In-Person, Virtual

Bridge Builders: An Inspiring Conversation with Women Leaders of Arkansas


The Clinton Center hosted a special International Women’s Day Bridge Builders conversation on March 8, 2022. The program featured influential Arkansas women who have been leading in business, philanthropy, and higher education through this period of uncertainty, activism, and change.

This program was presented by the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service.

Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D. is dean of the Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas. She previously served as assistant dean at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and is a political analyst for NBC News and Telemundo. She is the first Latina dean at a presidential institution.

Heather Albright
is a Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager in Middle Market at Bank of America and President of the Arkansas Market. In this role, she leads a team of Commercial Banking Specialists in Arkansas to deliver strategic financial advice and solutions to companies with $50 million to $2 billion in annual revenue.

Christina S. Drale, Ph.D.
is chancellor of UA Little Rock. She joined the university in 2006 and served as associate dean of the College of Professional Studies, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and interim executive vice chancellor, and provost prior to becoming UA Little Rock’s first female chancellor in 2019.

Sherece West-Scantlebury, Ph.D.
 is CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF). A leading 21st century equity advocate, her expertise in public policy, funding strategies, and program development make her one of our nation’s top transformational leaders. Before the WRF, she was the founding CEO of the Foundation for Louisiana (FLL). Prior to FFL she was with the Annie E. Casey Foundation.