UAFS names director of Center for Nonprofits

Emily Treadaway has been named director of the newly launched University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Center for Nonprofits (CNP), which will be located in the Bakery District in downtown Fort Smith.

The first day on the job for Treadaway, 40, was July 21. The salary for the position is $75,000.

The UAFS announced in April plans to create the CNP thanks to an anonymous $7.5 million gift. The announcement also marked the launch of the university’s “Intrepid Ambition” campaign with a fundraising goal of $85 million.

According to the UAFS, the CNP will be added to the other services at the UAFS Center for Economic Development (CED) at the Bakery District. It will offer dedicated training and community-building offerings for nonprofit organizations across the River Valley.

“The nonprofits of the River Valley are helping families in crisis, walking alongside individuals who feel forgotten, and fighting every day for those who have nowhere else to turn,” Blake Rickman, vice chancellor for university advancement and executive director of the UAFS Foundation, said in April. “This gift will transform their capacity to do that work, and it’s an honor to be a part of it.”

The UAFS announcement said Treadaway has a decade of nonprofit leadership. including eight years with the Junior League of Fort Smith, three of which she served on the board. Most recently, she led The CALL in Crawford and Sebastian Counties, which works to boost support for foster care and adoption in the Fort Smith metro.

“Working with nonprofits really hits close to home for me,” Treadaway said in a statement. “Through my experience seeing other nonprofits and working with foster care, I’ve seen how cycles of poverty and homelessness impact families. We need to break those cycles, and building stronger, more connected communities is a start. I’m excited to work alongside the incredible nonprofits in our region to create lasting change.”

The center will support nonprofits through two focus areas: Providing direct training and support to nonprofit staff at the UAFS Center for Economic Development and integrating academic expertise through a strategic partnership with the university’s Department of Social Work.

“Emily is passionate about community connection, advocacy, and helping others thrive, all qualities that make her a perfect fit to lead this center,” said Kendall Ross, associate vice chancellor of Economic & Workforce Development. “Her experience and leadership will elevate our mission to serve nonprofits in transformative ways.”

Treadaway lives in Fort Smith with her husband and two children.