PACEs Coalition Meeting

Join us for the February 19 PACEs Coalition Meeting

We will meet at the AFMC multipurpose room on the third floor of our Little Rock office.

Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: 1020 W. Fourth St., Unit 400, Little Rock, AR 72201

We will serve pizza to all in-person attendees.

Use the form below to register.

Agenda

11:30–11:50: Arkansas Teacher Support Helpline and REAL Microsite (Stacy Pendergrast, teacher support program lead, AFMC)

11:50–12:00: Q&A

12:00–12:20: Legislative Updates (Keesa Smith-Brantley, executive director, AR Advocates for Children and Families)

12:20–12:30: Q&A

12:30: Coalition Updates

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 258 500 503 706

Passcode: Ej2bm9gM

Meet Stacy Pendergrast, Teacher Support Program Lead, AFMC

After a lifetime of raising my son in New Jersey and teaching in a range of K-12 public school settings, I followed my heart back to my childhood home of Arkansas. But I didn’t leave my teaching spirit behind. I continue to serve youth as an Arkansas Arts Council teaching artist and a Trevor Project crisis counselor. My learners here know me as “Pen,” a nickname that reflects my aim to help others express their true selves through writing. My journey leads me to a career in eLearning, where I enjoy sharing multimedia stories that boost understanding. Alongside my master’s degrees in special education and creative nonfiction, I recently obtained certification as a Mental Health First Aid instructor, excited to broaden the perspective that “health and wellness” certainly includes emotional well-being. When I’m not teaching, reading, writing, or filmmaking, I indulge in self-care cuddles with my Basenji pup, Orange.

Meet Keesa Smith-Brantley, Executive Director, AR Advocates for Children and Families 

Keesa was the deputy director of youth and families for the Arkansas Department of Human Services from 2013 until 2023. In that role, she oversaw the divisions responsible for the state’s child welfare, juvenile justice, and early education programs during a time of significant transformation.

Keesa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. She is a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Harold Flowers Law Society, the Beta Pi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the inaugural class of the Arkansas Bar Association Leadership Academy Program, Class XXVI of the Greater Little Rock Leadership program, and a 2021 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow.