Little Rock, Ark. (July 1, 2026) – Arkansas Community Foundation Board of Directors has elected Vance Smiley of Little Rock as chair and Jennifer Ronnel, also of Little Rock, as vice chair.

“We are thrilled to welcome Vance and Jennifer to these leadership roles on our board,” said Jessica Ford, President and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation. “Both have been longtime supporters and leaders for the Foundation. They each bring a unique perspective and strategic vision for our work to build Arkansas communities.”

Smiley is a founding member of System61, which works to modernize banking products to meet individual and business customer demands.  He previously led a family-owned business, Smiley Technologies, Inc., that builds and services core banking technology solutions for community banks.

Smiley earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, Angela, have three children.

Ronnel is senior counsel at Metal Recycling Corporation. She previously worked as a corporate and international tax attorney with Covington and Burling in Washington, D.C. and as a tax and insurance regulatory attorney with Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates and Woodyard.

Ronnel graduated with highest honors from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in government. She also graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and was admitted to the District of Columbia and Arkansas Bars. Ronnel and her husband, Steve, have three children.

For additional information, please visit arcf.org.