Organization.  Basically, SARA and the Foundation serve twelve counties of southwest Arkansas that once were part of the original Hempstead County, an early  frontier region in the  Territory of Arkansas (created in 1819).  The archival collections focus on the rich history of this area; directors and officers of the Foundation represent the twelve counties.

            Southwest corner of Arkansas Territory, with future county divisions and dates

            indicated.  Original Hempstead County covered the entire area up to the Little

            Missouri and Ouachita Rivers.

    When SARA began in 1978, each county had two seats on its board of directors.  An original supportive membership group, Friends of SARA, was  chartered separately.  After both organizations concluded a partnership agreement with State agencies in late 2005, SARA changed its name to SARA Foundation.  The Friends dissolved and re-emerged as the membership of the Foundation.  In addition, the new board of directors was modified to make it more flexible, and  now there is one regular director from each county and a total of six at-large directors who may reside or work anywhere in the region:

          Columbia County Director, Lu Waters, Magnolia, Arkansas

          Hempstead County, Mildred L. Smith, Washington

          Howard County, Leta Boswell, Mineral Springs

          Lafayette County, Maebell Pierson, Lewisville

          Little River County, Deanna Sivley, Ashdown

          Miller County, Pat Crumpton, Texarkana

          Nevada County, Barry Barber, Prescott

          Ouachita County, Janene McCrary Fogle, Camden

          Pike County, Dr. Dean Banks, Murfreesboro

          Polk County, Janet Walker, Grannis

          Sevier County, Dr. Louis D. Stubbs, DeQueen

          Union County, currently open

          Directors at Large:  Wayne Fogle, Camden, Arkansas;

          Joyce Gibson, Prescott; Phyllis Hamilton, Waldo;

          Dr. Kermit Parks, El Dorado, Arkansas; Betty Turner, Prescott;

          one at-large currently open

                     Foundation  Board Meeting, January 2009, in SARA conference room.