(pronouns: she/her/hers)

Marquita believes that good public policy creates safe, equitable, and thriving communities that support the needs of the whole person and build resilient families. She has spent her career in the nonprofit and government sectors empowering and supporting people. As leadership officer, she manages WRF’s impact assessment strategies, special projects, and board relations.

Before joining the Foundation team, she served as president and CEO of the Urban League of Arkansas, where she supported revitalization of the historic civil rights organization after a 20-year closure to once again advance economic and social prosperity for all individuals. In roles with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and the Arkansas Department of Human Services, she helped improve health care coverage, access, and quality through policy analysis, coalition building, and legislative advocacy. Marquita started her career in several southern states, providing direct services to children and families to address their needs related to mental health, housing, education, and economic security.

Marquita is committed to life-long learning and sharpening her skills as an advocate. She has completed the Toll Fellowship Program for leaders in each branch of government and the Child Health Leadership Network fellowship with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Marquita earned her MPS from the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas and BA from Hendrix College.

Marquita serves on the board of the Arkansas Association for Infant Mental Health, and she is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Her most gratifying public service experience was spending a summer at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2019, Marquita was recognized among Arkansas’s 250 most influential leaders by Arkansas Business.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, she enjoys travel with her husband and family, home improvement projects, new recipes and restaurants, and a great book in her spare time.

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