About

Margot has served as executive director of EngageNWA since 2017 where she led the first regional process of its kind to create a four-year strategic plan to increase inclusion across sectors in Northwest Arkansas. Since then, she has worked alongside regional and national partners to strategically build a more cohesive and welcoming region. Previously, Margot was executive director at the Ozark Literacy Council, where she led program expansion to three new satellite sites and oversaw the development of the organization’s first workplace literacy program. Margot earned a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She has lived and studied in France and various West African countries where she developed her interest in building community across differences and her proficiency in French. Born and raised in Fayetteville, she considers herself incredibly fortunate to contribute to the ongoing endeavors to foster a more welcoming and inclusive region.

Monica serves as a strategic consultant to Engage NWA. Monica has been instrumental in uplifting Welcoming Week NWA as a regional initiative and brings decades of community development and social justice organizing experience to Engage NWA. She practiced human rights law in England and was admitted to the bar in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Monica was bork in London, UK to immigrant parents and has lived in many different communities around the world. She speaks fluent Gujarati, and conversational Hindi, and is working on her French speaking skills. She earned a bachelor's degree in law, an advanced diploma in legal practice, and an Honorary Associate Degree in Educational Service from Northwest Arkansas Community College. Monica believes that localized community action and racial solidarity are foundational for building belonging, bridging, and justice for all.

Laura serves as the Community Engagement Specialist for Engage NWA, where she supports community outreach efforts with a focus on increasing the growth of our language and disability access initiatives. In addition to her work at Engage, she builds relationships with everyday people across the country and the political spectrum, organizing them take action to improve their economic lives. Laura brings diverse experience in the non-profit sector, working with incarcerated individuals to help them share their impact stories with the goal of making the criminal justice system more restorative. Additionally, she worked at Canopy, overseeing volunteers to prepare for the arrival of refugee individuals and families.

Laura graduated from John Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in family and human services and intercultural studies. Proud to be from Panama, she is bilingual in English and Spanish and enjoys connecting with her local community by interpreting in the public schools. Laura is passionate about centering those who are often forgotten in society and believes bridging is crucial to the success of our communities.