Elizabeth Small, director of business networks and instructor of real estate at UA Little Rock, has been selected for Leadership Arkansas Class XVI.

Small is one of 48 people in the state who has been selected for the exclusive leadership program, which is operated by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. All of the class members are leaders within their respective communities and professions and are interested in expanding that involvement.

“I look forward to sharing the chamber’s year of economic and political exploration with a great group of participants with such diverse interests,” Small said. “It is a privilege to represent UA Little Rock in the Leadership Class.”

Over the course of nine months, the class members will work together to become better acquainted with the issues facing Arkansas, experience the best that the regions and communities offer, and hone their leadership capacities.

“I believe the statewide innovation we will discover and create will bring strength to our own organizations and regions,” Small said. “Strong regions equal a strong state.”

At UA Little Rock, Small identifies business partnership opportunities, designs continuing education business programs, and develops public presentations highlighting the work of university faculty, students, and graduates.

As the head of the Real Estate Program, Small connects talented students to the real estate industry by relying on her own industry experience and the expertise provided by an advisory board whose members represent a variety of real estate related fields. She integrates real estate classroom experiences with experiential learning and includes research in real estate issues and policy that support the industry in Arkansas.

Prior to joining UA Little Rock, Small was the president/CEO of PDC Companies and PDC Construction. She has 32 years of experience in the real estate development, management, and commercial construction industries. Her responsibilities centered on the origination and development of numerous properties in several states.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Small is a graduate of Hendrix College and received her MBA at UA Little Rock. Small and her husband, Tom, live in Little Rock as well as their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons.