Donna Jones, MFA
Director
donnas@uark.edu | 479-575-2605
Arkansas native Donna Jones is the Director for the Center of Community Engagement
at the University of Arkansas. She has worked at the university and been a resident
of NWA for over 14 years. In her role, she provides both professional knowledge and
personal passion to initiatives within the CCE to develop partnerships and opportunities
for students and community members in the Northwest Arkansas Community and beyond.
She previously served as the Director of Recruitment and Outreach at the University
of Arkansas School of Art, and held roles at the UA as an Assistant Director/Academic
Advisor in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and as an International Admissions
Analyst for the Graduate School.
Donna received her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a minor in Film Studies from
Rhodes College in 2008 and her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Washington University
in St. Louis in 2011. When not on campus, Donna can be found with a coffee in hand
exploring NWA with her family, friends, partner, two boys, and their lovable, and
unhinged at times, dog Bulleit.
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Nakell Baker, MPA
Associate Director
nakellb@uark.edu | 479-575-4733
Nakell Baker is the advisor for the Volunteer Action Center and specifically advises
the Passionate About Literacy (P.A.L.) team. She also advises the RSO Democracy Fellows.
As Associate Director, Nakell helps with a little bit of everything going on in the
CCE and VAC!
Previously, Nakell was the Assistant Director of the Career Studio in the CORD. Before
working at the University of Arkansas, Nakell was an International Student Success
Navigator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she specialized in F-1 immigration
advising and sponsored international student programming. She received her Master’s
in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the University
of Memphis and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Communication from
Truman State University. Her diverse background brings expertise in many areas but
at the heart of it all her purpose at work stems from helping others and maximizing
the potential of people and processes.
Originally from Missouri, Nakell enjoys spending her free time at the Lake of the
Ozarks with her family, taking walks with her significant other and their dog, Lancelot,
and petting her two cats, Waffles and Luna. She also enjoys home renovating, chaos
gardening, and being a fair-weather gym-goer.
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Delaney Farris-Dyer, M.Ed.
Assistant Director
dgfarris@uark.edu | 479-575-4365
Delaney Farris-Dyer serves as the Assistant Director for the Center for Community
Engagement and advises the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry and Razorback
Food Recovery programs. Originally from Arkansas, Delaney is happy to have returned
to her home state after several years in Texas, where she held various university
positions focused on campus food pantries, student service initiatives, and campus
voting efforts.
In her current role, no week looks the same! In one day, she may go from recovering
food from a dining hall to packing client orders in the pantry to assisting a student
in creating a strategic plan for a food insecurity initiative. She spends the majority
of her time working alongside her student leaders to serve the university community
through increased food insecurity supports.
Delaney earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Hendrix College. She then went
on to serve in FoodCorps AmeriCorps providing garden and nutrition education to elementary
school students. Upon completion of her service term, she attended graduate school
at the University of North Texas receiving a Master of Higher Education. When not
on campus, Delaney enjoys spending time in her garden, listening to audiobooks, or
savoring a croissant.
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Savanna Waddle, MSW
Mentorship Programs Coordinator
swaddle@uark.edu | 479-575-6586
Savanna Waddle is the Mentoring Program Coordinator within the University of Arkansas
Center for Community Engagement. Savanna advises two mentorship programs, Be B.O.L.D.
and Dream B.I.G., partnering university students with middle school students in NWA.
Savanna was born, but not raised, in Arkansas (shoutout Fort Smith) and grew up in
southeast Oklahoma. Savanna is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor
of Science in Psychology, and she remains loyal and true to this day. She went on
to attend Savannah State University in Georgia where she earned her Master of Social
Work with a clinical concentration.
She has had roles in youth advocacy working in DFCS and DJJ placement, library social
work, community outreach, therapy serving predominantly queer and neurodiverse young
adults, and has now combined her passions into middle school and college mentorship.
Savanna has traded her walks under oak trees and Spanish moss for the city on the
hill. You can find her hosting Shabbat dinners, listening to mysteries on audiobook,
working on her brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, thrifting, and telling dramatic
stories to her friends.
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Tyrah Jackson
Community Outreach Coordinator
taj031@uark.edu | 479-575-4365
Arkansas born & raised, Tyrah Jackson serves as Community Outreach Coordinator and
Advisor to the Service Engagement Team for the University of Arkansas Center for Community
Engagement (CCE) & Volunteer Action Center (VAC). An alumnus of the University of
Arkansas, a Spring 2023 graduate with Baccalaureate(s) in Anthropology & Criminology,
in her position as Community Outreach Coordinator, Tyrah hopes to take the tangible
steps to build long-lasting, impactful connections with students for a successful,
dynamic UARK experience and more.
She is very passionate about her two disciplines as well as learning in general. Tyrah
abides by a belief in the “ripple” effect of life – that something one says or does
can unknowingly impact a person’s life and experiences for generations, that folks
can carry even the most mundane words and actions with them and alter the course of
their life’s journeys. For Tyrah, this illustrates the importance of Service and being
a Servant-Leader and why she’s so excited to advise, work with, and learn from the
amazing student-led Service Engagement Team.
Fun fact about her, she loves connecting with people through music and is the self-described
queen of off-topic tangents!
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Alison Perez
Accounting Assistant
ap425@uark.edu |479-575-1507
Alison joined the University of Arkansas in August 2025 as an Accounting Assistant
for the Center for Community Engagement. Originally from Illinois, she moved to Arkansas
from Texas in 2020 and quickly connected with the welcoming spirit of the Northwest
Arkansas community.
She is a proud graduate of the University of Arkansas, earning her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary
Studies through the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in May 2025.
In her role, Alison provides financial and administrative support to both the Center
for Community Engagement and the Office of Student Accountability. She brings a solid
background in accounting, operations, and project management, along with a strong
dedication to supporting initiatives that empower students and foster meaningful community
partnerships.
Outside of work, Alison enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Northwest Arkansas,
attending local events, and visiting coffee shops throughout the region. Whether hiking
scenic trails, browsing farmers markets, or participating in campus activities, she
finds joy in staying connected to the vibrant culture and energy of the area.
With a strong commitment to service and collaboration, Alison is proud to be part
of the University of Arkansas community and remains dedicated to contributing to its
mission for years to come.
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