Advisory Board

Joan Bell graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harding University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1999. She returned to her hometown of Harrison, AR and began working in the Marketing Department at First Federal Bank, a publically held community bank. During her 19-year tenure she was instrumental in creating, structuring, and managing online banking, collection efforts, call center operations, and deposit and branch operations. Mrs. Bell served on the merger/acquisition leadership team that focused on the merger/acquisition of five banks in three years. In her later years with the Bank, she served as Vice President/Director of Bank Secrecy Act for Bear State Bank, where she focused on customized education, risk analysis, and legal and regulatory compliance with Anti-Money Laundering efforts.

In July 2018, Mrs. Bell transitioned to the insurance industry and is the owner/agent of Joan Bell Shelter Insurance. She enjoys helping families and businesses wade through the sea of decisions needed to protect their assets so that they can focus on living life. Joan is a tireless volunteer for civic organizations in the community, including the Kiwanis Club of Harrison, the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce, the local Youth Leadership Academy, and the Small Biz Connection. She and her husband David (Harding ’99) enjoy two children, Madison and Maddox, and they are devoted to various ministries of the Northside Church of Christ.

Her advice to others is to strive to be a lifelong learner. She adds "Look for people that can mentor you and then volunteer to mentor others."

Robert Coggin has served as director of facility safety services for National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American:NHC) since 2006.  He has been employed with NHC for 25 years and currently directs the company's fire, emergency management, life safety and OSHA areas. He began his career in NHC's administrator-in-training program and as an administrator. He graduated from Harding with a Bachelor's of Business Administration in 1997 and received his Master of Business Administration from Harding in 2009. He has been a member of the board of trustees of Middle Tennessee Christian School since 2009. MTCS is a Pre-K3 through 12th grade school. He currently is chair of the Finance and Investments Committee and a member of the Governance Committee. Robert and his wife, Betsy, have been married for 17 years and live in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They have three children and are active members of North Blvd. Church of Christ.

Brooks Davis graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harding University's College of Business in 1989 with a degree in Management.  While at Harding he was a 3 year starter for the Bison football team and served as chairman of the Student Association Spiritual Life Committee.  

In 1990, Brooks began his career with Arvest Bank of Rogers, eventually progressing to Vice President/Commercial Lender and managing a $30 million portfolio.  In 1995, he accepted the job of Senior credit Officer for First Bank of Arkansas in Searcy.  

Simmons First acquired First Bank in 2001.  In 1997, Brooks was given the opportunity to lead Simmons First Bank of Searcy as President and CEO at the age of 34.  During this period, the bank grew to $150 Million in assets and consistently achieved returns on assets above 1.0%.

In April, 2014 Simmons First combined the charters of their community banks into one and Brooks took the opportunity to transition to the community board of the Searcy bank and pursue a second career in consulting.  Brooks' primary focus is on helping community banks stay independent through world class management practices.  He is also serving local businesses with continuous improvement of their financial operations.

Brooks and his wife, Jill, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in 2015.  They have three children, Jace (21), Trey (19), and Ally (16).  They are members of the Downtown Church of Christ.  A native of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he has lived in Arkansas for 30 years now and is a dual fan of both states' teams.

Brad joined ORIX USA in 2001 as the Chief Information Officer.  He is responsible for all technology support and development activities for the corporation.

ORIX USA Corporation is a diversified financial conglomerate with approximately $6 billion in assets and $25 billion of assets under management.  ORIX USA is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with approximately 1,100 employees and principal offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Frankfurt, London, and Paris.  ORIX USA Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of ORIX Corporation, a publicly owned Tokyo-based international financial services company established in 1964. ORIX Corporation is listed on the Tokyo (8591) and New York (NYSE:IX) stock exchanges.

Prior to his employment with ORIX, DeLong was one of the founding Principals in the Business Process Automation practice with Perot Systems. DeLong led multiple strategic business and technology initiatives for a variety of industries on a global basis.  Prior to his 10 year career with Perot Systems, DeLong held various operational and technology roles for a large Texas banking corporation where he supported several banking systems and business processes.

Mr. DeLong attended Abilene Christian University majoring in Management Information Systems and completed the Executive Education program at Harvard Business School for Technology and Operations.  Mr. DeLong serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees to Fort Worth Christian School and is President of the Board of The Cardinal Education Foundation.

Charlie Elkins graduated cum laude from Harding in 1982 with a BBA in accounting and is a CPA. He currently is Vice President of Business Development for LOAR Group, an aerospace company with twelve manufacturing divisions around the United States. Previously, Charlie worked for 34 years in various leadership roles at Aviall, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Prior to joining Aviall, Charlie worked for Arthur Andersen & Co., a large CPA firm.

