UAPB 2024 Chancellor Scholarship Gala Program

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 6:00 P.M.

PINE BLUFF COUNTRY CLUB 1100 WEST 46TH AVENUE, PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS

calvin

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Dear Golden Lion Family and Friends:

Dear Golden Lion Family and Friends:

It is with great pride that we express our sincere appreciation for your support of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) by attending the 3rd Annual Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala. As we come to a close of our 150th year celebration, the need to raise scholarship funds that will benefit the future of our students remains the same. This event has become a cherished tradition at the university that fulfills that purpose. Therefore, we thank you for your outstanding support as we celebrate the transformative power of education and how it benefits our students through scholarship!

It is with great pride that we express our sincere appreciation for your support of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) by attending the 3rd Annual Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala. As we come to a close of our 150th year celebration, the need to raise scholarship funds that will benefit the future of our students remains the same. This event has become a cherished tradition at the university that fulfills that purpose. Therefore, we thank you for your outstanding support as we celebrate the transformative power of education and how it benefits our students through scholarship!

As you are aware, scholarships play a crucial role in the lives of our students, often serving as the gateway to higher education and the key to unlocking a world of opportunities. They are critical to the quantity and quality of the students we recruit as well as the overall success of our student population. Because of the generosity of our donors and supporters, we have been able to provide countless students with the opportunity to pursue their dreams of higher education and to achieve their fullest potential. The funds raised tonight for scholarships represent more than just financial assistance—they represent hope, opportunity, and the promise of a brighter future for our students and our community.

As you are aware, scholarships play a crucial role in the lives of our students, often serving as the gateway to higher education and the key to unlocking a world of opportunities. They are critical to the quantity and quality of the students we recruit as well as the overall success of our student population. Because of the generosity of our donors and supporters, we have been able to provide countless students with the opportunity to pursue their dreams of higher education and to achieve their fullest potential. The funds raised tonight for scholarships represent more than just financial assistance they represent hope, opportunity, and the promise of a brighter future for our students and our community.

Tonight, we are also honoring individuals who by their selfless acts and generosity to mankind exemplify pride, courage, and leadership. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all of our honorees on this welldeserved recognition. Your hard work, determination, and dedication to excellence have not gone unnoticed, and we are proud to celebrate your achievements this evening. And you, our audience, are the quintessence of pride in your support. Your presence tonight signifies your commitment to the institution through your contribution to the advancement of higher education and assisting in broadening the learning experiences of our students.

Tonight, we are also honoring individuals who by their selfless acts and generosity to mankind exemplify pride, courage, and leadership. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all of our honorees on this well-deserved recognition. Your hard work, determination, and dedication to excellence have not gone unnoticed, and we are proud to celebrate your achievements this evening And you, our audience, are the quintessence of pride in your support. Your presence tonight signifies your commitment to the institution through your contribution to the advancement of higher education and assisting in broadening the learning experiences of our students.

Once again, thank you for sharing this evening with us and for your role in contributing to the success of this event. We hope that you will have a pleasant experience and enjoy the evening.

Once again, thank you for sharing this evening with us and for your role in contributing to the success of this event. We hope that you will have a pleasant experience and enjoy the evening.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Laurence B. Alexander, J.D., Ph.D. Chancellor

Laurence B. Alexander, J.D., Ph.D. Chancellor

1200 North University Drive, Mail Slot 4982 · Pine Bluff, AR 71601

1200 North University Drive, Mail Slot 4982 · Pine Bluff, AR 71601 Office: (870) 575-8470 · Fax: (870) 575-4645 · Email: chancellor@uapb.edu www.uapb.edu/chancellor

Office: (870) 575-8470 · Fax: (870) 575-4645 · Email: chancellor@uapb.edu www.uapb.edu/chancellor

UAPB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution

UAPB is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution

Office of the Chancellor

Office of the Chancellor

CALVIN AND JANETTA BOOKER

Extend Congratulations and Best Wishes to the

GALA HONOREES

BRIEF

history of

the

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF

The Legacy of Branch Normal College is better understood as a struggle for survival. Remarkably, the institution perservered against such great odds from within and those from outside its walls during the first fifty years of its existence. The institution survived partly because of great men of wisdom and determination like Joseph Carter Corbin, Isaac Fisher, Frederick T. Venegar, and Jefferson Ish. and because of people recently freed from slavery who were determined to get an education against all odds.

