Jerry Cox
Founder and President, Family Council
Jerry is the founder and president of Family Council. He began Family Council in 1989 after a successful effort to amend the Arkansas Constitution to prevent the use of public funds for abortions. He is the founder of the Education Alliance, the Arkansas Physician’s Resource Council, and the Arkansas Justice Institute. In 2004 he spearheaded a successful effort to amend the Arkansas Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In 2008 Jerry led a successful effort to pass the Arkansas Adoption and Foster Care Act. Between fundraising, public speaking, leading the staff, lobbying, and writing, Jerry maintains an active role in ensuring that Family Council continues to serve the people of Arkansas as it has for more than 45 years. He and his wife reside in Little Rock. They have four sons, seven grandsons, and two granddaughters.
Dr. Jim Lagrone
Church Ambassador Network Director
Dr. Jim Lagrone is a pastor, educator, and faith-based consultant with over 50 years of ministry experience, having pastored in Arkansas and Texas. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts from Arkansas State University.
Dr. Lagrone has made significant contributions to both the civic and educational sectors. He was elected to the Bryant Public School Board and served two terms as President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. He was also appointed to the Commission on Children, Youth, and Families for the City of Little Rock.
His academic involvement includes teaching at The Southern Seminary Extension and Ouachita Baptist University, where he also sat on the Board of Trustees. His commitment to the gospel has been demonstrated by working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and service as a hospice chaplain. In recognition of his impactful ministry, he was named Minister of the Year by Williams Baptist College in 1999.
Known for his political engagement, Dr. Lagrone has educated churches on civic duty and advised political campaigns that uphold biblical values. He currently serves as a bi-vocational pastor and the Director of the Church Ambassador Network of Arkansas, a role that bridges the church and government spheres by engaging public officials with biblical counsel.
Charisse Camp
Government Affairs Coordinator
Charisse has worked with Family Council since 2014. In 2015, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed her to a seven-year term on the Arkansas State Board of Education, where she rose to serve as Chairman. After her tenure, she accepted an opportunity to work with the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, where she currently serves as a board member. Charisse has been a tireless advocate for legislation that protects women and children. The first bill she lobbied for was the Abortion-Inducing Drug Safety Act of 2015. Since then, she has championed measures such as the SAFE Act—the nation’s first law protecting children from gender transition procedures—and Arkansas’ first appropriation directing $2 million in grants to Pregnancy Help Organizations. As Executive Director of the ARFuture Foundation, she raises funds to assist pregnant mothers and families across Arkansas. Charisse also excels in organizing key events like our annual Pastors’ Day at the Capitol and monthly intercessory prayer gatherings there. A mother of two daughters and two sons, her youngest will soon enter college. Charisse has always had a love for the outdoors and has enjoyed teaching her family skills like homesteading, food preservation,camping, and wild foraging. She recently enrolled in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, expanding her love of learning and adventure to include things like camping and hunting and hopes to one day soon become a program mentor. Charisse is also a worshipper and uses her singing gift to serve on her church’s praise team. Charisse is an avid student and lover of the Word of God and has earned a diploma of Biblical Studies from Agape College, but her lifelong goal is to earn a “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Stephanie Nichols
Chief Legal Counsel, Arkansas Justice Institute
Stephanie is a lifelong Arkansan and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law, where she served on the editorial board for the Arkansas Law Review. Stephanie began working for Family Council in 2024 after working throughout the nation on religious freedom and rights of conscience for Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom. She has worked on state legal issues of importance to Christians since 2012, including religious freedom in public schools and communities, freedom of conscience issues, pro-life issues, and protecting the innocence of children. As a lifelong Arkansan and homeschooling mother of 7 children, she has a desire to focus on building a strong culture in Arkansas for future generations. Her favorite duties at Family Council include working on the Arkansas legislative sessions with the goal of passing laws that serve as models for the rest of the country. Since family responsibilities limit her work to a part-time basis, she is now focused on launching the Arkansas Justice Institute to connect and leverage the expertise of Christian attorneys in Arkansas. One of her goals is to develop a grant program to ensure important cases that advance freedom and protect Arkansas families can be litigated in Arkansas. She is passionate about quality educational opportunities and educational freedom for every Arkansas child and family. She enjoys home education, reading good books, spending time with her family and loved ones, and musical interests such as songwriting, playing the piano, and singing. She says, “I have seen God come through and win unlikely battles over and over during my life and legal career. He uses unlikely vessels from the world’s perspective and turns them into victors in His kingdom. I am passionate about more Arkansas Christians taking what they have and offering it to the Lord and seeing what He will do with it!”
Luke McCoy
Director of Development, Family Council
Luke McCoy serves as the Director of Development at Family Council, where he has led fundraising efforts since 2014, helping the organization reach new heights in financial support. In addition to his work at Family Council, Luke is an elected member of the Pulaski County Quorum Court representing the Sherwood area and operates a tree-trimming business.
A gifted communicator and lobbyist, Luke was instrumental in passing the nation’s strongest medical rights of conscience law in 2021, protecting healthcare workers’ religious and ethical freedoms. He holds a degree in Business from the University of Central Arkansas. Luke and his wife, Lindsey, live in Central Arkansas with their four children.
Erin Hogan
Government Relations Director/Projects & Research
Erin Hogan is the Director of Government Relations at Family Council in Arkansas, where she works closely with legislators to advocate for traditional family values. Over the past six and a half years, she has helped pass key legislation at the State Capitol. Erin has also led efforts to secure pro-life resolutions across Arkansas and helped pass laws that protect life and preserve privacy in women’s spaces. She organizes statewide worldview conferences and manages Family Council’s voter guide for elections. She also contributes to Family Council’s efforts on Released Time and getting other aspects of faith in schools to reach as many students as possible.
Erin was recently commissioned as a Colson Fellow and holds a degree in Accounting and is pursuing a degree in English.
