Mission Statement
The mission of the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission (ATSC) is to provide oversight and assessment of the performance of the seven (7) programs funded by the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act of 2000.
Commissioners
Martha Hill
Commission Chair
Mitchell. Williams Law Firm
Attorney General Appointee
Term Expires: February 1, 2027
Ken Knecht, MD
Commission Vice Chair
Pediatric Cardiology/Medical Director-Heart Transplant Program
UAMS/Arkansas Children’s Hospital Senate President Pro Tempore Appointee
Term Expires: September 30, 2025
Justin White, MD
Executive Commission Committee Member
Emergency Physician
Healthcare Professional selected by Speaker of the House of Representatives
Term Expires: June 4, 2029
Andrea Allen
Commission
Executive Director Arkansas State University Delta Center for Economic Development
Governor Appointed
Term Expires: October 1, 2025
Cristy Sellers
Commissioner
Health Program Administrator DHA Division Support, ADJ
ADH Permanent Designee
Nick Fuller
Commissioner
Assistant Director of Finance
Arkansas Division of Higher Education
ADHE Permanent Designee
Jennifer Fowler
Commission
Director, Arkansas NSF EPSCoR
AEDC Permanent Designee
Jerri Clark
Commissioner
Education Professional I Department of Education/Office of Learning Service
ADE Permanent Designee
Mary Franklin
Commissioner
Director, Division of County Operations, Arkansas Department of Human Services
ADHS Permanent Designee
Commission Staff
Zsanica Wiggins, Administrative Analyst
Upcoming Meetings
- July 7, 2026
- November 3, 2026
ATSC Commission Meeting Location
Freeway Medical Building – Room 906
5800 W. 10th St.
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-683-0074
Contact
Zsanica Wiggins, Administrative Analyst
ATSC Reports
Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission Programs
The UAMS Centers on Aging’s mission is to improve the quality of life for older adults and their families through two primary missions: an infrastructure that provides quality interdisciplinary clinical care and innovative education programs.
The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (COPH) educates a public health workforce and advances the health of the public by investigating the causes, treatments, and prevention of human health problems. The College’s mission of improving the health of all Arkansans is realized through teaching and research as well as service to elected officials, agencies, organizations, and communities.
UAMS East Regional Campus provide healthcare outreach services to seven counties including St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Chicot, Desha, Monroe, and Crittenden counties. UAMS East Regional Campus, formerly known as the Delta Area Health Education Center (AHEC), was established in 1990 with the purpose of providing health education to under-served populations in the Arkansas Delta region.
Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI), the agricultural and biomedical research programs of the Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act, is a partnership of scientists from Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas-Division of Agriculture, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. ABI supports long-term agricultural and biomedical research at its five member institutions and focuses on fostering collaborative research that connects investigators from various disciplines across institutions.
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program (TPCP) includes community and school education prevention programs, enforcement of youth tobacco controls laws, tobacco cessation programs, health communications, and awareness campaigns. The TPCP also sponsors statewide tobacco control programs that involve youth to increase local coalition activities, tobacco-related disease prevention programs, minority initiatives and monitoring, and evaluation. TPCP follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Best Practices for Tobacco Control 2014 as a guide for program development.
The Tobacco Settlement Medicaid Expansion Program (TS-MEP) is a separate component of the Arkansas Medicaid Program that improves the health of Arkansas by expanding healthcare coverage and benefits to targeted populations. The program works to expand Medicaid coverage and benefits in four population: 1) Expands Medicaid coverage and benefits to pregnant women with incomes ranging from 138%-200% of the Federal Poverty Level; 2) Expands inpatient and outpatient hospital reimbursements and benefits to adults age 19-64; 3) Expands non-institutional coverage and benefits to seniors age 65 and over; 4) To reduce the developmental disabilities waiting list.
The Arkansas Minority Health Initiative (MHI) was established in 2001 through Initiated Act I to administer the Targeted State Needs for screening, monitoring, and treating hypertension, strokes, and other disorders disproportionately critical to minority groups in Arkansas by 1) increasing awareness, 2) providing screening or access to screening, 3) developing intervention strategies (including educational programs) and developing/maintaining a database.
The links below provide additional information on each of the ATSC Programs: