Forward Arkansas has added Rodney Shepard of Fort Smith and Edie Stewart of Little Rock to its board of directors.

Shepard is a regional executive for Arvest Bank, and Stewart is senior vice president and chief mission officer for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas.

“Throughout their careers, Rodney and Edie have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to strengthening their local communities, including investing in education,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward’s president and CEO. “They understand the economic importance of our mission and are passionate about preparing young people to succeed in the classroom and workforce.”

As regional executive for Arvest Bank, Shepard oversees the company’s banking operations in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. Based in Fort Smith, he has been with Arvest for more than three decades, previously serving as chief customer experience officer and president of the Springfield, Mo. and Fort Smith markets.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Northeastern State University and an MBA from Webster University. He is an alumnus of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and the Barrett School of Banking.

At Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, Stewart focuses on education, skills training and workforce development. She previously held leadership roles at the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), including as Director of Educator Preparation. Before the ADE, she was the assistant vice chancellor for enrollment at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and an instructor and university supervisor coordinator at the University of Cincinnati. She’s also held teaching positions in K-12 and higher education.

She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a master’s in special education from the University of St. Joseph.

Established in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation, Forward Arkansas promotes innovation in education.

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Tracy Neal

Tracy Neal is an award-winning reporter who covers criminal justice (courts and crime) for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He’s been a reporter in Northwest Arkansas for more than two decades. He’s from Bastrop, La.