“Linsley has a strong history working with local organizations and developing programs to help support Arkansans,” said Heather Larkin, president and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation. “Her experience with Winrock, combined with a strong network of statewide collaborations, will be a tremendous asset to our affiliates and our mission to build better communities. Her deep knowledge of the state’s needs makes her a great fit for the Foundation.”

Kinkade has dedicated her 22-year long career to supporting Arkansas communities, first serving as a staffer to an Arkansas U.S. representative and an Arkansas U.S. senator on Capitol Hill. For the past 16 years she has worked in Winrock International’s U.S. Programs, most recently leading the team as senior director. 

At Winrock, Kinkade led a talented team that supported asset-based community development in the rural mid-South through projects to improve quality of life and engender a sense of place. She worked on fostering entrepreneurship and small business development programming that supported proof-of-concept, Main Street and high-tech businesses to increase economic growth.

Raised in rural southwest Arkansas, she developed a passion for Arkansas, its rural communities and its residents that is deeply ingrained. She has worked with more than 85 communities across the mid-South, where she has launched entrepreneurship, economic and workforce development programs that serve diverse stakeholders. She serves on the Community Development Institute’s Central Advisory Board and is a certified Professional Community and Economic Developer.

Kinkade, her husband David, proudly call Little Rock home.