Arkansas Delta Women's Leadership Academy Meeting held in Mountain Home

05/09/2024

JONESBORO - The first cohort of women participating in the Arkansas Delta Women's Leadership Academy (ADWLA), hosted by Arkansas State University, met for their third of six planned sessions this week in Mountain Home.
"The sessions are very valuable. I am learning a lot of self-knowledge and learning what makes me, me," said Monique Levvi, assistant director of special events and programs at Pulaski County Government Youth Services.
The group met at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center at ASU-Mountain Home and were greeted by the chancellor of the campus, Dr. Bentley Wallace. Christy Keirn, associate vice chancellor for marketing and communications, spoke about the ways she and her team work to bring performers, authors and other speakers to their campus.
"The deeply impactful sessions helped women better understand themselves as community leaders. They and I learned more about building influence and negotiation skills and the six types of working genius," said Dr. Cherisse Jones-Branch, dean of the Graduate School and incoming dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Communication at A-State.

With each session, attendees learn about the community they are visiting. Only the second female president and CEO in the 75-year-history of the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, speaker Dani Pugsley spoke about the ways she has worked to change the perception of the area.

The first female president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce was Cari White, who now serves as program director of ADWLA.
"I am so inspired by the way that Dani is leading Mountain Home forward and so impressed by her accomplishments so far. She is the right woman for the job," said White.
Speaker Christy Valentine, manager of academic and philanthropic programs at Hytrol Conveyor Co., shared her insights on the power of positivity and believing in oneself.

"All of the sessions have been very beneficial. I am honored to have been chosen to be a part of such a great cohort of women who are equipped with so much knowledge and enterprise," said Carla Murry-Tisinger, health outreach coordinator at Rural Health Alliance in Pulaski County.

"We were especially enthralled by A-State's Women's Leadership Center founding director Dr. Kathy White Loyd's session, 'Lessons Learned in Life and Work'," said Jones-Branch.
Through these sessions, the women in ADWLA are learning from powerful leaders, but also more about themselves. Dr. Cliff Jones, deputy director of the Delta Center for Economic Development, led a session on the six types of working genius.

"This program is so relevant and we look forward to the impact it will have now and in the future," said White.
The next session of ADWLA will be held in West Memphis in July. Applications for the second class of ADWLA will open this fall.

Christy Keirn, associate vice chancellor for marketing and communications at
ASU-Mountain Home, speaks to the group of ladies in ADWLA.