Jama Best

Jama joined the staff over 20 years ago and has served as a program officer and senior program officer and was recently promoted to executive director on April 1, 2018.

Her decades of experience in non-profit leadership and museum management include leading popular and successful grant initiatives, including the REACH (Raising Education Achievement and Competence in the Humanities) Grant, Access to the Humanities Grant, African American History and Culture Grant, and Museum Collections and Resource Grant. She spearheaded bringing engaging museum exhibitions to the state through the Smithsonian Institution Museums on Main Street Voices & Votes:  Democracy in America (2023) and Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America (2018) exhibitions. A recognized expert on grant writing and community engagement, Best has been invited to speak on this and other subjects to students and professionals around the state, and nationally.

In 2020, she was nominated for Arkansas Business’ Non-profit Executive of the Year.  She has served regionally as president of the Arkansas Museums Association and nationally as co-chair of the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the NEH Data and Evaluation Committee. Prior to joining, Best held roles as an education specialist with the Old State House Museum and as a park interpreter, superintendent, and planner with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. With experience in education, interpretation, historic preservation and conservation, community development, grant-making, and programming, Best is a passionate promoter of the humanities in Arkansas and is committed to expanding opportunities for all Arkansans.