BENTONVILLE — The Northwest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees will have at least two new members starting in January after board Chairman Daniel Shewmaker and trustee Keven Anderson opted not to run for re-election.
The only contested race for a board seat this fall involves two candidates in Zone 6. The election will be held in conjunction with the general election on Nov. 8.
The college’s board is comprised of nine members who are residents and qualified electors of the college’s taxing district, the Rogers and Bentonville school districts. Each board member represents more than 17,000 residents.
The Zone 6 race is for the right to complete an unexpired term started by Ric Clifford, who resigned earlier this year. That term expires at the end of 2020.
Mark Scott, senior communications manager for Wal-Mart’s global ethics and compliance division, was appointed in July to replace Clifford. He and Mark Ryan, executive vice president and loan manager for Arvest Bank, are running for the seat.
Zone 6 covers the southwest corner of the college’s millage district, including parts of Bentonville, Rogers, Cave Springs and Centerton.
Shewmaker, the Zone 2 representative, said it was a difficult decision not to run again. DeAnne Witherspoon of Bella Vista was the only person who filed to run for the seat.
“She’s been very active in the college, very involved in the community,” Shewmaker said. “I felt very good about her running.”
Shewmaker is the son of Melba and Jack Shewmaker, who have made significant contributions to the college. Their names are associated with three buildings on campus. Jack Shewmaker, who died in 2010, was a Wal-Mart executive and a member of the company’s board of directors.
Daniel Shewmaker said he is looking at other ways to help the college.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “My official capacity is coming to an end. It has nothing to do with anybody. It’s a personal decision on my part.”
Witherspoon, a retired optometric physician, has lived in the community for 25 years. She’s served on the college foundation’s board for about 15 years. It’s her first time seeking an elected office.
“This was a logical step for me to increase my ability to serve,” Witherspoon said.
She believes the college is being run well.
“There’s always room for improvement,” she added. “I’m sure there are things we can tweak. I don’t think you can ever get complacent when you’re using taxpayer dollars.”
Anderson, the Zone 7 representative and a former state legislator, will be replaced on the board by another former state legislator, Debra Hobbs. Hobbs was the only person to file for the seat.
Anderson has served since March 2015 when Gov. Asa Hutchinson picked him to fill the Zone 7 seat. His wife, Lisa Anderson, is executive director of institutional effectiveness and grants at the college.
Keven Anderson said since he joined the board, his wife’s position at the college has changed such that she now reports directly to the college’s president, whom the board oversees and evaluates.
“It’s a conflict now,” Keven Anderson said, explaining his decision not to seek re-election.
Anderson owns Anderson Electric and Plumbing Supply, which has offices in Springdale, Rogers and Harrison. He served three terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2003 through 2008 representing District 96. Term limits forced him out of that seat.
Hobbs succeeded Anderson as the District 96 representative, serving three terms from 2009 through 2014. She ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2014.
Someone contacted her about the opening on the college’s board, she said.
“I have been a longtime supporter of Northwest Arkansas Community College and what they provide for our community,” she said.
Hobbs and Witherspoon will be the board’s first female members since Amy Forrest resigned in 2014.
The college has nearly 8,000 students taking courses for college credit this semester. It serves several thousand more through workforce development and adult education initiatives. It operates on an annual budget of about $40 million.
Who’s running
Five seats on the Northwest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees are up for election on this November’s ballot. Here’s a list of those seats and the candidates.
Zone 2
DeAnne F. Witherspoon
Zone 5
Ron Branscum*
Zone 6 (unexpired term)
Mark Scott*
Mark R. Ryan
Zone 7 (unexpired term)
Debra M. Hobbs
Zone 9
Joe Spivey*
*-denotes incumbent
Source: Staff report
Dave Perozek can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWADaveP.