29 Dec 2023 Outstanding Women in Nonprofit Winner: Janice Daniels

By Rita Halter Thomas and Stefanie Brazile

The annual Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business Luncheon honors individuals in the Conway area who have excelled in leadership and community service and have inspired others on both a personal and professional level. The annual awards are overseen by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Baptist Health-Conway and Insight Enterprises. The awards luncheon was hosted Dec. 12 in the auditorium of Conway Christian High School.

Janice Daniels, Director of Finance at Milestones Service, Inc., was shocked when she learned she had been named a winner of the award. “Once the initial shock wore off, humility and gratefulness began to set in,” she said. 

One of the best things Daniels enjoys about her job is watching the children served at Milestones reach their age-appropriate milestones despite their developmental delays or disabilities. She loves knowing she plays a part in an organization that helps children and adults reach their maximum potential and does so with love and respect. 

Daniels is a Certified First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor and a SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional). She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Chi Eta Omega Chapter, serving the communities of Central Arkansas.

Daniels is thankful to her husband, Larry, and daughters Candance and Kyra for always believing in and encouraging her. “They have always been my biggest supporters. I can always count on them for a ‘go for it,’ or a ‘you can do it,’ or a ‘you got this.’” She also finds motivation and inspiration in her mother, Jimmie Montgomery. “At the age of 19, my mother’s mother passed away. Since my mother was the oldest of seven, she became the mother of eight, her six siblings and her own two toddlers.” Daniels was one of those toddlers. “Year after year, I have had the pleasure of watching her do the hard things and make a dollar out of 15 cents.”

Advice to others? “Always be your authentic self. You do not have to dim someone else’s light in order to shine. There really is enough space for everyone.” She also said she’d tell her younger self, “This too shall pass. Whatever the situation, make the best of it. Nothing lasts forever.”