Traci Williams Smith of Conway felt totally comfortable with two things growing up — computers and community service.
She has her family to thank for both.
Smith, 44, is a director at Acxiom in Conway, a data company. Her father, the late Paul Williams, was a sales leader at Acxiom.
“I was kind of into the computer thing before it was cool,” she said. Smith, worked part time at Acxiom when she was in high school, doing “whatever they told me to do.” She took every computer course offered in high school, too.
Smith majored in computer-information systems at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and earned a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. After a stint at Alltel in Little Rock, she came home to Acxiom in Conway, where she’s been for 20 years. She’s the director for two of Acxiom’s large financial-services clients.
“I love it; I still do. I still love learning it all,” she said.
Smith’s mother, Nancy Williams Dornblaser of Conway, was involved in Haven (a nonprofit shelter for girls), Dazzle Daze (a fundraiser for the Conway Regional Health System), Toad Suck Daze, the Conway Civic League and the Junior Auxiliary of Conway, among other organizations.
“I remember my grandmother Gerri Crisp would make food for Dazzle Daze — she’d make the food,” Smith said, laughing at the daunting thought.
Smith has been in all the above organizations, plus some others.
One of her passions is the United Way of Central Arkansas,
for which she has served as an executive board member for the past six years. A past president, she’s now the resource-development chairwoman.
On Thanksgiving, she’ll be up early to participate in the second annual Turkey Trot 5K, a United Way fundraiser that she introduced to Conway.
An avid walker, she and her family had participated in Thanksgiving Day races in other communities, including at Eden Isle in Heber Springs, where her family spent several of the holidays; at Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri; and in Charleston, South Carolina.
The route is through the Centennial Valley golf course and neighborhood, where Smith lives.
She said more than 350 people had signed up for the race as of last week.
“We’re really, really excited,” she said. “We’re saying put your turkey in the oven, or your dressing in the oven, and come out.” Registration is $25 in advance and can be done by going online to www.uwcark.org/turkey-trot. The cost is $30 the day of the race.
Although some serious runners will be there, the event is relaxed and fun, she said.
“We’re trying to get the message out for people to dress up. Put on tutus, or big funny socks, or get a funny turkey hat,” she said. Smith and other Turkey Trot committee members will don silly roasted-turkey hats for the event. There will be
activities for kids, and a a radio-station DJ will play music.
Maret Cahill Wicks, executive director of the United Way of Central Arkansas, said Smith is “ingenious.”
“She came up with this idea [for Turkey Trot], and she kept talking to me about it. I’d say, ‘OK, sounds good.’ We did it last year, and it was a success,” Cahill said.
“She’s a wonderful board member — a very good advocate for United Way. She has just really, really been so helpful to grow United Way and always has our best interests at heart.”
Cahill said Smith’s term is ending, but the board wants Smith to stay on as an ex officio member to keep sharing her ideas.
Smith said the United Way of Central Arkansas has changed in the past several years, but it’s coming back stronger than ever. She said she emphasizes two things when talking to people about the United Way.
First of all, she points out that less than 1 percent of the United Way of Central Arkansas’ budget goes to the national organization. Smith said there is a misnomer that it’s more than that.
“That’s not the case,” she said. Because it is a member of the national organization, the United Way of Central Arkansas receives funds from that organization, too.
“We get more back than we pay to be a member,” Smith said.
“No. 2, they are good stewards of your money,” she said. Proceeds from the annual campaign and fundraisers go to support 35 programs in 20 agencies in Faulkner and Perry counties.
“I like that. I don’t have to feel bad about just giving to Bethlehem House, or just giving to the Boys & Girls Club. I’ve really grown to respect the process [the United Way goes] through. I’ve become very passionate about it.”
In the past, the United Way of Central Arkansas relied on donations through its annual campaign; today, the organization also holds fundraisers, such as Jeans & Bling in the spring and Turkey Trot.
Smith won’t have much rest after the race, though.
December is a whirlwind, too. She’s involved in the Haven Christmas Coffee and is also a charter committee member of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Women in Business event, scheduled
for December. Awards are given, “and it’s grown into an outreach as well,” Smith said. This year’s speaker will be Acxiom’s
head of human resources in California — Terilyn Juarez Monroe, senior vice president of human resources.
A graduate of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute, Smith also served for about 15 years on the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Council for the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
“I love it; I love that group,” she said, adding that her goal is to someday get more involved at UCA as an alumna.
She has two active children, Will Kennedy, an 11th-grader and football player, and Elizabeth
Kennedy, a ninth-grade cheerleader. Smith also has three stepsons with her husband of six years, Josh, who works for Metova in downtown Conway.
“He’s a techy guy,” she said.
They both travel with their jobs, but Smith said that’s another reason she loves Acxiom.
“Acxiom is a very flexible place to work. When you poll associates, the No. 1, No. 1 feedback people give is the flexibility,” she said. “It’s a great place to be in central Arkansas for a working mom. I’m very, very lucky.”
She said it also helps that her kids are “really laid-back” and help with her community-service events.
“I think I do it to balance,
really. You can get real caught up in your job, right? But there’s so much going on out there,” she said, looking out the window of her office. “Those organizations need us working; they need us to volunteer.”
Luckily, handling both is in her DNA.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.