The story began in 1872 with the opening of Arkansas Industrial University (now the University of Arkansas) in the northwest corner of the state, which was the farther district from the State’s African American population. The school was said to be open to all, regardless of race. However, by the end of 1873, the race issue had ushered in a bill in the State Senate to locate a Branch of the Normal Department of the Arkansas Industrial University southeast, east, or south of Pulaski County, “especially for the convenience and well-being of the poorer classes.”

For two years after the bill became law, more was needed to implement the statute’s provisions. In July 1875, Joseph Carter Corbin, a well-educated Black man who had served as State Superintendent of Instruction and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Arkansas Industrial University (1873-74), was hired by the Boards Committee on Branch Normal College to find a suitable location for the school. Finding Pine Bluff as an appropriate location for the college, Corbin was asked to assume the duties as Principal of the school.

The first location for the Normal School was an old, dilapidated one-story frame house built to serve as a barrack and located on the corner of Lindsey and Sevier streets (now Second Avenue and Oak Street). Corbin’s effort to open the school at the beginning of September was delayed because promised repairs to the building had yet to be made, and the school’s furniture, which had been ordered from Chicago, was lost when a boat bringing it up the Arkansas River sank. Nonetheless, the school opened on September 27, 1875, with seven students in attendance. Corbin described these students as scholastically heterogeneousone could read very well but not write legibly. Others knew enough mathematics to cipher through ratio and proportion but needed to be reading at a first-grade level. These students’ previous academic requirements were like those of students entering the University of Fay-

etteville. The students entering Branch Normal College were undoubtedly disadvantaged since they and their parents were just ten years removed from slavery and few, if any, preparatory schools of moral character had existed before this time in the State.

In June 1882, after seven years, Corbin reported with great pride, “The first colored student that ever graduated and received a college degree in the State was graduated from Branch Normal College.” Between 1882 and 1895, ten students received the Bachelor of Arts degree before the reduction of the collegiate program at Branch Normal. Despite Joseph Corbin’s meritorious services in the growth of the college and his efforts to improve the educational level of students. The Board of Trustees did not renew his contract in 1902.

After Corbin’s revolutionary tenure as the founder of Branch Normal College, the institution was led by an array of remarkable successors. Their contributions have shaped the college into the esteemed institution it is today:

• Isaac Fisher (1902-1911)

• W. S. Harris (1911-1915)

• F. T. Venegar (1911-1917)

• Jefferson Ish (1915-1921)

• Charles Smith (1921-1922)

• Robert Malone (1922-1928)

• John B. Watson (1928-1942)

• Lawrence A. Davis Sr. (1943-1972)

• *Earl Evans (1959-1960)

• Lawrence A. Davis Sr. (1972-1973)

• *Johnny B. Johnson (1973-1974)

• Herman Smith (1974-1981)

• Lloyd Hackley (1981-1985)

• Johnny B. Johnson (1985-1986)

• Charles Walker (1986-1991)

• *Carolyn Blakely (1991)

• Lawrence A. Davis Jr. (1991-2012)

• *Calvin Johnson (2012-2013)

• Laurence B. Alexander (2013-Present)

Please note, those marked with an asterisk (*) served as interim administrators but continued to make significant contributions during their tenure.

Lawrence A. Davis Sr. (1943-1972)

A three-person committee was put in place to run the university following the sudden death of former President John Brown Watson in 1942. Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr., a young and charismatic leader, was chosen from that committee to take charge of the university in 1943 as its President while the nation prepared for war. At just 28 years old, Dr. Davis felt the numbers amongst his faculty, staff, and students dwindle as they went off to war. By World War II’s end, the university had endured and felt the boom, much like the rest of the country. The student body in the hundreds ballooned to around 2,000, and former faculty and staff returned ready to teach.

Under the leadership of Dr. Davis Sr., the country’s best black artists, performers, athletes, and speakers visited the campus. The newly built Hazzard gymnasium played host to the likes of James Brown, Duke Ellington, and Ray Charles while Jackie Robinson and Dr. Benjamin Mayes attended homecoming and spoke at commencement. The most pivotal speaker to visit during this time was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King arrived at AM&N College on Tuesday, May 27, 1958, to deliver his commencement address to that year’s graduating class. President Davis, Sr., invited Dr. King to speak, seeing him as a leader and voice for Black Americans after recently leading boycotts in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King spoke out that day against segregation and the inhumane treatment of African Americans, urging everyone to fight for equality

Having served as president of A.M.& N. College for 29

years, Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Sr. became the first Chancellor of the newly merged University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1972. He was to serve only one year, resigning in June of 1973. Dr, Davis emphasized the university’s primary mission: to assist underprivileged students while not excluding the brightest and most talented students. He insisted that integration, as the law of the land, should be recognized and practiced. During 1972, the enrollment of non-black students increased. It should be noted that A.M.& N. College had an integrated faculty long before 1972. Dr. Davis’ one-year tenure as chancellor was beneficial to making the transition from A.M.& N. College to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff as smooth as possible.

