We are very excited to announce that Anna Strong will be our next health policy director. Many of you already know Anna through her past volunteer and advocacy efforts here at AACF and with many of our partners around the state.

Anna has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and a Master of Public Service degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. She’s also an alumna of Hendrix College. During her studies at both master’s programs she wrote the latest edition of “Natural Wonders: The State of Children’s Health in Arkansas” in partnership with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She also compiled a school-based health advocacy plan for us and helped research and monitor health-related legislation during the 2011 Arkansas General Assembly.

She is currently a senior policy analyst at the UAMS Center for Rural Health, where she is developing a collaboration of rural health stakeholders to improve planning, communication and health outcomes in rural areas.

Anna is active in so many community efforts that I can’t even fit them all into this announcement. But a few include serving as member at-large to the Little Rock Commission on Children, Youth, and Families; as action board member at Planned Parenthood of Arkansas Clinic; and as past president of the Committee for the Future at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She lives in Little Rock with her husband, Dr. Aaron Strong.

Again, we’re thrilled to have Anna come on board beginning in December and hope that you’ll join us in welcoming her back to AACF.  At the same time, we’re sad to say goodbye to Elisabeth Wright Burak, our health policy director since 2008. She’s moving on to the Georgetown Center for Children and Families in Washington, D.C., to work on children and family issues. Arkansas children will benefit for many years to come from her outstanding work here.

Rich Huddleston
Executive Director