2019-2020 Board of Directors

photo of the 2019-2020 Board of Directors

Front Row: Cindy Pugh, Casey Rockwell, Jennifer Goss, Leigh Anne Kreps. Back Row: Kenya Eddings, Betsey Mowery, Shana Graves, Marly Gammill, Tanya James, Lauren Hall, Jenna Martin, Emily Powell Carpenter.

President
Jennifer Goss
President Elect
Casey Rockwell
Sustainer Advisor
Cindy Pugh
Administrative Vice President
Jenna Martin
Community Vice President
Betsey Mowery
Development Vice President
Tanya James
Marketing Vice President
Emily Powell Carpenter
Membership Vice President
Marly Gammill
Nominating Director
Kenya Eddings
Training Director
Shana Graves
Treasurer
Leigh Anne Kreps
Treasurer Elect
Lauren Hall

Jennifer Goss

President

For Jennifer Goss, membership in the Junior League of Little Rock is more than just volunteering and making friends- it is a chance to grow leadership skills and work with like-minded women to serve the community and our membership. Her 9 years of service have been nothing short of amazing- from leadership training to serving children of Little Rock to working with women who teach her something new every day- the interpersonal and professional skills Jennifer has developed would not have been possible without JLLR.

Born and raised in Little Rock, volunteering in the community has always been a priority of Jennifer’s. She has served as Treasurer, Little Readers Rock Chair, Financial Planning Chair, and ANMT Committee Member. Her most memorable committee was Little Readers Rock, where committee members worked to improve the League’s impact on the community and were able to distribute over 5,700 books during the 2017- 2018 League year.

Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Master’s degree in Business Administration at University of Central Arkansas. Professionally, she works for UA Little Rock Public Radio as the Finance Director.

On Sundays, you will most likely find her catching up on television shows and laundry from the week and snuggling with her dog, Harley.

Jennifer is looking forward to celebrating the League’s members as we celebrate 98 years of service to the city of Little Rock.


Casey Rockwell

President-Elect

As the first graduate of both the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law and the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Dr. Casey Rockwell had a strong passion to give back to Arkansas. Encouraged by a colleague to join the Junior League of Little Rock, Casey quickly found one of the greatest gifts of the League: the ability to broaden one’s impact through the power of like-minded women. Through the first year experience, she was truly able to see the lasting impact that the League has had in the community. Casey is forever grateful for this organization and its commitment to hands-on experiences that cultivate community change while building leadership skills.

Casey attended Hendrix College in Conway and then earned her Juris Doctorate and Doctorate in Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She later obtained her Masters in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School where she worked with schools on the Arkansas Delta to obtain grant funding. Professionally, she serves as an Assistant Professor at UA Little Rock’s College of Business with a focus on Business Law. Through her JLLR membership, Casey has had the opportunity to serve in a number of capacities including the Nonprofit Board Institute, the Training Committee, and the 1922 Society.

Casey feels honored to have served on the Board of Directors for the Junior League and looks forward to serving in her new capacity as President-Elect.


Cindy Pugh

Sustainer Advisor

Cindy Pugh attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for undergraduate school and UALR for graduate school. At the time she joined the Junior League of Little Rock, Cindy had recently moved back to Little Rock after living in California. She wanted to make friends and volunteer. The Junior League more than delivered on both of those!

Cindy loved every placement she had in the League. She thinks it’s a pretty good idea to serve on a development project, a community project and on the administrative side. She also loved learning all facets of the Junior League. For Cindy, the Junior League Prayer of Service encapsulates most of what she feels she learned in the League. Every line resonates for how she feels about the League, service and a joyful life. Cindy’s goal for this year is to serve the board as needed. She looks forward to seeing how the League has evolved and stayed relevant for today’s volunteers and the community.

Cindy’s parents and the many wonderful teachers she had over the years had the most influence on her as a child. Those influences plus the experiences garnered through her professional career in human resources continue to influence her life. Currently, Cindy assists caring for aging family members, helps her husband with his business interests, and volunteers for several non-profit organizations.


Jenna Martin

Administrative Vice President

Growing up, voluntarism was a pillar instilled by Jenna Martin’s family, which has continued to grow as a primary passion in her life. It was no surprise that when Jenna was looking for an organization to spend time serving her community, she joined the Junior League of Little Rock.

Jenna graduated from Jacksonville High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Ouachita Baptist University. Professionally, she is the Arkansas Volunteer Coordinator at Make-A-Wish Mid-South and is a private piano & voice teacher at Little Rock Music Academy. Jenna is always utilizing appreciation and cultivation techniques learned at the League to keep non-profit volunteers engaged, passionate and pointed towards their mission.

