State Chamber announces new board of directors; Signature Bank CEO to chair

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas announced Tuesday (Feb. 7) that Gary Head has been elected chairman of the State Chamber board of directors, and Greg Williams has been elected to chair the board of directors for the AIA.

Head is the chairman, president, and CEO of the Signature Bank of Arkansas. A native of Eureka Springs, Head founded Signature Bank of Arkansas in 2005. Head formerly served in several different roles at McIlroy Bank and Trust in Fayetteville, which later became Arvest Bank.

“I am honored that my fellow board members have elected me to represent the State Chamber as this year’s chairman,” Head said. “The State Chamber is renowned for its efforts to represent the needs of the state’s business community both locally and nationally—efforts that I believe have been instrumental in helping our businesses continue to thrive and succeed. I appreciate the opportunity to champion the State Chamber as this year’s chairman.”

Williams is the chairman and former CEO of Nabholz Construction Services. He began his career at Nabholz as a controller in 1991. He is a certified public accountant, with more than 30 years of experience in financial management.

“I’ve seen firsthand how the AIA’s vision and initiatives lead the way and set standards that other states are now following,” Williams said. “I am proud of the work we are doing, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue supporting the mission of the AIA in my new role as chairman.”

The members of the State Chamber and the AIA also elected several new officers of their respective boards, which manage the organizations jointly as an executive committee.

“I am excited to partner with Gary and Greg, as well as our other newly elected executive committee members, as we further our collective goal to create a better business environment, grow our economy, strengthen our workforce, and ultimately, increase quality of life for all Arkansans.” said Randy Zook, president and CEO of the State Chamber and the AIA. “Gary and Greg have a wealth of experience in each of their respective industries and will do an excellent job overseeing the AIA and State Chamber as chairmen.”

The State Chamber board elected the following officers. Their terms began on January 1, 2023, and expire on December 31, 2023.

Gary Head, Signature Bank of Arkansas, as Chairman
Ronald Dedman, AT&T Arkansas, as Immediate Past Chairman
Ray Dillon, Deltic Timber (retired), as Past Chairman
Curtis Barnett, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, as Vice Chairman
John Burgess, Mainstream Technologies, Inc., as Vice Chairman
Raymond Burns, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, as Vice Chairman
Stanley Hill, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, as Vice Chairman
Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas Inc., as Vice Chairman
Michael Lindsey, Walmart Inc., as Vice Chairman
Andy Miller, Flywheel Energy, as Vice Chairman
Adam Mitchell, Citizens Bank, as Vice Chairman
Nelson Peacock, NWA Council, as Vice Chairman
Larry Shackelford, Washington Regional Medical Center, as Vice Chairman
Frank Thomas, Stephens Inc., as Vice Chairman
George Wheatley, Waste Management of Arkansas, as Vice Chairman
Reggie Rose, Simmons Bank, as Treasurer

The AIA board elected the following officers. Their terms began January 1, 2023, and expire on December 31, 2023.

Greg Williams, Nabholz Construction Services, as Chairman
Chris Hart, Central Moloney Inc., as Immediate Past Chairman
Grady Harvell, W&W|AFCO Steel LLC, as Past Chairman
Michael Callan, Stephens Production Company, as Vice Chairman
Thomas Dickinson, McGeorge Contracting, as Vice Chairman
Dean Hoover, Koontz Electric Company Inc., as Vice Chairman
Patty Cardin Lawson, Lanxess Solutions Inc., as Vice Chairman
Lenore Trammell, Big River Steel, as Vice Chairman
Jeffrey Wood, Tyson Foods, Inc., as Vice Chairman
Reggie Rose, Simmons Bank, as Treasurer