Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Our Board

Board of Directors

Alvis Washington

Vice President, Marketing - Store Design, Innovation, and Experience, Walmart

Ash Eisa

SVP, Global Sourcing and Procurement, Walmart

Landon Taylor

Board Treasurer, Bank President/CCO/COO, First Western Bank

Jim Sliker

CEO, Central States Manufacturing

Jess Dinkla

Sales Director, The Hershey Company

Will Hanna

Director of Operations, Hanna Family Ranch

Amy Merryman

Manager, Whitaker Properties

Chris Lamson

Sales and Finance Professional

Dr. Curt Hedberg

Physician, Hedberg Allergy & Asthma Center

Emily Reynolds

Board President and Legal Counsel, Walmart

Mary Zettle

Board Secretary and VP of Sales, Blue Buffalo

State Sen. Bart Hester

Arkansas State Senator, District 1

Van Bakke

Board Vice President and Vice President Sales/Operations, Walmart Team PepsiCo

Judea

Jenny fought her whole life to be free of abuse and neglect. She finally escaped that world and arrived at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter where she immediately began to thrive.

Read more about JudeaImpact stories

Meet Judea

Judea fought her whole life to be free of abuse and neglect. She finally escaped that world and arrived at the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter where she immediately began to thrive. For the first time in 17 years, she imagined living a normal life just like every other high school student. This included a wish to go to high school prom.

Casey, her case manager during her stay at the Children’s Shelter, shares:

“My heart is filled with so much joy! I got the privilege to go to prom with one of my kiddos from the shelter. No, it wasn’t a typical prom situation, but when a kiddo finally escapes abuse for the first time in 17 years, we do all we can to make it a perfect night for her. She is strong, resilient, courageous, unique, ambitious and unassuming. She inspires me and she is one of the million reasons I will never stop fighting for these kids. Prom night was a sweet reminder that no matter how many hard days we have to face, these special moments make every single hard day completely worth it. If these kiddos can endure years and years of abuse, then we can endure an infinite number of hard days. We have to, because they need us.”

Casey Krisell, former Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter Case Manager

I learned that love is better than hate.

Tonya, age 17

While at the Shelter, I went from an 8th grade math level to almost a 12th grade level. I’m pretty proud of that.

Tasha, age 17

Due to a rough childhood, I had lost all hope in life. The Shelter changed my life for the better. I’ve been given opportunities I never, ever thought I could get in life.”

Rhiannon, age 17