Cory Anderson tapped in interim for ForwARd Arkansas post

Rev. Cory Anderson has been named interim executive director for ForwARd Arkansas, effective immediately, following the early retirement of Executive Director Susan Harriman.

Anderson is one of the founders and served as co-managing director of ForwARd Arkansas from 2015-17. He has extensive experience working in nonprofits, including grant writing, budget development, program development and implementation, and media and communications.

He will be serving in this role as an executive-on-loan from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, where he is the chief innovation officer. Anderson brings nearly 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and is a sought-after leader in the field of philanthropy.

Anderson serves on the boards of Arkansas Baptist College, the Urban League of Arkansas, the Association of Black Foundation Executives and Neighborhood Funders Group.

ForwARd Arkansas is a public-private partnership established in 2014 by the Arkansas State Board of Education, the Walton Family Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to increase equity and achieve increases in student achievement and economic prosperity for Arkansas.

Harriman announced Nov. 14 she was stepping down from her post due to family medical issues. A national search for a new leader will commence in early 2020.