SAU Foundation Board of Governors 2026-27
Officers
Chair – John Dews
Vice Chair – Chris Walker
Secretary – Melissa Frey
Treasurer – Mike Dumas
Governing Members
Joey Baker '77
Little Rock & Emerson, Arkansas
Personal Finance Educator, Speaker &
Amazon Bestselling Author
Donor Relations Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
Linda Barnes '72
Little Rock, Arkansas
Membership Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
Rex Burks '83
Simms, Texas
School Superintendent
Executive Committee
Donor Relations Committee
Membership Committee (Chair)
Shelby Blair '13
Magnolia, Arkansas
Chief Financial Officer
Southern Aluminum
Audit Committee (Chair)
Ken Carroll '80
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Retired Army Officer and Federal Government Senior Executive Service member.
Governance Committee
Donor Relations Committee (Chair)
Cory Childs '99
Dallas, Texas
Attorney at Santander Consumer
Executive Committee
Governance Committee
Investment Committee (Chair)
John Dews '77
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Retired Bank President
Vice-Chair; Investment Management
Executive Committee (Chair)
Mike Dumas '79
Houston, Texas
Pelham Investments, LLC
Executive Committee (Treasurer)
Investment Committee
Strategic Planning Committee
Finance Committee (Chair)
Melissa Frey '99
Zachary, Louisiana
Administrative Law Judge
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Executive Committee (Secretary)
Governance Committee (Chair)
Greg Harrison '08
El Dorado, Arkansas
Financial Advisor/Owner of Harrison Financial Management
Investment Committee
Finance Committee
Daniel Herrin '94
Katy, Texas
Investor and Consultant
Investment Committee
Finance Committee
John Hillhouse ‘05
Houston, Texas
Partner at PwC
Audit Committee
Finance Committee
Mohammed Islam '95
Dallas, Texas
Senior Manager, PepsiCo Foods
Investment Committee
Rickey Jasper '84
Prosper, Texas
Audit Committee
Finance Committee
Pam Martin '85
Shreveport, Louisiana
Retired Senior Financial Analyst with International Paper
Donor Relations Committee
Scholarship Committee
Evan McCrary '13
Little Rock, Arkansas
Finance Manager at Amazon
Executive Committee
Membership Committee
Scholarship Committee
Dr. William McHenry '72
Madison, Mississippi
Executive Director, Mississippi e-Center and Professor of Organic Chemistry
Donor Relations Committee
Scholarship Committee (Chair)
Justin Morris '08
Mandeville, Louisiana
District Manager at Airgas
Donor Relations Committee
Scholarship Committee
Shelley Pruitt '04
El Dorado, Arkansas
Chief Financial Officer of El Dorado School District
Audit Committee
Membership Committee
Ryan Rainwater '08
Magnolia, Arkansas
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the 13th Judicial District
Governance Committee
Donor Relations Committee
David Rankin, Ph.D. (Emeritus)
Magnolia, Arkansas
SAU President Emeritus
Investment Committee (Ex-Officio)
Finance Committee (Ex-Officio)
Edelma Simes '71
West Helena, Arkansas
Retired, Dean — Phillips Community College
Scholarship Committee
Betty Stringfellow '62 (Emeritus)
Little Rock, Arkansas
Retired, Insurance VP
Denise Sweat '00
McCaskill, Arkansas
SVP Loan Support Services at Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas
Audit Committee
Membership Committee
Chris Walker '91
McKinney, Texas
Chief Operating Officer at VitalCaring Group
Executive Committee (Vice Chair)
Investment Committee
Strategic Planning Committee (Chair)
Ethan White '17
Glenwood, Arkansas
Vice President/Branch Manager — First State Bank of Glenwood
Audit Committee
Finance Committee
Ex-Officio Members
Roger Giles
Magnolia, Arkansas
VP for Administration — Southern Arkansas University
Dr. Bruno Hicks
Magnolia, Arkansas President — Southern Arkansas University
Shawana Reed
Magnolia, Arkansas
VP for Finance — Southern Arkansas University
Dr. Connie Wilson
Magnolia, Arkansas
Vice President for Advancement — Southern Arkansas University
Jessica Greaves
Magnolia, Arkansas
Executive Director of Foundation — Southern Arkansas University
Former SAU Foundation Board Members
These individuals have previously demonstrated their commitment and dedication to our board of governors through their service and support.
