Arkansas Tech University President Dr. Robin E. Bowen and the ATU Board of Trustees recognized Leigh Whiteside of Russellville for a decade of service as a board member on Wednesday.
Whiteside was first appointed to the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees by Gov. Mike Beebe in January 2008. She served as chairman of the board in 2012 and 2017, and she was chair of the advisory committee on presidential search during the 2013-14 academic year. Her second term on the board expired on Jan. 14, 2018.
At the beginning of the first ATU Board of Trustees meeting of 2018, Bowen presented Whiteside with a crystal vase filled with flowers. An inscription on the vase reads: Mrs. Leigh Whiteside, in recognition of outstanding service, 2008-18, Arkansas Tech University.
Bowen described Whiteside as a “servant leader” in remarks just before she presented the outgoing board chair with the vase.
Whiteside welcomed her successor, Stephanie Duffield of Russellville, telling her that she is in for a “wonderful experience.” Whiteside went on to express her appreciation to her fellow board members, including the current members and former members such as John Ed Chambers III of Danville, the late William R. “Bud” Harper of Fort Smith and the late Dean Wilburn of Harrison.
“You all are great men,” said Whiteside. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with you and with the administration at Tech. The old saying goes that times flies when you’re having fun. This has been a whirlwind. I feel like I just walked in the door.”
Whiteside is a 1974 Tech graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. She and her husband, 1973 Tech graduate John Whiteside, reside in Russellville. Both of the Whitesides’ children — Ashley Whiteside Rabun and Casey Whiteside Brock — graduated from Arkansas Tech.
Mrs. Whiteside taught in the Russellville School District for 21 years. Her dedication to education has been further demonstrated through her membership in Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women in education, and the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO). Mrs. Whiteside has served as president of both of those organizations. She has served First United Methodist Church in Russellville as a board member and Manna House volunteer.
Mrs. Whiteside’s tenure on the ATU Board of Trustees has included the centennial celebration of the university and the construction of such facilities as Rothwell Hall, Brown Hall, Hindsman Tower, the Corley Hall addition, Baswell Techionery, M Street Residence Hall, the new Facilities Management complex and the Multi-Sport Complex.
She has also led Tech through the renovation of multiple facilities, including Chambers Cafeteria, Doc Bryan Student Services Center, Tech Field, Wilson Residence Hall and the Techionery.
Enrollment at ATU increased by 58 percent during Mrs. Whiteside’s time on the board and she was involved in the review and approval of multiple new academic programs, including the first doctoral degree in Arkansas Tech history.
Mrs. Whiteside was instrumental in the development of a new strategic plan and a new campus master plan for Arkansas Tech, both of which were approved during the final year-and-a-half of her tenure on the board.
“These two documents will serve as part of (Whiteside’s) legacy,” said Bowen, “and they will allow us to continue to benefit from her wisdom, her passion and her commitment to ATU far beyond today.”
