Lisa Hunter, left, and Jeff Wood
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday announced that Lisa Hunter of White Hall and Jeff Wood of Little Rock had been appointed to the state Board of Education.
Hunter is executive vice president and chief data officer for Simmons Bank of Pine Bluff. Before then, she worked as an internal auditor at Premier Bank (JP Morgan Chase) in Baton Rouge and later as the assistant controller at Andrew Jackson Savings Bank in Tallahassee.
“It is an honor to be selected, and I am very excited to serve the state of Arkansas,” Hunter said in a news release. “I am grateful to the Governor for his confidence in me and for giving me an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of Arkansas children.”
Hunter will replace Beth Anne Rankin on the board.
Wood, a consumer protection attorney, replaces Charisse Dean on the board. He was elected to the Little Rock School Board in 2020. That followed four years of service on the Community Advisory Board when the Little Rock School District was under state control.
Wood announced in July that he would not seek re-election to the Little Rock School Board.
“I am honored and thankful to have Governor Hutchinson’s trust to do this important work,” he said. “My hope is that Improving education – and literacy, in particular – will be the highest priority of our state’s leaders. While I have enjoyed serving the students and families of Little Rock with my colleagues on the Little Rock School Board, I look forward to working with my new friends on the State Board of Education to continue moving Arkansas education forward.”
Wood is a member of the Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 class of 2019.
His and Hunter’s terms on the Board of Education expire on June 30, 2029.
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