Car-Mart shareholders elect technology executive Julia Davis to board

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart announced Thursday (Sept. 2) that its stockholders have elected Julia Davis to the Board of Directors for the buy here, pay here used car dealer. The appointment was effective as of the company’s annual shareholders meeting on Aug. 25.

Davis replaces Ray Dillon, who retired from the board at the end of the meeting.

“We are excited to welcome Julia to our board,” said Jeff Williams, president and CEO. “Her information technology expertise along with her executive management experience will bring a new perspective and great value to our board.”

Davis recently retired after serving as the executive vice president and chief information officer for R1 RCM, a healthcare revenue cycle management company serving hospitals, health systems and physician groups in the United States. She started there in November 2019. Previously, Davis served as chief information officer at Aflac US from July 2013 to August 2018. Other experience includes five years as chief information officer at American Safety Insurance; four years as chief information officer, equipment finance division, with GE Healthcare, a subsidiary of General Electric Co.; about two years as chief information officer with GE Business Productivity Solutions Inc.; and five years as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. She also serves on the board of TBM Council, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the discipline of technology business management.

In Car-Mart’s proxy filing July 14, board chairman Joshua Welch, said Dillon, timber executive and philanthropist, would retire from the board this year. The board recruited a long-time consumer banking executive to join the board in March and that a technology professional was nominated for election, the proxy showed. Three of the board’s seven director nominees are women, Welch noted.

In the annual shareholders meeting on Aug. 25, the following were elected to serve one-year terms on the board: Ann Bordelon, Davis, Daniel Englander, William “Hank” Henderson, Dawn Morris, Welch and Williams.

Shareholders also selected Grant Thornton LLP as the independent registered public accountant for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2022.

Also on Aug. 25, Car-Mart announced being named to the 2021 Forbes list of America’s Best Small Companies. The companies were chosen by Forbes based on a market value between $300 million and $2 billion, positive sales growth over the past 12 months and a share price of at least $5. The rankings are based on earnings growth and sales growth for the period and over five years, one-year and five-year return on equity, and 52-week total return. More weight was given to the most recent 12-month period and one-year data in the ranking. All data used was as of Nov. 25, 2020.

Shares of Car-Mart (NASDAQ: CRMT) were trading Thursday at $127.90, down $1.31, or 1.01%. In the past 52 weeks, the stock has ranged between $177.45 and $82.48.