Because of leadership and training opportunities provided to the community through the Junior League of Little Rock, like the Non-Profit Board Institute, she was able to build her personal and professional skill set and network with area non-profits to be a part of the amazing things happening in Central Arkansas! Jenna is also involved as board member with local non-profit Party with a Heart, as well as involved with the Make-A-Wish Little Rock Young Professionals.

Within the League, Jenna has primarily served on Building Headquarters. Maintaining the historic integrity of the JLLR building is an important piece of the League’s rich history and Jenna feels it has been an honor to be a part of such a legacy. Jenna will serve as the 2019-2020 Administrative Vice President. She is excited to continue serving alongside women empowered to improve the community who also share her love of volunteering.


Betsey Mowery

Community Vice President

Little Rock is Betsey’s hometown. She graduated from Little Rock Central High School, then attended Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) for one year before transferring to the University of Arkansas. She graduated from the U of A with a B.A. in English Literature (departmental honors) the semester after studying British Lit at the College of Ripon & York St. John, in York, England.

Betsey credits her parents as being the most influential people in her life. They nurtured her love of reading and taught her to speak correctly. She can’t forget the 4” thick dictionary that lived by the kitchen table at her parents’ house. They made her use that massive dictionary to look up every word used incorrectly. She now concedes that having to look up words was very effective (and SUPER annoying).

Adult Betsey values the skills her parents taught her. They truly thought she’d never learn how to do basic tasks around the house like how to cook, sew or garden, because she didn’t seem to be paying attention. Somehow, she learned how to take care of items made of wood, paint or stain, and do basic repairs – skills that came in handy with the Headquarters building.

Being part of the Junior League of Little Rock has been deeply meaningful to Betsey. Many of the women she looked up to as a child were JLLR members. She benefited from the League’s projects. She attended the very first Summer Arts Festival (later Riverfest), attended many arts classes and Children’s Theater productions at the Arkansas Arts Center and visited the Territorial Restoration (now the Historic Arkansas Museum). As a girl, Betsey hoped someday to be part of such a great organization: to learn and grow, volunteer in the community, and make new friends. Years later that’s exactly what happened when a coworker offered to sponsor her for membership. Betsey accepted the invitation, completed the 1995-1996 provisional training course, and has been an Active member ever since.

For the past 23 years, Betsey has completed Community, Ways & Means and In-League placements, and has even served on some committees multiple times. Her favorite placements have been the ones that exercised muscles she didn’t know she had. Her experience includes chairing Research & Development, History & Archives, Headquarters, and Buckle Up & Be Safe; serving as Business Manager for Holiday House and Stuff the Bus; and serving on APT, Placement, Finance Council, Kota Camp, and Financial Planning. She has also served on multiple Task Forces.

This year, Betsey is the Community Vice President. She’s looking forward to supporting and encouraging the women who serve our community on behalf of the JLLR. As immediate past Administrative Vice President, Betsey will also chair the Building Oversight & Planning Committee, and sit on the newly created Building Sustainability Task Force.

Betsey and her husband, Joe, live in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood of west Little Rock. Their oldest daughter, Sarah, lives in Dallas. Their younger daughter, Kathleen, lives in Little Rock and will get married in January 2020. On a typical a Sunday morning, you can find Joe and Betsey up early, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper in their favorite spots in the kitchen of their home.


Tanya James

Development Vice President

A graduate of the historic Little Rock Central High School, Tanya was born and raised in Arkansas by parents who always encouraged her to follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Thus, giving back to the community through volunteerism is natural for Tanya. At a very young age, she started community involvement as a Girl Scout where she learned the value of community impact upon others. Tanya’s Junior League of Little Rock career began 5 years ago when her husband Terrance asked her, “When do you plan to join JLLR?” Since that time, she has served in several capacities in the League as the Volunteer Coordinator for Downtown Dash, Training Coordinator for the Nonprofit Board Institute, and 1922 Society/Annual Fund Giving Chair.

One who truly believes opportunities are predestined, when the doors of opportunity open for her, Tanya wholeheartedly walks in. When the door opened for her to participate in JLLR’s Nonprofit Board Institute training, she immediately responded. This training served as a catalyst for her to become a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. As a result of her immeasurable fundraising strides, she was named the 2017 Alumni of the Year of the Nonprofit Board Institute. In addition, Tanya has participated in several leadership trainings which have catapulted her achievements. She completed the Dale Carnegie Breakthrough to Success course, which led to her receiving the Breakthrough Award. In 2018, she became a graduate of the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXIII. Even more recently, she was selected by Soiree as one of the 2019 Women to Watch.

