BENTONVILLE -- Voters in a section of Benton County next month will choose between two men competing for one spot on the Northwest Arkansas Community College Board .
Mark Ryan, a banker, is challenging Mark Scott, a former college administrator who now works for Wal-Mart. Both live in Rogers.
Mark Ryan
• Age: 56
• Residency: Rogers for 12 years
• Employment: Executive vice president and loan manager at Arvest Bank
• Education: Banking degree from Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Arkansas.
• Political experience: None
Mark Scott
• Age: 41
• Residency: Rogers for two years
• Employment: Senior communications manager for Wal-Mart’s global ethics and compliance division
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of Arkansas
• Political experience: Northwest Arkansas Community College Board since July
Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Scott to the board's Zone 6 seat to replace Ric Clifford, who resigned earlier this year.
Zone 6 covers the southwest portion of the college's millage district, including parts of southwest Bentonville, west and southwest Rogers, Cave Springs, Highfill and Centerton. Only those who live in the zone are eligible to vote in this election.
Ryan and Scott both cited an interest in education as the main reason for pursuing this seat.
Ryan, 56, has been an executive vice president with Arvest Bank since 1993. He has volunteered his time to Junior Achievement of Northwest Arkansas for 18 years, serving both as a board member and president. Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization that teaches kids about economics, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
He's also been a board member of the Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas for 15 years, an experience that has given him insight to the challenges colleges throughout the state face, he said.
Ryan and his wife, Jane, have four children, all of whom either are attending or have graduated college. One of his sons attended Northwest Arkansas Community College and had a great experience there, he said.
"That's when I really became a fan" of the college, Ryan said. As a board member, there's nothing he'd immediately seek to change about it, he said.
"I do feel though, based on my background in finance and what I've been able to gather from my experience on the Student Loan Guarantee Foundation, there will be some challenges in the future facing higher education. I think I can help guide NWACC through those challenges," Ryan said.
Scott, 41, was executive director of public relations for the college from August 2010 to January 2012. He joined Wal-Mart's global ethics and compliance division as its senior communications manager in March.
"I have a strong interest in higher education and the perspective of being an employee at NWACC," Scott said. "I'm also a taxpayer and I know what the benefits of having a strong community college are to the community."
Scott has political experience as well, having worked for Hutchinson when he was a congressman and on former governor Mike Huckabee's staff.
Scott was appointed to the Arkansas Lottery Commission in April 2013 and served for nearly two years before the commission was abolished by law, placing the lottery under control of the state Department of Finance and Administration.
About 25 percent of the college's revenue comes from the state; the rest comes from a local millage and tuition and fees.
The college has not seen a significant increase in state funding in nearly a decade. Scott understands the importance of advocating for adequate funding, he said.
"Otherwise the burden will shift sharply to our students and our taxpayers, and that's not a formula that will continue to be successful for Benton County taxpayers," Scott said.
Scott and his wife, Kelsey, have three children, ages 9, 6 and 1. Scott said he teaches Sunday school at his church and has coached youth sports teams.
One issue that comes before the college's board each year is whether to allow staff members to carry concealed handguns on campus.
A law passed in 2013 allows full-time employees who are licensed to carry concealed weapons to carry a gun on their college or university campus unless the boards that govern those institutions agree to opt out of the legislation. The law requires each institution to declare annually its intent to opt out.
Northwest Arkansas Community College's board has voted each year to opt out. The last vote to opt out passed by a 5-3 margin.
Ryan said he has a license to carry a concealed weapon, but that he probably would vote to opt out as well.
"I just don't think that's the type of environment you want to have concealed carry. Right now I'm against it, but I'm open to further discussion," he said.
Scott said he's walked the hallways with the college's chief of police and said he's confident in the security measures already in place, but he hasn't made up his mind on the concealed-carry issue.
"I want to hear all views on the issue before I make up my mind," Scott said.
NW News on 10/21/2016