Charlie is married to the former Rebecca Walker and has two adult children, Abigail Sawyer and Brazos Elkins. He was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area, but now lives in Seattle, Washington.  He enjoys driving sports cars and reading.

Sean (pronounced “Seen”) is the general counsel for Walton Enterprises, LLC.  In this role, Sean and his team oversee all legal aspects of the Walton Family Office, Walton Family Foundation,  and affiliated entities. 

Prior to joining Walton Enterprises, Sean was a partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, the largest law firm in the State of Arkansas.  While there, he led the Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax, and Corporate practices in Northwest Arkansas.  Prior to joining the Friday Firm, Sean worked at two international law firms in Dallas, Texas as a lawyer working on transactional matters.  

Sean graduated summa cum laude from Harding University with a degree in accounting and a minor in Bible, magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and with an advanced law degree in tax from New York University School of Law.  Sean is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.  

Sean is married to Rachel (Mitchusson) Evans.  She graduated from Harding University in 2000 with a degree in Health Care Management.  They live in Bentonville, Arkansas with their three children:  Ava (12), Eli (9), and Owen (7).  They are members of Bentonville Church of Christ.  Sean is the President of the Board of Directors of Bentonville Christian Academy, a private, Christian preschool and elementary school.  Rachel serves as the PTO president for Bentonville Christian Academy.  Together, they chair the annual fundraiser for the school.  Sean enjoys playing golf, watching Kansas University basketball, and spending time with his family.

Julie Guymon graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harding in 1986 with a BBA in accounting and is a licensed CPA (Arkansas). She joined the audit practice of Arthur Young & Company in Little Rock immediately following graduation. In 1988, she joined Dillard's Inc. during a period of rapid growth for the company. Julie served in various accounting roles at Dillard's, assuming the role of Director of Investor Relations in 1997.

As Director of Investor Relations, Julie brings together a passion for finance, communication and fashion to deliver vital company information to the investment community, media and other stakeholders. She also serves as the Corporate Spokesperson for Dillard's and is certified in Crisis Communication from the Institute for Crisis Management.

Julie serves on the Board of Directors of the National Investor Relations Institute Virtual Chapter and is a former member of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Board of Directors. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Julie is married to Steve Guymon who served Harding as the Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach for 17 years. Together, they have five adult children, two daughters in law, one son in law, two grandchildren and a spoiled labrador retriever named Baylor.

Paula Jones graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harding University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Management Information Systems in 2013. Whie in high school, Paula also attended and later graduated from Rich Mountain Community College in Mena, Arkansas, with an Associate Degree in General Technology.

Paula first started her career at Walmart Home Office in Bentonville, AR in 2012 as a summer intern supporting the development of large-scale enterprise systems.

In July of 2013, Paula started her full-time career in Walmart’s Accounting and Finance Development Program (AFDP). The AFDP program is a rotational leadership program that strives to prepare future finance leaders with a broad range of experience by providing four, six-month rotations in areas within Walmart Finance. During this program, Paula held roles within Global Controllership, Global Sourcing, and Sam’s Club before relocating near San Francisco, California to complete her final rotation in eCommerce Finance.

After completing the leadership program in 2015, Paula was promoted into Corporate Strategy where she supported Executive Leadership in the development of Walmart’s Enterprise Strategy by providing insight into economic and retail landscapes.

In 2017, Paula was promoted to a Senior Manager in Corporate Finance where she helped to lead the development of a large-scale enterprise planning tool. In 2021, Paula was promoted to the Walmart US Merchandise Finance Team where she currently supports the Consumables business with strategic initiatives.

Outside of work, Paula enjoys spending time outdoors with boyfriend, Logan, and spending time with family and friends. Paula is originally from Mena, Arkansas, where she attended Northside Church of Christ. 

Paul Maynard graduated from Harding in 1987 with a bachelor's in accounting and earned his master's in 1988. He is currently a senior partner at Deloitte where he has worked for 20 years. Maynard leads global teams that serve large multinational food companies. Deloitte will have $67 billion of revenue this year, operate in 150+ countries and have over 415,000 people in its ranks. Previously, Maynard was an audit partner at Arthur Andersen. He and his wife, Robin Ross ('89), are the proud parents of three children who have attended Harding: Allie, Matthew and Jake. Robin is an attorney and serves on the Harding University Board of Trustees. Maynard is very active in the Woodbury, Minnesota Church of Christ where he is an elder, worship leader, small group leader, Bible class teacher, and finance committee member. Paul also is passionate about other nonprofits where he has served on the board, including New Life Academy and Flaming Pine Youth Camp. He also has been on the national finance committee for two U.S. presidential candidates and numerous U.S. Senate and House candidates along with candidates for governor and state senate and house. 

