ED FRYAR Facebook

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has named Ed Fryar of Rogers, a former agricultural economics professor at UA and poultry executive, to succeed David Pryor on the UA Board of Trustees. It’s a 10-year term.

Fryar graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s in agricultural economics. He earned a Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Minnesota.

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He taught at Fayetteville for 13 years, then in 2000 co-founded Ozark Mountain Poultry in Rogers, which specialized in raising chickens without antibiotics or animal byproducts. It started with 25 employees and had 1,800 when he sold it last year to George’s.

He has served on the Council of Economic Advisors for the governor since 1983. He’s also been a Fayetteville School Board member and was campaign treasurer in 2010 for U.S. Rep. Steve Womack’s congressional run.

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The UA board has 10 members. Fryar’s appointment doesn’t alter the long-standing diversity breakdown — eight white men, one black man and one white woman. It’s traditional generally in state government. The three most prestigious state commissions in Arkansas given power and perks are the UA Board, Highway Commission and Game and Fish Commission. Together they comprise 22 appointments. Only the UA Board has a member that isn’t a white male — 20 of 22, in other words. And the UA Board’s female, Kelly Eichler, cast the sole vote last week against a diversity program at UAF.