Honoring Our Champions

HIPPY USA honored Ann Kamps and Dr. Chad Rodgers on April 10th for their support of the field of early childhood education.

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.