Arkansas Government Contracting Specialists

msberman@uada.edu

• Over 15 years of experience in the field of community and economic development.
• 9 years of experience as a Project Manager of federally funded cooperative agreements.
• Over 3 years of experience as an Awards Officer of federally funded grants and contracts.
• Former Regional Director for APEX Accelerators in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
• Member of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.
• Lifelong public servant, former Peace Corps and AmeriCorps member.
• Former member of the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission, promoting cultural and economic development opportunities within the state of Arkansas.
• MPA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
• B.A., Mass Communications, University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

kcollins@uada.edu

Provides administrative support to our APEX Accelerator team.

sgeorge@uada.edu

• Over 3 years of case management experience
• Over 5 years of public service experience and program development
• MPS, University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service
• B.S., Social Work, Harding University

thicks@uada.edu

• 21-year veteran, United States Air Force (USAF)
• Certified VA-Verification Assistance Counselor (VAC)
• Former Arkansas Department of Finance (DFA) Office of State Procurement Specialist
• Vendor of the Year, Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP)
• State of Arkansas licensed teacher, with over 12 years in education, presented training on local, state, national and international levels
• M.S., Operational Management, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas
• B.S., Criminal Justice Administration, Park University

thutley@uada.edu

• Seven years experience writing and evaluating bid solicitations for public and private entities
• Five years experience as the Procurement Manager at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Served for three years as the Secretary and Treasurer for the Arkansas chapter of NIGP - The Institute for Public Procurement 
• MPA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

kmagee@uada.edu
501-671-2081

Available to speak to:

• Business Owners
• Chambers of Commerce
• Civic Groups
• Community Leaders
• Elected Officials
• Economic Developers
• Anyone who is interested in learning about Arkansas APEX Accelerator, the services we provide and the potential benefits APEX Accelerator offers to businesses and local economies.

krandle@uada.edu

• Over 13 years of experience in community engagement, governmental affairs and economic development across multi-state regions.
• Over 14 years of foundation, non-profit and philanthropic leadership at the local, state, and national level.
• 10-year tenure serving the citizens of Arkansas as central staff for the Arkansas General Assembly.
• University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LeadAR Class 16 graduate.
• B.S., Business Administration, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. 

ftate@uada.edu

• Over 15 years of experience in the fields of project management, contract analysis, accounting, information technology, event planning & management
• Small Business Owner
• Previous AmeriCorps Volunteer
• B.A. Information Technology with an emphasis on Networking
• Studying for her M.B.A at Western Governors University with an estimated completion date of 2024