CONWAY, Ark. (June 18, 2020) — The Hendrix College Board of Trustees approved a new slate of officers for the upcoming year:
- Jo Ann Biggs ’80 — Chair
- Hank Neely ’83 — Vice Chair
- Kim Evans — Secretary
- Albert Braunfisch ’86 — Immediate Past Chair
“Hendrix is so fortunate to have leaders who are deeply committed to this institution and give so generously of their time, resources, and diverse talent to strengthen and advance the important mission of the College,” said Hendrix President W. Ellis Arnold III ’79. “I am excited to continue our important work together, impacting the lives of our students and making a difference in the world beyond our campus.”
Biggs, who joined the Board in 1998, is an attorney and a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas, Texas. An English major at Hendrix, Biggs was the first female student to serve as Hendrix Student Senate President, and she is the first female Chair of the Board of Trustees. She also has a juris doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
Biggs succeeds Braunfisch, who joined the board in 2006, concluded his term as Board Chair this year, and will continue to serve on the Board.
“As a member of the Board of Trustees at Hendrix for over 20 years, I have had the opportunity to work with, and learn from, many strong and talented Board leaders, including Charles Morgan, Madison Murphy, David Knight, and most recently, Albert Braunfisch. I am honored to follow in their footsteps,” said Biggs. “I am particularly thankful to Albert for his thoughtful leadership over the last three years and his unfailing devotion to Hendrix.
“I look forward to working closely with the Trustees and everyone in the Hendrix community,” she added. “I know that we are all dedicated to providing Hendrix students with educational experiences and opportunities that can enrich their lives and empower them for the future.”
Neely, an economics and business major, is retired from Ernst & Young in Dallas. He joined the Board in 2010.
“I’ve enjoyed the last several years as a board member working collaboratively with past Presidents, past and current Board members, and our very talented faculty and staff to educate and develop Hendrix students,” he said. “I’m proud to be a Hendrix alum and place great value on the role of elite liberal arts institutions like Hendrix. My Hendrix education changed my life and introduced me to treasured life-long friendships.”
Neely said he looks forward to working with President Arnold, Biggs, and other board members to advance the mission and future of Hendrix.
“Ellis Arnold is a talented and seasoned leader and someone in whom I have great confidence to tackle the challenges and capture the opportunities that lie ahead,” Neely said. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jo Ann Biggs the last several years and look forward to teaming more closely with her in our shared stewardship of the College.”
Evans, who joined the Board in 2018, is Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University and a juris doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
A former assistant attorney general of Arkansas, Evans serves on a number of nonprofit and for-profit boards that seek to improve the lives of Arkansans, including Southern Bancorp, Centers for Youth and Families, eStem Public Charter Schools, and the Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation of Dallas, Texas. Centers for Youth and Families, Inc., honored her with the 2017 Ellon Cockrill President’s Award, and she is the Junior League of Little Rock’s 2020 Sustainer of the Year. Her daughter is a 2018 Hendrix graduate.
“As the parent of an alumna, I am proud to give back to an institution that both provides high quality education and develops civic-minded adults who serve the world around them in countless ways,” said Evans. “I also look forward to working with fellow board members who are passionate, dedicated, resourceful, and committed.”
The slate of new Board of Trustees officers was approved at the Board’s May meeting, and the officers’ new terms began June 1.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.