Power of the Purse

The WFA’s 26th annual Power of the Purse Event will be in Little Rock on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 11:30 A.M with Co-Chairs Shamim Okolloh and Marnie Older. This year we will be honoring Woman of the Year in Business Lenore Trammell, Woman of the Year in Public Service Dr. Nirvana Manning, and Woman of the Year in Philanthropy Cathy Tuggle.

Sponsorships, tables, and tickets HERE!

Make sure to secure your spot to the event of the year! We can't wait to see you there!

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Public Service

Nirvana Manning, M.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. She also serves as Director of Women’s Health Services at UAMS and is one of only ten providers in Arkansas to become a Certified Menopause Practitioner. She is an elected member of the Arkansas Medical Society’s Board of Trustees, serving her second two-year term, and is an inaugural member of the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee. She also serves as a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Council of University Chairs in Obstetrics and Gynecology, North American Menopause Society, and Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Business

Lenore Trammell joined Big River Steel in 2014, as Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel. In 2019, while maintaining her other roles, she was elevated to Chief Administrative Officer. Lenore also serves on Big River Steel’s Executive Committee and is the executive sponsor for the employee resource group, NextGen. Lenore’s career in metals began in sales and pricing at Rouge Steel. In addition to her position at Big River Steel, Lenore is also the President of the Greater Memphis Chapter of the International Association of Women and is a member of the Great River Economic Board. She has also been named to the Arkansas Business 250 for the last several years, Talk Business & Politics Women in Business 2022 list and to the 2023 100 Most Impactful Women in Arkansas.

Philanthropy

Cathy Tuggle serves as the Principal Broker and Owner of Tuggle Services, Inc. dba Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites. Cathy Tuggle is currently serving as the Chair for the UA Little Rock Advisory Board and immediate past chair of the Commercial Real Estate Council of Metro Little Rock. Cathy serves on the AR Kids Read Board for the past 8 years and is a past Chair. She also was on the Board for Make-A-Wish Mid-South for 7 years. Cathy also serves on the UA Little Rock Real Estate Advisory Board, Arvest Board of Directors, Fifty for the Future, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, which she served as 2018 Chairwoman of the Board, a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class 28, and also a member of Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock. Cathy was the 2023 recipient of the Judy Love Award through Leadership Greater Little Rock.

Co-Chair

Marnie Oldner, formerly Stone Bank CEO, now serves as a Director of the Bank and its parent companies Stone Bancshares, Inc., and MO/Ark Bancshares, Inc. She was on staff with the Bank from July 1, 2011, until her retirement December 31, 2023, serving as its CEO, CFO, and President during that time. She has served on the Board of the Arkansas Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve’s 8th District Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council where she served as its Chair, and the FDIC’s Community Bank Advisory Board. In 2015 Marnie was recognized by Arkansas Business as “Bank CFO of the Year”. She was honored as “Woman of the Year in Business” by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas in 2020 and selected as one of their Top 100 Women of Impact in 2023. She has also been recognized by Arkansas Money & Politics as one of its 2024 AMP Influencers of the Year.

Co-Chair

Shamim Okolloh is the Vice President and Community Outreach Officer at Encore Bank. She oversees Encore Bank’s outreach program in Central Arkansas with a focus on financial inclusion for the underserved minority community who are often unbanked and underbanked. Okolloh has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Spelman College and a Master of Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. She was named among the Top Ten College Women and feature in Glamour Magazine. In 2023 Shamim co-authored a children’s book “Ella The Banker” with her son, Liam (10 years). It was a yearlong process, and the book was releases January 9th, 2024. Liam was inspired by his eight-year-old sister, Ella, who dreams of becoming a banker like her mom. The book encourages girls to consider a career in commercial banking as women, especially women of color, are often underrepresented.

Event History

An annual tradition since 1998, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas’ Power of the Purse Event recognizes the accomplishments of women in our state, celebrates the work of the organization, and raises money to continue making progress toward economic security for Arkansas women and girls.

About the Foundation

Since our founding in 1998, the WFA’s guiding principles have been consistent – to understand the diverse needs and realities facing women and girls so we can respond through purposeful action and engaged philanthropy. Our mission focuses on ensuring economic security for Arkansas women and girls through focused philanthropic investment in their education and economic well-being. Through grant making, research, and our Girls of Promise and Women Empowered initiatives, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas is investing in real solutions that allow women and girls to move up the economic ladder and reach their fullest potential. The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA) is the only statewide foundation that focuses solely on women and girls in Arkansas.

2024 Power of the Purse Sponsors

Thank you so much for sponsoring our Power of the Purse event this year! Our work is ONLY possible because of amazing support from sponsors and volunteers! Our growing list of this year’s sponsors and their level of sponsorship can be found below.