COMMISSIONER BIOGRAPHY
Angela Duran

Angela Duran, Commissioner
President, Southern Good Faith Fund
Masters in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Tulsa

Angela Duran is President of Southern Good Faith Fund (SGFF), a nonprofit organization in Pine Bluff, Ark., that helps low-income families buy houses, start businesses, and go to college. She oversees five programs and manages a staff of 22 with a budget of $2.3 million.

In 2004, SGFF was named Nonprofit Organization of the Year by Arkansas Business. In 2006, SGFF was named one of four Families Count Honorees by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. And in 2007, Ms. Duran was named Nonprofit Executive of the Year by Arkansas Business.

In addition to her work at SGFF, Ms. Duran is a governor appointee to the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, where she serves on the Legislative Committee.

“Angela provides a valuable perspective in the Commission’s discussions,” said Charles Goldner, chair of the Access to Justice Commission. “Her breadth and depth of experience leading the Southern Good Faith Fund allows her to provide sage advice as the Commission seeks to fulfill its mission of making sure that all Arkansans have access to legal representation in civil matters.”

Ms. Duran’s place on the Access to Justice Commission ties in well with her work at SGFF.

“At SGFF,” Ms. Duran says, “we see families every day who need legal assistance—divorce, child custody, child support, landlord-tenant, small business. I am glad to be part of an effort to provide them the resources they need.”

Ms. Duran also serves on the boards of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the Jefferson County Single Parent Scholarship Fund, and Mount Saint Mary Academy. She is on the Advisory Committee for the National Network of Sector Partners. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Pine Bluff, and she is a graduate of the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Program.

Ms. Duran has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tulsa and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

She is recently married to Lill Lewis, and she enjoys reading, working in her yard, and taking her nieces on fun adventures.

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