LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a decisive ruling that underscores the strength, integrity, and forward momentum of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (WRF), Pulaski County Circuit Judge Cara Connors has confirmed that the Foundation may proceed with its leadership transition and governance activities without interruption. The court found no legal basis to halt the Foundation’s board actions, paving the way for the installation of two new board members and a thoughtful, deliberate process to select the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer.
This judgment reinforces what the Foundation’s partners, grantees, and community stakeholders have long known: WRF is a steadfast, future-focused institution dedicated to equity, economic mobility, and generational impact across Arkansas. With this ruling, the Foundation can move confidently into its next chapter of leadership—one that continues to expand opportunity, protect its tax-exempt mission, and deepen its commitment to the people and communities it serves.
“The ruling affirms what we have always operated from—clarity, compliance, and conviction,” said outgoing CEO Sherece West-Scantlebury. “This moment is not an interruption of the work; it is an invitation to accelerate it. The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has never been about personalities—it has always been about possibility.”
The board’s transition efforts, supported by a nationally respected search and governance process, signal a deliberate commitment to excellence, accountability, and continuity. As the Foundation prepares to select its next chief executive, it does so with the full assurance of the court and the confidence of a community that depends on its leadership.
“Foundations exist not merely to observe change, but to architect it,” said Board Chair Cedric Williams. “The work of this board continues uninterrupted, and our focus remains exactly where it has always been—on expanding opportunity and honoring the Rockefeller legacy of bold, effective philanthropy. Our commitment to ALICE households isn’t an initiative—it is an imperative, ensuring that Arkansas families who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed are not merely surviving the economy, but shaping it.”
Despite recent legal filings from a small faction of board members, the court made clear that the Foundation’s governance actions are lawful and aligned with its fiduciary and mission-driven responsibilities. The hearing produced no evidence of wrongdoing, no threat to the Foundation’s nonprofit status, and no justification for judicial intervention.
The ruling also protects the Foundation’s ability to partner with grantees—large and small— who are advancing economic justice, educational access, and civic voice across Arkansas.
With the ruling’s clarity, the Foundation and its partners can continue to make catalytic investments and to lift solutions rooted in local leadership and lived experience.
As WRF moves forward, it does so with:
Judicial affirmation of its governance process
Uninterrupted authority to build its board and select its next CEO
Reinforced momentum behind its mission to rewrite the future of Arkansas through equity, innovation, and opportunity
About the Winthrop Rockefeller FoundationFor more than five decades, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation has advanced Governor Rockefeller’s bold belief in the transformational power of opportunity. WRF invests in ideas, leaders, and institutions that challenge inequity, strengthen communities, and ensure that every Arkansan—regardless of geography, race, or background—can participate fully in the state’s economic, civic, and cultural life.
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SOURCE Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
