Meet Our Staff

Heather Larkin joined Arkansas Community Foundation in 1998 and became its President and CEO in January 2008. She is committed to and enjoys engaging people and connecting resources to build stronger communities in Arkansas. Heather has been named one of the top 20 Influential Women in Arkansas by Arkansas Business. She was also named as a “Scholar in Residence” at the Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy for exemplary contributions in the field of community philanthropy. Heather is a Hull Fellow and attended the Hull Leadership Program, a program to nurture and inspire the Southeast’s philanthropic leaders. In 2005, she was selected as one of five Americans to be a Transatlantic Community Foundation Fellow. The Fellowship enabled her spend three weeks in Europe exploring issues of nonprofit governance, strategic planning, grantmaking, investments and public/private partnerships. Heather is a native of Charleston, Ark. She attended Hendrix College in Conway and while at Hendrix, she competed in several sports including cross-country, track and basketball. Upon graduating with distinction in economics and business, she went to work for Ernst and Young, LLP and became a Certified Public Accountant. After working at Ernst and Young for a couple of years, she returned to the academic arena and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. While at the UALR School of Law she served as survey/comments editor for the UALR Law Journal. Heather serves or has served on the boards of Just Communities of Arkansas, Keep Arkansas Beautiful Foundation, Rotary Club 99 and Acansa Arts Festival. She was inducted into the Hendrix Athletic Hall of Honor in 2007. She is also a member of various organizations and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock class 19 and of Leadership Arkansas Class 1.

Previously, Ashley has been senior director of development for Heifer International, senior vice president of major and planned gifts for Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation and executive director of the CARTI Foundation. She also spent eight years as a capital campaign consultant for various Arkansas charities prior to joining Arkansas Community Foundation. She was named to Arkansas Business Forty Under Forty and was a member of the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XV in 2000. Her Master’s Degree in Business Administration was earned at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1997, and she graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Business in 1989.

Sarah Kinser is chief program officer for Arkansas Community Foundation. In this role, she oversees the Foundation’s grantmaking, affiliate system, impact investing and community partnerships. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., and a master’s degree in professional and technical writing from UA Little Rock. She earned the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential in 2012. Previously, she worked on the staff of the Arkansas Literary Festival and as a composition instructor at UA Little Rock. In addition to her work at the Community Foundation, Sarah serves on the board of PRSA Arkansas and the UA Little Rock College of Social Sciences and Humanities advisory board. She was a founding co-chair of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network – Little Rock chapter, a graduate of the Southeastern Council of Foundations’ Hull Fellowship and member of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX. She’s also a member of the Local Economy Foundation Circle through the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies and serves on the steering committee of Arkansas Impact Philanthropy, an association of funders working toward an inclusive Arkansas where everyone thrives.

Corey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas. He spent 17 years in public accounting – specializing in nonprofit and governmental accounting, and two years as the controller for a national trucking company. Corey is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Arkansas Society of CPA’s (ASCPA) and is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Little Rock program. He enjoys activities with his wife and 4 children, music and volunteering in various church responsibilities.

Office Administrator Katy Bland is a native of Poplar Grove but grew up in Cabot.  A graduate of Cabot High School, Katy received her Associates Degree from Pulaski Technical College.  She has two wonderful children, Skylar and Asa, who take up most of her time.  She has been with the Foundation since 2016.

As Development Director working in our Northwest Arkansas satellite office (1680 E. Joyce Blvd. Suite 1), Jody Dilday provides donor services to existing fund holders, works to establish new partnerships, and supports our community-based affiliates in Fayetteville, Carroll County, and Western Arkansas. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, she has 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas from 2007-2017 where she led a successful $3 million campaign for endowment. Jody is a founding member of Womenade of Northwest Arkansas and a graduate of Leadership Fayetteville. She has served on the board of directors of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance, the NWA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and is a past president of Northside Fayetteville Rotary Club. Jody was included in the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list in 2010, was selected by Arkansas Business as a finalist for the Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year in 2015 and was recognized by her peers as the 2017 Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the NWA chapter of AFP, but she is most proud of her role as wife to Mark and mom to Grace, Ethan and Genna.

Lisa Duckworth is Finance Grants Associate for Arkansas Community Foundation.  Lisa is a native of Forrest City, Ark., where she graduated from Forrest City High School. After graduation, she spent 2 years at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. She moved to Little Rock and was hired at IMPAC Learning Systems Inc., where she worked for 18 years until the company closed in March 2004. Lisa was hired at Arkansas Community Foundation in June 2004 and has worked in several capacities.  She was hired as the Executive Assistant to the President, was promoted to the Finance Department in April 2006, and worked with scholarships for a year before landing in her current position as Finance Grants Associate.

