For over 25 years Ron Cook has worked passionately to promote good communities. He understands that a better world doesn’t just happen, but results from people working together — in creative collaboration and philanthropic partnerships. Ron’s community engagement is both local and international. In support of philanthropy in academic institutions, he has served as a major gifts officer for the Arkansas' only comprehensive academic health sciences university and for the largest private liberal arts university in Arkansas, securing mid-level and major gifts, working collaboratively in partnership between the institution and donor. He has deepened his effective work to support grateful patient philanthropy and holds meaningful experience in comprehensive campaign fundraising.In the nonprofit space, Ron was executive director of a new nonprofit to promote education and socioeconomic capacity in Rwanda. He also served as a key team leader of a faith-based community development initiative in Memphis. Additionally, in the past two decades Ron provided leadership in faith-based organizations to establish or expand local philanthropic partnerships in central Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee, to positively address an array of social and economic challenges among at-risk populations, including homelessness, chronic unemployment, food insecurity, vulnerable children in the State foster care system, and the need for expanded services for the intellectually disabled. Ron’s leadership also expanded the capacity of a housing and hospitality enterprise in Little Rock aimed to provide vital support to out-of-town patients — like those battling cancer — as they receive complex medical treatment in Little Rock with local providers, particularly the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.Ron's collaborative approach to leadership has commonly fostered philanthropic partnerships across the multiple sectors in which he has served. He demonstrated effectiveness as a donor-centered fundraiser supporting community economic and social development, higher education and healthcare. He values meaningful relationships that honor the spirit of giving of grateful patients, alumni and those who seek to leave a legacy of philanthropy in research, clinical care, or education.Guided by his Christian faith, Ron is a father of two sons and most proud of his role as a volunteer coach in youth athletics and as an advocate for the rights and exceptional potential of youth and adults who live with intellectual disabilities.