University of Arkansas Welcomes New Board of Advisors Members

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Board of Advisors will welcome four new members at the fall meeting Oct. 7. Their 3-year terms began July 1. The board, with 71 total members, supports and advises the institution on charitable, scientific and educational purposes related to the institution’s mission of teaching, research and service.

“These new members provide additional volunteer leadership and expertise to the Board of Advisors,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “We’re fortunate to have them. I look forward to working with them and the entire board to advance the interests of our students and our state.”

The four new members are:

• John Burkhalter

• Catherine Crass

• Kathy Alexander

• David Snowden Jr.

 “The board represents alumni and friends from across Arkansas and beyond, and adding these four outstanding individuals from Central Arkansas to the Board of Advisors is important to keeping the whole state connected to the flagship institution,” said Brad Choate, vice chancellor for university advancement. “Volunteer involvement is critical to the mission of the university, and I look forward to working more closely with each of these new members.”

John Burkhalter (B.S.C.E. 1980), is a professional engineer from North Little Rock. He serves as president of Burkhalter Technologies Inc., a paving construction business. In 2007, he was appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe to chair the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, a term that ended in January 2011. Burkhalter is a long-time supporter and volunteer involved with many organizations around Arkansas including the American Lung Association of Arkansas, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute Foundation, the Arkansas Respiratory Health Association, the Arkansas Special Olympics and the Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts. He and his wife, Penny, have two daughters.

Catherine Crass (B.A. 1981) of Little Rock is a community volunteer who has remained involved with the University of Arkansas through the Pi Beta Phi sorority and athletics events. She and her husband, Kevin, have also supported the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Mullins Library, Garvan Woodland Gardens and the Annual Fund. Crass has past and current involvement with the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock, the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association, the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas and the Junior League of Little Rock. In 2006, Crass was honored with the Little Rock Public Schools’ Volunteers in Public Schools Jane Mendel Award. The Crasses have two sons.

Kathy Alexander (B.S.B.A. 1969, J.D. 1978), is a retired senior vice president and general counsel for CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp. in Little Rock. She is a longtime supporter of the University of Arkansas. The Harold A. Dulan Finance Chair in Capital Formation within the Sam M. Walton College of Business honors her father, a longtime professor at the university. She has also supported the Women’s Giving Circle, the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and the Arkansas Alumni Association, where she formerly served as a Board of Directors member. She and her husband Cecil live in Heber Springs. She has one daughter and three stepdaughters.

David Snowden Jr. (B.S.B.A. 1984) of Little Rock, is the president of Tarco Inc., a roofing materials business. David and his wife, Terri (B.S. 1982), have supported the University of Arkansas through the Walton College, the U of A License Plate Scholarship Fund, the Phi Delta Theta Building Fund, and the Snowden Family Honors College Academy Scholarships, which were established in 2004 in honor of University of Arkansas System president Alan Sugg. David Snowden’s past and current community involvement includes the Arkansas Cancer Research Center Foundation, the Arkansas Arts Center, The Nature Conservancy and the CARTI Foundation. The Snowdens have one son and one daughter — twins — who are current students at the University of Arkansas.