Ms. Kohanke is Arkansas Children’s executive vice president and chief people officer, bringing more than 30 years of human resources leadership across healthcare, education, finance and marketing sectors. Known for aligning day-to-day work with high-level organizational goals, Ms. Kohanke has fostered a mission-driven, people-centered culture focused on achieving unprecedented child health. She spearheaded the launch of Arkansas Children’s first peer-to-peer recognition platform, Celebrate, which strengthens employee engagement by linking recognition to the organization’s core values of safety, teamwork, compassion and excellence. Under her leadership, the platform has expanded to celebrate personal milestones and integrate inclusive tools like Workhuman’s Inclusion Advisor, ensuring a bias-conscious and welcoming environment. She has earned the “Women Leadership Award” in the corporate executive category from the San Antonio Business Journal.
