoted in 2008 to customer service area manager, where he supervised operations across six workforce centers covering central and western North Dakota.
Before his civilian career in workforce services, Davis served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years as an air traffic controller. His military service included assignments at several bases worldwide, including deployment in Iraq. During his service, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business and aviation management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
State officials noted that Job Service North Dakota employs approximately 159 full-time staff members and 76 temporary employees. The agency manages a biennial budget of about $79.1 million, which supports federal workforce programs and unemployment services across the state.
Officials said Davis will serve in the interim role while the state prepares for a permanent leadership transition following Bertagnolli’s retirement.
