Women to Watch at UA Little Rock: Angela Parham
In celebration of Women’s History Month, UA Little Rock is profiling women in leadership positions who are making a difference at the university and in the community.
The next Woman to Watch at UA Little Rock of 2025 is Angela Parham, an accounting whiz who handles many of the university’s budgeting issues while working as the director of budget and financial analysis in the Office of Finance and Administration.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
My name is Angela Parham, and I have been in the accounting profession for 29 years, with a total of 15 years in the higher education field. Nearly all of my experience has been in the non-profit/governmental field. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arkansas Tech University, and my Master of Accountancy (MAcc) from the University of Central Arkansas.
I became interested in non-profit and governmental accounting early on in my career during my time as a Contract (Grant) Accountant at Winrock International. Winrock is a global nonprofit dedicated to providing solutions to issues such as agricultural, environmental, education, and social challenges around the world. At the time, WI headquarters was located atop Petit Jean mountain, nestled within the 925-acre Winrock Farms, not far from where my family lives below the mountain. After such an eye-opening experience and discovering a passion for the private accounting industry, the rest, as they say, is history.
It can be said that accounting actually runs in our family. My mother was a partner in a small local accounting firm in my hometown of Atkins, Arkansas. I was helping out with small business bookkeeping at the age of 16, before I ever took my first accounting class in high school. My sister recently retired as a CPA from an accounting firm as well. I met and married my high school sweetheart, Gordon Parham, in that same small town.
Shortly after, we moved to his family’s cattle farm in Perry County where we raised our two daughters, Ashley and Kristina. They have both started their own journeys in life. Ashley as a recent nursing graduate, and Kristina as a middle school teacher and coach. Our family has grown by two wonderful sons-in-laws, Cody and Calvin, and a beautiful little granddaughter, Kate, whom we all enjoy spoiling like crazy!
What is your current position and professional duties at UA Little Rock?
I am currently the director of budget and financial analysis, which is under the Office of Finance and Administration. Some of my professional duties include managing the position control process to ensure ongoing funding, adjusting budgets for merit, COLA, and bonuses, along with updating position budget changes as approved by the cabinet. Other duties include monitoring departmental budget amendments, assisting departments with various budgets to actual reports, provide campus-wide and one-on-one training on the budget process and related software programs, and assisting with the annual budget build and submission to the system office for state approval.
What brought you to UA Little Rock?
After I obtained my MAcc degree in 2021, I made the difficult decision to look outside of UCA to further my career due to the lack of advancement opportunities. UA Little Rock has proven to be all I expected it to be and more! Everyone I work with, both in our own department and those across campus, are truly remarkable people, with knowledge and expertise willingly shared that has only increased my skills and technical abilities. Additionally, being part of the U of A System offers opportunities of learning like no other environment I have been a part of in the past.
What are some of the exciting projects that you are working on at UA Little Rock?
We are currently in the process of implementing our new budgeting software, Anaplan. It has been a very interesting experience as I have been involved from the beginning during the design, development, and testing stages of the software. We are now to the point of training the departments on how to input their information as they begin to populate the data into the system for fiscal year 2026. As with any new software program, there will be bugs to be worked out along the way. But again, that is where being part of the U of A System is a huge benefit, as they work closely and quickly with us to resolve those issues as they come up.
What woman has inspired you the most and why?
The woman who inspired me the most in my life is my mom, Carlene McCain. She always encouraged both me and my sister to further our education beyond high school. She would point out that you never know what life is going to throw at you, and it is better to be prepared to support yourself and your family if needed, and not have to depend on others. I should note that my parents have been happily married for 61 years, no tragedies or unexpected curve balls in sight, but both my sister and I took her advice to heart. Additionally, she has always been a wonderful example of how to be a great spouse, mother, grandmother, and Christian.
What’s one leadership lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Good communication skills are key to successful leadership. This includes not only giving your point of view in a clear and concise manner, but actively listening to others as well. I have seen leaders now and then that insist on pushing their own agendas, while not considering the feasibility or goals of all the parties involved. Instead, a willingness to seek constructive feedback will go a long way to achieving a mutually satisfying end result. This will also help to build professional relationships and earn trust among your peers.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
No matter which generation you are, women are notorious for taking on a lion’s share of responsibilities, both at home and in their professional lives. Female leaders in particular will feel the stress of this as they try to find that ideal family work life balance. It is ok, necessary even, to take breaks to exercise, spend time with family and friends, enjoy a favorite hobby. Taking care of yourself first will help create focus and success in your career as well.
Name something about yourself that most people would be surprised to learn.
I have traveled twice to Africa; once to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, and once to Conakry in Guinea. Both trips were work related, but it provided an opportunity to truly appreciate differences in cultures and some of the difficulties other countries face on a daily basis.
What is your favorite quote and why?
“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.” – Serena Williams
Simply put, I feel this quote embodies the idea of how women should uplift other women in everything we do and accomplish.