Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement at UA Little Rock, has been selected for the highly regarded state leadership program, Leadership Arkansas.

O’Neal is one of 53 community and business leaders in the state who joins the 19th class of the exclusive leadership program, which is operated by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. All of the class members are leaders within their communities and professions and are interested in expanding that involvement.

“I am honored to be selected for Leadership Arkansas to represent UA Little Rock,” O’Neal said. “This is an opportunity to connect with other leaders from across Arkansas, learn from their perspective, and contribute to the discussions that can shape the future of Arkansas. Equally important to me is that a dozen of my classmates are UA Little Rock graduates who are leaders in their respective fields, ranging from law to construction management, to business, and data science.”

This professional development opportunity will enable O’Neal to further refine his leadership skills and contribute fresh perspectives to the university community. From September 2024 to May 2025, Leadership Arkansas participants will engage in a series of sessions designed to deepen their understanding of leadership, economic development, agriculture, education, tourism, government, workforce development, and more. Each session is tailored to provide hands-on experiences and insights into the unique challenges and opportunities within these regions, culminating in a graduation ceremony at the end of the program.

“Before me, Vice Chancellor Cody Decker and Professor Elizabeth Small, Director of Business Networks, have made significant contributions to the Leadership Arkansas program,” O’Neal said. “They have helped to grow the relationships between the university and our many business partners. Their involvement underscores the university’s commitment to fostering strong connections within the business community and ensuring that UA Little Rock remains a valued contributor to the discussion, and a resource for helping to build Arkansas.”

O’Neal has been instrumental in advancing the university’s mission and fostering a culture of giving and support since first coming on board in 2003. His latest challenge is leading the Centennial Campaign, a capital campaign with a goal of raising $250 million by UA Little Rock’s 100-year anniversary in 2027.

This campaign focuses on securing funds for scholarships, student support programs, faculty excellence, and enhancing the living and learning environment on campus. Under O’Neal’s guidance, the Centennial Campaign has helped UA Little Rock invest in cutting-edge educational resources, attract and retain top-notch faculty, and provide students with transformative opportunities that prepare them for success. Learn more about the Centennial Campaign by visiting ualr.edu/centennial.

“The Centennial Campaign has been incredibly successful so far, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made,” O’Neal said. “We’ve raised significant funds that will have a lasting impact on our students and the broader community. However, there’s still work to be done, and I’m confident that with continued support, we’ll reach our goals and set the stage for even greater achievements in the future.”

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT/KARK) – The Republican Party of Arkansas State Convention delegates recently took legal action against leaders of its own party.

According to our content partner KARK, this action took place after the RPA executive committee’s decision to not allow the party to enforce the closed GOP primaries in the state.

“The lawsuit, filed by 2024 State Convention Chairwoman Jennifer Lancaster in the United States East District of Arkansas, claims 18 members of the RPA’s State Executive Committee voted to nullify motions passed by more than 600 delegates in June, following an advisory opinion done by the Party Rules Committee chairwoman that pointed to the items not being on the convention’s agenda ahead of time for proper notice,” KARK reported.

Following the meeting, RPA Chairman Joseph Wood said that the vote to deem these actions null and void was because they failed to give proper notice and officially put the items on the agenda.

The lawsuit asked the court to order the defendants to take immediate action to close the RPA primaries and all other rules and platform change the party made on June 8.

For more information, visit KARK’s website.

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While most teams around the country post graphics to promote their respective team captains, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has chosen to go a different direction.

With the transfer portal the way it is, Pittman believes it’s unfair to go with the traditional four-man group which represents the team. The Razorbacks brought in 22 new players from the portal to blend in with the 43 who have returned for another season.

Pittman tends to reference Kirby Smart’s Georgia program since he spent time as an assistant with the Bulldogs during its rise to national scene. He will likely go by the way of rotating team captains game-by-game due to the leadership he believes the Razorbacks have this season.

“Georgia named their captains after the season and they just had a rotating guys,” Pittman said during Monday’s press conference. “I do think what we’re going to name four gameday captains for a while, and I don’t know how long that’s going to be.

“I think that we have too many captain-like guys on our team right now to get to four. I think let’s let them play a little bit. Let’s see them in the adversity. Let’s see who really is the leaders on a Saturday afternoon. Again, we have what, 39 new guys. So I just thought that it would be kind of cool if at the end of the year, if you had 48 guys, or you had 36 guys that represented the team.”

One major struggle Pittman has faced lately is team chemistry. Arkansas had a team culture problem lingering over from the Chad Morris tenure and was able to quickly turnaround the locker room vibes in 2020.

Now, he’s faced with that once again, but says there is more togetherness with this roster compared to last year’s team.

“They’re fun to be around,” Pittman said at SEC Media Days. “You know they’re working. Any time you can work and you really don’t know it because you’re enjoying what you do, we’ve had some really great strides.”

HOGS FEED:

• First on field has different meaning for Pittman, Razorbacks

• Pittman releases Hogs’ Week One depth chart ahead of game with UAPB

• Calipari schedules visit with 5-star, in-state legacy prospect

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