1. Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., Names Kendra Pruitt New Chief of Staff
2. President Biden Appoints UAPB Chancellor as Chair of Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
3. Bethel A.M.E. Church Hosts Its H.E. Carolina Women’s Missionary Society Sunday Featuring Rev. Shirley Inkton
4. Little Rock Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Hosts Its {Virtual} Importance of Appointed Board and Commission Service
5. Bank On Arkansas Hosts A Conversation with Bill Bynum, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Credit Union
6. The Black History Commission of Arkansas Presents ‘African American Medicine in Arkansas’
7. Arkansas Association of Black Psychology Professionals Hosts Mindful Minute Series Featuring ‘Schools, Adverse Childhood Experiences, & Trauma
8. Junior League of North Little Rock Hosts Its Virtual Story
1. Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., Names Kendra Pruitt New Chief of Staff
PRESS RELEASE
Jan. 26, 2022
Contact: Spencer Watson | (m) 501 804 4822 | [email protected]
Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., Names Kendra Pruitt New Chief of Staff
LITTLE ROCK – Mayor Frank Scott, Jr., announced today that Kendra Pruitt, who has served as senior advisor to the mayor since 2019, will serve as chief of staff beginning Feb. 1.
“Over the past three years, Kendra has demonstrated strong leadership and adept counsel in the midst of crises, leading our administration’s policy efforts related to COVID-19 response, neighborhood safety, and equitable economics,” said Scott. “She will now be responsible for the city’s overall strategy development for our various departments in an effort to improve efficiency, while promoting and ensuring equity, to enhance our diverse neighborhoods and improve quality of life for all residents.”
Pruitt takes over for Charles Blake, who has resigned effective Jan. 31 to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.
“I am forever grateful to Blake for his counsel and leadership through change and crises and his willingness to serve the residents of Little Rock,” said Scott. “I look forward to seeing his strategic prowess and leadership shared in his future endeavors.”
Blake, a former state representative who resigned as House Minority Leader to join Scott’s administration, joined in May 2019 as chief of staff.
“It’s been an honor to serve my city, my home, the past two and a half years. I’m happy to leave the City in strong and capable hands and look forward to serving from a new vantage point,” said Blake.
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2. President Biden Appoints UAPB Chancellor as Chair of Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
PRESS RELEASE
Jan. 25, 2022
President Biden Appoints UAPB Chancellor as Chair of Board for International Food and Agricultural Development Chair Appointment Marks a Historic First for Board
Pine Bluff, AR — President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint new members of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), including Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander as Chair. BIFAD is a seven-member, presidentially appointed advisory committee to USAID to ensure it brings the assets of U.S. universities to bear on development challenges in agriculture and food security and supports their representation in USAID programming.
Dr. Alexander’s appointment as BIFAD Chair marks the first time the board is chaired by a leader of an 1890 public land grant university, acknowledging the valuable contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and presenting an opportunity to further strengthen USAID’s partnerships with HBCUs and other U.S Minority Serving Institutions.
“Thank you to President Biden for this appointment. I’m honored to serve in this capacity,” Chancellor Alexander said. “As Chancellor of Arkansas’ only land-grant HBCU institution, our mission is steeped in innovation and discovery. This BIFAD appointment will be an excellent opportunity to expand awareness about the leading industry in the state of Arkansas—agriculture. In addition, it will further expand awareness about the research and extension mission of land-grant universities, and specifically about UAPB’s initiatives, such as the agriculture and aquaculture research in which our renowned faculty are engaged, as well as our outreach services to small farmers in the state.”
Along with the appointment of Dr. Alexander as Chair, President Biden also appointed the following new members: Dr. Marie Boyd, Associate Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina; Dr. Rattan Lal, 2020 World Food Prize Laureate, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science, and Director of the Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at The Ohio State University; Dr. Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University; Ms. Henri Moore, Vice President and Head of Responsible Business, GSK Consumer Health; and Ms. Kathy Spahn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Helen Keller International. The announcement also extends the appointment of Dr. Pamela Anderson, Director General Emerita of the International Potato Center.
Serving as thought leaders and conveners of diverse expert dialogues, the Board has recently provided evidence-based recommendations to USAID on protecting and advancing nutrition and food security outcomes during COVID-19 response and recovery; improving the agricultural sector and food security in conflict-affected and fragile contexts; and measuring the benefits of global agricultural development investment on the U.S economy.
About the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is an 1890 Land-Grant HBCU with a diverse student population, competitive degree offerings and stellar faculty. For more than 140 years, UAPB has worked to create an environment that emphasizes learning, growth and productivity while affording a basic need to its students: a chance to advance. UAPB offers certificate and associate degree programs, more than 40 undergraduate and master’s degree programs and a doctoral program in Aquaculture/Fisheries. Students are active in more than 100 organizations, including an internationally renowned Vesper Choir, Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South Band, Concert Bands, Wind Symphony and an accomplished athletics program.
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3. Bethel A.M.E. Church Hosts Its H.E. Carolina Women’s Missionary Society Sunday Featuring Rev. Shirley Inkton
4. Little Rock Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Hosts Its {Virtual} Importance of Appointed Board and Commission Service
5. Bank On Arkansas Hosts A Conversation with Bill Bynum, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Credit Union
Click Here To Watch Via Zoom On Monday, January 31st @10:00am
6. The Black History Commission of Arkansas Presents ‘African American Medicine in Arkansas’
7. Arkansas Association of Black Psychology Professionals Hosts Mindful Minute Series Featuring ‘Schools, Adverse Childhood Experiences, & Trauma’
8. Junior League of North Little Rock Hosts Its Virtual Story Time
