The UALR Alumni Association will recognize Jon T. Rymer as its 2014 UALR Distinguished Alumnus on Friday, May 16, at the Clinton Presidential Center.

Rymer serves as the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest and most prestigious award the association can bestow on its alumni. The award is given each spring to an outstanding UALR graduate who has attained extraordinary distinction and success in their chosen field.

“Mr. Rymer is a person of demonstrated ability and knowledge who is well respected for his service in both public and private sectors,” said Chancellor Joel E. Anderson.

“I am confident the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the university will be inspired by his recognition. His record of distinguished service is a point of pride for the university.”

Before joining the DOD, Rymer served as the inspector general for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Concurrent with his service at FDIC, he served as interim inspector general of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Rymer is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Government Auditing Professional and currently serves as chair of the Audit Committee of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.

He is a member of the Comptroller General’s Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards and chair of the Green Book Advisory Council. He also serves on the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board’s Accounting and Auditing Policy Committee.

Rymer held senior management positions at First American National Bank of Tennessee from 1981 to 1992, and at Boatmen’s National Bank of Arkansas from 1992 to 1997.

In 1997, he joined the accounting firm of KPMG LLP, where as a director he advised and assisted clients on matters of business process improvement, quality assurance processes, and internal auditing.

Rymer served for more than 30 years in the active and reserve components of the U.S. Army. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

A graduate of the U.S. Army’s Inspector General School, Rymer holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration from UALR.

For more information, contact Christian O’Neal at 501.569.3142 or cxoneal@ualr.edu.