Arkansas leaders will gather Wednesday, September 23, for the 2026 Arkansas Census Summit, one of the first statewide opportunities to begin preparing communities for a complete and accurate 2030 Census.
Arkansas Impact Philanthropy and Arkansas Connects & Counts are hosting the summit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Murphy Keller Education Center, 1 World Avenue in Little Rock.
The summit will examine lessons from the 2020 Census and steps communities can take now to improve participation in 2030. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey found Arkansas had a statistically significant 5.04% net population undercount in the 2020 Census.
A major focus will be the 2030 Local Update of Census Addresses, known as LUCA. The program allows eligible cities and counties to review the Census Bureau’s residential address list for their jurisdictions. The first phase of LUCA begins in May 2027, making preparation by local officials an immediate priority.
Participants will also learn how to become Census Champions—trusted local messengers who can educate residents, recruit partners and help reach populations that may be harder to count. Arkansas Connects & Counts has developed a statewide Census Guide and sector-specific resources to support that work.
The summit will bring together representatives from local and state government, philanthropy, nonprofits, education, business, faith communities and other organizations.
Featured speakers and panelists include Alison Wright of the Arkansas Economics Institute; Randy Zook of the Arkansas State Chamber; Mark Hayes of the Arkansas Municipal League; Dante Moreno of the National League of Cities; Joe Salvo, chair of the 2030 Census National LUCA Working Group; the Reverend Preston Clegg of Second Baptist Church; Dr. Jonathan Crossley of Hope Public Schools; and Shelby Johnson, Arkansas state geographic information officer.
Media are invited to attend and interview speakers and Arkansas Counts partners. Randy Zook, Mark Hayes, Dante Moreno and Joe Salvo will be available for interviews from noon to 12:30 p.m. Interviews may also be arranged in advance.
For more information about the summit, LUCA or becoming a Census Champion, visit ar-counts.org.
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