Women to Watch at UA Little Rock: Laterika Tooks
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 2024 is Laterika Tooks, director of annual giving for the Office of Alumni and Development.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I grew up in Stephens, Arkansas, and graduated from Camden Fairview High School in Camden, Arkansas. I have three sisters and one brother. I am newly engaged, and we have two fur babies, Bentley and Bella. Outside of work, I am a wedding and event planner. I love networking and meeting new people, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that I have had over the years to connect with people from various backgrounds.
I am a first-generation college graduate and made UA Little Rock my choice for receiving my undergraduate degree in 2014. I graduated a semester early in December 2017, earning my Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. After working in retail for two years, I transitioned to hospitality and was promoted from sales administrative assistant to catering sales manager at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Little Rock after three months of employment.
Due to the pandemic, I was furloughed in 2020 and had to restart my job search, where I was hired as the constituents events manager for the Alzheimer’s Association-Arkansas Chapter the following year. Then came the opportunity for me to come back to my alma mater and work in the Office of Alumni and Development.
What is your current position and professional duties at UA Little Rock?
I am the director of annual giving. I spend my day building relationships with annual donors and also working on increasing our donor base with individuals to support the university’s annual giving program. Another facet of my role involves spending my time working on our campus campaign, which is our university-wide endeavor that gives our faculty and staff an opportunity to give back to and support the university.
What brought you to UA Little Rock?
Having graduated from UA Little Rock, I felt taking on the role to serve as the director of annual giving was the perfect opportunity to make an impact in a different way. Being able to advocate for students, faculty, and staff has given me the opportunity to meet the many people who work hard every day doing what they love, as well as make connections with our community partners.
What are some of the exciting projects that you are working on at UA Little Rock?
My biggest project right now is Trojan Champions. Trojan Champions is a new initiative aimed at fostering greater support for college students by increasing donations that provide students with expanded opportunities to thrive academically, professionally, and personally. Anyone can become a Trojan Champion, so if you want to learn more about this inaugural group, email me at lstooks@ualr.edu.
What woman has inspired you the most and why?
I have three women who have inspired me the most. Both of my grandmothers, who also share the same birthday, were two very resilient, family-oriented, and strong-willed women who taught me to love and protect those closest to me. While they both had enough sass for us all, they embodied the true meaning of family and the importance of being present.
Another woman that has inspired me is my mom. She taught me to use my voice and stand up for myself and those around me who needed it. I have a piece of all of these ladies instilled in me. Because of them, my work ethic, drive, and determination have gotten me to where I am today. I have the confidence to go after everything I want out of this life and the determination to not stop until I have achieved everything that is meant for me.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Go after what makes you happy and don’t settle. Being a female leader might put you in a position that may make others uncomfortable, however, their level of comfort is not your responsibility. Success is what you make it, so don’t feel like you have to keep up with the next person to be successful. Your success may look different than theirs.
Name something about yourself that most people would be surprised to learn.
I love to fish.
What is your favorite quote and why?
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” To me, it means that if you don’t take advantage of opportunities while you have the ability, you may miss out.
