The University of Arkansas board of trustees has elected Morril Harriman as its chairman for the upcoming year.
Harriman, the chief of staff for former Gov. Mike Beebe, is counsel at the law firm Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard of Little Rock, specializing in government relations. He also served 16 years in the state Senate and six years as president of the Poultry Federation.
Beebe appointed Harriman to the UA board in 2014. Members serve 10 year terms.
Harriman replaces C.C. "Cliff" Gibson III as chairman of the board, which oversees the UA System. Gibson, another Beebe appointee, rolled off the board when his term expired on Wednesday.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders this week named Kevin Crass, a senior partner at the law firm Friday Eldredge & Clark of Little Rock, to fill Gibson's seat. Crass' appointment expires in 2033.
"While we’ll miss the outspoken insights of former Chairman Gibson and the thoughtful perspective he brought to the table, I'm looking forward to working with Trustee Crass and benefitting from his many years of in-depth experience in advancing higher education in Arkansas," Harriman said in a UA news release.
"We have a very solid group of trustees with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and I'm optimistic about the year ahead and how we can continue providing educational and professional opportunities at a very high level."
The board elected Harriman chair at its regular meeting on Jan. 25-26. It also elected other officers:
- Sheffield Nelson as vice chairman.
- Kelly Eichler as secretary.
- Ted Dickey as assistant secretary.
This week, Harriman and UA System President Donald R. Bobbitt finalized board committees:
Standing Committees
Academic and Student Affairs
Ed Fryar, chair
Tommy Boyer
Kelly Eichler
Sheffield Nelson
Jeremy Wilson
UA System liaison: Ben Beaumont
Audit and Fiscal Responsibility
Jeremy Wilson, chair
Tommy Boyer
Steve Cox
Ted Dickey
Ed Fryar
Nate Todd
UA System liaison: Tara Smith
Joint Hospital
Sheffield Nelson, chair
Tommy Boyer
Steve Cox
Kelly Eichler
Ed Fryar
UA System liaison: Melissa Rust
Buildings and Grounds
Ted Dickey, chair
Tommy Boyer
Steve Cox
Sheffield Nelson
Nate Todd
UA System liaison: Donald Bobbitt
Select Committees (meet as needed)
Agriculture
Steve Cox, chair
Jeremy Wilson
Kevin Crass
Distance Education and Technology
Ed Fryar, chair
Nate Todd
Jeremy Wilson
Kevin Crass
Athletics
Steve Cox, chair
Tommy Boyer
Kelly Eichler
Sheffield Nelson
Two-Year Colleges and Technical Schools
Nate Todd, chair
Kelly Eichler
Ed Fryar
Kevin Crass