- Dr. Betty Blue (80-87)
- Dr. Harold Brinson (80-91, 92-18, Emeritus)
- Dr. Imon Bruce (80)
- Gregg Buchanan (80-83)
- Dr. Dolph Camp (80-85)
- Cameron Dodson (80, 81-86)
- Dr. Robert Pearce (80-88)
- Gille Schene (80-82, 83-85)
- D.O. Talbot (80)
- Mack Taylor (80-83, 87-90, 95-01)
- Col. Charlie Wilkins (80)
- Dr. John H. Wilson (80)
- Sanford Beshear, Jr. (80-82, 83-85)
- Orval Childs (81-83)
- Harold Fincher (81-87, 88-91, 93-99, Emeritus)
- Archie Monroe (81-87)
- Mickey Pittman (81-87, 88-94)
- Ronnie Ribble (81-87, 13)
- Herbert Russell (81-83)
- Dr. Albert Stecker (81-82)
- Emmie Gamble (82-83, 90-93)
- James Cook (83-85)
- H. J. Crowell (83-84)
- Charles Downs (83-85)
- Dr. Larry Embree (83-89)
- Paul Hime (83-86)
- Marion Jones (83-89, 94-97)
- Jack Marshall (83-88)
- Charles Wade (83-84)
- W. T. Watson (83-88, 01-05)
- Ralph Weiser (83-88)
- Lee Davis (84-90)
- Perrin Jones (84-85, 89-90)
- Lamar Smith (84-90)
- Mary Anna Whitehead (84-90)
- Joe Woodward (84-90, 91-94)
- William Handy (85-86, 90-91)
- Sarah Newton (85-88)
- Alan White (85-86)
- Dr. Bob Burns (86-87)
- James Haynes (86-92, 93-96)
- Lois Gean Kelly (86-92)
- Emily Klob (86-88)
- Arthur Souter (86)
- Shirley Combs (87-91)
- Dr. Ron Ponder (87-93)
- Don Ragar (87-90)
- Virginia Todd (87-88, 93-99)
- Ken Williams (87-93)
- Kelvin Wyrick (87-93)
- Bob Hendrix (88-94, 95-01, 02-06)
- Josephine Davis (88-90)
- Roy Ledbetter (88-89)
- Dr. Dorothy McGarity (88-89)
- Roger Smith (88-91)
- Felix Fabian (89-92)
- Bob Gantt (89-95)
- John Gardner (89-95)
- Joel Reeves (89-95)
- Mary Faye Black (90-91)
- LaVerne Burton (90-92)
- Ken Koen (90-96)
- Gene McPherson (90-96)
- Carl Teague (90-92)
- Roger Bell (90-93, 16-18)
- Roy Fish (90-96)
- Charles Black (91-94)
- Richard Clark (91-97, Emeritus)
- Betty Moore Wortham (91-94)
- Dr. John Coppett (92-95)
- Dr. Steven G. Gamble (92)
- Jerry Horne (92-95)
- Denny Smith (92-95)
- Harry Thomason (92-98)
- Alan Duncan (93-99)
- Lance Larey (93-99, 01-07, 14-16)
- Clyde Sasser (93)
- Jean Turner (93-99)
- Jeanie Bismark (94-00)
- Donald Brown (94-00)
- Sess Hensley (94-97)
- Don Stemple (94)
- Partee Tuberville (94-97)
- Dr. James Whitmore (93-96)
- Quintus Crews (95-98)
- J. D. Garrett, Jr. (95-98)
- Mike Hunnicutt (95)
- Don Johnson (95-98)
- Mike Kinard (95-01)
- Terry Roberts (95-98)
- John Clary (96-02)
- Chris Claybaker (96-99)
- O. A. (Buddy) Franks (96-98, 11)
- Robert McWilliams (96-99)
- Darline Shepherd (96-97)
- Larry Singleton (96)
- Gisele Souter (96-02)