Bethany Hilkert recently was named donor stewardship officer for Arkansas Community Foundation. She is responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with the Foundation’s donors. Previously Hilkert was business manager for Arkansas Repertory Theatre, where she started as front of house box office associate and moved to development and special events manager. Before working at The Rep, she was a branch manager for Arvest Bank. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Hilkert received a BA in English emphasizing creative and technical writing.

Jane Jones is a native of Blytheville, Arkansas, but really grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She returned to Arkansas, though, to attend Harding University in Searcy. Jane has served in several capacities at the foundation, but currently works as program associate.

Lauren Morris moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 2012 and has since been dedicated to improving the quality of life for Arkansans.  She studied international public health and received a Master in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health in 2008. She proceeded to take on a program working with school-based programs as a Nutrition and Physical Activity Specialist for Save the Children US Programs in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.  Passionate about leading rural programs to improve opportunities for youth and children, Lauren moved to Little Rock to serve as Deputy Director of Programs for Arkansas, Kansas, and Nebraska to address early childhood education, K-5 literacy, and childhood nutrition and physical activity programs before refocusing on a local garden-based program in Little Rock schools. Lauren most recently served as the Project Coordinator for a new initiative through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service that worked with local coalitions to guide policy, systems, and environmental changes to make healthier Arkansas communities. Lauren has a strong commitment to and values quality community and economic development to build stronger communities and continues to contribute her knowledge and skills at Arkansas Community Foundation.

Nickole Perry is the staff accountant for Arkansas Community Foundation. In 2014, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During that time, she transitioned into an accounting role at Arvest Bank Central Mortgage Company. Nickole comes to Arkansas Community Foundation with over six years of accounting experience and 11 years of mortgage servicing experience. Nickole was born and raised in central Arkansas, where she attended and graduated from North Little Rock High School. Nickole and her better half, Rolando, have three amazing children, Destiny, Kaleb and Aaliyah. Nickole and her family enjoy long walks and spending quality time with one another. Nickole has always had a passion for helping others and volunteering her time.

Lindsey Simmons is a magna cum laude graduate of University of Arkansas at Little Rock with degrees in Professional/Technical Writing and French. Her role as Planned Giving Director activates donor’s giving priorities to ensure that their philanthropy is not only transformational but also creates a lasting impact on Arkansas communities. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Lindsey worked in communications and development at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and as a freelance writer and editor. She has lived in New Orleans, studied in France and interned in San Francisco but loves to call Little Rock home. Lindsey enjoys cycling, hiking and soaking up Arkansas wonders. One of her outdoor adventures is published in the collection of Arkansas stories: A Rough Sort of Beauty. Lindsey received the Governor’s Award for Volunteerism as a teen and continues to be a passionate volunteer for many local nonprofits.

Native Arkansan Ron Standridge brings almost 30 years of career experience to his role as communications director at Arkansas Community Foundation. Prior to joining the Community Foundation staff in May 2019, Ron most recently served as Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Having previously spent 18 years as public relations coordinator at CARTI, Ron began his career as information services specialist at Pulaski County Special School District. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, Ron majored in journalism with a minor in speech and theater and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. He is a member and past president of the Arkansas Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Arkansas.) Self-described as a film buff and theater nut, Ron is a passionate advocate for the arts who voluntarily served as Director of Communications and Marketing at Arkansas Repertory Theatre during its period of crisis in 2018. An award-winning writer and publicist, Ron is also an experienced pageant judge and interview coach.

Rhonna Wade is an Arkansas native with a passion for social initiatives and community collaboration. She credits her desire and passion for social justice to her African roots of community and family. For six years, Rhonna worked with Just Communities of Arkansas as their Youth Program Director. As a trained facilitator, she has facilitated 1000+ workshops with over 9000+ individuals from various organizations and companies around the country.  Her interactive training method enabled to lead conversations and guide change from people of all ages starting with 5th grade students and leading to corporate CEOs. During those workshops she discussed topics of inclusion, acceptance and diversity in the increasingly changing world that surrounds us. She joins the Community Foundation as the Affiliate Human Resources Director.  Her role enables her to connect with the various affiliate offices around the state and ensure that they have the resources necessary to continue doing the amazing work they are already doing. She is an active community member engaging in as well as serving on boards of various organizations throughout the state such as Create Little Rock , Young Non-Profit Professionals Network, The Arkansas Association of Black Professionals, and the Junior League of Little Rock.