Meet The Team

Anna Beth Gorman Chief Executive Officer

Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, has committed her professional life to public service with a specialized focus on advancing the status of girls and women in our society. In her tenure with the Women’s Foundation, she is leading the effort for the Foundation to be the leading equity partner in building women’s economic security across the state of Arkansas. The Foundation has seen tremendous growth under her leadership while focusing on two signature initiatives, Girls of Promise and Women Empowered. 

In 2022, she was the Democratic Nominee for Arkansas Secretary of State. In the same year she was recognized as one of the 250 most influential leaders in Arkansas by Arkansas Business. She is widely recognized as a business and community leader, practitioner of economic development and is a sought after expert on the value of including women in the economy.

Prior to her tenure with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas she was the Chief Membership, Volunteer, Program Officer for Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, serving as an executive with the Girl Scout organization for several years. She began her career in Public Service working for the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, as well as a Master of Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a past chairman of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, active in Club 99 Rotary, board member of Arvest Bank Little Rock, Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, and founding board member of the Southern Capital Project.

Maddie San Juan Director of Strategic Programs & Initiatives

As Director of Strategic Initiatives, Maddie San Juan serves as the lead project coordinator for all WFA branded programs and initiatives including direct service, research, and advocacy activities. When she’s not advocating for women and girls in Arkansas, Maddie loves to travel, spend time outdoors, and play tennis.

Maddie was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a proud graduate of Little Rock Central High School and the University of Central Arkansas. She holds a bachelors from UCA in public relations and a masters in public affairs from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University.

Dr. Megan Godfrey Save10 Project Coordinator

Megan Godfrey is an experienced educator, policymaker, researcher, and team leader. She spent 14 years as a public school educator of immigrant students, has a PhD in curriculum and instruction, and served two terms in the Arkansas legislature. She is the founder of Room 100, an educational and political consultancy built on her core values of excellence, engagement, and empowerment. Megan is married with two kids, she speaks Spanish fluently, she is an avid Jazzerciser, her favorite tacos are al pastor, and she loves the Razorbacks.

As SAVE10 Project Coordinator, Megan facilitates WFA’s initiative to empower Arkansas women to save for life and retirement. With her background in public education and her fierce commitment to expanding opportunity, Megan brings passion and purpose to her role of leading the SAVE10 for Arkansas Educators initiative and elevating the life-changing message of improved financial security for women across Arkansas.

Whitney Scales Operations Manager

Whitney Scales has an extensive background in Early Childhood Education, specializing in instructing children with special needs. She holds an Associate Degree from Arkansas State University-Beebe, with a plan to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in Education. 

Ms. Scales’ passion for youth development, student programming, and the empowerment of Arkansas youth has led her to see success in the field of Administration. She started her role in Operations Management in 2017 facilitating day-to- day educational activities and operations. 

As Ms.Scales continues to expand her knowledge, she aspires to create her own specialized childcare initiative that will service children across the state of Arkansas. 

As a native of Lonoke, Arkansas, Ms. Scales is committed to WFA’s mission of creating economic security for communities within the state.

Kennedy Kasten Communications and Development Coordinator

Kennedy Kasten has dedicated the start of her career to advocate for increased opportunities for women in Arkansas. She recently graduated from the University of Arkansas in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She has extensive experience working with nonprofits and has held positions involving project management, recruitment and retention, strategic field plan design and execution, people leadership, and political campaigns. During her time in Fayetteville, Kennedy served as an economic policy and education ambassador for Free the Facts, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega and served as a Panhellenic Recruitment Chair for her chapter in 2022. She was always engaged in various student life activities and has been known to never miss the kickoff of a Razorback football game.

She currently serves as a founding board member of the Arkansas chapter of the National Organization for Women (Arkansas N.O.W.). She is an experienced political and judicial campaign staffer, working on multiple local and statewide campaigns while specifically seeking out women candidates to support. She recently volunteered as the Pulaski County leader and state-wide volunteer trainer for a ballot referendum in 2023, serving as a trailblazer of grassroots momentum in the state. She continues to grow her political experience as an active member of multiple political groups in Arkansas.

She has been working part-time with the WFA since September 2023 helping in Development and Communications. She will now serve as the full-time Development & Communications Coordinator and will be strategically managing and executing WFA’s social media presence, planning stewardship events for donor groups, and overall developing donor communication and engagement. She is very excited to join the team full time and eager to meet all of you! If you have any questions regarding general communications or development engagement, please don’t hesitate to contact her at [email protected].

Bri Clark Program Coordinator

Bri Clark, a native of North Little Rock, has extensive experience working with companies in Central Arkansas on broadcast and digital marketing campaigns. She is deeply committed to empowering individuals to reach their full potential through targeted business strategies.

Previously, Bri worked at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, where she played a crucial role in establishing strategic partnerships by organizing and hosting their Women Empowering Women series. It was during this time that her dedication to supporting women’s economic growth in both personal and professional spheres took root. Bri has emerged as a staunch advocate for providing resources to women, particularly women of color, in line with our mission of bridging the wealth gap for women throughout Arkansas.

In her new role as Programs Coordinator, Bri will bring her passion, planning, and exceptional communication skills to oversee WFA’s programs and initiatives. She will be responsible for planning, managing, and executing recruitment and outreach strategies as well as general project management for all of our programs and initiatives. If you have any questions in general regarding the Women Empowered or Girls of Promise® Initiatives, please contact her at [email protected]

 

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