Big Brothers Big Sisters NWA expanding into Fort Smith area

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Arkansas (BBBSNWA) is working to expand its mentoring program reach into the Fort Smith area, and has hired a program director who is based in Fort Smith.

Lance Johnson, CEO of BBBSNWA, said the organization is now working to create partnerships with Fort Smith regional nonprofits and businesses with the goal of launching programs and mentoring efforts in the summer. The organization hired Mindy Ewing Seal as the Fort Smith program director. She is working from The Mill, a shared office space in the Bakery District in downtown Fort Smith.

Johnson said he and Caitlin Duru, the organization’s chief operating officer, have spent several months working with leaders in the nonprofit, business and civic communities to find support and collaboration opportunities. Those connections include Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker, Beth Presley, CEO of the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Club, and officials with the Fort Smith Public School District.

“What we learned quickly is that there are a lot of mentor programs happening there, but there is not enough, and we think the community would welcome more,” Johnson said.

The demand was growing before they began actively meeting with people in the Fort Smith area, Johnson said. He said in recent years they received a growing number of mentor requests from Fort Smith, Van Buren, and even parts of eastern Oklahoma. Johnson said the BBBSNWA board responded by approving the expansion into Fort Smith, and creating a fund to help launch the effort.

But it was first important to learn more about community needs, interest, and existing youth programs, said Johnson, who has been the Northwest Arkansas CEO since 2022 and was a big brother when he was a student at the University of Arkansas.

“We don’t want to go into the community looking like competition,” he said. “We’re there to collaborate, and we’re willing to support the mentoring that is already happening. … That’s really our goal as we get this started.”

Presley said she welcomes any organization willing to help expand ongoing mentoring programs.

“Partnering with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters reminds us that when caring adults show up for kids – whether as mentors, role models, or friends – we create a community where every young person has the support, guidance, and encouragement they need to succeed,” Presley said. “We are excited to expand our mentoring program with this collaboration.”

The goal, Johnson said, is to develop 50 matches in 2026, meaning they will work to connect 50 young people between the ages of 6 and 18 with 50 mentors. The organization has around 430 matches in Northwest Arkansas. Part of the work includes training mentors, Johnson said. Mentors work with a young person to encourage higher aspirations and educational success, develop greater confidence, seek better relationships, and avoid risky behavior, according to the organization.

Based on initial feedback from community leaders in the Fort Smith area, Johnson said they may hire a second area support person by May. Also, Johnson said, Dr. Tiffany Bone, deputy superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools, Leilani Ocasio, with M. Palmer Consulting, and Laura Wyerick, a trust officer at First National Bank of Fort Smith, have agreed to be on the Fort Smith regional advisory council.

The first-year budget for the effort is $144,000, Johnson said, with a goal of raising $50,000 of that from the Fort Smith region.