The University of Arkansas Little Rock has announced new members and leaders for the Alumni Board of Directors.
New members include Rebecca Flynn, director of development for Women’s Foundation of Arkansas; Justin Martin, vice president at Capstone Banktech; Jonathan Nunn, director of information security at Bank of England Mortgage; Sheena Olson, government relations liaison for Arkansas Children’s Hospital; and Kristie Smith, owner and principal broker for KSmith Properties.
Dr. Danyell Crutchfield Cummings, director of assessment and accountability at Little Rock School District, will serve as the 2022 president of the UA Little Rock Board of Directors. Cummings earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature, a master’s degree in secondary education, and a Ed.S. in education administration and supervision from UA Little Rock.
All new board members are UA Little Rock alumni who will serve a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2022. More information on the new board members:
Rebecca Flynn is an experienced fundraising professional with expertise executing comprehensive development campaigns and large events. A central Arkansas native, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and a Master of Public Administration from UA Little Rock.
Flynn’s work with nonprofits began at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, where she spent six years raising money for music and music education. She is passionate about her work at the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas to ensure economic security for Arkansas women and girls. She is also involved with the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a member of the 4300 Club at the Home for Healing.
Justin Martin earned a Bachelor Business Administration in Finance degree from UA Little Rock and also attended the William H. Bowen School of Law. After graduating from college, Martin worked for a GMAC Finance company and the Small Business Administration, where he helped liquidate thousands of 7A and 504 Loans. His banking career includes vast experience in relationship, portfolio, distressed loan, and Cash Flow management.
In his current role at Capstone Banktech, Martin is responsible for leading the Business Sales, Bank and Lender Training in conjunction with managing overall risk of the banks and businesses. He is licensed in five states for Trade Credit Insurance and is also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Over the years, he has been an active participant in the International Factoring Association and is an active member of his community through volunteering and donating to local charities, schools, and special cause groups.
Jonathan Nunn serves as director of information security at Bank of England Mortgage. In addition to his passion for technology, Nunn is a prominent figure in the central Arkansas special events industry as founder and owner of Klassik Entertainment, a full-service production company that has performed services for more than 500 events over the last eight years. Additionally, he is the principal of Nunn Development Group Inc., which is a rising firm focused on infill development projects within Little Rock.
A native of Conway, Nunn earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from UA Little Rock in 2009. He serves as a member of the Rebuild the Rock Committee, the Little Rock Historic District Commission, and North Little Rock Young Professionals and volunteers for career events with Little Rock School District and National Society of Black Engineers.
Sheena Olson earned bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and Spanish, a Master of Public Administration, and a Juris Doctor, all from UA Little Rock. Most recently, Olson completed her master’s degree in public service from the University of Arkansas-Clinton School of Public Service as a member of the inaugural class of the Clinton School Online.
At Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Olson represents the health system in its interactions with government officials. She is an advocate for children’s health and well-being as well as healthcare operations and government programs such as Medicaid. She has previously worked in private law practice, Pulaski County Youth Services, City of Little Rock Housing and Neighborhoods Programs, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services
Kristie Smith is the owner and principal broker for KSmith Properties as well as an instructor for the KSmith Real Estate Institute. She earned bachelor’s degrees in consumer psychology and mass communication from UA Little Rock and a Master of Business Administration from Walden University. She has served as an adjunct professor for The University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and Remington College.
After working in television and marketing, Smith started her real estate career at Armbrust Real Estate Institute in Denver. After returning to Arkansas, she worked for McKimmey Associates Realtors and Crye-Leike Realtors of Arkansas before starting KSmith Properties Realty in 2019.
