O'Leary-Kelly Named Chair of Walton Arts Center Council

University Relations

Anne O'Leary-Kelly

Anne O'Leary-Kelly, senior associate dean and professor of management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, has been named chair of the Walton Arts Center Council.

Walton Arts Center is Arkansas' largest and busiest performing arts presenter. Each year more than 215,000 people attend more than 300 public events at Walton Arts Center, including performances, rehearsals, community gatherings, receptions, weddings and more. Almost 250 volunteers donate 28,000 hours of time each year to its operations.

O'Leary-Kelly, who holds the William R. & Cacilia Howard Chair in Management, was appointed to the Walton Arts Center Council in 2016 and serves on its finance/audit committee.

She is one of many from the Walton College and the University of Arkansas who serve on boards, councils and committees for the arts center.

Mark Power, vice chancellor for advancement; Gary Peters, chair of the Walton College accounting department; and Colleen Briney, vice provost for planning; are all members of the Foundation Board of the Walton Arts Center.

Mervin Jebaraj, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the Walton College, is a newly appointed member of the art center's Operating Board. He joins Charles Robinson, interim provost and vice chancellor for student affairs; Laura Jacobs, associate vice chancellor and chief of staff for the chancellor; and Matt Trantham, senior associate athletic director of internal operations, on the Operating Board.

Lia Uribe, associate professor of bassoon in the U of A's music department, serves on the Facilities Committee and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, and Scott Varady, executive director of the Razorback Foundation, serves on the Finance/Audit Committee.

"The makeup of our council reflects that public-private partnership that started it all with representatives appointed by the Walton Family Foundation, the University of Arkansas and the city of Fayetteville," said Jennifer Wilson, public relations director for the Walton Arts Center.