CPA Sharon Wilson of Forrest City is using the knowledge she’s gained and the relationships she’s built while serving on the Arkansas Community Foundation State Board to drive economic development for her community in the Delta.
“Whether it’s housing, credit repair or better conditions for our kids, my goal is to build partnerships that can help people in the Delta get to that next level,” Sharon said.
A former leader on the St. Francis County Community Foundation Affiliate Board, she knows the challenges of meeting local needs. She led the grants committee where her role was to identify local nonprofits doing work to better the community and support them through grants.
“Anytime I saw an organization pushing the next man forward, we’d join that effort,” Sharon said. “Whether it was a food pantry, a sports organization, or an afterschool program, the causes we supported raised up the people of our community.”
The Lake Village native and her husband Circuit Judge E. Dion Wilson moved to Forrest City in 1994 and set up law and CPA practices in an office they remodeled in the heart of downtown. Today, their family includes three children and two grandchildren.
“As soon as we moved here, we felt that we needed to give back,” she said. “Kids in Forrest City didn’t see a lot of people who looked like us in professional roles. We wanted to be the family that let them know the possibilities. We wanted them to see the opportunities that come when you get your education.”
Sharon’s CPA firm currently manages federal funds for the Forrest City School District. She’s a tax preparer and a consultant for small municipalities and nonprofits in addition to work with individual clients.
“As my clients age, that’s when a lot of them talk about what they want to do with their money. Even some of the younger ones want to make a difference in their communities with the resources they’ve earned,” Sharon said. “I share information about different vehicles that can help them with charitable giving, and the Community Foundation has been a tremendous resource.”
Sharon said the Community Foundation helps her clients meet goals for their family philanthropy and helps teach the next generation the best ways to give. “The staff is always ready and willing to help,” she said. “They are easy to work with, efficient, and their investment policies ensure maximum gains without sacrificing the safety of the funds.”