UA Community & Economic Development

📥Our Arkansas APEX Accelerator 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 recently hit your inboxes! 📥

📥Our 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 recently hit your inboxes! 📥

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https://mailchi.mp/uada.edu/newsletter-august

✅Volunteers needed
✅New DBE Program Requirements
✅Gov Con Round Up Live
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CPED & Arkansas APEX Accelerator welcome Tina Hunter.

🎉WELCOME, TINA! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming Tina Hunter to our Arkansas APEX Accelerator team. Tina joins us as the Deputy Program Manager, based in the Little Rock State Office within the CPED department.

Tina brings a strong background in small business support, program administration, and grant writing. Her experience and dedication to helping businesses succeed will be a valuable asset to our APEX Accelerator team and the clients we serve.

We are excited to have Tina join us and look forward to the knowledge, expertise, and collaborative spirit she will bring to our organization.

Register now to beat the pre-registration deadline!

CDI Central 2026 is a wrap! Congratulations to UADA Saline County Family & Consumer Sciences LaTaaka Harvey for her Year 3 graduation! And, shout out to CPED’s very own Danielle Watson for completing Year 1 and Hunter Phillips Goodman for presenting with Year 1 and Advanced Year classes!

Arkansas APEX Accelerator appreciates all of those in attendance today!

Arkansas APEX Accelerator Procurement Counselor, Tim Hicks, is participating in How To Review Federal Solicitations and Submit a Proposal today at The Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center in Little Rock.

We appreciate all of those in attendance today.
NAPEX - National APEX Accelerator Alliance

Registration is OPEN for this year’s income tax school!

🏦 Tax preparers, mark your calendars! The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service's annual Income Tax School is back for 2026, offering advanced-level training and 16 hours of IRS-approved continuing education for those in the accounting and tax preparation field.

This year's program covers late-year tax law developments, IRS guidance changes, and real-world filing challenges. Sessions will be taught by retired IRS agent and CPA William Laird and CPA Curtis Davis.

Four in-person sessions are offered across Arkansas in November + a virtual option in December.
📍Fayetteville | Nov 2-3 | Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences
📍Jonesboro | Nov 9-10 | ASU Delta Center for Economic Development
📍Hope | Nov 19-20 | U of A Hope-Texarkana
📍Little Rock | Nov 30-Dec 1 | U of A Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service
💻 Virtual | Dec 3-4 | online via Zoom

Register by August 24 for the early bird price of $270, price increases to $320 after August 24

🔗 Link to register 👉🏽https://uada.formstack.com/forms/tax

👀 Read more about the Income Tax School here 👉🏽bit.ly/Ark-Tax-school-26

For more information contact Kim Magee ([email protected]) or Jess Blackwell ([email protected])

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact Kim Magee at 501-671-2081 or [email protected] as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas

UA Community & Economic Development

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting pre‑applications from towns, cities and counties for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Swift Current Flood Mitigation Assistance (Swift Current) program. Up to $20 million in federal funding is available to help reduce flood risk in communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Deadline to apply is August 15, 2026. See https://agriculture.arkansas.gov/natural-resources/water-management/floodplain-management/floodplain-management-programs/ for details.

ESP Intern Highlight: Trinity Foster🚌💫

From traveling across Arkansas to connecting with entrepreneurs and presenting her project, she has gained valuable insight into the innovation and entrepreneurship that are helping rural communities thrive.

Here's what Foster had to say about her experience so far: "This internship has given me the chance to travel across Arkansas, present my project goals, interview entrepreneurs, and explore new places, one of them being the Cosmosphere museum during the NACDEP Conference in Kansas! I've gained a deeper appreciation for the entrepreneurial landscape of rural Arkansas and the innovation happening in communities across our state. As I put the finishing touches on my project, I hope it serves the community well by encouraging continued economic growth."

ESP Intern Highlight: Cambry Brown 👩‍💻🚗

Through statewide travel, storytelling, and social media marketing, Cambry has gained real-world experience while helping share the impact of Extension programs across Arkansas. Read below what Brown had to say about her ESP experience:

"My experience as an Experiential Scholars Program intern has been incredibly diverse—no two days have been the same, and that’s what has made it so rewarding. From traveling to Blytheville, Arkansas, with LeadAR for my first work trip to attending the NACDEP Conference in Wichita, Kansas, to visiting small communities across the state and creating social media content in the office, I’ve enjoyed every opportunity. Over the past eight weeks, I’ve made connections, built friendships with my fellow interns, created memories, and gained experiences that were only possible through the Experiential Scholars Program. This is an experience I will always cherish, and I’m grateful for the people and opportunities that made this summer so memorable."

Check out our Arkansas APEX Accelerator 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿!

🔥Things are still HOT in our 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿! 🔥

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https://mailchi.mp/uada.edu/newsletter-july

✅June 2026 Program Impact
✅Gov Con Round Up Live
✅Open Office Hours
✅Tip of the month
✅News You Can Use
✅ Recommended Insights & Updates
✅Upcoming events
✅Govology webinars - FREE
✅CMMC & FOCI News
➕ And MORE