Alumni Profile: Jay Hartman

Jay Hartman is at the pinnacle of his profession, but he knows what got him there – a solid education. That’s why he supports the University, donating his time and talent to assure educational opportunities for the next generation. To that end, he reinforces his educational values by promoting UALR in the community serving UALR and the community on the Alumni board and as a donor to the University. "We must continue to push to keep relationships strong between UALR and the community," Hartman said. Hartman earned a BS in electrical engineering from Prairie View A&M and graduated from UALR in 1999 with an MBA degree. Hartman currently serves as manager of customer relations for Entergy Arkansas where his background includes project management, field service support, and client and community relations. His dedication to excellence and service keeps him involved with many organizations. He is past president of the Alumni Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, past president of the UALR College of Business Alumni Association Board, and current chairman of the Board of Trustees of Leadership Greater Little Rock. He is a commissioner on Central Arkansas Water Board and member of the Transportation Advisory Committee with Metro-plan. He serves on the UALR Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Advisory Council and was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Visitors for the University. He also participates in many community programs including the Starting Block Initiative that seeks to increase the number of minority students pursuing a career in the field of engineering. He is a past recipient of Entergy’s Humanitarian Award for his commitment and involvement with the Starting Block program and was recognized by Arkansas Business as one of its 40 under 40. He and his wife Exa, also an engineer, are very dedicated to this cause and to opening doors for young people in Arkansas. Young ideas are what we need to connect the university to the community and the student body, he said. I advise students to commit time to their education and it will pay off in the end.