Lawrence A. Davis Jr. (1991-2012)

The unanimous choice of the board of trustees, Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr., was appointed chancellor of UAPB on November 5, 1991. During Dr. Davis, Jr.’s administration, the university was affectionately called the “Flagship of the Delta.” When he took the helm as chancellor he stabilized the school’s finances and raised the morale of the faculty, staff, and students. His first year was spent filling the 22 empty positions he inherited, including a security chief and an athletic director. After a two-year ban, the football program was reinstated, and a new coaching staff was hired. Within two years, the football program was at an all-time high, playing for the national championship of the national association of intercolle-

giate athletics (NAIA), Division I.

With his crucial personnel in place, Davis labored to address as many concerns as possible while giving impetus to enhancing the teaching, research, and service functions the university had performed well for over 100 years. During his tenure, he oversaw the completion of multiple multi-million-dollar buildings and upgrades of campus facilities. Davis accomplished many of his initial goals for enhancing this fine institution, including implementing a regulatory science program and installing a Ph.D. In Aquaculture and Fisheries program.

Dr. Davis was dedicated to his family and a staunch supporter of the arts in the community as well as the university. His passion and commitment was recognized on numerous occasions with accolades and awards as the result of his professional and volunteer work. Although becoming chancellor of UAPB was not his primary goal early in life, he stated, “I am happy to be sitting in the leadership role because I understand the importance of this university and its great heritage.”

Laurence B. Alexander (2013-Present)

Following a national search, Laurence B. Alexander became Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on July 1, 2013 after being nominated by the University of Arkansas System President Donald R. Bobbitt and approved by the Board of Trustees. The New Orelans

native brought with him over three decades of leadership and experience having achieved a Juris Doctor from Tulane University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University.

Dr. Alexander has displayed the ability to achieve growth through innovation and entrepreneurship. Under his leadership UAPB has seen increased enrollment and fundraising and develoed new nursing and biochemistry programs. Chancellor Alexander’s Speaker Series has been the driving force behind bringing activists, educators, and philanthropists such as Nikki Giovanni, Congressman Danny Davis, and Judge Mablean Ephriam to UAPB. He is a Go Forward Pine Bluff Task Force member, Education Chair of the local United Way Campaign, and the Board of Directors of Fifty for the Future, the Jefferson County Industrial Foundation Board, and the Arkansas Research Alliance Board.

Chancellor Alexander has overseen the investment of tens of millions of dollars into the university for the benefit of faculty, staff, and students. The Harold Housing Complex, Delta Housing Complex, and Kountz-Kyle Hall each received multimilliondollar renovations to modernize their facilities. Chancellor Alexander led a $19.3 million campus-wide energy conservation project in partnership with Performance Services in 2016. The large-scale project provided thirty buildings on campus with updates to their lighting and HVAC and installed the largest solar array for a public institution in Arkansas, reducing the campus’s annual energy costs by 32%.

In 2022, Alexander was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as Chair of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), an advisory committee to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) that was established to ensure that USAID brings the assets of U.S. universities to bear on development challenges in agriculture and food security and supports their representation in USAID programming. His appointment as BIFAD Chair marks the first time the board is chaired by a leader of an 1890 public land grant university, acknowledging the valuable contributions of HBCUs and presenting opportunity to further strengthen USAID’s partnerships with HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The Board sup-

ports USAID’s global commitments in agriculture and food systems through initiatives such as the revised U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy and U.S. Government Global Food Security Research Strategy; responding to climate change; expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion; and strengthening local systems.

Researched and written by the University Museum and Cultural Center © 2023 All Rights Reserved

This activity was paid for in total or part by funding from the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Institutional Services Program, Title III, Part B, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, or Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.

