H. Lawson Hembree IV Named UA Volunteer Of The Year

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - H. Lawson Hembree IV, president of the Arkansas Alumni Association, was named this year’s University of Arkansas Volunteer of the Year at the Chancellor’s Society dinner Saturday night at the Springdale Holiday Inn. Chancellor John A.White made the presentation.

White said, "I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lawson over the past two years in his capacity as alumni president. I’ve been so thoroughly impressed with the support he has generated for the University and the range of accomplishments over this time. His family has had an extraordinary commitment to the University for many years." Hembree’s father, H. L. Hembree, was chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees.

As a testament to his leadership, H. Lawson Hembree was elected the first two-term president in the history of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He was instrumental as major gifts chair in the funding and construction of the University’s new Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Through his leadership, two goals were surpassed in making the $3.4 million, 19,000 square-foot building possible. The Hembree Alumni House now serves as a cornerstone of the campus and is the headquarters for over 112,000 UA alumni.

As president of the Alumni Association, Hembree attends chapter meetings around the state, lobbies legislators on behalf of the University and represents the Alumni Association at student events. During his tenure, membership in the Alumni Association has grown to 25,658. Hembree supported the formation of the Black Alumni Society and also served on the founding board of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Alumni Society. His enthusiasm and commitment to these alumni societies have led to the formation of at least four other constituent groups. Other distinctions include working closely with the University to establish its historical marker program and being a contributing member of the Razorback Foundation.

Mike Macechko, executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association, said, "The Alumni Association has been so fortunate to have his dedicated leadership for the past two years. His sound judgement, council and great ideas helped us work through many challenges in renovating the alumni house."

Hembree, a native of Fort Smith, graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1982 with a B.S. in Animal Science. While at the U of A, he was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He has always held strong ties to the University; his father, H.L. Hembree III, his mother Janelle, and his brother Scott are all graduates. He earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University and worked for seven years in Dallas as a vice president for Citibank.

Hembree is currently president of Sugar Hill Farms, Inc., a fully integrated agricultural business in Franklin and Logan counties. The farms raise Angus cattle and pigs, along with crops such as black-eyed peas, corn and soybeans. The business has been in the family since 1860. For over ten years, he has been a partner in Sugar Hill Partners of Rosehill, a family partnership that manages various family enterprises. He also serves as president of Trans-America Tire, a Hembree-owned company. Previously, he was president of Deposit Guaranty National Bank-Fort Smith, formerly Merchants National Bank. He was cited in the 1998 Arkansas Business 5^th annual "40 under 40" survey as one of the state’s most outstanding business leaders.

Hembree’s service to his community is extensive. In addition to serving as chairman of the Western Regional Management Committee of Arkansas Health Partners, he was vice chairman of the advisory board of St. Edward Mercy Medical Center. He was a director of Leadership Fort Smith, a member of Subiaco Abbey’s President’s Council, vice chairman of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee and chairman of a United Way task force exploring the need for a community services center. His lifelong commitment to the Boy Scouts continues today through his service to the Western Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America as a district committee member and pack committee chairman of Pack 123. Previously, he served as president of the Fort Smith United Way, director of the Town Club of Fort Smith and the public school employees Insurance Advisory Committee.

Hembree said, "I really think my role in our business is to set the goals, empower the people who are working for us, give them the resources necessary to reach the goal and coach them in achieving that goal." He has carried that philosophy into his volunteer role, inspiring Arkansas alumni and the Fort Smith community to achieve many notable goals.

Hembree and his wife, Debbie, have two sons, Lawson and Chris. The Hembrees currently teach a Sunday school class of three-year olds.

(Note: A photograph is available on the web at http://pigtrail.uark.edu/news/ )