The Arkansas Research Alliance announced Tuesday the addition of four new board of trustees members: AT&T Arkansas President Ronnie Dedman; David Peacock, president of Hytrol Conveyor Co.; Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas Inc.; and Dr. Cam Patterson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
The new additions bring the board to 22 members. The board is made of Arkansas business leaders and chancellors from each of the state's five major research universities.
"The board was created to drive the strategic role of research in the economic future of Arkansas," ARA COO Bryan Barnhouse said in a news release. "Each member is truly excited about elevating the role of research in Arkansas."
The board meets three times a year; its next meeting is set for December.
Dedman is a graduate of Arkansas State University and a 41-year veteran of AT&T. He was named to his current post earlier this year.
Peacock began his career at Hytrol as executive vice president in 2014 and assumed his current role in 2015. Before joining Hytrol, he spent 18 years in manufacturing management positions and served as executive vice president and COO of Kalmar RT Center in Cibolo, Texas.
Landreaux joined Entergy in 2007 and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas. Before being named to her current role earlier this year, she served Entergy Arkansas as finance director. Landreaux is the investor-owned electric utility's first female chief executive.
Before working at Entergy, she was an attorney for the Salt River Project in Phoenix, Arizona. Landreaux is also a founding member of Arkansas Women in Power and is a member of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Women’s Auxiliary.
Patterson, prior to being hired by UAMS in June, served as COO of the Weill-Cornell Medical Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He attended Emory University School of Medicine and became chief resident at Grady Memorial Hospital at Emory University in 1992.
