Four New Members Welcomed to Board of Advisors

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Four new members were recently welcomed to the university’s Board of Advisors: Sam Alley, Ben Hyneman, Mark Waldrip and Doyle Z. Williams.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas welcomed four new members to the Board of Advisors at a meeting held Friday, Sept. 24. The Board of Advisors serves as the successor organization to the National Development Council and the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee that headed the effort that raised more than $1 billion for the University of Arkansas. The board, with 77 total members, supports charitable, scientific and educational purposes related to the institution’s mission of teaching, research and service.

“It is nearly impossible to refer to the newly appointed Board of Advisors members as ‘new’ because they have long been a part of the University of Arkansas,” said Brad Choate, vice chancellor for university advancement. “I look forward to working with each of them in this capacity, and I am excited for the future of the university with this outstanding group of volunteers by our side. Their guidance and expertise is invaluable to our institution.”

The first new member, Sam Alley (B.S.C.E., 1979) is the chief executive officer for Vratsinas Construction Company in Little Rock. Alley’s community involvement has included service on the board of trustees for Mount St. Mary Academy, the advisory board for the Ronald McDonald House of Arkansas, the headquarters board of directors for Junior Achievement of Arkansas and a role as lifetime board member for Youth Home Inc. Alley is a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and he is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineers. He also serves as a member of the Central Arkansas Advisory Committee. Alley and his wife, Janet, have three children.

Ben Hyneman (B.S.B.A., 1971), president of Southern Pioneer Insurance Company in Jonesboro,  and chairman of Hyneman and Associates Inc., was also welcomed to the Board of Advisors at the September meeting. Hyneman and his brother, Hal, established a scholarship fund in 2006 and gave a second gift in 2009 to the University of Arkansas to create the Frank and Marzee Ann Hyneman Access Arkansas Scholarship, which provides assistance to students with financial need. He was named to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees in April 2008. Hyneman is a member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He is married to the former Janet Herget, who received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Arkansas in 1971. The couple has three children.

The third new member of the board is Mark Waldrip (B.S.A., 1977), president and owner of East Arkansas Seeds Inc. in Moro, Ark. He is also linked to Cullum Seeds, LLC; Waldrip Farms, Inc.; and East Arkansas Equipment Co. Waldrip serves on the Arkansas State Plant Board, the Arkansas Agriculture Board and the Arkansas Seed Dealers Association’s 2010 Legislative Committee. He was named to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees in March 2010, and he is a member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. Waldrip is married to the former Angela Eason, who received a Bachelor of Science in home economics in 1979 from the University of Arkansas. The couple has four children, all whom attended the university.

The fourth and final recent addition to the Board of Advisors is Doyle Z.Williams, senior scholar in the department of accounting at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. Williams is Dean Emeritus of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Under his leadership, the college received a $50 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation in 1998. At the time, it was the largest single gift to an American business school. Williams and his wife, Maynette, established the Doyle Z. and Maynette D. Williams Endowed Scholarship in 2002 to benefit students in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. They are A+ Life joint members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, and they have two adult children. 

“Volunteer leadership is a key component of a successful university,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “The individuals currently serving on the Board of Advisors take time out of their busy lives to fully engage in meetings and other activities. I am grateful for the dedication each person shows to this group and to the university community, and I am pleased to welcome Sam, Ben, Mark and Doyle to the board.”

The Board of Advisors is chaired by Debbie Walker of Fayetteville. The Executive Committee is as follows: Boyce Billingsley (B.S.B.A., 1955) of Bella Vista; Marilyn Bogle of Bentonville; Sandra Connor (B.A., 1965) of Little Rock, who is also the vice chair of the board; Lewis Epley (B.S.P.A., 1961, LL.D., 1961) of Fayetteville; Jim Faulkner (B.S.J., 1954) of Little Rock; Johnelle Hunt of Rogers; Julian C. Stewart (B.S.C.E., 1957) of San Antonio, Texas; and Buddy Sutton (B.S.B.A., 1953, LL.D., 1959) of Little Rock.