Dr. Mary Bane Lackie Joins NCWC Advisory Board

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (December 11, 2024) – Dr. Mary Bane Lackie, vice president of advancement and foundation president at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), has joined the National Cold War Center’s (NCWC) National Advisory Board.

Dr. Lackie, who grew up in Blytheville, brings over 35 years of experience in higher education, including leadership of UCA’s recent UCA NOW capital campaign, which raised more than $122 million.

“The National Cold War Center will bring the world to my hometown to learn about one of the most important conflicts in world history through the eyes of those who lived through it,” said Lackie. “My family moved to Blytheville in 1968 when my dad took a civilian job at Blytheville Air Force Base, so this is also very personal to me. I look forward to leveraging my experience in higher education and advancement to help the Center fulfill its mission.”

Before entering her current role at UCA, Lackie served as vice chancellor for university advancement at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, where she led the university’s foundation. She has also held various positions at colleges and universities in the U.S., Dubai, Armenia, and Poland, as well as with two U.S. government-funded higher education projects in Pakistan.

“Dr. Lackie has spent nearly four decades advancing institutions of higher education. Education is the primary function of the National Cold War Center, and Dr. Lackie’s expertise will provide incredible value to the advancement of the Center during the critical years ahead,” said Mary Gay Shipley, chair of The National Cold War Center Board of Directors.

The National Cold War Center is a federally designated museum being developed on the campus of the former Blytheville Air Force Base, once a Strategic Air Command facility and key U.S. military outpost for three decades during the Cold War. The Smithsonian-affiliated Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, D.C., is partnering with NCWC to complete this unique museum, targeting a grand opening in late 2027. Once open, the NCWC will serve as the United States’ official museum of the Cold War.