Red Ink. LLC

Prior to becoming President/CEO of Red Ink, LLC, Phyllis Dickerson served as Chief of Staff for Mayor Stodola of Little Rock, Arkansas. She was appointed to the position in 2015, and is the first African American female appointed to the position. She was responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operations of the Mayor’s office; performing research and analysis on a wide range of community and
constituent issues; and providing professional support in the coordination and implementation of special programs and initiatives for the Mayor’s short and long range goals and objectives. She was instrumental in assisting Mayor Stodola pursue in his interest in leadership roles with the US Conference of Mayor’s and the National League of Cities. She has traveled internationally as a spokesperson for the city to assist in economic development opportunities.

 

During her tenure as Chief of Staff, the mayor partnered with the State Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Chamber of Commerce to bring over $1 billion in new capital investment to the City and more than 4,100 new jobs since taking office.  In 2009, they crafted a major bond initiative that resulted in $6.9 million dollars in improvements to the City's park system.  In addition, in 2011, they led a successful campaign to increase the City's sales tax garnering an 8% point win in the midst of the greatest economic upheaval since the Great Depression. 

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They also promoted the revitalization of Little Rock's Main Street, resulting in the City having been awarded a "Greening of America's Capitals Grant" from the Environmental Protection Agency and an "Our Town Grant" from the national Endowment for the Arts for the creation of an Arts District in the heart of the downtown core.   Recognizing the importance of quality of life attributes, as indispensable community development and industry recruitment tools, this administration elevated community health, public school partnerships, citizen service and healthy food and active living access to the forefront of his public policy agenda.  They also focused on pressing community problems such as childhood obesity, 1st thru 3rd grade reading proficiency, youth service opportunities and sustainable food shed development.  In addition, they partnered with the Little Rock School District on joint use agreements and public service initiatives such as Love Your Block and Love Your School; and this forthcoming Healthy Food and Active Living Initiative engaged underserved neighborhood residents in health-related service opportunities involving the development of community gardens, trail development and after-school meal programs.  In her previous position, she served as the Special Events & Program Coordinator for the City of Little Rock. In that capacity, she was responsible for planning the Central High Integration 50th Anniversary.

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She also facilitated the planning process for the 2006 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Conclave, and the
National Forum for Black Public Administrators 2008 Forum. Phyllis has served in a variety of capacities
as a consultant, including the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, 100 Black Men of Greater Little Rock, Philander Smith College, Clinton Foundation, and many other organizations. Prior to her career in municipal government, she worked in the private sector for Gap, Inc. as a General Manager. She was also responsible for opening Gap and Old Navy stores around the country and recruiting and training their management teams. Phyllis has worked for two Presidential first families as an Advance Staffer. She worked for the Clintons and the Obamas in the planning of all their logistics for high profile trips, including trips abroad.

In 2001, Phyllis received a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Webster University, and she received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management from the University of Central Arkansas. She is also a 1982 graduate of Little Rock Central High School. She served on the Board for the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), a member of International City Managers Association (ICMA) and National League of Cities (NLC). She also served on the NFBPA Strategic Planning Committee and as Chair of NFBPA’s Conference Planning & Evaluation Committee. She is a former Board member for the Delta Research & Education Foundation (DREF), and a current member of the Little Rock Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.