Arkansas Alumni Board Announces Six New Directors

Six University of Arkansas graduates started their three-year term today as new board members of the Arkansas Alumni Association.

The board is made up of 33 UA graduates. The new board members are:

John Forrest Ales, Washington D.C. — Ales is vice president of brand public relations at Hilton Worldwide, serving as a global spokesman and leading external communication strategies for the company in 80 countries.

His career has been successful in agency, government and corporate environments such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the Louisiana governor’s office. While a student at the university, Ales was active in many organizations including service as director of public relations and promotions with student-produced UATV and as a senator in the Associated Student Government.

He received the Arkansas Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award in 2011. Ales was presented the Golden Bridge Award in 2011 and was named PR Professional of the Year.

Emanuel Banks, North Little Rock — A registered professional engineer, Banks is assistant chief engineer of operations at the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. He has more than 22 years of engineering experience and serves as a member of the Transportation Research Board and the department’s subcommittees on construction and maintenance.

While a student at the university, Banks participated in Alpha Phi Alpha. He is a member of the Black Alumni Society of the Arkansas Alumni Association, serving as chair of the Scholarship Committee. He is active in his community including service as a board member for River City Ministry.

Laura Jacobs, Fayetteville — Jacobs has a wide range of experience in newspapers, higher education and a national arts institution. She has served as the communications director for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville since 2011 and is responsible for directing all aspects of administration and operation of the communications division and part of the Museum Relations Branch.

Prior to joining Crystal Bridges, Jacobs worked with the University of Arkansas office of university relations. She is active in her community, serving as a member of the board of directors for the Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association. Jacobs is a former editor of Arkansas magazine, which, under her editorship, won the Quill Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators in 2007 and 2008.

Susan Gilbert Kemp, Mountain View — A retired educator, Susan Kemp taught family and consumer sciences for 26 years at Rural Special High School and Mountain View High School. She is active in her community and state, having served on the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Alumni Board of Directors and the Ozarka College Foundation Board since 2003.

Additionally, she has served on the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce Board, the Stone County Single Parent Scholarship Fund and the Stone County Scholarship Foundation.

Kemp is also a member of The Committee of 100 is a statewide organization that supports special projects of the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View.

Lott Rolfe IV, Maumelle — An owner and principal attorney with Rolfe Law Firm, P.A., Lott Rolfe IV practices law in North Little Rock. Prior to opening his practice, he gained experience as an attorney with Leverett and Watts PLLC, the Arkansas Public Defender Commission and the Little Rock city attorney’s office.

He is active in his community as a member of the W. Harold Flowers Law Society and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Rolfe is a member of the Black Alumni Society, having served in various leadership roles including president and reunion chair.

Roger H. Sublett, Mason, Ohio — An Arkansas native, Sublett was appointed president of Union Institute and University in Cincinnati. Sublett has extensive experience in academic leadership having served as a professor, dean, provost, associate vice president for academic affairs, chief operations officer and acting president.

Previously serving as director of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Kellogg National Fellowship/Leadership program, he is a frequent speaker, and advocate in the areas of adult and continuing education and leadership.

Sublett has served as executive vice president for the Association of Continuing Higher Education and president of the Coalition for Adult Education Organizations.