Bill Clary of Conway was elected by his fellow trustees to serve as chairman of the Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees for the 2025 calendar year on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Clary was appointed to a five-year term on the ATU Board of Trustees by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2021. His term expires on Jan. 14, 2026.
A 1996 graduate of Arkansas Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, Clary is chief executive officer for Arkansas State Employees Benefit Advisors. The organization he oversees is a joint venture between H&H Employee Benefits Specialists and the State Employee Benefit Corporation that provides a single voluntary brokerage service for employees of the State of Arkansas.
Clary has previously served his alma mater as a member of ATU’s young alumni advisory board and the ATU Foundation Board of Directors.
Other Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees officers for 2025 are Stephanie Duffield of Russellville (vice chairman) and Cory Cox of Perryville (secretary). They are joined on the board by Jim Smith of Bentonville.
The fifth member of the ATU Board of Trustees for 2025 will be appointed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Len Cotton of Dardanelle, who is ATU Board of Trustees chairman in 2024, will continue as a board member through the end of his five-year appointment on Jan. 14, 2025.
In other business on Thursday, Dec. 19, the ATU Board of Trustees approved:
*awarding a construction contract in the amount of $3,366,152 to Cline Construction Group for the completion of a chilled water loop project on the ATU campus in Russellville;
*adoption of a new mission statement and a new vision statement for ATU;
*the ATU financial statement and audit report for the period ending June 30, 2024, as well as the certification of appropriation and fund balance for submission to the chief fiscal officer of the State of Arkansas and the Arkansas Legislative Council;
*ATU’s 2024 fiscal transparency report;
*an updated ATU key policy;
*an updated ATU contracts policy;
*the ATU Healthy Employee Lifestyle Program, which will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, and will provide opportunities for ATU employees to earn up to two days of additional leave in a calendar year by taking steps such as obtaining annual physician wellness screenings, engaging in physical activity, participating in health education opportunities and participating in designated healthy events;
*a transfer of $322,646 from ATU-Ozark Campus bookstore sales commissions into a reserve fund for facilities improvements at ATU-Ozark;
*a CUPA salary adjustment for all ATU Russellville campus employees not on a performance improvement plan based on their current CUPA (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources) title and the associated CUPA median salary;
*a policy that permits students with disabilities to substitute courses that their disabilities prohibit them from completing;
*and an annual resolution that authorizes expense reimbursement for board members in accordance with Act 1211 of 1995.
In personnel matters, the ATU Board of Trustees approved the following full-time appointments:
*Brian Bass, visiting workforce education faculty of automotive service technology at Arkansas Tech Career Center (ATCC), effective Oct. 14, 2024; Dr. Michael Bradley, dean of the ATU College of Research and Graduate Studies, effective Jan. 1, 2025; Abigail Breer, administrative analyst, effective Nov. 1, 2024; Katherine Ehemann, controller, effective Jan. 1, 2025; Herminia Gamarro, institutional services assistant, effective Nov. 1, 2024; Sheila Gamero, GEAR UP project director, effective Dec. 2, 2024; Bethany Gentry, institutional services assistant, effective Nov. 1, 2024; Katie Heflin, financial aid analyst, effective Dec. 2, 2024; Susan Johnson, assistant registrar for front operations customer service, effective Nov. 15, 2024; Kacie Lopez, administrative assistant III, effective Nov. 4, 2024; John “Anthony” Lowrey, facilities manager and carpenter at ATU-Ozark, effective Nov. 1, 2024; Charles Majors, instructional designer, effective Jan. 2, 2025; Kathy Marshal, institutional services assistant at ATCC, effective Dec. 6, 2024; Kathleen Martin, interim director of human resources, effective Jan. 6, 2025; Suzanne McCall, vice president for administration and finance, effective Jan. 2, 2025; Steven Nieken, general maintenance worker, effective Nov. 4, 2024; Alan Parsons, outreach services coordinator, effective Nov. 11, 2024; Dr. Tina Smith, ATU-Ozark vice chancellor for academic affairs and workforce advancement, effective Dec. 6, 2024; David Spicer, visiting workforce education faculty of law enforcement at ATU-Ozark, effective Nov. 1, 2024; Roy Thompson, head football coach, effective Jan. 2, 2025; Hannah Tober, financial analyst II, effective Dec. 2, 2024; and Jennifer Warren, director of procurement, effective Dec. 1, 2024.
The board accepted resignations from the following ATU employees:
*Khamphay Anderson, coordinator of campus visits, effective Dec. 6, 2024; Amie Booth, administrative specialist II, effective Nov. 11, 2024; Jason Geiken, vice president for advancement, effective Dec. 5, 2024; Elli McCabe, Career Pathways Initiative academic and career counselor at ATU-Ozark, effective Nov. 6, 2024; Dr. Jonathan Nash, assistant professor of music and assistant director of bands, effective Dec. 14, 2024; Charles Petty, workforce education faculty of automotive service technology at ATCC, effective Oct. 11, 2024; Chris Rambo, workforce education master instructor of law enforcement at ATU-Ozark, effective Oct. 31, 2024; Dr. Bryan Rank, associate professor of agricultural education, effective Dec. 23, 2024; Melissa Riffle, director of human resources, effective Jan. 3, 2025; Dr. Ebrahim Seidi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, effective Aug. 12, 2024; and Kyle Shipp, head football coach, effective Dec. 31, 2024;
Trustees granted requests for retirement from:
*Ronda Hawkins, director of the regional office of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at ATU, effective Jan. 2, 2025; Bonnie Heathcock, administrative specialist II, effective Dec. 23, 2024; Mary McCoy, student accounts officer, effective Dec. 31, 2024; and Mitzi Reano, human resources and Title IX officer at ATU-Ozark Campus, effective June 30, 2025.
