Before joining PCA, Jannie served as the Assistant Director of AR Children and Family Services Preservation Unit and Administrator of Emergency Shelter and the Juvenile Justice Program at the largest children’s facility in Arkansas. For 11 years, she served on the Healthcare Reform, Forensic and Legislative Committees for children and adults services that ensure the health and welfare of mental health clients in the state. Additionally, Jannie served on the executive board as past president and secretary of the Mental Health Council, which represents 15 mental health centers across Arkansas. She is currently a member of the National Council for Behavioral Health Services and the Women’s Foundation Steering Committee.

As if all of her accomplishments and awards are not enough, Jannie indeed serves as a role model to all.  She has overcome many obstacles and trials, many of which most do not know about because she rarely talks about them; always choosing to focus on the positive.  A couple of things that you will not hear her talk about often are the battles she fought against racism and sexism. Also, she earned her master’s degree while being a divorced single parent of three children, and she even battled cancer over 29 years ago, while continuing to work and take care of her family.

Today, Jannie is a motivational speaker and leadership consultant. She is an advocate for cancer survivors, clients with mental illness, abused women and children, and anyone that is less fortunate and needs love and support.  Her primary focus is to advocate for those without a voice because God has a place for everyone.  Jannie is very outspoken and has a passion for serving others. She is a member of the National and State Association of Black Social Workers and past president of the Little Rock Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, serving as president for four years and a financial member for 48 years. Jannie currently serves as Chair on the board of directors for the Delta Presents Outreach Foundation.

As she travels all over the world, she is excited to mentor and serves the needs of others by helping them focus on the positive and fulfilling their purpose in life. 

Jannie M. Cotton, MS, LPC, is the first black woman in Arkansas to serve as Chief Executive Officer of a major mental health organization with six locations in Pulaski, Lonoke, and Prairie Counties. She recently retired as the CEO of Professional Counseling Associates (PCA) in North Little Rock, AR, serving 13 years in this role. While working with children and families for the past thirty-nine years, Jannie received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and her master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Central Arkansas. She is a licensed professional counselor and has consulted for the last 33 years in the development of shelters, outreach programs, and children services in the state.   

Some of her successes at PCA include: serving as the Director of Outpatient Services, expanding children services and early childhood services to the largest programs in the agency, establishing a specialized team of clinicians and case managers, and securing over $4 million in grant funding for the agency.

Jannie has sustained academic licensure for 33 consecutive years, expanded licensure for Day Care Summer Programs and the Juvenile Justice program. She opened and started the first Family Resource Center at the agency to provide Supportive Services free to the community.