Erica Benoit

Board of Directors

Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission | 2026-2028

Erica Benoit is the Education and Outreach Coordinator with the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, where she develops programs and communications that connect Arkansans to the state’s ecoregions and native species. A lifelong admirer of the Natural State, Erica earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish from Hendrix College, where she discovered her passion for community food systems and environmental engagement. She began her career as an AmeriCorps
VISTA with the Access to Healthy Foods Research Group, supporting community and school garden initiatives across Arkansas. Erica later earned her Master of Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where she worked with the Sustainability in Prisons Project to deliver environmental education to incarcerated learners. Before joining ANHC, she served as the Farm to School Coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, building statewide capacity for food-based education, school gardening, and local procurement. Erica is passionate about collaboration, creativity, and cultivating environmental literacy. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Arkansas’s natural places, cooking and baking, and roller skating.