She recently founded Feed Communities, a non-profit hunger relief, nutrition education, and sustainable food systems advocacy organization. She was appointed to the Governor's Hunger Relief Task Force and the Higher Education Vision 2025 Task Force. Denise has also been awarded a National Komen “Power of the Promise” award; PEO, International Southern Region "Women Going Places" award; the U of A Honorary Social Worker of the Year award in 2014; and will receive the Arkansas Philanthropist of the Year this September from the Women's Foundation of Arkansas.