Ruth Shepherd, executive director of Just Communities of Arkansas (JCA), was feted by the group's board of directors Dec. 14. The event, Celebrate Ruth!, was held in the lower lobby of the Arkansas Arts Center. Her last official day is Saturday.
More than 200 guests were on hand to pay homage to Shepherd, who has served some 16 years as the head of the community-building organization that promotes diversity and inclusion through a variety of programs and workshops for youth and adults. These include OurTown for Teens, a weeklong social justice program; anti-bullying workshops; and training programs to make workplaces more inclusive. JCA also hosts the annual Walk for CommUNITY and honors individuals who promote social change, justice and inclusion through their annual Humanitarian Award Dinner and Gathering of Friends.
After guests had a chance to mingle and enjoy some food and drink, they were welcomed to the event by board chairman Heather Larkin, followed by remarks from former board chairman Jay Barth.
After thanking her supporters and recognizing board members, staff, volunteers, the event chairmen, honorees and donors, Shepherd noted that the nonprofit's mission has never been more relevant.
"With the normalization of hate speech and even hateful acts during the past year, it is even more apparent that we still have lots of work to do," she said. Shepherd encouraged guests to join JCA's new executive director, Donald Wood, in continuing the organization's work and staying involved.
High Profile on 12/25/2016