A new executive director has been appointed to lead the MidSouth Center at UALR, according to Dr. Howard Turney, director of the School of Social Work at UALR.

Executive director Gigi Peters brings several years of experience in the training and development of human service personnel to her position, as well as teaching experience as an adjunct faculty member at UALR, said Turney.

“The MidSouth Center is fortunate to have the level of expertise and professionalism that Gigi Peters brings to the executive director position,” Turney said.

“Her knowledge of grant funding and state and federal guidelines, as well as her history of strategic planning for non-profit organizations is just a small sample of the experience she brings to this vital position.”

Peters has been executive director of Women and Children First in Little Rock since 2008 where she was charged with leading all operations and programs focused on providing assistance to battered women and their children.

Prior to that, Peters was clinical and development coordinator for Kaleidoscope Grief Center in Little Rock, where she facilitated programs for children, teens, and families coping with critical illness, grief, and bereavement.

She has also served in a variety of capacities for other non-profits, including Centers for Youth and Families and Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind.

Among her numerous professional affiliations, Peters is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Center Arkansas Team Coalition for Homeless.