SCHOLARSHIP G ALA HONOREES

IMPACT

Rebecca Pittillo lives her personal and professional life hoping to have an impact. An impact on critical issues that she and many Arkansans face. She understands the diverse needs throughout our state and is instrumental in helping make a difference working with communitybased organizations through support from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. Knowing an individual life has been improved because of a school-based program, a behavioral health effort, or a maternal-child health initiative that the Foundation has funded, reminds her that there is nothing she would rather do than take good care of people.

Congratulations, Rebecca, on being named an honoree for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala.

host and hostess

CALVIN & JANETTA BOOKER

Mr. Calvin E. Booker, Sr. and his lovely wife, Mrs. Janetta Brentley Booker, are the epitome of a couple who walks by faith. Their humble roots both started in the great state of Arkansas, where Calvin’s family made their home in Hamburg, just south of where Janetta’s family was living in Pine Bluff. A chance meeting between the two, at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff (UAPB), led to the beginning of a blessed union that continues to be filled with success, service to their community and the joys of family.

Upon graduation from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Calvin obtained his post-graduate degree in Secondary Education from Prairie-View A&M University in Texas and returned to his roots in Arkansas where he poured more than 30 years of service and gratitude into the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and into his Pine Bluff community as one of the youngest at that time elected to the Pine Bluff City Council. Today, Calvin is a retired Corporate Vice President of Public Affairs for Waste Management, Incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. In this capacity, he was responsible for governmental affairs initiatives across 48-states for the $14.5-billion Corporation; he was also responsible for the strategic oversight of Waste Management’s Federal Affairs office located in Washington, D.C. and is a respected mentor and role-model for many. Mr. Booker’s unyielding commitment to diversity and inclusion kept him actively engaged in the

hiring, supporting and promotion of diverse leaders within the workplace and within critical governmental positions. Mr. Booker joined Waste Management in July 1991 and over the years became a vital asset to the company. Mr. Booker served on the Board of Governors for the Georgia Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) and served on their National Board of Trustees. His leadership and passion for inclusion extends beyond the political and industry associations to other organizations vital to community success; Mr. Booker currently serves as Chairman on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Foundation Fund Board, serves on the University of Arkansas System Executive Foundation Board Committee and as chairman emeritus of the Corporate Round Table, the financial arm of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, after having served four years as its esteemed chairman. He is the Vice Chairman of the Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Calvin formerly served on the board of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs. Janetta Booker holds dual degrees from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and prospered in the medical field after completing her post-graduate studies at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has accumulated more than forty years of health care delivery experience as a

practitioner and as a former business-owner of Quality First Home Health Services, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas. Janetta now serves as a Health Insurance Specialist for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medical Services (CMS). She serves as the official liaison between CMS and State Survey Agency(s) in the day to day management and oversight of the Survey and Certification for all acute care and continuing care facilities. She also serves as the lead non long term care subject matter expert and the lead specialist for an eight state Region for hospitals, transplant centers, community mental health centers and end-stage renal disease centers. Janetta holds licenses as a Registered Dietitian, a Registered Nurse, a Realtor, and a Certified Federal Surveyor. She has also earned numerous awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and has been recognized for the development of training programs and literature for non-long-term care, long-term care and other areas of healthcare. The ones she is most proud of are the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award and Administrator’s Achievement Award. Janetta received special recognition for her work on her Agency’s Mission in developing and providing training and assistance to Hospitals, providers, and State Agencies during the declaration of the Public Health Emergency for COVID – 19.

Janetta was awarded The UAPB National Alumni Association’s Circle of Excellence Award, the UAPB National President’s Award of Appreciation on two separate occasions and she was also honored with the UAPB Local President’s award. Janetta is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is the recipient of the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter’s Celebration of Excellence Torch Award. Calvin and Janetta’s commitment to UAPB and their community continues to this day. Calvin and Janetta have both served in the capacity of President and Vice President of the UAPB Metropolitan Atlanta Alumni Chapter for varying years. Calvin has also served as the president of the UAPB National Alumni Association and in September 2014, he was honored by the National Black College Hall of Fame Foundation with the National Alumni President of the Year Award.

Janetta is a graduate of Mount Olive Bible Institute of Arlington, Texas. Calvin and Janetta’s foundation comes together at their places of worship, Antioch Baptist Church North, under the pastorate of Reverend Kenny L. Alexander and Zion Hill Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. Aaron L. Parker, PhD. Whether it’s teaching Sunday School, serving on the various men and women’s Deacon ministries, or chairing a division for the church, Calvin and Janetta always have time to give thanks to God, their provider of all things.

