Four new members have been elected to join the University of the Ozarks’ Board of Trustees, effective Jan 1, 2024.
The new members were unanimously approved by the board to serve three-year terms during the board’s annual fall meeting in October.
The newest members of the board include (pictured, clockwise from top left), David Porter of Little Rock, Ark.; Dr. Naneida Lazarte-Alcala of Edmond, Okla.; Shane Werling ’93 of Van Buren, Ark.; and Michael Dickerson of Clarksville.
Porter is the CEO and principal with the Polk Stanley Wilcox architectural firm in Little Rock. He has been responsible for the management of numerous multi-faceted projects throughout Arkansas in his 40-year career. Porter, who earned his degree from the University of Arkansas, has a background in planning, designing, construction and project management. He has worked on several projects in Johnson County, including the Johnson Regional Medical Center patient wing addition and an addition to the Clarksville Methodist Church. Porter’s father, Bill, is a former Clarksville mayor and a 1954 graduate of U of O.
Lazarte-Alcala is an experienced and accomplished researcher, data scientist, program evaluator and consultant. She works for Compassion International, where she serves as a monitoring & evaluation specialist III, international edu & livelihoods. She has been the principal investigator on research projects aimed at identifying barriers and facilitators of program participation and retention, with the goal of improving education, reducing inequality, and promoting economic self-sufficiency, especially for at-risk populations. A native of Bolivia, she earned a Ph.D. in economics from Oklahoma State University.
Werling, who earned a degree in business administration from U of O in 1993, has worked for years in the retail and merchandising industry. He currently serves as vice president of sales for D6 Inc., a design-to-shelf packaging manufacturer. He previously worked for Walmart as a store manager and in the corporate headquarters as a principle buyer in fresh foods.
Dickerson is the owner of Whitson Morgan Motor Company in Clarksville. He has nearly 25 years of experience in leadership and management in the automotive industry. A native of Clarksville, Dickerson earned a degree in logistics from the University of Arkansas. His father, Billy, is a 1977 Ozarks graduate.
Three former trustees were also selected to return to the board to begin new first, three-year terms: A.O. Curran of Clarksville; Ann Patterson ’75 of Little Rock; and Peter Van Dyke ’87 of Munster, Ind.
In addition, six trustees were re-elected to a second, consecutive three-year term: Callie Daniels ’89 of Wright City, Mo.; Ray Hobbs ’77 of Clarksville; Bill McIntyre of Dallas; Michael Powell of Dallas; Dr. Angela Spencer ’98 of Stillwater, Okla.; and Dr. Eric Steinmiller ’02 of Chicago.
The board also recognized four trustees who will be rolling off the board on December 31, 2023: Brent Burks, David Frueauff, Becky Jones, and Kendall Wagner ’06.
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