Meet Our Team

President

Doris G. Washington

Doris is the wife of the late Oscar Washington, Jr. Oscar and Doris were married for 23 years and their two daughters Stephanie Nicole and Sydnie Grace Washington. She is the Director of the National Water Management Centers, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Doris has been employed by USDA for over 30 years where she is an expert in crops and natural resources science. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture (BSA) from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Doris was certified for the Federal Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2013. Doris was an Officer in the Arkansas National Guard and she is a Sustainer of the Junior League of Arkansas.

Doris is an active member of Saint Mark Baptist Church, Little Rock, Arkansas, where she serves as Co-Director of the Girl Scouts of America Troop 6659 and a Facilitator of a Masterfile Discipleship Course. Doris is the President of the family businesses ODS Enterprises, LLC, Gold Medal Flooring, and Design Center, and Genesis Construction.

Chair

Mark Leverett

Mark D. Leverett was elected by the residents of Little Rock, Arkansas to serve as Little Rock District Judge in November 2008. He was re-elected, without opposition, in 2012 and elected as a State District Judge for District 31, Little Rock 3 in 2016. As a state district judge, Leverett has county-wide jurisdiction but presides over Little Rock district court, Division 3, Wrightsville District Court, Cammack Village District Court, and child support and domestic abuse cases, as assigned by Pulaski County Circuit Court. He is a 1991 graduate of Henderson State University and a 1995 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.

Leverett’s heart is in the community and he works hard to maintain a positive presence there. He is currently a member of the CARTI board of directors, a board member for Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (Keith Jackson’s PARK Ministries) since 2007, a board member of Little Rock Christian Academy since 2008, and a treasurer of the National Advisory Team for Destiny Church. He formerly served as the chairman of the board for the Pulaski County division of Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime (The CALL), former co-chairman for the board of directors of the Nehemiah Network, past board member of the Pulaski County Bar Association, member of the Arkansas Bar Association, and member of the Harold Flowers Law Society. He serves as the District Two representative for the Arkansas District Judge’s Association and as a member of the Association’s Education Committee. Leverett was the 2015 recipient of the Jerry Jewel Government Leadership award given by the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus. He was also the recipient of the 2016 John H. Johnson Achievement Award given by the Pi Nu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Incorporated.

As an integral part of his service to the community, Leverett is an active member of Saint Mark Baptist Church. He is a deacon, Sunday school instructor, a teacher in the Roddy E. Collins School of Ministry, and Chairman of the church’s personnel committee.

Mark is married to the former Kim Byrd. They have two daughters, Kennedy (22) and Reagan (21).  Kennedy is a first-year vet student at Oregon State University and Reagan is a senior at Sewanee University.

Secretary

JaNan Arnold Thomas

JaNan Arnold Thomas has practiced law in Arkansas for more than twenty  years and serves as Litigation Counsel for the Association of Arkansas Counties Risk Management Fund.  She has practiced in all levels of state and federal courts in Arkansas and before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. JaNan was born and raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Her father was a soft drink bottler and local legislator; her mother was the Spanish teacher at the local high school.

JaNan was a valedictorian of her high school class and went on to study abroad in Bordeaux, France. After graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and History from Ouachita Baptist University in 1994, JaNan attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. She graduated with honors, earning her Juris Doctorate in 1997. She served as a law clerk for the late Judge Andree Layton Roaf at the Arkansas Court of Appeals until 1998 and then practiced in the law firm of Perroni & James in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation. JaNan became the first elected City Attorney of Maumelle in 2001 and served in that position until the end of 2014. As the City Attorney, she served as the local prosecutor, advised the Mayor and Council, the Planning Commission, the Civil Service Commission, and city staff. She was also charged with responsibility for all litigation involving the City of Maumelle.   JaNan was also a member of the law firm of Rainwater, Holt & Sexton from 2005 through 2018.

JaNan is married to Barry Thomas and has three daughters: Elizabeth, Emmeline (“Emme”), and Ella Fu. She is a member of Chi Omega Sorority. JaNan was active in international missions for 13 years and lead teams to East Asia for various projects between 2002 and 2014. She attends the Greater Little Rock campus of New Life Church and is active in local missions and service projects.

JaNan has been an Arkansas Bar Association member since 1997. She has served on the Executive Council for the Young Lawyers Division and was a member of the House of Delegates. She is currently a member of the Arkansas Bar Association Committee on Diversity and Women in the Profession.

JaNan has been an Arkansas Bar Association member since 1997. She has served on the Executive Council for the Young Lawyers Division and was a member of the House of Delegates. She is currently a member of the Arkansas Bar Association Committee on Diversity and Women in the Profession.

