After increasing the number of board positions from five to seven and extending the appointments to seven-year terms, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchkinson appointed Paul Rowton (Delta Eta–Arkansas State ’95) to the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees.
ASU System President Chuck Welch said the three appointees, which also include Bishop Robert G. Rudolph, Jr. and Steve Eddington, bring a diverse mix of expertise to the board.
“I am so appreciative of Governor Hutchinson for these very strong appointments to our Board of Trustees,” Welch said. “Each of these individuals has been very involved in their communities and with our member institutions. Robert is a former Henderson student body president, Paul is a former A-State Alumni Association president, and Steve is the current president of the Henderson State Alumni Association. Their diversified backgrounds in ministry, agriculture, and retail business operations in our state will lend solid insight and leadership to our board. I definitely look forward to working with all three of our new trustees as we continue to grow our system.”
Paul, a 1998 graduate of Arkansas State with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, is executive vice president of GES Inc. GES operates seven Edwards Food Giant stores and five Edwards Cash Saver stores. He is also a partner in Fast Lane Markets LLC, which operates convenience stores.
A native of Forrest City, Rowton is past president of the A-State Alumni Association and helped oversee construction of the Cooper Alumni Center. The 2009 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree is also a past chairman, treasurer, vice chair and board member of the Arkansas Grocers & Retail Merchants Association and past president of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce.
Paul and his wife – Ashley Edwards Rowton, a 1999 graduate of Arkansas State – are 1924 Sustaining Life Members of the A-State Alumni Association and are members of the Red Wolves Foundation. They have two sons, JP and William.
“A-State has been such an important part of my life for the past 26 years, and I am very thankful for this opportunity to serve.”
“I am extremely honored to have been selected by Gov. Hutchinson to serve on the ASU System Board of Trustees,” Rowton said. “There are so many wonderful things happening across the ASU System, and I look forward to working with my fellow trustees, Dr. Welch and the leadership teams at all of the ASU System campuses. A-State has been such an important part of my life for the past 26 years, and I am very thankful for this opportunity to serve.”
The ASU System, based in Little Rock, serves 37,465 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online with a total operating budget of $348 million.
