Atwell Mukusha
Atwell Mukusha was named Project Manager for the Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (NSWERS) in March 2026.
Mukusha brings more than 20 years of experience leading projects and operations that support education-focused initiatives. His background includes strengthening organizational effectiveness, improving data visibility, and coordinating cross-functional teams to support strategic execution. His work integrates project management, process improvement, systems thinking, and data-informed decision making to help organizations operate more efficiently and collaboratively.
Prior to joining NSWERS, Mukusha worked at the Nebraska Department of Education, where he helped establish a Project Management Office (PMO) and implemented governance practices to support effective project delivery. He also provided project management leadership for the development of the ADVISER Nebraska Dashboard, a secure, real-time data system that integrates school district student information systems with state data visualization tools to deliver actionable insights on academic progress, attendance, and student engagement.
At NSWERS, Mukusha supports the development and execution of strategic initiatives, strengthens internal processes, and works across teams and partner organizations to ensure coordinated, high-impact products and services.
Mukusha holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Studies from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute and a Certified Scrum Master through Scrum Alliance. He also serves as Vice President of the Project Management Institute Mid-Nebraska Chapter.
Outside of his professional work, Atwell enjoys exploring culinary traditions from Southern Africa. He is known for crafting boerewors with unique flavor profiles and perfecting slow-cooked oxtail—an interest that may soon evolve into a full culinary adventure.
Get to Know Atwell
What author, researcher, or scientist is most influential to you in your work at NSWERS?
I really admire Peter Drucker because he understood that good management is not about sounding smart, it’s about getting meaningful things done. I also like people who use research and data to create action, because I have a soft spot for ideas that actually leave the meeting room.
What behavior or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?
Definitely persistence. I’m one of those people who sees a messy process and thinks, “Well… this can be fixed.” Sometimes that is a strength. Sometimes it is a lifestyle.
If I wasn’t in my field of work, I would probably be:
Running a jazz music club and restaurant, combining my love for the roots of music with my curiosity for exotic foods from different parts of the world. It would basically be my version of project management, just with better food and a live band.
What gets you up in the morning?
Purpose, progress, and the ambitious hope that today’s calendar and I will get along. I also wake up wanting to make someone smile, brighten the day a little, and improve on yesterday in whatever way I can.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about the work you do?
That project management is mostly calendars and reminders. It’s actually part strategy, part translator, part air traffic control, and part “let’s all remain calm and solve this like adults.”
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a banker because I thought if I handled money every day, it would motivate me to make more of it myself. Looking back, it was probably my first attempt at a financial strategy.
How many different states/countries have you lived in? Which ones?
I’ve lived in Zimbabwe, Australia, India, the Kingdom of Bahrain, England, and the United States. It’s given me a broad perspective, a lot of adaptability, and the ability to appreciate people from all walks of life—plus a permanent habit of comparing food, weather, and accents everywhere I go.