The University of the Ozarks Alumni Association elected nine alumni to join its board of directors during the organization’s annual winter meeting in February.
The new directors will begin their terms on July 1, 2023.
The new members are (pictured, clockwise from top left) Katrina Mariswamy ’12, Rev. Gary O. Perry ’74, Andrea (Muffuletto) Cooper ’12, Lauren (Christy) LaFleur ’08, Reggie Brasfield ’04, Edie (Elkins) Perryman ’92, John Cowart ’90, Allison Lacayo ‘17, and Tyler Wilson ’11.
Also at the meeting the association elected the board officers for the 2023-24 term. The new officers will include George Pittenger ’91 as president, Cyleste Coppage ’97 as vice president, Cori Dyson ‘97 as secretary and Daniel Sigala ‘02 as treasurer.
Mariswamy serves as the deputy regional director for Aftercare-Asia at Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R), a U.S. non-profit organization that fights human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. At O.U.R, she co-manages Aftercare initiatives in Asia to ensure survivors of human trafficking and exploitation have access to holistic care. Mariswamy, who went on to earn a master’s degree in counseling after graduating from Ozarks, has nearly 10 years of experience in the field of sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) protection, intervention and management and has assisted with the development of programs and initiatives with leading international humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).
Perry is pastor of Visionary Christian Church in Alma Ark. a non-denominational church founded 13 years ago by his late wife, Karen Elaine Perry of Clarksville, Ark. Perry has also served as an alderman for the city of Alma for the past 41 years, as well as a board member of Diamond Hills Boys & Girls Club of Alma and Baptist Health of Van Buren, Ark. He has also been active as a board member of the Alma Advertisement and Promotion Committee and is past president of River Valley Ministerial Fellowship.
After graduating with a degree in biology in 2012, Cooper went on to earn a master’s degree in college student personnel and school counseling while working in secondary and higher education. Cooper recently accepted a position as the counseling manager at a U.S. Forest Service Civilian Conservation Corps. She previously served roles in college admissions, college counseling, and career services. Cooper currently resides in Clarksville, Ark., with her husband, Tristan Cooper ‘12, who is a fire engine captain for the U.S. Forest Service.
LaFleur is a Georgia licensed attorney and project management professional working as a corporate counsel for LexisNexis Risk Solutions in the Atlanta area. She has more than a decade of corporate compliance experience with companies such as Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart, and SunTrust Bank. In her free time she enjoys giving back to her community through her work as the elected PTA school board treasurer for her children’s elementary school and through regular volunteer hours spent at her local community donation facilities and Ronald McDonald House.
Brasfield is the founder and executive director of Voice of Diversity, non-profit organization that promotes diversity, education, and community partnerships in Northwest Arkansas. Professionally, he is senior national account manager for Belkin International. His expertise is in products supply chain and sales and he has more than two decades of experience with major CPG Fortune 500 national and international companies. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
A 1992 Ozarks graduate with a degree in accounting, Perryman has recently returned to her hometown of Clarksville to serve as the CFO of Clarksville Connected Utilities. She is a member of the Clarksville Lions Club.
Cowart, of Austin, Texas, serves as the lead purchaser for the Infrastructure Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Cowart, who earned a degree in mass communications from Ozarks, has worked many years in commercial radio doing morning and midday shows. He is an award-winning producer in radio commercial/promotional audio production.
A former Walton Scholar at Ozarks, Lacayo works remotely from her home in Managua, Nicaragua, serving as director of people at Simera. She also volunteers her time helping in recruiting for the Walton International Scholarship Program.
Wilson, of Norman, Okla., is an attorney, serving clients in Alaska, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and South Dakota. He graduated with his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He also received a master’s degree in public health in Healthcare Administration and Policy from the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health. He has served previously on the U of O Alumni Board, including a term as treasurer. Throughout his career as an attorney, he has worked in several areas of law, including, collection litigation, commercial debt negotiations, contract disputes, criminal defense, foreclosure defense, and immigration.
Topics: Alumni