The Arkansas Research Alliance announced the addition of three new members to its Board of Trustees: Chancellor Anthony Graham of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Phillip Poston, chief development officer of Hytrol Conveyors; and Jamie Pafford-Gresham, president and CEO of Pafford Medical Services.
“Building a more competitive Arkansas is a team sport,” Bryan J. Barnhouse, president and CEO of the alliance, said in a news release Wednesday. “We welcome these truly exceptional leaders to ARA’s board and their embrace of our model that invests in the power of human ingenuity to conduct industry-facing research and grow the economy.”
ANTHONY GRAHAM
Graham serves as chancellor for UAPB. Prior to his appointment at UAPB, Graham served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and interim chancellor at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Before these appointments, he was dean of the College of Education and a tenured full professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he advanced initiatives to increase teacher diversity and expand community engagement.
“As chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, an 1890 land-grant institution, I deeply value the role of research in transforming lives and communities,” said Graham. “The Arkansas Research Alliance is a powerful catalyst for innovation in the Natural State, and I am honored to join its board of trustees to help advance research that matters for Arkansas’s future.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
PHILLIP POSTON
Poston, chief development officer for Hytrol Conveyors headquartered in Jonesboro, led the launch of Hytrol’s Fort Smith production facility, directed the development of the company’s mission, vision, and core values, established Hytrol’s digital marketing presence, and led the marketing efforts for the current branding standards, according to the release.
“I’m honored to join the Arkansas Research Alliance Board of Trustees,” said Poston. “At Hytrol, we’re passionate about research-driven innovation that advances our industry. I look forward to helping Arkansas continue to lead the way in developing solutions that shape the future of industry.”
JAMIE PAFFORD-GRESHAM
Pafford-Gresham is president and CEO of Pafford Medical Services, an emergency medical services company known for its disaster response capabilities. The company operates in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the release.
Pafford-Gresham oversees the collective fulfillment of her company’s vision, mission and core values. She also ensures the financial and operational effectiveness of the company’s ground and fixed-wing ambulance operations in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Arkansas.
“The Arkansas Research Alliance plays a pivotal role in advancing ideas that change lives in our state and beyond,” said Pafford-Gresham. “I’m honored to join the board and look forward to contributing to the mission of ARA from the lens of the rural healthcare provider.”
The alliance, which was recently awarded $8 million in NSF EPSCoR funding, is a nonprofit organization tasked with creating positive economic and social impact by fostering strong collaboration between the research community and industry. The Board of Trustees includes leading institutions from the academic and private sectors, bringing to bear a productive intersection where research and commerce meet.
“Our board of trustees is our greatest voice for research,” said Barnhouse. “Our three new members strengthen what we believe is the best Board in Arkansas.”
Operating as a public-private partnership, the alliance invests in research that stimulates innovation, encourages collaboration and strengthens economic opportunity.
The board includes: Chair Ritter Arnold, Ritter Farms; Treasurer Charles Nabholz, The Nabholz Group; Anthony Graham, UAPB; Todd Shields, Arkansas State University; Christy Drale, UA Little Rock; Deacue Fields, UA System Division of Agriculture; Charles Robinson, University of Arkansas; Chris Barber, St. Bernards Healthcare; Curtis Barnett, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Dan Brown, Big River Steel; Marty Casteel, Simmons Bank; Chris Hart, Central Moloney Inc.; Sonja Hubbard, The Yates Group; Jerry Jones, LiveRamp; Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas; Judy McReynolds, ArcBest; Jamie Pafford-Gresham, Pafford Medical Services; Phillip Poston, Hytrol Conveyors; Mike Ross, Southwest Power Pool; Reynie Rutledge, First Security Bank; Chase Selby, CTEH; Andrea Shoppach, Walmart; and Michael Verdesca, Murphy USA Inc.