Local leaders among those honored for lifetime service

Nine Arkansas leaders from industry, education, banking and business were honored for their lifetime service on the Economics Arkansas board of directors during a recent cocktail reception.

The gala was part of Economics Arkansas’ 50th Anniversary celebration, held at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion on Nov. 8. Two of those honored reside in Northwest Arkansas and one in Fort Smith.

Economics Arkansas (through the Arkansas Council on Economic Education) is a private, non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization founded in 1962 by Dr. Bessie B. Moore to promote economic literacy in Arkansas. Its mission is to promote economic literacy and the economic-way of thinking to PreK-12 students in Arkansas by empowering educators to teach the fourth “r,”—real life economics.

The following individuals were acknowledged for lifetime service on the EA board of directors:
• Jim Wooten, 33 years, president, Winslow Holding, LLC, Beebe
• Jim Walton, 29 years, chairman and CEO, ARVEST Bank Group, Bentonville
• William B. Fisher, 28 years, general manager and CEO, Paragould Light, Water & Cable, Paragould
• Dr. Jim Rollins, 28 years, superintendent, Springdale School District, Springdale
• Rogers Ford, 26 years, superintendent (retired), South Mississippi County School District, Joiner
• Dr. Benny Gooden, 25 years, superintendent, Fort Smith School District, Fort Smith
• Bob Watson, 25 years, superintendent, El Dorado School District, El Dorado
• Mike Wilson (posthumous), 29 years, former owner of R.R. Lee Wilson Company, Wilson
• Leonard Dunn (posthumous), 27 years, former banker in Pine Bluff, Hot Springs and Little Rock