- Herschell Teague (96)
- William Carlisle (97-00)
- Nate Evers (97-01, 05-06, 10-11)
- Alan Ribble (97-00, 18-)
- Wayne Taylor (97-98)
- George Wheatley (97-01, 04)
- Nancy Williams (97-03)
- Jack Harrington (98-99)
- Ralph Holiman (98-04)
- Della Jordan (98-02)
- Arthur Miner (98-02)
- Homer Stout (98-04)
- Louis Blanchard (99-01, 02-07, 08-11, 12-14, 15, Emeritus)
- Charles Colquitt (99-05)
- Ben Eiler (99-05)
- Dr. Ricky Hughes (99-01, 09-12, 13-15)
- Clara Jones (99-00)
- Daisy Gillaspie Kohn (99-02)
- Saundra Lewis (99-05)
- Daisy Kohn Uhrich (99-02)
- Mark Wiley (99-05)
- Paul Brewster (00-03)
- Ken Crain (00-06)
- Todd Griffin (00-01)
- Lane Jean (00-01)
- Dr. Bill Scurlock (00-06, 07-14)
- Dr. Vernon White (00-06)
- Jim Baker (01-06)
- Lawrence Bearden (01-07, 08-11, 12-14)
- Mason Cozart (01-06)
- Milton Hambrice (01)
- J. W. Rowe (01-14)
- Jim Andrews, Jr. (02-05)
- Jack Daugherty (02- 05)
- Chris Gilliam (02-03)
- Gerane McWilliams (02-04)
- Charles Tripp (02-05)
- Dr. Jerry Guess (03-04)
- Dr. Bonnie Whitmore (03-04)
- Stephen Bright (04-07)
- Ben Eiler, Jr. (04-07)
- Twyla Pruden (04-05)
- Alex Sheshunoff (04-07)
- Bill Stringfellow (04-07, 09-12, 15-16)
- Dr. Mark Dixon (05-11, 13-16)
- Jeanne Bowman Franks (05-08, 08-11)
- Mary Harsh (05-11, 13-15)
- Bill Anderson (06-10)
- Shirley Bailey (06-09)
- Bill O’Brien (06-12)
- J. David Reynolds III (06-12)
- Laura Shurdownitz (08-11)
- Phil Brooks (07-13, 15-17, 18-20)
- Tim Daniels (07-13, 18-23)
- Dr. Kathleen Mallory (07-13)
- Debbie Arnold (08-11,12-14, 17-19)
- Thomas Beasley (08-09)
- Paul Gean (08-14, 17-19)
- Travis Buchanan (09-12, 13-15, 17-19)
- Dr. D. Bud Dickson (09-12)
- Julia Laney Machen (09-12, 13-15, 17-19)
- Teddy Reynolds (09-12, 13-15)
- Dr. Willis Beene (10-13, 14-16)
- Sharon Eichenberger (10-13, 14-16)
- Beth Galway (10-14, 15-17)
- Rosie Matlock-Muldrew (10-14, 15-17)
- Jerry Mayfield (10-14, 15-17, 21-23)
- Joe Pieratt (10-13, 14-16, 18-23)
- Claude Ramey (10-14)
- Stephen Weaver (10)
- James Freeman (13)
- Edgar Lee (13-14)
- Sherry Phillips (13-15)
- Jan Story (14-16)
- Robin Story (14-16, 17-19)
- Dr. Claude Baker (15-17)
- Molly Burns (15-17, 18-20)
- Mike Dumas (15-18)
- Kent Hendrix (15-17, 18-20)
- Boyd Rosser (15-17)
- Tom Watson (15-17. 18)
- Charlotte Baine (16-18, 19-21)
- Dr. David Rankin (16-18)
- Terry “Bo” Ray (16-18)
- Betty Stringfellow (16-18)
- Beth Weldon (16-18)
- John Dumas (17-?)
- Charley Jackson (18-20)
- Iverson Jackson (18-23)
- Roger Giles (ex officio)
- Jennifer Pierce (2018-2024)