Pagan announces retirement from Winrock International

Winrock International announced Thursday (May 12) the retirement of Annett Pagan, director of U.S. programs.

Since joining Winrock in 1992, officials with the non-profit said Pagan devoted her career to creating jobs and income opportunities in rural communities. Her vision and talent have been essential to the organization’s robust presence in Arkansas and the region.

From the Arkansas Wood Manufactures Association and its Youth Apprenticeship Program to Innovate Arkansas, the Arkansas Rural Enterprise Center and the Rural Community Development Initiative, Pagan has made rural development matter — not only in her native Arkansas but throughout the area.

“Annett has been a vital presence at Winrock. She has led our U.S. efforts with dedication and vision. In fact, I can’t imagine our U.S. programs without her,” Winrock President and CEO Rodney Ferguson said. “We are sad to see her go but are deeply grateful for all that she has done for Winrock, for Arkansas and for rural America.”

Officials said Pagan has worked on a broad range of rural and community development projects including enterprise, cooperative, association and workforce development; the commercialization of technologies; youth employment; forestry; water management; renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.

The former mayor of Strong, Ark., Pagan served on the first Arkansas Rural Development Commission and is a member of the Arkansas Executive’s Forum, Arkansas Women’s Forum, the Arkansas Environmental Federation, Arkansas Forestry Association and the Arkansas Chapter of the Community Development Society. She served as the chair of the Arkansas Alternative Fuels Commission from 2005 to 2007 and was a member of former Gov. Mike Beebe’s Global Warming Commission.

“I’ve had an incredible 24-year ride,” Pagan said of her tenure at the nonprofit organization. “It was the luckiest day of my life when I came to Winrock.”