MEET THE EXPERTS

Michelle Kitchens, MPA, is ACHI’s director of governmental affairs and community outreach. In addition to building and maintaining relationships with strategic partners, Kitchens coordinates ACHI’s work with policymakers and community leaders across the state.

Kitchens has worked in government relations since 2006 and has comprehensive experience drafting legislation and organizing grass roots advocacy efforts, both at the Arkansas State Capitol and in Washington, D.C. She previously served as a government affairs liaison and communication specialist for the Arkansas Farm Bureau, engaging with leaders in all of the state’s 75 counties. She currently serves as president of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives and chair of the Arkansas Association of LeadAR Alumni.

A graduate of Harding University, Kitchens earned her Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is also a graduate of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s LeadAR program and the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas.