Rich Huddleston to leave Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families at year-end

Longtime Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) executive director Rich Huddleston will leave his post at the end of 2022, the organization announced Monday (March 14).

Huddleston said he did not know what his next role would be, but he thought the child advocacy group would benefit from new leadership after his 18 years in charge and 27 years with the organization.

“AACF turns 45 years old this year,” said Rich Huddleston. “I have been with AACF for 27 of those years, and as executive director since 2004. That time has been the highlight of my professional career,” he said. “As much as I have loved working at AACF, there comes a point when it’s time to do something different. I have been with AACF for most of my career, and I am ready for a new challenge professionally. And I believe the work of AACF will benefit from a new leader who might have a different perspective and fresh ideas to help us move forward.”

Huddleston will lead AACF through the end of 2022, and the organization said it would be begin a national search for his replacement.

“For the past 27 years, Rich has been instrumental in the organization’s efforts to improve the lives of children and families across the state of Arkansas,” said Ryan Davis, President of AACF’s Board of Directors. “We cannot thank Rich enough for the dedication, passion and vision he has given AACF. He will be missed by the staff, board and partners alike.”

Huddleston began at AACF as the director of research and policy before becoming executive director in 2004. During his tenure, AACF helped bring about many significant policy wins for children and families, including:

• The expansion of quality pre-k
• Three increases in the state minimum wage
• Making the tax system fairer for low-income families
• The expansion of health care coverage for adults with low incomes
• Access to children’s health care coverage for Marshallese and other immigrant children
• Juvenile justice reform
• School discipline reform

AACF was founded in 1977 by a group of prominent Arkansans who believed that children needed an independent force to provide information and education to parents and citizens about our state’s policies toward children and families. The organization provides leadership, research and advocacy to promote wide-ranging reforms to improve the lives of Arkansas’s children.

Under Huddleston’s leadership, AACF opened a regional office in Northwest Arkansas over a decade ago, expanding the organization’s work and reach throughout the state. AACF has recently made racial equity for Arkansas’ children and families an even greater focus of its work.

“Now is a good time to begin planning for the leadership transition at AACF. It will give AACF time to conduct a national search process and have a new executive director firmly in place before the next regular legislative session begins in January 2023. I have no doubt that AACF will hire someone great who can position the organization to continue its advocacy work and efforts to improve public policy for children and families,” Huddleston said.

“As to my future after AACF, I have not decided what I will do next, but I am ready for a new challenge and opportunity in advocacy, public policy analysis, lobbying and nonprofit management. I hope to have the next stage of my career mapped out in the coming months,” he added.