Sesquicentennial Committee Members

In alphabetical order

Dr. Laurence B. Alexander, Chancellor

Janet Broiles, Chief of Staff

Dr. Margaret Martin-Hall, Chairperson

Monique Benford, UAPB

Dr. Carolyn Blakely, UAPB Chancellor Emeritus

Calvin Booker, UAPB Foundation Fund Board

Carla Bryant, UAPB

Florence Caine, UAPB

Constance Castle, UAPB

George Cotton, Vice Chancellor, Institutional Advancement

Jimmy Cunningham, Jr., Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotions

Frank Dorsey, UAPB

Kenneth Ferguson, AR State Representative

Oscar Fuller, UAPB

Jamal Gordon, Jefferson County Alliance

Mary Hester-Clifton, UAPB

Laura Hildreth, UAPB

Christian Jefferson, UAPB

Dr. Mary Liddell, Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter

Bruce Lockett, Councilman, Ward 4

John Martin, UAPB

Eva McGee, Retired, UAPB

Matt Mosler, New Life Church

Libra Roulhac, UAPB

Courtney Stewart, UAPB

TAMIA THOMAS, UAPB

The Design Group

Reverend Jesse Turner, Ministerial Alliance

Dr. Ryan Watley, Go Forward Pine Bluff

Brian T. Williams, UAPB

2024 Chancellor's Scholarship Gala Committee

In alphabetical order

Dr. Laurence Alexander, Ex officio Chairperson

Dr. Margaret Martin-Hall, Chairperson

Carla Bryant, Co-chairperson

Constance Castle, Co-chairperson

Brian Williams, Co-chairperson

Monique Benford

Dr. Joyvin Benton

Janet Broiles

Florence Caine

Mary Hester-Clifton

George Cotton

Frank Dorsey

Oscar Fuller

Christian Jefferson

Randy Kelley

Richard Redus

Dr. Joyvin Benton

Libra Roulhac

Courtney Stewart

Tamia Thomas

Denise Todd

Jaimie Wright

Congratulates Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala 2024 Honorees

Proud supporter of the moments that matter.

Simmons Bank is a proud sponsor of the UAPB Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala. We are honored to support the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and its mission to provide scholarships to students across the state and excited at the future potential of these leaders in our communities.

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HONOREE

BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB

Bristol Myers Squibbâ (BMS) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. With a belief in the power of science to address some of the most challenging diseases of our time, BMS works to transform patients’ lives by combining the agility of a biotech with the reach and resources of an established pharmaceutical company.

Since our founding, our goal has never changed: advancing science to transform lives. Our mission has never changed: provide safe, effective, reliable medicine. Today, BMS has created a global leading biopharma company powered by talented employes around the world who work together for patients and drive scientific innovation.

Our company’s legacy of innovation began in the 1800s when our founders made it their mission to bring better health solutions to patients who needed them most. In 1858, Dr. E.R. Squibb began producing ether, which changed surgery outcomes on the battlefield during the U.S. Civil War. In 1887, William Bristol and John Myers invested in a New York-based drug manufacturer, eventually increasing its product line to include consumer goods. Dr. Squibb campaigned for better drug regulation and worked tirelessly developing methods to ensure the purity and reliability of medicines, eventually leading to the Pure Foods and Drug Act of 1906, the precursor of today’s Food and Drug Administration. The vaccines produced by Squibb early in the 20th century helped protect an entire generation while laying the foundation for the modern pharmaceutical industry. Both companies mass-produced penicillin during World War II, again changing outcomes on the battlefield.

As an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, since 1971, we support programs, initiatives, and organizations that help improve health, expand research opportunities, promote, and expand STEM education, and deliver essential human services to our communities.

Bristol-Myers merged with Squibb in 1989, creating a global leader in the health care industry. The merger created Bristol Myers Squibb as the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical enterprise. In 2007, the company began evolving into a biopharmaceutical company focused solely on helping patients prevail over serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV, and HCV. Continuing to build on our history of scientific excellence, we pioneered a class of medicines that harnesses the power of the

immune system to treat cancer. BMS consistently ranks on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations.

Over the years, Bristol Myers Squibbâ and its employees have received numerous distinguished awards and recognitions, including the National Medal of Technology, the Lasker Award for Medical Research, and the Prix Galien Award. We are proud of our advancements in oncology, hematology, immunology, and cardiovascular disease, and we are dedicated to helping patients prevail over these and other serious diseases through our diverse and promising pipeline and new scientific platforms.

