ERIC MCDANIEL, DR. CHAD RODGERS
Dr. Chad Rodgers and Eric McDaniel are pillars of the philanthropic community. The couple contribute time and resources to several nonprofit organizations including Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families and Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. Chad remembers attending Soup Sunday for the first time in 2001 and learning more about the mission fulfillment work of Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families. “Chad and Eric are the people you are always glad to have in your corner,” explains Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families Development Director Fran Carter. Their leadership is exemplary – planning events and acting as ambassadors. “They bring friends they feel should learn more about the organization’s mission. They are a power couple who lead by example.”
Business and civic responsibility reflect a healthier future for the children of Arkansas. Chad is a pediatrician at Little Rock Pediatric Clinic as well as the medical director of Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, and Eric is the director of operations for EGP, an accounting firm in North Little Rock. Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families provides resources and opportunities that lead to better quality of life for all Arkansans. The organization serves as a voice for children at the Arkansas State Capitol and in Washington, D.C. – gathering data for public policy and organizing coalitions of diverse groups for positive change.
Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance collaborates statewide initiatives – advancing equitable solutions to hunger including after-school and summer feeding programs as well as nutrition education. Director of Development Jennifer Owens Buie realizes the invaluable insight that Chad and Eric bring to the organization’s fundraising efforts. “Chad and Eric served as co-chairs of the Serving Up Solutions last year, and they broke sponsorship records. We also had more legislators and volunteers at the event than ever before. To say we are thrilled to have them as co-chairs again this year is an incredible understatement.”
This dynamic duo always supports events around town with a continued commitment to Arkansas Children’s, Argenta Contemporary Theatre and Arkansas Public Radio KUAR/KLRE. Fran adds, “Not only are they terrific friends to many nonprofits, but they are also two of the nicest people you will ever know.”