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As president and CEO of Heifer International, Jo Luck travels extensively to exotic and often dangerous areas of the globe. From Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Vietnam to Ecuador, Nicaragua and Nepal, the Arkansas native lends her humanitarian hand to communities in need around the world. But at the end of the day, her favorite place in the world is the balcony of her Little Rock home overlooking the Arkansas River.

“I’ve lived in Japan and 13 states, but I still want to come home to Arkansas,” Luck says. “You know, I always wanted to live at the ocean. I said that to a group of people once, and this woman said, ‘Oh, but you do! Arkansas has oceans of wonderful people!’ And she’s right … we do.”

Luck started her career on the campaign trail for U.S. Sen. David Pryor. She served on Gov. Dale Bumpers’ staff and stayed on when Gov. Bob Riley took over for Bumpers. Luck also served as the first executive director of the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, where she “learned the importance of giving voice to those without,” she explains. In 1979, she was appointed by Gov. Bill Clinton to head the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, which she did for more than a decade.

“I was fortunate to be appointed to that role,” Luck reflects. “I learned so much about Arkansas, the beauty and variety of the state. More importantly, I think, I realized the importance of community. The United States has not preserved a sense of community the way Europe has, but Arkansas has a tremendous sense of community. People are tied to the land and to each other.”

Luck became president and CEO of Heifer International in July 1992 after serving for three years as director of international programs, where she was responsible for Heifer’s global program for sustainable development. Since 1992, Heifer International has grown from a $7 million organization to a $100 million one, and the nonprofit has assisted more than 9.1 million families in 125 countries around the world, including the United States, since its inception in 1944.

Heifer’s vision is “a world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.” The organization works with communities to end hunger and poverty by teaching people to “pass on the gift.” According to Heifer.org, the simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for more than 60 years. As people share their animals’ offspring with others — along with their knowledge, resources, and skills — an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

Luck views herself as an ambassador of sorts for her state. In 2006, she invited the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize winners of the past decade to a meeting at Heifer’s headquarters in Little Rock. The list of winners included humanitarian organizations from the United States, England, Denmark, Costa Rica, Austria and Kenya. “Most of the delegates were shocked,” she recalls. “They couldn’t see what Little Rock could possibly offer as a tourist and business destination. But they came from all over the world. And you know what? They still rave about that trip.”

Luck says she’s constantly amazed at the level of leadership in the state and how well the business communities across Arkansas work together. When Heifer International was considering locations for its headquarters, Luck received offers from Chicago, California, New York and various international cities. But she and the board of directors chose to locate the offices in Little Rock. And a recent survey of staff members, who come to Heifer from countries around the world, indicates their satisfaction with the location. “They love the quality of life here and are thrilled to be a part of the urban development along the Arkansas River,” she says.

That development began with the construction and opening of the Clinton Presidential Center. The Heifer International headquarters followed in March 2006. The building was designed by Little Rock architectural firm Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Ltd., and  its “green design” set a new standard in sustainable development. The headquarters is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified at the platinum level by the U.S. Green Building Council and has received numerous awards for its design and construction.

Slated to open in 2009, the Murphy Keller Education Center on the Heifer International campus will introduce visitors to the possibility of a world without hunger or poverty. It will provide invaluable resources for all audiences interested in becoming part of Heifer’s mission to build a more sustainable planet.

Designed as a hands-on, global education facility, the Murphy Keller Education Center will be home to ongoing programming and events. The building’s state-of-the-art conference hall will provide a forum for dialogue on important global issues, as well as celebrate cultural diversity.  Additionally, the environmentally sensitive design and restored wetlands surrounding the building will demonstrate how to build with future generations in mind.

“My vision for this area is for it to become a humanitarian corridor,” Luck says. And her vision is slowly becoming reality. Lions World Services for the Blind is locating its headquarters on land adjacent to Heifer, as is CareLink, a nonprofit organization linking older people and their family caregivers to information and resources that help them stay active and independent.

Luck is full of accolades for her home state and wants anyone and everyone to visit. “You’d be surprised at how many people vacation here and end up buying homes,” she says. “The beauty of this state is unparalleled, from the mountains right down to the Delta. We’re a small state that can out-do just about any other. Once you get a taste of life in Arkansas, you just fall in love with it.”