Today, we continue that tradition by using the latest science and technology to help improve lives by researching and developing new medicines for serious diseases. At Bristol Myers Squibb, we are inspired by a single vision—transforming patients’ lives through science. Passionate and precise, we bring life-saving medicines to people around the world. And we work together with compassion to improve outcomes for the patients who need us most.

Bristol Myers Squibbâ is committed to advancing equity in health care by better understanding, reaching, and serving diverse patient populations by building a workforce that better reflects the experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of those diverse communities. We promote health equity globally and strive to increase access to life-saving medicines for populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases and conditions. We achieve this in part through the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, which supports community-based programs that promote cancer awareness, screening, care, and support among high-risk populations.

HONOREE

CHI ST. VINCENT

1888 is an important year in the history of health care in Arkansas. It is the year two hospitals – St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock and St. Joseph’s Infirmary in Hot Springs – began caring for patients with two groups of Sisters at the helm and at the bedside. These women, beginning with Mother General Cleophas, leader of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY., congregation, and five members of the religious community – Sisters Mary James, Cornelia, Mechtildes, Mary Sebastian and Hortense – opened the 10-bed Charity Hospital on East Second Street in Little Rock near the current location of the Clinton Presidential Library. The women came to Little Rock on the promise and provision of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Hager, a wealthy couple who had made a promise to God that if Little Rock was spared the yellow fever epidemic that was ravaging Memphis, they would, in gratitude, provide the funds to build a hospital. Miraculously, the yellow fever outbreak did not affect Little Rock, and the Hagers kept their vow.

Just four months later, on Sept. 24, 1888, Mother Mary Aloysius Fitzpatrick and Sister Mary Clare Quinlan, Sisters of Mercy at St.

Mary’s Convent in Little Rock, came to Hot Springs with orders to administer and operate a hospital and call it St. Joseph’s Infirmary. They were given $1 for the operating expenses of the 30bed hospital located at what had been the Adams Hotel on Cedar Terrace, in Hot Springs. Father Patrick McGowan, another charitable Arkansan, donated the building and property, valued at $10,000, to the Sisters of Mercy. St. Joseph’s Infirmary featured a modern operating room and bathrooms with hot water from the springs that flowed from protected pipes to preserve its natural heat and healing virtues.

In 1925, the Benedictine Sisters at St. Scholastica Monastery in Ft. Smith established St. Anthony’s Hospital in Morrilton as a fourteen-bed facility that served the healthcare needs in Conway County. In 1994. St. Anthony’s became a part of CHI St. Vincent and the hospital’s name was changed to CHI St. Vincent Morrilton.

CHI St. Vincent North was established out of a need to serve our patients who were having to travel across the river into Little Rock for care. It opened in Sherwood in October 1999. In 201, we relocated the CHI St. Vincent Neurosciences Institute from the Infirmary in Little Rock to our North hospital campus in Sherwood through the generous financial support of the community and private donors.

Today, CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network. Headquartered in Little Rock, the network now includes primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers across the state. U.S. News & World Report ranks care delivered at CHI St. Vincent as “high performing” in multiple areas, including heart failure, CABG, aortic valve surgery, diabetes, heart attack, colon cancer surgery, and kidney failure.

Together with more than 4,300 coworkers, 1,000 medical staff, and 500 volunteers, we consistently receive praise for advance-

ments in care. Our growing Medical Group includes more than 300 providers across almost every medical and surgical specialty. The mission of CHI St. Vincent is to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all. Our vision is a healthier future for all - inspired by faith, driven by innovation, and powered by our humanity.

CHI St. Vincent is part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 through the alignment of

Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. CommonSpirit Health is committed to creating healthier communities, delivering exceptional patient care, and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. With its national office in Chicago and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit Health operates 142 hospitals and more than 700 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2018, Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health had combined revenues of $29.2 billion and provided $4.2 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed government programs.

HONOREE

REBECCA PITTILLO

Rebecca Pittillo serves as president of the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. The Foundation awards approximately $4 million in grants annually to Arkansas nonprofit and governmental organizations and programs that steer change in the areas of behavioral health, maternal/pediatric health and the social determinants of health.