Matt Summitt is the chief financial officer for a textbook company based in Little Rock and founded by an Arkansas family. He also serves as the chief investment officer for the family and assists them in managing their assets. Prior to this role, he was a director and vice president for Stephens, Inc., where he worked with families across the United States on their direct investment and tax planning strategy. Matt is a certified public accountant and a 2006 graduate of Harding University. Matt was previously recognized as an Arkansas "40 Under 40" and currently serves as a board member for Our House, an organization focused on serving the homeless and near-homeless community of Little Rock. He lives in Little Rock with is wife Lana, also a 2006 graduate, and children, Shelby and Sutton.

Scott Teague is the Commercial Banking Executive for U.S. Bank in the Arkansas Region.  He has more than 32 years banking experience in Central Arkansas.  He began his career in 1988 with Union National Bank and spent 14 years there through several acquisitions (Worthen Bank, Boatmen's Bank, NationsBank, and Bank of America).  He served in various capacities from a Management Trainee, Branch Manager, Manager of Direct Lending and then Manager of Business Banking for Arkansas.  In July of 2002 he joined U.S. Bank as a Middle Market Relationship Manager.  In 2004 he became the Commercial Team Leader for Arkansas and over the past decade his position evolved into the Commercial Banking Executive where he oversees Middle Market Banking, Commercial Real Estate Banking, Private Banking, Small Business Banking, Treasury Management and Commercial Loan Operations.

Teague is a native of Mena, Arkansas and graduated from Mena High School in 1984.  He received his undergraduate degree in Marketing from Harding University in May of 1988.  In January of 1995 he received a Masters in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also completed the Pacific Coast Graduate School of Banking at the University of Washington in 2009.

Teague serves on the Harding University President's Council, Arkansas State Chamber Board, the Board of Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business Advisory Board. Teague was a class XV (2000) Leadership Greater Little Rock graduate.  He was recognized in 2005 in Arkansas Business as a 40 under 40.  He serves as a Deacon at the Sylvan Hills Church of Christ. Teague served on the North Little Rock Board of Education from 2005-2017 (serving as Board President twice). In his capacity on the NLR Board of Education he had been involved in the settlement of the long standing desegregation case and in helping pass a millage that enabled the school district to embark on a $265 million construction project that is completely rebuilding and remodeling every school in the entire district.

He and his wife Jennifer have been married for 33 years and have 3 children, Leighton, Jantzen, and Dawson.  They have lived in the North Little Rock area for 32 years.

Paul graduated in 1987 from Harding University with a bachelor's degree in Accounting. He later completed an MBA from Harding. He is married to Heidi Meadows Woolard, also an alumnus of HU (BSW 1989). He holds the professional designations of CPA, CGMA, and CertICM. The Woolards are members of the President's Council at Harding University and Paul is on the Harding COBA Advisory Board. He also was a 9-year member of the Board of Directors of BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC.

After graduating from Harding, the Woolards returned to central Illinois to raise their children near extended family. Heidi gave up her career in social work to raise their family and volunteer in school and church activities as Paul traveled extensively. In 2018, Paul and Heidi relocated to the Nashville area and now make their home in Fairview, TN.

Paul and Heidi have a son, Blake, who is a USMC Veteran working in the IT group at Duke University and resides in Durham, NC with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Laura. The Woolards' daughter, Kayla Beth Craig (HU BSN 2016), is an oncology charge nurse at St. Thomas Midtown in Nashville, and her husband, Nick Craig (HU BBA 2016), is a Senior Accountant at Asurion. 

Since July 2018, Paul Woolard has served as Vice President of Finance/Risk Management for Eco-Energy, LLC, a $4B ethanol and natural gas marketing company based in Nashville, TN. In this role, he leads the middle office, credit, internal audit, and HSE functions of this diversified trading operation. Paul also serves on the Executive Committee and his family are seed investors in Veteran Ventures Capital.

Previously Paul was Director - Strategy/Commercial Development in the Carbohydrate Solutions business unit at Archer Daniels Midland Company. Paul joined ADM in 2009 and most recently served as the Director, Corporate Planning and M&A. Prior to joining ADM, he spent ten years with Tate & Lyle, a London based food ingredient manufacturer. He began his career with KPMG in Little Rock in Public Accounting.