The SAU Foundation Board of Governors steward and support Southern Arkansas University’s fundraising goals while serving as the governing body for SAU Foundation. They oversee the foundation and its investments on behalf of donors and SAU.
These experienced leaders dedicate their time and talents to secure a strong future for SAU. Our board governors come from a variety of backgrounds, with one common thread: sincere dedication to the success of SAU. Members meet quarterly and are led by four officers and six committees, which include Audit, Development, Governance, Investment Management, Membership, and Scholarship.
2025-2026 Officers
- Chair – Steve Card
- Vice Chair – John Dews
- Secretary – Allison Schultz
- Treasurer – Mike Dumas
Board of Governors 2025-2026
Governing Members
Joey
Baker ’77
Little Rock, AR
UAMS Adjunct Faculty
Linda Barnes ’72
Hot Springs National Park, AR
Rex
Burks ’83
Simms, TX
School Superintendent
Shelby Blair ’13
Chief Financial Officer
Southern Aluminum
Steve Card ’83
Land Manager at Albemarle Corporation
Ken Carroll ’80
Retired Army Officer and Federal Government Senior Executive Service member.
Cory Childs ’99
Attorney at Santander Consumer
John Dews ’77
Retired Bank President
Vice-Chair; Investment Management
Mike Dumas ’79
Pelham Investments, LLC
Melissa Frey ’99
Administrative Law Judge
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Governance Committee
Greg Harrison ’08
Financial Advisor/Owner of Harrison Financial Management
Investment Committee
Daniel Herrin ’94
Investor and Consultant
Investment Committee
Mohammed Islam ’95
Senior Manager Global Systems/Technology at PepsiCo Foundation
Scholarship Committee
Allen Loe ’78
Business Owner
Donor Relations Committee, Membership Committee
Evan McCrary ’13
Finance Manager at Amazon
Donor Relations Committee, Membership Committee
Dr. William McHenry ’72
Executive Director, Mississippi e-Center and Professor of Organic Chemistry
Donor Relations Committee
Pam Martin ’85
Development Committee, Scholarship Committee
Melissa
Frey ’99
Zachary, LA
Administrative Law Judge
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Governance Committee
David Rankin, Ph. D. (Emeritus)
Retired SAU President
Investment Committee
Allison Schultz ’85
COO & President — Southern Aluminum
Secretary; Audit Chair and Membership Committees
Edelma Simes ’71
Retired, Dean — Phillips Community College
Governance and Scholarship Committees
Betty Stringfellow ’62 (Emeritus)
Retired, Insurance VP
Denise Sweat ’00
SVP Loan Support Services at Farm Credit Services of Western Arkansas
Donor Relations Committee
Patsy Taylor ’71
Real Estate Investor
Scholarship Committee
Orlando Todd ’80
Retired Director of Finance — Entergy Services, Inc.
Membership, and Strategic Planning Committees
Chris Walker ’91
Chief Operating Officer at VitalCaring Group
Audit, Strategic Planning Committee
Stephen Weaver ’93
Business Owner
Donor Relations Committee
Ethan White ’17
Vice President/Branch Manager — First State Bank of Glenwood
Scholarship Committee
Laura Winning
Agricultural Real Estate Development
SAU Board of Trustees Chair
Ex-Officio Members
Roger Giles
VP for Administration — Southern Arkansas University
Dr. Bruno Hicks
Shawana Reed
VP for Finance — 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.
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)