March Education Session
Date: March 11, 2026
Time: Announcements at 8:30 am - Program 8:45 am - 11:30 am
Location: NWACC Springdale Campus, 6101 Watkins Ave, Springdale, AR
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Laura Kellams joined Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families as its first Northwest Arkansas director in 2008. In this role, she works to call attention to challenges facing children in the region and to build support for policy solutions that can help all children thrive. Before joining Advocates, she was a newspaper reporter for 15 years, mostly covering politics and government for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. During that time, she served as a journalism fellow on the staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee as part of the American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship Program.
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Lauren Marquette has twenty years’ experience working in the nonprofit field. In her 15 years at Susan G Komen, Lauren has served in various roles in the organization all dedicated to helping patients have access to quality healthcare, specifically breast health. Lauren is a licensed Master Social Worker and started at the local Komen affiliate managing grants and community programs and then served as the Executive Director in charge of signature events such as Race for the Cure, More than Pink Walk and Pink Ribbon Luncheon.
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Stephanie Brown serves as an Associate at Milestone Leadership, serving as an Executive Coach and Facilitator. She first joined the organization in 2010 as a Graduate Fellow, earning a Master of Science in Leadership and Ethics. Following graduation, Stephanie worked in the nonprofit sector before rejoining Milestone Leadership.
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Lauren Marquette, LSW, Regional Manager of State Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen, has spent more than 20 years in the nonprofit field advancing access to healthcare and championing patient-centered policy. She currently oversees advocacy efforts across 14 states and has worked with Arkansas lawmakers on several key healthcare policies.
She’ll be joined by Laura Kellams, Northwest Arkansas Director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. A former political reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Laura has spent more than 15 years working to advance policy solutions that help children and families thrive across Arkansas. Together, Lauren and Laura will lead our first session, Advocacy in Action, sharing practical insights on effective advocacy and lobbying at the state and federal levels.
During the second session, Engaging Your Board, Stephanie Brown, Associate at Milestone Leadership and certified leadership facilitator, will share strategies for identifying and leveraging individual strengths to create more engaged and effective nonprofit boards.