Keynote Address

Joyce Elliott, Arkansas State Senator

When legislators from both major political parties sat together, listened to one another, listened to experts, and studied together, political divisions and ideologies gave way to facts. Facts led them to understand how the top performing countries came to be and the depths of that success in the United States. More importantly, legislators recaptured how the U.S. can be Number One again, state by state.

Joyce Elliott is a member of the Arkansas Senate, where she has served since 2009, representing District 31 in Little Rock. A former State Representative, she was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in November 2000. In December 2006, she finished her final term in the House due to term limits. Her major legislative committee service includes Education, Judiciary, Commerce, Insurance and Commerce, and Budget. Elliott focuses on building world-class public education systems, K–12 through higher education, socioeconomic justice/opportunity, and criminal justice.

A retired teacher and former chair of the House Education Committee, Elliott taught high school speech communication and English, both AP and non-AP. She is a leader in organizations such as the Southern Region Education Board and the National Conference of State Legislatures. She serves on the board of Just Communities of Arkansas, the Milton P. Crenchaw Aviation Training Academy and the National Center on Education and the Economy.