Kudos: PSC Chair To Head National Utility Commissioners Group

Arkansas’ PSC Chairman receives a prestigious honor; millions are donated to the University of Arkansas’ College of Engineering; and Arkansas Children’s Hospital gets a million-dollar gift.

AN HONORABLE MENTION
Colette Honorable, chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, has been named President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

The NARUC, founded in 1889, is a non-profit organization dedicated to representing the State public service commissions who regulate the utilities that provide essential services such as energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation.

NARUC’s members include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Honorable said infrastructure safety will be a key issue during her tenure, not surprising given the Mayflower Pegasus pipeline break earlier this year.  Honorable was appointed to the Arkansas Public Service Commission in 2007 and designated chairman in 2011.

You can read her full remarks upon being named president at this link.

UA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING RECEIVES $3 MILLION GIFT
University of Arkansas alumnus Kevin Brown and his wife, Marie, have created an endowed department head chair within the College of Engineering with a $3 million gift.

The Kevin W. and Marie L. Brown Department Head Chair in Chemical Engineering was established by the Houston couple and will benefit the Ralph E. Martin department of chemical engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Brown is originally from North Little Rock and came to the University of Arkansas after receiving an academic scholarship. He serves as senior vice president of refining for LyondellBasell Industries in Houston, the third-largest independent chemical company in the world.

“I came to the university to obtain a degree in chemical engineering,” he said. “Not only did I receive the degree, I learned a number of valuable life and professional skills while at the university. As a result of that early financial help and the skills learned, we have been blessed, and feel an obligation to share our success with future generations.”

HEARTLAND BANK, QUINNS PLEDGE $1 MILLION TO ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HOUSE
The board of directors of Little Rock’s Heartland Bank have created the Heartland Foundation, the charitable arm of the institution. The foundation will donate $500,000 as a cornerstone gift to support the Arkansas Children’s House facility at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

The Arkansas Children’s House (ARCH) provides a homelike atmosphere for children to receive comprehensive, forensic medical exams related to child maltreatment. The comfortable setting minimizes trauma for children who must undergo examinations for abuse. Referrals to ARCH are made by physicians, law enforcement or the Department of Human Services.

Terry and Walter Quinn of Little Rock, Heartland Bank’s majority shareholders, have also personally pledged a matching $500,000, bringing the total donation to $1 million. The Quinn family has been active volunteers and supporters of Arkansas Children’s Hospital for three generations.

Heartland Bank was founded in 1933. Originally based in Camden, Heartland has grown to serve customers throughout the state and region with branches currently in Little Rock, Bryant, Sheridan and Fordyce.