The Alliance for Early Success announced today that it has added Marquita Little Numan to its staff as a Senior Policy Director. Numan comes to the Alliance from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, where she served as a Leadership Officer and supported the organization’s mission to advance educational, social, racial, and economic equity. She oversaw numerous streams of work for the Arkansas-focused philanthropy, including management of emerging work and special projects.
Numan has spent her career in the government, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors working with and in communities to empower marginalized people. Her experience includes advocacy work with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (an Alliance ally) as Health Policy Director and several years as the Director of Policy and Planning for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. In both roles, Numan was integral in advocating for and shaping the state’s early adoption of Medicaid expansion and leading child health initiatives. Numan was also the inaugural president and CEO of the Urban League of the State of Arkansas, where she led the reestablishment of the important civil rights organization after a 20-year absence in the state.
“We exist to provide intelligence and support for state early childhood advocates, and Marquita will add to our ability to do that on day one,” said Helene Stebbins, Executive Director of the Alliance. “Her experience in state advocacy, state government, and policy-focused granting – along with her commitment to the central role that equity plays in all this work – will make her a vital asset to our team and our state allies.”