She is also a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers, the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel, and the International Municipal Lawyers Association. JaNan is a past president of the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers and the Arkansas Association of City Attorneys. JaNan frequently sits as a special judge in civil and criminal courts throughout Pulaski County. JaNan regularly provides training to lawyers on various litigation and federal practice issues and is a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor, providing training on report writing, jail law, constitutional law, and the use of force.

Treasurer

Bobbie Ficklin

Bobbie is a Sr. Customer Service Specialist with Entergy Arkansas where she has been employed for 30+ years. She serves as the liaison between Entergy and the Arkansas Public Service Commission.  She ensures company compliance with regulatory guidelines, coordinates logistical needs for major outage restoration, and manages day to day activities of the Customer Service Support Department.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from John Brown University and a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management and Management from Webster University.  Bobbie and her husband Michael have two children, Candace and Michael Jr. and six grandkids.  She is an active member of Longley Baptist Church and is one of the Adult Women Sunday School Teachers, serves on the Christian Education Council and Chair of the HR Committee.  Bobbie loves to share God’s word and help others.  Hobbies include traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading and shopping.

Executive Administrative Assistant

Marcia Hobbs

Advisory Board Member

Sharita R. Bilson

Sharita R. Bilson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Owner & Founder of Grace Place Therapy, a private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas that provides counseling services across the state. Passionate about normalizing therapy in the Black community. Grace Place Therapy is where Sharita’s deep gladness and the community’s deep hunger converge. 

A native of Greensboro, NC, Sharita earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and dual Master’s degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy & Clinical Mental Health Counseling from John Brown University. These programs helped shape and cultivate Sharita’s passion for mental health.

Sharita has served at-risk youth with non-profit organization Youth for Tomorrow in Virginia and Washington, DC. She has volunteered in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa while studying Psychology at the University of Cape Town. Sharita has an established track record of service in the Little Rock community. Aside from her work in the community as a therapist, mentor and business owner, she is an active member at Fellowship Bible Church and conference speaker for Family Life: Weekend to Remember. She is also an active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

She has been married to Justin since 2012 and they have two beautiful children, Harper and Hampton Grace.

Advisory Board Member

Paul Bowersock

Paul Bowersock was born in Cincinnati, Ohio but moved to Columbia, South Carolina at a young age where he was raised. He attended the University of Notre Dame on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1988 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Finance. He served four years active duty in the Air Force at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana where he was the base budget officer. After completing his tour he was hired by Alltel Communications and started a 20 year Alltel career in Gainesville, Florida. He and his family moved seven times in fourteen years with Alltel, including being named Market Area President in the Midwest and Florida Alltel markets. He came back to Little Rock in 2004, and led the Sales and Distribution teams for the company from that point until the company was bought out by Verizon in 2009. He then worked for Atlantic Tele-network, a communications company out of Boston, from 2010 through 2014 as their International President of Operations and travelled from Little Rock extensively through the Caribbean and South America leading the company’s operations. Bowersock continues to reside in Little Rock and now owns various businesses throughout the state.

Advisory Board Member

Tiffany Brown

Tiffany Brown is a dynamic professional with a passion for multimedia and a heart for service. She holds a degree in Radio/TV Production with a minor in Marketing from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. Upon graduating, she embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by founding her own video production company, TB Productions.

Currently, Tiffany serves as the Technical Director at Saint Mark Baptist Church, where she combines her technical expertise with her creative vision to enhance worship experiences. Additionally, she is the visionary Founder of Swiss Chick, Inc., your ultimate destination for comprehensive video production services. With a profound love for videography, Tiffany transforms the grandest of ideas into captivating realities.

Tiffany’s dedication extends beyond the professional realm. She is a globetrotter, driven by her passion for travel and her commitment to making a positive impact. Tiffany has ventured to numerous countries on mission trips, sharing the message of hope and capturing these experiences through livestreams, allowing those at home to share in these meaningful journeys.

As a motivated, resourceful, and versatile leader, Tiffany possesses a wealth of experience in digital media technology and marketing. Her track record includes successfully managing live video productions, spearheading new programming initiatives, and breathing new life into existing projects. Her expertise lies in developing solutions that significantly enhance efficiency and productivity, all while meticulously defining project scopes, timelines, resource allocation, and budget requirements from inception to execution.

In fast-paced, complex environments, Tiffany excels at balancing multiple priorities and fostering a sense of collaboration and urgency among her team. Tiffany Brown is not just a professional; she’s a visionary and a catalyst for positive change in the world of multimedia and beyond.