Professionally, Tanya is a banker employed with Arvest Bank with over sixteen years of experience in retail sales and management. She started as a teller and has accomplished promotions over the years. She currently serves as Vice President & Private Banking Advisor. As a Private Banker, Tanya works to provide comprehensive financial solutions to private banking clients and to strategically manage clients’ portfolios. Tanya always has a solutions-oriented mindset as she works to meet all of her customers’ needs. Depending on the need of any circumstance, Tanya proudly exhorts she is all about meeting the needs of her clients, either as laudable leader or as a faithful follower.

Educationally, Tanya possesses a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Harding University.

Tanya is overjoyed to serve the Little Rock community through JLLR and is grateful to serve on the Board of Directors. She looks forward to forging and developing relationships with all donors.


Emily Powell Carpenter

Marketing Vice President

Emily Powell Carpenter loves being a member of the Junior League of Little Rock, even when the going gets tough, because she loves belonging to a community of strong women who are working to make Little Rock a better place. She joined JLLR because she was impressed by how efficient, effective, and enduring the League has been for almost 100 years. Her favorite parts of the League are the many opportunities to develop her leadership skills—through formal training events, during League placements, and even just from watching other members.

Emily has a BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in graphic design and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from the University of Central Arkansas. She chose UCA after attending Dixie Band Camp there for many years and later joined Tau Beta Sigma, a national honorary band sorority, which she credits with kindling her love for service and starting her leadership journey. After working as a commercial website developer and then teaching art in public schools, she now works as a Public School Program Advisor for the Arkansas Department of Education.

This year Emily is excited to serve as the Marketing Vice President, and she hopes that this year is spent continuing to grow as a leader, developing those members who serve with her on Marketing Council, and effectively communicating everything that is great about JLLR, both internally and externally. She is also looking forward to many more fun opportunities hosted by the Committee on Membership Experience where members can socialize and strengthen friendships over a meal, an exercise mat, or a good book.

Born in California and having spent most of her school years in Jonesboro, Emily is now proud to call Little Rock her home where she lives her husband, Matt, and their cat, Hazel. On Sunday mornings, you can definitely find her sleeping in late, but after that you might check the Arkansas River Trail or Azeroth depending on the weather.


Marly Gammill

Membership Vice President

Marly Gammill is a Little Rock native. From an early age, she recalls how involved her family has always been in the community. In fact, she first learned about the Junior League of Little Rock from her mother, an active Sustainer. This love for the community grew in Marly during her high school years at Mount Saint Mary Academy where service to the poor, sick, and uneducated is a fundamental value taught to all students. This opened Marly’s eyes to the community where she spent many hours volunteering for both St. Vincent’s Hospital and the American Heart Association.

Marly holds a Bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Mississippi, and a Master’s degree in French Linguistics from the University of Alabama. It was during graduate school where she realized her calling in education. After six years away from Little Rock, it was time to move home to pursue this calling. She earned her second Master’s degree in Secondary Education from UALR. Shortly thereafter, she accepted the French teaching job at her alma mater, Mount Saint Mary, where she still proudly works today.

Upon Marly’s move home, she felt a slight disconnection from Little Rock. Her mother encouraged her to apply for membership to the Junior League of Little Rock, and that disconnection was soon forgotten. Over the past seven years, Marly has served in various placements – most of which are Membership-related. This past year will forever hold dear to her heart as she served as the Chair of Admissions and New Member Training. It was a blessing to be able to educate a very ambitious, hard-working group of New Members. Her goal was for them to understand the organization with which they were spending their volunteer time, as well as form forever friendships that make them look forward to League-related events. As the Membership Vice President, Marly hopes that all members too will feel a deeper connection with the Junior League of Little Rock.


Kenya L. Eddings

Nominating Director

Kenya Eddings, a native of Little Rock hails from a very tight-knit family. She’s daughter to Claude and LaVerne and sister to Sandy, Keith, Khayyam, Kelly, Lawrence, and Christian. Her favorite and most important title, though is wife to John.

Kenya has loved Junior League of Little Rock and all of the experiences and opportunities it has provided since the year she joined in 2002. Why did she join? To give back to the community which has given so much to her. Among her most memorable placements are that of Interaction Editor, Placement Chair, Training Director, and G.R.O.W. Mentor. Why does she stay? Simply put, because of the role she helps to play in making a difference in the lives of women and children. And, because the Junior League of Little Rock offers professional and personal training that has proven beneficial in helping hone her servant-leadership skills. It also doesn’t hurt that Kenya has met some of the most talented, like-minded, women she now calls, ‘friend’.

