Elon Turner
Elon Turner of Fayetteville has been named executive director of the Arkansas Research and Education Optical Network, effective June 21.
Turner is the director of infrastructure and telecommunication services at the University of Arkansas’ flagship campus in Fayetteville and has served in various information technology roles there since 2008.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication, a graduate certificate of enterprise systems and a master’s degree in information systems from the UA.
ARE-ON is a nonprofit consortium of all public degree-granting institutions in Arkansas and other selected higher education organizations. It provides a high-speed fiber optic network throughout the state to its members, affiliates, national research and education networks, regional optical networks and commercial service providers.
ARE-ON is governed by a 15-member board of presidents and chancellors from participating institutions in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and by the UA Division of Agriculture.
“After a thorough search over the last year, I’m confident that Mr. Turner is equipped with the experience, knowledge and expertise to continue the important work ARE-ON does to help the state reach its goals from an economic and educational perspective,” UA System President Donald Bobbitt, board chairman, said in a news release. “The ARE-ON Board of Directors has been instrumental in helping with this search and we’re eager for him to get started to help take the important work ARE-ON does for higher education and the state to the next level.”
Turner will replace David Merrifield, who spent 42 years in information technology with the UA, including 12 years as chief technology officer for ARE-ON. He came out of retirement to lead the nonprofit as interim executive director for the last 10 months.
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