The Blue & You Foundation is a separate entity, but an extension of the Arkansas Blue Cross mission to improve the health of Arkansans. In the foundation’s 22 years of operation, it has awarded more than $65 million to nearly 3,000 health improvement pro-

grams reaching all 75 counties of Arkansas.

Since joining Arkansas Blue Cross in 2018, Pittillo also worked with regional teams in Pine Bluff, Hot Springs and Texarkana as Regional Executive of South Arkansas. Pittillo worked the first 21 years of her career at Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff in several leadership positions. Prior to joining Arkansas Blue Cross, she was the executive director of the Jefferson Regional Foundation, served as a member of the Jefferson Regional Senior Leadership Committee and had oversight of all internal and external communication for the organization.

She earned a B.S.E. and a M.Ed. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

She was recognized as one of Arkansas Money and Politics Power Women in 2022, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas’ 100 Women of Impact in 2023 and in 2024 The Wolfe Street Foundation recognized her with its Recovery Leadership Award for the work she’s accomplished through the Blue & You Foundation to improve mental health and substance use recovery.

Rebecca is an advocate for behavioral healthcare and suicide prevention. She supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and their goal of educating others of how to prevent suicide. Rebecca was the top fundraiser in the 2022 Out of the Darkness Walk in Arkansas.

Pittillo serves on the board of the United Way of Southeast Arkansas and is chair of the Southeast Arkansas College Board of Trustees. She serves on the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Stella Boyle Smith Center Advisory Committee, The Natural Wonders Advisory Board and is a Mentor at Immerse Arkansas.

She and her husband Chad Pittillo, Pine Bluff Market President of Simmons Bank, and their dog Oakley live in White Hall with the memory of their son Isaac in their hearts.

HONOREE

SYNCHRONY

Synchrony is a premier consumer financial services company delivering customized financing programs across key industries, including retail, health, auto, travel, and home, along with award-winning consumer banking products. With over $166 billion in sales financed and 72.4 million active accounts, Synchrony brings deep industry expertise, actionable data insights, innovative solutions, and differentiated digital experiences to improve the success of every business we serve and the quality of each life we touch.

Synchrony, based in Stamford, CT, has established long-lasting relationships with national and regional retailers, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and more across the U.S. and Canada, building one customer at a time over 90 years.

Synchrony has a rich history dating back to 1932 when the General Electric (GE) Contracts Corporation was founded during the Great Depression to help families finance their appliance purchases. In 1943, GE Capital Corporation was established as a broad-based financial services provider, and by the 1960s, GE Capital Appliance Finance had been created to serve inde-

pendent appliance and consumer electronics merchants. In the 1970s, GE Capital issued the first plastic credit card and introduced the Lowe's Credit Card in 1979.

For the remainder of the 20th century, the company built a financial services legacy by establishing the CarCareONE program, CareCredit for dentists, and providing business credit for Sam's Club with a revolving consumer and business credit program in 1994. It also entered the Powersports industry and launched Walmart's first private-label national retail credit card in 1999. The first decade of the 21st century included financial services acquisitions of CareCredit in 2002, Chevron®, and Texaco® branded consumer credit card program in 2007. They continued launches that broadened their product areas to include apparel, electronics and appliances, home furnishings, automotive, power products and sports, jewelry and luxury, other retail, elective healthcare procedures and services, and more. In 2009, they launched mobile account management.

After acquiring the MetLife Retail deposits business in 2013 and introducing the award-winning Optimizer+ products, designed to provide consistently competitive rates, personalized and safe online banking, loyalty rewards, a dedicated team, and secure 24/7 account access, it accelerated the development of their mobile technology strategies. On July 31, 2014, Synchrony Financial conducted its initial public offering (IPO) and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "SYF" and introduced branding — Engage with us. This same year, they implemented chip-enabled technology with Sam's Club® as their first mass retailer. In 2015, it separated from GE, became a fully independent company, and was added to the S&P 500.

Synchrony Financial continued its acquisition with GPShopper in 2017 and Loop Commerce, which provides a patented digital gifting platform called GiftNow, in 2018. In 2018, Synchrony acquired PayPal's then $7.6 billion credit receivables portfolio. PayPal also chose Synchrony Bank as its exclusive issuer for the

PayPal Credit online consumer financing program in the United States through 2028.

With a culture at Synchrony that celebrates the diversity, skills, and coming together to turn ideals into action of over 18.5K employees, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) has been a recipient of their commitment to corporate citizenship through charitable investments in communities. The University thanks and appreciates Synchrony for including UAPB in its charitable donations and philanthropic platform, Education as an Equalizer.

