Kenya J. Gordon, Esq.
President, Southern Bancorp Community Partners
UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law
I was living in Houston, TX and working in finance when I applied to UA Little Rock. I was looking to move closer to my parents who live in Memphis, TN. Arkansas was right between these states, so I applied to both law schools in the state. I decided to attend Bowen because it was in the state’s capital city. I believed that I could maximize my professional networking opportunities while attending school. I was right.
I always say that I have expertise in three disciplines: Education, Finance, and Law. Daily, I tap into my training and educational foundation in education, finance, and law to guide the strategic direction of Southern Bancorp Community Partners and in my role as Southern Bancorp Senior Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement. It takes this unique combination of education to lead an organization that delivers financial development services such as financial education and business technical assistance, and financial products like downpayment assistance and microbusiness loans to communities across our bank branch network in Arkansas and Mississippi.
UA Little Rock, and particularly the Bowen School of Law, provided me with opportunities that a larger and disjointed setting on larger college and university campuses just can’t provide. The closeness of the greater legal community and the intimate support of my professors, many of whom I count among my friends, is unique. I believe my experience at UA Little Rock to be a game changer for my professional career.