ASU System board chair sees opportunity, progress on the horizon

Arkansas State University System board chair Christy Clark sees even brighter days ahead for the university system she oversees, and the previous days have been plenty bright.

Clark, who appeared on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, discussed the growth of the ASU System footprint and highlighted new initiatives in progress.

Over the last decade, Clark and her board peers have pulled in three new campuses to the ASU System – ASU Mid-South in West Memphis, ASU Three Rivers in Malvern, and Henderson State University in Arkadelphia.

Enrollment systemwide is on the rise, a huge feat for any college or university in the current climate, and the ASU System is about to welcome a new leader, Dr. Brendan Kelly, who replaces longtime president Dr. Chuck Welch.

“Dr. Kelly’s coming to us from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. He is a dynamic speaker. He is a wonderful person. He and his wife, Dr. Tressa Kelly, come as a team. They are very involved in their campus there and we’re so excited to get them here in September to start working with our campuses here,” Clark said.

“He has met our chancellors and he’s ready to get his boots on the ground and get to work. He sees where we want to go. He shares our concerns and our visions for our system and our campuses. He’s knowledgeable, extremely energetic, and just a great leader. His personality as well as his experience just brought him straight to the top,” she added.

Clark, a 1992 A-State graduate and comptroller of powerhouse construction firm Clark Contractors, also discussed two new schools that the university system will be launching in the near future.

A veterinarian school is expected to open in the fall of 2026. Clark said the school makes sense for Arkansas State because of work already being completed in the field.

“Northeast Arkansas in itself is agriculture-focused. We have animal science degrees already in place. We have an equine center. We just think we’re perfectly suited both geographically and programmatically to take this on,” she said.

Clark also discussed a new Steel Institute at A-State that will work in tandem with Northeast Arkansas’ booming steel industry.

“The Steel institute will provide steel research. We hope to partner with the steel companies in Northeast Arkansas to provide research, to provide materials testing, to provide training and degree paths for their employees and workforce… We hope to be their one-stop shop for all things steel in Northeast Arkansas,” Clark added.

Gov. Sarah Sanders has said on multiple occasions that higher education will be a top legislative priority for her administration in the 2025 legislative session. While details have been short on what is being planned, Clark said she views the focus with enthusiasm and caution.

“We’re just excited to see what she brings and nervous too, I guess is worth saying,” Clark said. “We just know that she will have an agenda that we will want to get behind. We’re excited about her plans. We hope they align with what we have in store.”

Watch Clark’s full interview in the video below.