Advisory Board Member

Willie C. Davis

Willie C. Davis is a lifelong resident of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is a product of the Little Rock School District and a 1983 graduate of Hall High School. He has a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) Degree from the University of Central Arkansas and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice (MA) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Willie Davis is a twenty-five (28) year veteran Law Enforcement Officer with the City of Little Rock Police Department. He is a Sergeant. Willie has worked as a School Resource Officer and in Community Policing where he served as a supervisor in both areas. He also served as COP bike trainer for the police department. Today Davis is a well sought-after speaker and encourager. He has received numerous awards for which he does not take credit for. He totally believes that all recognition belongs to God who supplies the energy and strength for him to do his work. Davis has committed himself to interrupting the cycle of violence that has impacted so many young  lives in the City of Little Rock. He believes that it can be done through consistent mentoring, love in action and education.

Davis is also known throughout the community and State for his work with the National Mentoring Model for African-American Men and Boys called; the O.K. (Our Kids) Program. He is the Coordinator for the OK Program of Little Rock. He believes that the highest calling for any man is to “positively impact the life of a child.” Davis has two adult daughters and one son.

Advisory Board Member

Ima Dixon

If there are two things that Imaobong (Etim) Dixon is most passionate about, it is the intersectionality of education and policy. She credits her love for education as an immigrant who came to the United States with her family in 2001. She comes from the lineage of a mother who was an educator and a grandfather who was the Commissioner of Education in their home state in Nigeria. From an early age, she knew that advocating for equitable educational opportunities for students would be her lifelong calling.  Dixon graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor’s in social welfare, and double minors in public policy and education. She began her career as an English Language Arts (ELA)  teacher with Teach for America at Pine Bluff High School, then went on to teach ELA at Belair Academy Alternative School, where she was named Teacher of the Year for the 2018-2019 academic year. She later earned her master’s in education from John Hopkins University and transitioned to working as a special projects coordinator in the Mayor’s Office for the City of Pine Bluff. 

Dixon is currently the Senior Manager of Policy and Engagement for Forward Arkansas. Forward Arkansas was established in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation with the goal of improving outcomes for all students statewide. Forward works with districts, schools, educational partners, and state leaders to transform learning, build educator capacity, and provide equitable resources to ensure every student has access to and is prepared for opportunities in life and career.  Dixon is ‘responsible for coordinating, overseeing and informing Forward Arkansas’ near and long-term policy priorities, establishing Forward as a valued partner and strategic leader among key partners and building broad stakeholder support for strategic priorities.’ 

Despite the other titles and roles she holds, her favorite title is servant. She enjoys serving her community and serves at Highland Ministry alongside her husband, Cameron Dixon. They both reside in North Little Rock. 

Advisory Board Member

John Ekeanyanwu

John C. Ekeanyanwu is the CEO of Ekeanyanwu & Associates, a Franchise of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC.  John has been an advisor with Ameriprise for 25 years. John has a staff of 5 that includes an Associate Financial Advisor and a Paraplanner. His practice provides comprehensive financial advice to High Net Worth clients in Taxation Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Protection Planning, Education, and Small Business Planning. Upon joining American Express Financial Advisors in 1997, John was appointed a Training Manager in 1998. In 2005 American Express Financial Advisors became Ameriprise Financial. John received several awards at Ameriprise, including the Mercury Award, National and Regional Recommendation Promotional Champion Awards, and the President Recognition Award, etc.  John was appointed as a Private Wealth Advisor by Ameriprise Financial in 2021.  In 2022, John was appointed as a member of the RiverSource Annuities Advisor Alliance.

John earned a BBA with a concentration in Finance and an MBA in General Business from the University of Arkansas Little Rock. John is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC). John is currently the President of IMO Union U.S.A., Vice President of Arkansas Diocesan Council of Black Catholics, Chair of Arkansas Association of Nigerians Problem Solving Committee, a member of African Heritage House Committee, and a former Vice President of Arkansas Association of Nigerians. John was the former Stained-Glass Capital Campaign Chairman, a Eucharistic Minister and Lector at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church in Little Rock, Parish Council President at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church, and Finance Council President at Our Lady of Good Council Catholic Church. In 2009 he served as a Diocesan Member of the Strategic Committee to revamp Catholic Schools in Arkansas. He has been a regular commentator for over 10 years at the DCBC annual Martin Luther King Mass.

John is the Regional President of NIDO America, also a former Regional Director IMO Union U.S.A. Economic Development Council. He is presently a Scout Master with Troop 805.

John is married to Jennifer Nkechi Ekeanyanwu. They have six handsome boys, and their lives revolve around their children. His two older sons, Emeka Ekeanyanwu and Chike Ekeanyanwu are Eagle Scouts.

