The American Connection Corps in Arkansas and Beyond

Join us on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m., for "Starting Where We Live: The American Connection Corps (ACC) in Arkansas and Beyond." This program will feature an engaging conversation about the work of ACC, a service fellowship program of Lead For America. A panel of local leaders will share stories of impact and how ACC AmeriCorps members have transformed communities through expanded digital access and economic opportunities.

In September 1993, President Clinton formed AmeriCorps by signing the National and Community Service Trust Act. This act established a Corporation for National Service to enhance opportunities for national service and provide educational awards to persons participating in national service.

During the Clinton administration, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps members served our nation by building homes, responding to natural disasters, helping to make our streets safer, and tutoring in schools. In addition, nearly 500,000 senior citizens provided community service through the Senior Corps. America Reads volunteers tutored nearly one million children and helped them improve their reading abilities.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.

About the speakers:

Sherra Bennett, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Senior Program Officer, is an accomplished nonprofit executive and philanthropic leader with over 15 years of experience advancing community well-being through effective leadership, strategic partnerships, and organizational development. She currently serves as a Senior Program Officer at the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, where she leads the Movement Building, Leadership Development, and Community Change portfolio — supporting Arkansas communities in building long-term resilience and opportunity.

Sherra is a native Arkansan and a proud daughter of the Arkansas Delta region, Sherra brings a principled approach to her work grounded in both professional rigor and a deep commitment to public service. Her career began as a Field Organizer with a presidential campaign, where she developed a passion for civic engagement. Since then, she has held senior roles including Nonprofit Founder, Executive Director, Director of Operations, Program Director, and Principal Consultant, guiding mission-driven organizations in achieving measurable outcomes across sectors such as human services, youth development, and grassroots leadership.

Sherra is a two-time graduate of the University of Michigan, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Her professional ethos is shaped by this interdisciplinary foundation—blending strategic communication with ethical, community-based social work practices. Her work has extended across the U.S. and internationally, with impact efforts in Africa, Germany, Italy, Haiti, and the Netherlands.

Sherra is also a Presidential Leadership Scholar and a Grantmakers for Southern Progress Fellow. She has been recognized as a “Woman to Watch” for her contributions to advancing leadership and community solutions. Her leadership style is defined by authenticity, collaboration, and the belief that sustainable change stems from investing in people, institutions, and ideas that uplift the common good.

Taylor Stuckert serves as the CEO of Lead for America (LFA), a national nonprofit whose mission is to activate local talent through place-based service and training to advance solutions that respond to community challenges and opportunities. Across its programs, LFA has built an alumni network of over 400 fellows in 42 states.

Taylor’s leadership is rooted in nearly 20 years of service in his rural Ohio hometown, where he served as the Executive Director of the Clinton County Regional Planning Commission and co-founded the nonprofit Energize Clinton County. His innovative approaches to community and economic development have earned a National Planning Achievement Award and international recognition. This experience solidified his belief that local people are best positioned to develop durable solutions to their community's most complex challenges and opportunities.

A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bolivia), Taylor currently serves as a Trustee of Wilmington College, the Wilmington Community Improvement Corporation, the Clinton County Trails Coalition, the Ohio State University Swank Program on Rural-Urban Policy, and as a member of the Small Town and Rural (STAR) division and the Japan-US Interest Group of the American Planning Association.

Frank Scott Jr. is the 73rd Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, and the city’s first elected African American chief executive. He was sworn in on January 1, 2019, after winning the December 4, 2018, election, and began his second four-year term on January 1, 2023.

Born and raised in Southwest Little Rock, Scott has deep roots in the community. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the Fogelman College of Business at the University of Memphis and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in finance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Before becoming mayor, Scott served in the office of Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe for five years, first as Deputy Policy Director and later as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. He also worked as a community banker with First Security Bank, gaining firsthand experience with small business challenges. He has served on the Little Rock Port Board and the Arkansas Highway Commission, contributing to regional infrastructure and economic development.

As mayor, Scott has prioritized economic growth, public safety, education, and quality of life. He has overseen the creation of over 11,000 new jobs, attracted major developments like Amazon, Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Topgolf, and launched the Community Schools Model in partnership with the Little Rock School District. He also established the City’s first Chief Education Officer and the Citizens Police Review Board, and pushed for body cameras, a duty-to-intervene policy, and a ban on chokeholds for the Little Rock Police Department.

Scott is a past president of the African American Mayors Association and a member of the FEMA National Advisory Council. He continues to serve as an associate pastor and youth mentor, emphasizing values and community engagement. He resides in the same neighborhood where he grew up.

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