PROFILE: Camille Coker Wrinkle


Profile in Leadership
Camille Coker Wrinkle
Executive Director
Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank
Graduate of Leadership Texarkana Class of 2014 

Camille Coker Wrinkle was born and spent most of her childhood in Texarkana, before moving to Ashdown during her high school years. She received both her Bachelor of Arts in Business, and Master of Science in Accounting, from Hendrix College. Camille spent over ten years in Little Rock, working for such non-profits as Arkansas Children’s Hospital and CARTI Cancer Center, where she held roles that covered all aspects of fundraising and development. She moved back to Texarkana in 2013, to begin her current role as Executive Director of Harvest Regional Food Bank.  Camille is a member of Wilbur Smith Rotary Board of Directors, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance Board of Directors, Texarkana Homeless Coalition and Texarkana Area Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster. Camille is married to Tommy and they have three children, Emma, Caroline and Benjamin.  

LT: What have you learned most about making a difference in Texarkana (or about your opportunity for community leadership) from being a part of Leadership Texarkana?
I learned two very important tools to making a difference, through Leadership Texarkana. The first is that everyone has something to bring to the table. Whether it’s your time, your expertise, or simply your passion for making Texarkana stronger, you can find a place to share your strength. The second is to stay informed! You have to know what’s going on in our community before you decide how you will make a difference.  In my LT experience, I was able to gain such valuable knowledge about our government, civic organizations and business community, as well as the issues facing them.  I came away with a stronger sense of where I want to see Texarkana go, and what I can do to make sure that happens.   

LT:  What does leadership mean to you?
Personally, I think real leadership is empowering those around you with the ownership and confidence to make a meaningful impact, and helping them get the tools they need to do it. No one can do everything on their own. When people on your team feel confident in what they’re doing, they feel powerful. And when you have a group of confident players with ownership in the success of something, everyone wins…especially your organization. 

LT: What’s your passion of involvement in our community–where you hope to make a difference?
I feel most at home working to strengthen and grow non-profits. We have so many wonderful causes here in the Texarkana area that people aren’t aware of. Or they don’t know exactly what the organization does and how they can get involved. One thing I’m focused on is changing that, not just for Harvest Regional Food Bank, but for our area nonprofits as a whole. Some of the friends and connections I made through LT have allowed me to do just that; educate others, including community leaders, about the mission and work here at the food bank and at other organizations.  

LT: If you had one wish and could make a huge difference in Texarkana (your small corner) what would you do with that one wish and why? 
One wish I have is to close our area’s meal gap. It’s hard to believe, but 1 in 5 in the Texarkana area struggles with food insecurity, and Texas and Arkansas have consistently ranked in the top 5 for childhood hunger.  These are the people we live, work and play with.  There is so much food waste around us and you never know who might be struggling to put food on their table. It could even be your neighbor, or someone in your child’s class.   My biggest thrill is setting up a new community pantry or handing out food boxes to rural, low-income families.  You see someone’s whole demeanor change.  They get back a little power over something that seems so basic for most of us.   When you don’t have security about your next meal, you don’t have security about a lot of other things. 

LT: What do many people not know about you that you would to share with us?
Growing up, I helped deliver a calf.  Not something that was planned! I was visiting my grandmother at her farm, and most of the men were gone. It had to be done, for the calf and the mother, and looking back it helped teach me this: when something needs to be done, be the person that jumps right in there and helps get it done. 

LT: What are some of your passions and hobbies?  What do you most love to do in Texarkana? 
I love to share time with my friends and family. I have a brother and two sisters who are my dearest friends and since I moved back here three years ago, I get to see much more of them. We still get together with my parents, which I truly treasure.

I like good food and I LOVE traveling.  Even on work trips, like a recent visit to the San Francisco food bank, I try to make time to get out and experience something cool about the city. Most of all, I love being with my husband, Tommy, and our kids, Ben, 8, Caroline, 10 and Emma 13. Whether it’s at the lake or vacation, or simply movie night at home, I soak up every minute of it. 

 

 

 

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