Community Briefs

UAPB’s Henry to lead business effort

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff selected alumna Angelisa Henry as director of its new regional office of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.

The center serves entrepreneurs and businesses in Jefferson, Arkansas, Monroe and Phillips counties. UAPB joins 10 other universities and colleges in Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center’s network, according to a a news release.

The new office, part of the university’s Economic Research and Development Center, is located in downtown Pine Bluff in the UAPB Business Support Incubator and Office Complex.

The new program assists Arkansans who are starting new businesses, buying established businesses, looking to expand businesses or commercializing research or technology. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center’s one-on-one consulting services are confidential, tailored to each individual business and provided for free.

Henry earned her bachelor’s degree from UAPB in 2009. She has worked for the Alzheimer’s Association, the Walmart corporate office and UAPB, most recently as a career coach in the Office of Career Services. She also completed her Master of Business Administration degree.

“I look forward to providing a wide range of support for starting or expanding a business,” said Henry. “These various businesses are imperative to the sustainability and revitalization of our communities.”

UAPB is the first historically Black college or university to join the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center and is the fourth regional host added in the past year, according to the release.

The center also offers online and in-person educational events, often with local partners.

“We are excited to collaborate with UAPB, a strong HBCU, to serve this region of the Arkansas Delta,” said Laura Fine, state director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. “The university’s commitment to meeting the social and economic needs of this area makes it an ideal partner, and we expect to see increased participation in the ASBTDC program through referrals from local lenders, economic development organizations and community leaders.”

According to Fine, the new regional offices increase access to services for Arkansans wanting to start, strengthen or grow their businesses.

“Our longtime partnership with higher education is a proven delivery system for ASBTDC’s entrepreneurial and small-business services, and these new offices expand our reach into both rural and urban areas of the state,” Fine said.

Details: (870) 575-8033 or uapb@asbtdc.org.

Boxer Ali is focus of virtual discussion

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas PBS and the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial will host the free, virtual conversation “Ali in Arkansas: Athlete to Leader” at 6:30 p.m. today.

The purpose is to explore how issues that made headlines during the lifetime of boxer Muhammad Ali are still relevant. Anyone may reserve a spot for the event at myarpbs.org/AliEvent, and 50 attendees will be chosen to receive the book “Ali: A Life” and an Ali T-shirt, according to a news release.

“Ali in Arkansas: Athlete to Leader” is part of a week of programming being offered in observance of the National Day of Racial Healing in Arkansas, leading up to the 2022 Social Justice & Racial Equity Challenge throughout February.

Today’s conversation will feature clips from the PBS documentary “Muhammad Ali,” a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon, followed by a live panel discussion.

Panelists will include Walter Beach III, a Cleveland Browns player from 1962 through 1966; Jonathan Eig, author of “Ali: A Life”; Kymara Seals, alumni board president, UAPB; Leon Jones III, UAPB Student Government Association president; and Chris Robinson, vice chancellor and athletics director at UAPB. This event was made possible in part with grant funds from WETA.

“Muhammad Ali” will air on Arkansas PBS at 8 p.m. on Fridays through Feb. 18.

City cleanup event set for Saturday

The Pine Bluff New Year Cleanup will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers should meet at 8 a.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 629 Jaycee Drive, where supplies and cleanup assignments can be collected.

Volunteers will then go to cleanup sites throughout the city, according to a news release.

Details: William Fells, special projects coordinator at the mayor’s office, (870) 730-2004 or wfells@cityofpinebluff-ar.gov.

Course offered for political candidates

A Candidate Development Institute crash course will be held at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at The Generator, 435 Main St. The free course teaches candidates what to do or not do while running a political campaign, according to a news release.

The event is for incumbents and new candidates. Sponsors are the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce and Go Forward Pine Bluff. The sponsors don’t endorse candidates for public office, according to the release.

Details: Chamber office, (870) 535-0110.