Amanda Lance
/age: 37 | Director of Hempstead Hall & Workforce Development | University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana
Amanda Lance’s core values are community, family, and creativity. Her mulfi-faceted career allows her to meet many people, provide positive experiences for others, and focus on people in the community who are leaders. As the director of Hempstead Hall, she works to provide cultural experiences for the community. “Through Workforce Development, I work with local agencies to provide world-class training to our region. Both aspects help to fulfill UAHT’s mission to provide quality life experiences and lifelong learning to our citizens,” she explains. “Everything I do through my roles at the college are because I want to see Hope and Texarkana continue to thrive. I want to be part of the group of people who are making this an area where a younger generation wants to live and continue to expand the legacy that’s been left to us.”
Through Amanda’s job, she feels fortunate to be part of LeadAR Class 19. This program runs through the UA Department of Agriculture and is one of the oldest leadership programs in Arkansas. Classes travel around the state, nation, and world to learn about the challenges and accomplishments of each place the group visits. This two-year program has already allowed Amanda to grow significantly.
Every week, Amanda also co-hosts a podcast, “Hope Grown,” with three friends: Jennifer Block, Jennifer Cunningham, and Lindsey Honea which features local happenings. They interview people in the community who are making things happen and casually discuss why these events are beneficial.
Connecting with people, learning more about the Hope community, and helping connect dots for herself and others are near and dear to Amanda’s heart. “I love that I have found a network of friends and family who truly enjoy giving back to our community and are up for whatever crazy idea I might throw at them (including writing/producing/directing two plays in 2020),” she mentions.
Amanda serves as a board member for the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council and is the corresponding secretary for the Junior Auxiliary of Hope. She is president of the Hope Rotary Club and helped bring Hope USA.com to fruition. This is an all-inclusive website for the county and features the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation, the Tourism Commission, and a community calendar that informs visitors and residents alike of all that is happening in Hempstead County. “Since I am mostly located in Hope, the majority of my community involvement is centered in Hempstead County. But I could make the argument that a strong Hope benefits Texarkana at large because I believe we are all better together than we are apart. If we want the region to continue to grow, we have to individually make investments across the entire region,” Amanda says.
Best piece of advice:
“We’ve got this.” – Lindsey Honea, Amanda’s friend and co-host
Name something about you that very few people know:
“Early in my twenties, I learned to team rope … not well by any means. But this is always a fun fact to pull out and watch people’s reactions because it’s so surprising to people who know me now! To me, it’s proof that we’re ever-evolving and anything can be fun or worthwhile if you give it a shot.”