LITTLE ROCK - The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s Vice President for Academic Development is among fifty-seven emerging leaders invited to take part in the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Arkansas Class XII.
Dr. Mary Bane Lackie was announced as one of the invitees in a release earlier this week.
In February 2014, Lackie became the vice chancellor for university advancement at UAFS. She has over 25 years of experience in higher education at institutions in Louisiana, Arkansas and abroad. This includes administrative posts in Admissions, Students Affairs, Residence Life, International Programs and University Advancement.
Lackie returned home to Arkansas in 2013 to accept a position at UAFS after eight and a half years of working abroad. She worked at educational institutions in Poland, Armenia and Dubai before wrapping up her stint overseas working on two US government-funded education projects in Pakistan. On the most recent project to improve teacher education in Pakistan, she worked for Teachers College, Columbia University, one of the most prestigious graduate schools for education in the United States.
The Underwriting Sponsor for the 2017-2018 Leadership Arkansas program is The Citizens Bank of Batesville. The Presenting Sponsor is ARcare, and Statewide Program Sponsors are Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, Farm Credit of Arkansas, Nucor Steel-Arkansas, Southwest Power Pool, and Walmart. The members of Class XII are:
Bootsie Ackerman, US House of Representatives Congressman Steve Womack
Allison Atkinson, Southwest EAP
Josh Baker, Simmons Bank
Catherine Bays, Museum of Discovery
Micah Beard, Citizens Bank
Matthew Boch, Dover Dixon Horne PLLC
John Bonner, Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas
Ruth Bradley Weyland, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Zac Bradley, Arkansas Farm Bureau
Rick Cazenave, Lanxess
Donald Clark, Arkansas Air National Guard
Todd Clark, University of Arkansas
Jacob Coleman, The First Tee of Central Arkansas
Ross Cranford, Cranford Co.
Alisha Curtis, Governor Asa Hutchinson
Richard Dedmon, Big River Steel
Leon Dodroe, Arkansas Air National Guard
Olin Ericksen, Mitchell Communications Group
Phillip Fletcher, The City of Hope Outreach
Bethany Gaddy, Regions Bank
Jason Gazaway, Gazaway & White Real Estate
Natalie Ghidotti, Ghidotti Communications
Austin Grinder, Mullenix & Associates
Jensyn Hallett, Heifer International
Matthew Hoffman, Miller Boskus Lack Architects
Erin Hogue, Walmart Foundation
Tamika Jenkins, Mississippi Co. Economic Development
Julie Kelso, Crafton Tull
Steven Lamm, Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Kim Lane, Conductor
Fredrick Love, Pulaski County Community Services
Meredith Lowry, Wright Lindsey & Jennings, LLLP
Chris Madison, City of Bryant
Daniel Martinez, Windstream Communications
Jeff Mascagni, Central Arkansas Water
Esperanza Massana, Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Kevin Mullen, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Stephanie Neipling, U of A System, Division of Agriculture
Ron Petrie, Garver, LLC
Ryan Prejean, Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
Ashley Riddle, Delta Dental of Arkansas
Lori Ross, Citizens Bank
Laurie Rushing, Trademark Real Estate Co.
Rhonda Sanders, Arkansas Foodbank
Kurt Schrock, Tyson Foods, Inc.
James Shackelford, ARcare
Robert Shields, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation
Tag Short, MISO
Jeremy Sparks, Tyson Foods, Inc.
John Spencer, Signature Bank of Arkansas
Curt Stamp, Cox Communications
Jeremy Stell, Koontz Electric Company, Inc.
Alese Stroud, Corporate Insight Strategy
Scott Tollett, Ritter Communications, Inc.
Tommy Wagner, Wagner Medical Clinic
Derek Wingfield, Southwest Power Pool
The Chairwoman for Leadership Arkansas Class XII is Toni Bahn, Director of Governmental Affairs, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce / Associated Industries of Arkansas.
Vice Co-Chairs for Leadership Arkansas Class XII are Mark Scott, Senior Communications Manager, Walmart, Inc., and Jill Dabbs, Mayor of the City of Bryant, Arkansas.
Leadership Arkansas Class XII launches its activities on Sunday, October 1 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton, Arkansas. Other planned sessions include:
Session II: Arkansas’s Workforce
October 26-27, 2017, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Session III: Government & Military
November 29-30, 2017, Little Rock & Jacksonville, Arkansas
Session IV: Agriculture & Outdoor Life
December 11-12, 2017, Stuttgart, Arkansas
Session V: Natural Resources, Defense & Industrial Development
January 22-23, 2018, East Camden, El Dorado & Magnolia, Arkansas
Session VI: Economic Development, Infrastructure & Education
February 26-28, 2018, West Memphis, Wilson & Blytheville, Arkansas
Session VII: Tourism, History & Revitalization
March 29-30, 2018, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Session VIII: Regional Development
April 24-26, 2018, Fayetteville, Springdale & Bentonville, Arkansas
Session IX: Leadership, Planning & Graduation
May 24-25, 2018, Little Rock, Arkansas
The mission of Leadership Arkansas is to challenge, inform, inspire and engage current and future business and civic leaders to enhance the economies of – and the communities within – the state of Arkansas. Leadership Arkansas’s vision is to work to build a strong and vibrant state by training skilled community leaders to recognize and capitalize on opportunities, motivate others to act to strengthen regions and communities, serve as ambassador for the potential and growth of the state, and promote the election and appointment of officials who understand the diverse aspects leading to growth of Arkansas.
Leadership Arkansas comprises a nine-month class program consisting of nine multi-day sessions held in different locations throughout the state. The sessions feature Arkansas leaders who represent a wide geographic base and who have diverse backgrounds and vocations. The members are given broad exposure to the many social, political, geographic and environmental complexities of the state; on-site demonstrations and tours; unique cultural experiences; insight into the people, places and history that influence public policies; and fun and casual settings which foster new relationships and camaraderie.
Leadership Arkansas has educated and engaged over 500 alumni since its inception in 2005 and represent nearly every Arkansas county.
