Six new members have been selected to join the University of the Ozarks' Board of Trustees. The nominations were approved during the board's annual fall meeting on Oct. 8.
Joining the board in the Class of 2019 will be Sylvester Benson of Manhattan, Kan.; Doug Black of Hot Springs, Ark.; Armil "A.O." Curran, Jr., of Clarksville; Peter Van Dyke of Munster, Ind.; Ann Patterson of Little Rock, Ark.; and Dr. James "Ed" Wilkinson of Greenwood, Ark.
The new members will begin their three-year terms on Jan. 1, 2017.
Benson, a 1967 graduate of Ozarks, is a retired high school principal and educator who spent 31 years as a teacher and administrator in Kansas. He previously served two terms on the board and has been an active member of the University’s Alumni Association. A former basketball player at Ozarks who broke the color barrier in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference in 1963, Benson was elected to the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. He and his wife, Pat, also an Ozarks graduate, have two sons and a daughter. |
Black, who previously served on the board from 2010-2015, has more than 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. A graduate of Southern Arkansas University, Black has served in executive capacities for Wagner Oil Company in Fort Worth, Texas, Blackstone Mineral Company in Houston, and Samson Energy in Tulsa, Okla. He is a certified professional landman and served as chair of the U of O Board of Trustees in 2013 and 2014. He and his wife, Marty, reside in Hot Springs. |