Building A Legacy: Donna McLarty

Donna McLarty has long been a champion of women, children and families, and her professional career and nonprofit history reflect that deep passion.

A native of Texarkana, McLarty met her husband Mack McLarty — former White House Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton — during college at the University of Arkansas. When she and Mack married, Donna was at the Arkansas Legislative Council. After they had their sons, Mark and Franklin, Donna dove into the nonprofit world.

She served on the Arkansas Arts Center board, worked on the Arts in Education board and was the community vice president of the Junior League of Little Rock, where she was chairwoman of the league’s Parent Center board. She also co-chaired the Commission for Juvenile Justice with then-Arkansas First Lady Hillary Clinton.

“I enjoyed interacting in the community and the work we did together. I found it very satisfying and enriching,” she says.

After the merger, Donna became the board chair of CFYF and worked with the team to make the transition a smooth one. “We had wonderful people, both on staff and on boards, and the level of camaraderie and goodwill was exceptional. When I look back, it was really a privilege. They were so dedicated and visionary. I have a lot of respect for the working relationship I was able to enjoy with that group.”

Although she now splits her time between Arkansas and Washington, D.C. — where she’s a trustee on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, among other things — her passion for CFYF remains strong.

“One of the gratifying things to me is that you look at the supporters and you see so many names of those who were involved at the time of the merger, the names of children of those who were involved, and so many new names,” she beams. “This broadening and depth of involvement is a sign of a growing, healthy organization.”

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