Congratulations to our 2011 HIPPY Champion!

James L. "Skip" Rutherford

 

Pictured above: Shanti Halter, Skip Rutherford, Dr. Chad Rodgers, and Ann Kamps

Skip received the 2011 HIPPY Champion Award in October for his outstanding contributions to improving the lives of children and families and for his dedication to excellence in the entire continuum of education. Thanks to all who joined us in a celebration full of food, fun, and entertainment!

It's not too late to donate in Skip's honor. Please don't let this season of giving pass by without supporting HIPPY! 

For other donation options, please email or call us at 501.537.7726.

Skip Rutherford is a William J. Clinton Professor and dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Prior to joining the Clinton School, Rutherford served as Executive Vice President of Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW), one of the region’s largest communications firms. In addition, he served as Chairman of the Board of the William J. Clinton Foundation from 1997-2006, stepping down from the chairmanship when he accepted the UACS position in May 2006. He remains a Clinton Foundation board member. From 1997 until it opened in 2004, Rutherford also supervised the planning for the Clinton Presidential Library.

He is a former administrative assistant to United States Senator David Pryor, (D-AR), past president of the Little Rock School Board and has been active in numerous campaigns and initiatives at the local, state and federal levels.

A 1972 journalism graduate from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he received the Journalism Department’s first Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas; Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas; the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas; and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas.

He coordinated the 40th anniversary commemoration of the 1957 crisis at Little Rock Central High School. He also coordinated the dedication of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, only the third new commercial airport to open in the last 25 years.

He was the first president of the advisory board for the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Science. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Arkansas Children's Hospital, Lyon College and a founding member of the Little Rock Central High Museum and Visitor Center Board.

Rutherford was named the 2006 Tourism Person of the Year at the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism. He was honored as the 2005 Arkansan of the Year by the Arkansas Broadcasters Association, was the recipient of the William F. Rector Memorial Award for distinguished civic achievement in Little Rock, and received the Raymond L. Garner Alumnus of the Year Award from the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. He was named 2004 Arkansan of the Year by the Arkansas Times newspaper and 2004 Headliner of the Year by the Arkansas Press Association.

Rutherford is the recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Arkansas Chapter of the National Conference of Community and Justice, the Men of Volunteer Achievement from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Arkansas Community Service Award from the Arkansas Department of Volunteerism, the Martin Luther King Award from the Black Community Developers and the Community Service Award from the University of Arkansas Alumni Association.

He is the founder and organizer of the Political Animals Club, a non-partisan grassroots organization of community leaders and activists who meet regularly to discuss politics and issues.

For more information about the Clinton School of Public Service, please visit here.

 

 

 

2010 HIPPY Champions

Ann Kamps

Ann Kamps

Ann Weil Kamps was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee but was raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She attended Memphis State University where she majored in Political Studies. In July 1971, after completing her education, she and her husband, Wally, were married and 4 months later, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. For the next 12 years, they lived in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Delaware (where their son and daughter were born), and Georgia. While stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, DE, Ann worked with the Wing Commander's wife to establish Operation Smooth Move and the first Family Support Center. Two years later, both programs were instituted Air-Force wide and are now found at air force bases around the world.

In 1983, Wally left the military and was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration as an Air Traffic Controller. Having loved living in the Little Rock area previously, the Kamps family decided to make Arkansas their adopted home and moved to Little Rock on Halloween Day, 1983. It wasn't long before Ann got involved in politics, volunteering for the Gary Hart for President Campaign in February 1984. Senator Hart lost the race, and Ann lost her heart to the amazing world of Arkansas politics. After the excitement of a presidential campaign, Ann had little difficulty finding herself deeply committed to then Governor Bill Clinton's 1984 re-election campaign and in 1985, she joined Governor Clinton's staff as Special Assistant to Arkansas' First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Shortly after that, she was asked by the First Lady to look into a small preschool program called HIPPY that became the focus of her work. As the project grew larger, she was named the Governor's Special Assistant for Early Childhood Programs. In 1990, she was named one of five campaign coordinators for the Governor's re-election bid and, following his victory, continued to serve on the Governor's staff until December 1992 when he left for Washington D.C. She was asked by Governor Jim Guy Tucker to continue in her position until November 1993 when he appointed her the first Director of the Arkansas Commission for National and Community Service where she organized, and laid the ground work for, building AmeriCorps in Arkansas. She left that position to work as a facilitator at the Florence Crittenden Home until1996 when she was hired as Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Arkansas. She served in that position until January 2003. While taking time off to build a new home and prepare for her son's wedding, she found herself working for yet another presidential candidate, this time it was Wes Clark and his 2004 presidential bid. She has been with the William J. Clinton Foundation since June 2004 and currently serves as Manager of Volunteer and Visitors Services at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library.

Ann and Wally, have two amazing children, David and Leanne, and one perfect grandchild, Grace Margaret Kamps.

Dr. Chad Rodgers

Chad Rodgers

Chad Rodgers is a Little Rock native and is the son of local family physician, "Shot" Rodgers. He graduated from Little Rock Catholic High School in 1990 and then obtained an undergraduate degree in Biology from Baylor University in 1994. He returned home to attend medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and then completed his residency training in pediatrics at Arkansas Children's Hospital. There he served for one additional year as Chief Resident of Pediatrics. Dr. Rodgers is currently in private practice at the Little Rock Pediatric Clinic. His main interests are in preventive care, advocacy, and pediatric literacy.

Dr. Rodgers is an avid supporter of children's causes, particularly literacy, and is extremely active in the community. In addition to serving as a Health Literacy Trainer for the Arkansas Medical Association, he is the Chairman of the Central Arkansas Pediatric Society, President of the Arkansas Academy of Pediatrics, and serves on the Boards of the Pulaski County Medical Society, Arkansas Medical Society, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and is a founding member of the Arkansas Literary Festival. He is the Medical Director of Reach Out and Read Arkansas, an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of early literacy intervention by distributing books to children at pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age, with a special focus on children growing up in poverty.