Gov. Asa Hutchinson has appointed Bill Clary of Conway to the Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees.

Pope County Judge Ben Cross administered the oath of office to Clary at the beginning of the ATU Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, May 20.

Clary’s five-year term will expire on Jan. 14, 2026. He succeeds Tom Kennedy of Little Rock. Kennedy served on the board from 2010-15 and 2016-21, and he was chairman of the board in 2014 and 2020.

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 the 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. His father, Dr. Eldon Clary, was a member of the Arkansas Tech faculty from 1967-2012 and retired as dean of the ATU College of Education.

“Tech has always been a part of our family,” said Clary. “My dad was here for decades and so many of my family members have gone here, so it’s like coming back home. Tech is a very important institution to not only my family and myself, but to the next generation coming up. It’s part of me, so I’m glad to be able to give back and serve.”

Returning members of the ATU Board of Trustees for 2021 are Eric Burnett of Fort Smith, Stephanie Duffield of Russellville, Jim Smith of Fayetteville and Len Cotton of Dardanelle.

-By Sam Strasner
for the Tech Action, Fall 2021