Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced on Thursday the names of three people who will serve on an expanded Arkansas State University Board of Trustees.
They have ties to either ASU or Henderson State University, and their terms are scheduled to expire at different times.
The appointees, two of whom live in Saline County, are:
• Paul Rowton of Harrisburg, a former president of the ASU Alumni Association. He is executive vice president of GES Inc., which owns and operates Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver Supermarkets. His term will expire Jan. 14, 2028.
• Robert Rudolph of Bryant, a Henderson State graduate and active alumni association member. He is the pastor at Calvary Church of God in Christ in Malvern. Rudolph’s term will expire Jan. 14, 2027.
• Steve Eddington of Benton, president of the HSU Alumni Board. He is the vice president of public relations at Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation and has served on the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors since 2004. Eddington’s term as an ASU Trustee will expire January 14, 2026.
The appointments follow the governor's signing of legislation that allows Henderson State University, formerly an independent public higher education institution, to become part of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second-largest public higher education system. Henderson State is based in Arkadelphia.
Act 18 of 2021, signed into law Monday, adds Henderson State to the ASU System and expands the ASU Board of Trustees from five members to seven members. The change came about after more than a year of planning by the ASU System. Financial and management problems at Henderson State, including a $6 million deficit in 2019, led officials to decide to make the Arkadelphia-based higher education institution part of the ASU System.