Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to building and maintaining socioeconomic and racial equity across Arkansas, announced a new president and chief executive officer Tuesday afternoon.
The board of directors chose Cory Anderson to take on the role, beginning mid-January 2026.
Anderson will replace Sherece West-Scantlebury, who is retiring at the end of this year. West-Scantlebury was with the foundation for nearly two decades.
Before this new appointment, Anderson was the foundation’s chief innovation officer, where he played an important role in initiating policy, working with grant partners and trying to bring more philanthropic investment to Arkansas. He also helped create ForwARd Arkansas, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help Arkansas children receive a proper education. He was briefly its interim executive director. WRF’s program dedicated to helping Arkansans who are financially struggling, the Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, and Employed or ALICE initiative, was strengthened under Anderson.
Anderson also has a background in ministry and journalism.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the next chief executive officer of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation,” Anderson said. “This institution has shaped my life’s work, and I remain committed to advancing its mission with humility, purpose, and an unwavering belief in the people of Arkansas. I have seen firsthand the brilliance and resilience of ALICE families across our state—families who deserve systems designed for their success. As we move forward, I look forward to strengthening partnerships, elevating community leadership, and continuing the work of creating pathways to opportunity for every Arkansan.”
Anderson currently sits on the boards of the Asset Funders Network, Neighborhood Funders Group and the Urban League of Arkansas. Previously, he has been on the boards of the Association of Black Foundation Executives, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and Arkansas Baptist College.
Anderson’s appointment comes after some of the board tried to pause the hiring of a new CEO, claiming that the board members and appointees serving on the hiring committee were violating the organization’s bylaws by shielding names and information about candidates from some board members.
On Dec. 1, Pulaski County District Judge Cara Connors denied a request by board members Lisenne Rockefeller, Vicki Saviers, Kathy Smith and Naccaman Williams for a temporary injunction to freeze the hiring process.
