FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 24th, 2019
CONTACT: Sarah Scanlon
501-400-6185
Emerge Arkansas Formalizes with Intent to Recruit, Train and Support Democratic Women Running for Office
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS —Emerge Arkansas, an affiliate of Emerge America, has formalized and put in place a Board of Directors and hired an Executive Director. Emerge Arkansas is slated to become the state’s premier organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office.
“The Emerge Arkansas Board is excited to announce Sarah Scanlon has joined our team as our Founding Executive Director,” said Gayatri Agnew, Board Chair. “Emerge Arkansas is seeing an unprecedented amount of interest from women who want to run for office. Sarah joining Emerge Arkansas will allow us to put her 30 years of professional political experience to work recruiting and training women this year. Sarah’s expertise in training candidates and supporting their campaigns will certainly be a value add to our goal of changing the face of power in Arkansas. We are proud to add her to our amazing team and know she will be a great fit for our organization, which is at the heart of a powerful movement led by women that is sweeping Arkansas and the country.”
Emerge Arkansas will work closely with the Democratic Party of Arkansas. When told of the move, Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Michael John Gray responded, “Arkansas and the Democratic Party succeed when women take the lead. Our state has a proud history of political heroines like Hattie Carraway, Jimmie Lou Fisher, Lottie Shackelford, and Blanche Lincoln. In 2020, we’ll see a new generation of leaders emerge, and I’m proud that women will be leading the charge.”
“Emerge Arkansas has one of the most committed boards of women from all over the state. I look forward to working with them as they recruit, train and support women who are already leaders in their communities,” said Terri Hollingsworth, Circuit and County Clerk of Pulaski County. Emerge Arkansas graduates will bring the same enthusiasm for public service and representation to all levels of government in Arkansas that Hollingsworth brings to Pulaski County every day.
“I’m honored to join the Emerge Arkansas team and eager to capitalize on the tremendous history of women leaders in our state,” said Scanlon. “Emerge America has a proven training program in 24 other states that is responsible for preparing numerous current elected officials, and I’m excited to help launch the Emerge model in Arkansas. The Emerge mission to inspire and prepare qualified Democratic women for elected office is vital to shared prosperity for our state’s families.”
“Creating a more just and equitable society will be accomplished by a democracy and government that more closely reflects its citizens,” said Celeste Williams, Chair of the Benton County Democrats. “Emerge is a vital and integral organization that assists in the training of women who have been underrepresented in our government at all levels, and I am proud to be a supporter.”
The Emerge Arkansas Board of Directors includes Gayatri Agnew (Chair), Hana Maria Hatta, Gracie Ziegler, Jennifer Belt, Sanci Richardson, Lauren Schiller, Hayden Shamel, Allyson Clyburn and Ashley Hurst. The entire board brings a breadth of experience and all come from all over the state.
Emerge Arkansas is having an official launch event on Saturday, June 1st in Little Rock at Trio’s. The group is actively planning a Boot Camp Training for active candidates later this year. For more information about Emerge Arkansas, please visit www.emergear.org
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