Forty Under 40: Jody Dilday, 39

Jody Dilday was a high school senior in Sioux Falls, S.D., when her dad got a job at Jones Truck Lines in Springdale.
The move to Northwest Arkansas was critical, as this path led Dilday to the University of Arkansas. She worked her way through college and earned a degree in social work in 1994. Next came careers as a protective services worker with the Department of Human Services in Benton County. Then she was director of development and community relations at the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross, a role she thrived in.
Dilday landed at Single Parent Scholarship Fund in July 2007.
The popular organization helps low-income single parents pursuing a post-secondary education as a way of seeking a better quality of life for their children. In 2009, SPSF assisted 140 area families in a three-county area while releasing $305,000 in the form of scholarships.
“It’s extremely gratifying and rewarding and inspiring and humbling every day to work with these determined men and women,” Dilday said.
Besides trying each day to set a good example for her kids, Dilday is a founding member of Womenade of Northwest Arkansas, a past president of Northside Fayetteville Rotary Club and active in her church.
“That’s my hobby,” Dilday said of her volunteer efforts.