Education as an Equalizer is an initiative to expand access to higher education, skills training in high-growth fields, and financial literacy for underserved communities and its own work-

force. It aims to "Empower Students, Communities, and Employees to Build a Stronger, More Inclusive Future" and, most importantly, to create pathways to college completion and career success.

Harnessing Synchrony's business expertise and employee talent through mentorships and other activities, education as an Equalizer builds on the company's commitment to address deeply-rooted economic inequality within communities. Through investment in philanthropic grants from the Synchrony Foundation to help increase educational and reskilling opportunities for individuals and students from low-income and underrepresented communities, particularly Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, and engagement and social reform, it collaborates with academic institutions such as UAPB, non-profits, government, and businesses.

HONOREE

WEST FRASER

Over West Fraser’s proud history, we have grown from a small planer mill with 12 employees to become the largest producer of sustainable and renewable wood-building products in the world.

Humble Beginnings

In 1955, when the three Ketcham brothers—Sam, Bill and Pete—pooled resources to buy a small mill in Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada, they had no idea they would build a company that generations later, is a thriving, international industry leader and employer of choice.

The hard work, entrepreneurial spirit and grit of these young founders, together with that of their early team members, created the strong values and enduring culture that laid the foundation for West Fraser’s sustained success.

It continues to be our company’s culture, values and people that

are the bedrock of our competitive advantage.

Producing Responsibly

Sustainability has also been core to our business since our founding nearly 70 years ago.

From the forest floor to each of our mills, to our renewable wood products, our business has always recognized the interconnectedness of people, the environment and our collective well-being—as well as the prosperity that comes by doing the right thing.

Through our approach to doing business, we are contributing to a more sustainable future that meets the needs of this generation and the next. Whether it is the land we directly and sustainably manage—or the land managed by our responsible suppliers—we are supporting healthy and resilient ecosystems so that forests can continue to provide the natural resources and environmental benefits we all rely on.

Expanding

into the U.S. South

During the first several decades of the company’s history, West Fraser continued to expand its Canadian operations and diversify its portfolio of wood products.

In 2000, we achieved an exciting milestone with our first-ever international expansion, gaining a footprint in the U.S. South.

In the nearly 25 years since we first entered the U.S., we have continued to strengthen our position here by expanding our footprint, which now includes 11 southern states, and making significant capital investments to ensure our mill’s high product quality and production capacity, further adding to the resiliency of our local operations.

And as we make investments in our infrastructure, we also see the importance of giving back locally. We share a responsibility for the communities where we operate that goes beyond providing safe, sustainable employment. We are proud to

continuously give back in meaningful ways that help fund local priorities, which includes our support of the University of Arkansas Pine Bluffs.

A Bright Future Grounded in Culture, Values and People

Today, West Fraser has approximately 11,000 employees and an operating footprint on two continents across more than 60 locations.

As the company grows, we will continue to seek out people and opportunities that align with our values. Together, we are continuously improving and building on our successes, for today, and for future generations of employees, our communities and the wood products industry.

and Janet Broiles

Thomas

Tyson Foods takes pride in sponsoring the UAPB Foundation Fund Chancellor's Scholarship Gala 2024.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees for the 2023 Chancellor’s Scholarship Gala

Your contribution to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has truly impacted our students’ overall campus experience! We are blessed to have your partnership in our efforts to provide access and opportunity to academically deserving students.

Elbert Bennett,

CONGRATULATIONS for ANOTHER 150 YEARS !!

The Martin Family

Travis Sr., Carla, Avery, and Travis Jr.

2024 Chancellor's Scholarship Gala

Sponsorships

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Calvin & Janetta Booker

DIAMOND

CDI Contractors

Saracen Casino Resort

Tyson Foods

West Fraser Timber Company

PLATINUM

Dr. Laurence & Veronica Alexander

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Simmons Bank

GOLD

CHI St. Vincent

George and Deloris Cotton

JRMC

Foundation

SILVER

Brown Funeral Home & Mortuary

Drs. Moses & Suzzette Goldmon

Liberty Tax

Relyance Bank

SEARK College

BRONZE

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Thomas & Janet Broiles

KKAC – Wilbur Peer

Dr. Andrea Stewart

Strong Company

Thomas Groceries and Gift Store

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

Bristol Myers Squibb Synchrony

The Design Group