The Arkansas Community Foundation has elected two Little Rock leaders to serve in new leadership roles on its board of directors.
Vance Smiley has been named board chair, while Jennifer Ronnel will serve as vice chair.
“We are thrilled to welcome Vance and Jennifer to these leadership roles on our board,” said Jessica Ford, president and CEO of the Arkansas Community Foundation. “Both have been longtime supporters and leaders for the Foundation. They each bring a unique perspective and strategic vision for our work to build Arkansas communities.”
Smiley is a founding member of System61, a company that develops modern banking products for financial institutions. He previously led Smiley Technologies Inc., a family-owned business that provides core banking technology solutions for community banks.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Angela, have three children.
Ronnel serves as senior counsel at Metal Recycling Corporation. Before joining the company, she worked as a corporate and international tax attorney with Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., and as a tax and insurance regulatory attorney with Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in government with highest honors from the University of Texas before graduating with honors from Harvard Law School. Ronnel is admitted to practice law in Arkansas and the District of Columbia. She and her husband, Steve, have three children.