Advisory Board Member

Dionne B. Jackson

Dr. Dionne Jackson has 25 years of professional experience in the field of education. She currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator for DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. As a member of the President’s cabinet, she provides strategic, university-wide leadership for compliance, belonging, and engagement. She leads campus-wide endeavors to identify and eradicate equity gaps that exist, particularly for historically marginalized groups. 

Her additional experience as an executive leader includes roles in government and the non-profit sector. She served as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the Mayor’s Office of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, and served as the Executive Director of AR Kids Read, a nonprofit addressing third grade reading equity gaps in her home state of Arkansas. Additionally, she began her career in higher education at her alma mater, Hendrix College, where she served for 16 years. Her work there began with coordinating academic success initiatives and ended with her serving as the inaugural Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and as a tenured Associate Professor of Education. Her time at Hendrix included serving as principal investigator for the $1.1 million Hendrix Noyce STEM Teacher Education in the Arkansas Delta grant project funded by the National Science Foundation. She is most proud of her roots in education beginning as a public-school science teacher in her hometown, the Little Rock School District in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dionne earned her Doctor of Education degree from Baylor University, in Waco, Texas, a Master of Science in Education at the University of Central Arkansas, and her Bachelor of Arts from Hendrix College, both in Conway, Arkansas. She is a co-founder of the Arkansas Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Network, a board member of the ACE Women’s Network of Indiana, Main Street Greencastle, and the Oscar Washington Jr. Educational Fund, and a trustee at Ottawa University located in Ottawa, Kansas, and Surprise, Arizona. 

Advisory Board Member

Michael Manning

Michael Manning is the Director of Ecommerce for the McLarty Automotive Group. With home offices in Little Rock, McLarty Automotive Group is a regional auto retailer and the largest in Arkansas with thirty dealerships representing nineteen brands. Michael is responsible for the coordination and execution of ecommerce strategies and platforms in all dealership locations. He is a recognized leader in automotive sales and marketing and serves on several national advisory councils. He is committed to providing frictionless digital experiences leading to transparent transactions that meet automotive needs in the communities served by McLarty Automotive Group.

Michael is a graduate of Morehouse College and has completed Data Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Analytics curriculums at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. He made Little Rock his home in 2018 and immediately became active in the community where he serves on the boards of the Arkansas Reparatory Theater, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas, and the Quality Living Center. 

Michael is married to The Honorable Tjuana Byrd Manning and the proud Father of twin sons, Owen Manning of Washington, DC, and Nicholas Manning of Little Rock Arkansas.

Advisory Board Member

Suzanne Yee

Dr. Suzanne Yee is a native of Holly Grove, AR, and is the owner and medical director of the office of Dr. Suzanne Yee Cosmetic and Laser Surgery Center.

She has been licensed to practice medicine for more than 30 years, holding licenses in Arkansas and Texas. After graduating with a B.S. in Pharmacy from Northeast Louisiana University, she graduated number one in her medical class at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Yee is triple board certified, holding certifications in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Otolaryngology and Cosmetic Surgery.

Yee has been inducted into the Rho Chi Pharmacy Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, as well as the recipient of the Schlumberger Award (pathology), John Whitney Award (physiology), Janet M. Glasgow Award for Outstanding Achievement, Five Star Spirit Award, International Who’s Who of Professional and Business Women and Strathmore’s Who’s Who just to name a few. Every year from 2000 through 2019, Dr. Yee has been selected by the public as the best plastic surgeon in Central Arkansas in one of the following publications: Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Arkansas Times, Active Years, Soiree’, AY Magazine, or Arkansas Life.

Suzanne is married to Joe Bill Yee and they have two daughters, Addison Marie Yee and Peyton Alyse Yee.

Director of Media & Design

Kennedy Leverett

Kennedy Leverett is a graduate of Princeton University (’20), where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. 

For two years, she served as the treasurer of the Princeton Pre-Veterinary Society, and the Executive Director of one of Princeton’s Student Agencies. Upon her graduation from Princeton, she co-authored a peer-reviewed article based off of her thesis in the scientific journal Parasites and Vectors, for which she completed extensive lab research on sarcoptic mange and the skin microbiome in wild canines. In 2020 she was hired by the pet food company Freshpet to lead a study evaluating the effects of fresh pet food on the skin microbiome of dogs, which also resulted in a publication in MDPI’s Animals journal. Kennedy volunteered often throughout her high school years, and continued as a student at Princeton, working as a student mentor for local Princeton middle schoolers. 

Kennedy is currently a third-year vet student at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University and intends to go into small animal practice. In her free time, she enjoys reading, photography, and playing with her dog Ollie.