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| | Gordy to direct new education reform group
Thursday, Oct 21, 2004 By Aaron Sadler Times Record FORT SMITH -- A Fort Smith banker and former member of the state Board of Education has been hired to lead a statewide education reform group created by prominent Arkansas businessmen. Luke Gordy of Van Buren starts today as executive director of the Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation. The nonprofit group will advocate reforms in the state's public school system, Gordy said Wednesday. Gordy, 58, was an Arkansas Board of Education member from 1995 until June. He stepped down as a vice president of First Bank Corp., the holding company for First National Bank of Fort Smith. Gordy said a news conference to officially announce his hiring is scheduled for next Wednesday. "I'm excited about being able to do what I've been passionate about for the past nine years," Gordy said. "To become an advocate for meaningful education is a chance of a lifetime and something I couldn't pass up." As the foundation's director, Gordy will fight for the group's goals of increasing public school accountability and offering more schooling choices to state residents. The organization wants to make schools more transparent, he said, by giving parents better ways to understand school quality. Heading up the foundation: Claiborne Deming, president and chief executive officer of Murphy Oil Corp. of El Dorado; Walter Hussman Jr., publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Jackson T. "Steve" Stephens, a Little Rock businessman; and Jim Walton, chairman of Arvest Bank. Stephens is part of the Little Rock family that owns Stephens Group Inc. and Stephens Media Group, the parent company of the Times Record. Gordy said working with the four was one of the most appealing parts of the new job. "Most people don't know how committed they are to education reform," he said. "They've put their money where their mouth is as far as education reform is concerned." None of the four were available for comment Wednesday. Gordy said part of his appeal to them was his ability to bring a practical position to education issues, even if that means not always agreeing with the some of his employers' beliefs. Merle Dickerson, superintendent of Van Buren schools, said the group could not have found a better fit for someone to advocate issues of the state's business leaders. "He is reform minded and he has the perspective both of big business and local schools," Dickerson said. Gordy's wife, Donna, keeps him grounded in the reality of education, he said. She is the director of the state Teacher Advancement Program and is a former principal of Rena Elementary School in Van Buren. Gordy will represent the foundation at House and Senate education committee meetings today. He expects to speak to civic groups across the state and to be actively involved in the 2005 legislative session. Dickerson said Gordy will be an asset to his employers and others once the session begins. "He brings a great gift of communication to the table in terms of negotiation as we all work together to try to better education," Dickerson said. The Gordys will relocate to Little Rock. Gordy, who was senior vice president of Citizens Bank and Trust of Van Buren for 15 years, said he will soon resign positions on the Van Buren Education Foundation and the Van Buren Public Facilities Board. Sam T. Sicard of First National Bank said he was not surprised to learn of Gordy's decision to leave banking. "Education reform is his passion," Sicard said. "He's very committed to that." |