Kenya earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and minor in Chemistry and African-American literature from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. She has a Master of Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Like most League members, Kenya volunteers her time with a number of community service organizations and holds memberships in several professional ones including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXIII.

Professionally, she is the Wellness Director for the Arkansas Department of Health. She is also the founder of Today’s Communiqué, a web-based and social media platform designed to promote experiences and opportunities in central Arkansas and beyond with a specific emphasis on communities of color that empower, educate, and entertain.


Shana Graves

Training Director

Shana describes herself as being addicted to volunteerism. As a child, the most influential people in her life were her grandmothers. Both of these women served their communities and families wholeheartedly. They both instilled in her that she should never stop learning and should always be willing to work to make my community better. She was attracted to the JLLR because it was group of women who were change agents. The JLLR is composed of women who see an issue or a need and then make things happen! Joining the Junior League of Little Rock was an opportunity to both learn more about the city and to engage with a group of women who were also civic-minded and dedicated to serving their communities. Being a member of the Junior League of Little Rock has allowed her to see firsthand how powerful of an impact women leaders can have on a community. It has been both a privilege and a learning opportunity to be a member of this organization. Her service has allowed her to meet and work with women from all walks of life, to learn about the city and how influential women like those in the JLLR have been to the city, and to serve on projects, such as Stuff the Bus and Little Readers Rock, that will have such a powerful impact.

Shana attended Hendrix College in Conway and then earned her law degree at UA-Little Rock Bowen School of Law. Professionally, she works as an in-house attorney for USAble Life Insurance Company. On Sunday mornings you can usually find her drinking coffee and watching the news before heading to church with her family. She has served as in a number of capacities as a member of the JLLR including GROW, Stuff the Bus, Historian Archives Committee, Administrative Support Committee Chair, Little Readers Rock, and the Training Committee. My goal for the next year is to provide practical training opportunities and help empower the women in the JLLR to perform the various roles they serve in, both inside and outside of the JLLR, more confidently.


Leigh Anne Kreps

Treasurer

Growing up Leigh Anne’s parents set an example on how citizens can make an impact in their community. Now she is trying to be that example for her own child. Leigh Anne loves getting to share Junior League’s events and legacy projects with her loved ones.

She’s continually impressed by her fellow League members with their devotion, commitment, and abilities they share with each other and the League. She is grateful for the challenges the League has provided and will use her abilities and skills to in turn give back to the League. During the last three years she has worked to make the financial roles more attractive and viewed as obtainable leadership positions by full time working women and mothers, she will continue to make financial role responsibilities more transparent, improve knowledge transfer, and transform the work environment by changing financial processes to be performed remotely.

Professionally, Leigh Anne is the Operations Director for the Cornerstone Pharmacy(s) group and The Hounds’ Hideaway. She has a B.S.B.A from University of Arkansas and a Masters of Business Administration from University of Arkansas at Little Rock


Lauren Hall

Treasurer-Elect

Lauren Hall moved to Little Rock in 2012 with her boyfriend, now husband, knowing very few people. She was looking for an outlet to serve while also meeting new friends. Her now sister-in-law persuaded her to join Junior League in 2013 and the rest is history. The League has surrounded Lauren with other women who do it all – they work full time jobs and are committed to their family and children while still finding time to serve the community. She considers it a privilege to serve alongside these women as well as takes every opportunity to learn from them.

For the last four years, Lauren has served on the Holiday House committee. She has thoroughly enjoyed the friendships made with an incredible group of women while raising money for the League’s community projects. She would not trade the last four years, but she has set a goal of attending at least one event from each community project during the upcoming year. While she hasn’t served on the Little Readers Rock committee, this is one of her favorite community projects that the Junior League of Little Rock provides. Her husband, Bryan, is a product of the Little Rock School District, and she loves how much the program supports the school district along with the entire Little Rock Community.

In addition to Junior League, Lauren is also an advisor for the UALR Chi Omega chapter where she serves alongside a great group of fellow advisors (many of whom are also Junior League actives or sustainers!). She enjoys the opportunity to work with young college women and give back to an organization that has given so much to her. Lauren also volunteers with her youth group at Asbury United Methodist Church – which is where you can find her on Sunday mornings!

Lauren attended Arkansas State University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing with a minor in Finance followed by an MBA from the University of Arkansas. After spending a few years in the corporate world, Lauren is now an independent contractor doing Accounting bookkeeping work for a variety of clients from retail to nonprofit. She enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends and is always kept on her toes by her strong and independent two year old, Catherine.