UA Little Rock Welcomes New Members to Foundation Fund Board
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has appointed six accomplished business and community leaders to serve on the UA Little Rock Foundation Fund Board. The new members are Anthony J. Brooks, Rob Gunther, Ryan Holder, Brad McBride, Tracey Rancifer Rittelmeyer, and Amy Wren.
The Foundation Fund Board plays a key role in stewarding private support for the university by providing oversight for foundation activities and serving as ambassadors for UA Little Rock throughout the community. The board is chaired by J.R. Bizzell, senior vice president in the Risk Management Group at Stephens Insurance, who brings experience in risk strategy, financial analysis, and capital markets. Board members meet quarterly and help champion student scholarships, academic initiatives, and institutional growth.
“We are excited to welcome these outstanding leaders to the Foundation Fund Board,” said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. “Each brings a unique perspective and strong ties to the business and civic communities that will help advance opportunities for our students and strengthen the university’s impact across Arkansas.”
Anthony J. Brooks
Anthony J. Brooks has spent more than 30 years in the construction industry and is the president and owner of Platinum Drywall, Inc., a company he founded in 2001 with a vision of delivering exceptional service. Over the course of his career, Brooks has worked across all aspects of commercial construction, including estimating, project management, safety, and accounting.
Brooks is active in several industry organizations, including the American Subcontractors Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, and the Ceilings & Interior System Construction Association. In 2014, he and Platinum Drywall were recognized as the Arkansas Regional Minority Business of the Year. Outside of work, Brooks enjoys spending time with his wife, Shelia, and their two sons, Asa and Alex, and is active in his church and community.
Rob Gunther
Rob Gunther is a certified public accountant with more than 25 years of accounting and tax experience. He currently serves as chairman of the executive committee for Frost, PLLC, where he has worked since 2001.
Gunther’s work focuses primarily on consulting within the agriculture and food processing industries, particularly in the broiler, egg, turkey, and pork sectors. His expertise includes income and estate planning as well as regulatory compliance. He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences, sharing insights on taxation and estate planning.
Ryan Holder
Ryan Holder serves as managing director of Strategic M&A Advisors. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi and is a certified public accountant.
Throughout his career, Holder has worked in a variety of roles focused on entrepreneurship, business transactions, valuation, and capital raising. He has started, operated, and sold multiple businesses while helping companies across industries raise private equity and debt capital. Prior to joining Strategic M&A Advisors, Holder served as director of business services for a large Arkansas-based CPA firm.
Brad McBride
Brad McBride is vice president and senior relationship manager for global commercial banking at Bank of America in Little Rock. In his role, he works with middle-market companies generating between $50 million and $2 billion in annual revenue, providing financial solutions in areas such as treasury management, credit, investment banking, international banking, and wealth management.
McBride began his career with Bank of America in Little Rock in 2011, working in credit before gaining additional experience in Amarillo, Texas, and St. Louis. He returned to Little Rock in 2016 to focus on delivering commercial banking services to public and private clients throughout the region.
Tracey Rancifer Rittelmeyer
Tracey Rancifer Rittelmeyer is president of Ausum Realty, Inc. and an entrepreneur, developer, and managing broker with extensive experience in real estate management, development, and economic development.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhodes College and a Master of Public Administration with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Rittelmeyer has held numerous leadership roles within the real estate profession, including serving with the National Association of Realtors, Arkansas Realtors Association, and the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation.
Appointed by three Arkansas governors, she has served on several state boards, including the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, where she served as chairman in 2022, as well as the Arkansas Real Estate Commission and the Little Rock Port Authority Board. Rittelmeyer is also an advocate for women in business and was named the Women’s Business Council Southwest Regional Volunteer of the Year in 2023 for helping more than 100 companies achieve certification as women-owned businesses.
Amy Wren
Amy Wren, J.D., serves as a director and wealth advisor at Forvis Mazars and brings more than 30 years of experience in legal and financial services. Her work focuses on helping individuals and families navigate complex financial planning and long-term decision-making.
Wren is a proud UA Little Rock alumna, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology before completing her law degree at the William H. Bowen School of Law. She remains actively involved in the community through volunteer service with Ronald McDonald House and previously served on the Pulaski County Bar Association Foundation board.
Originally from the Midwest, Wren has called Little Rock home for many years. She and her husband, Keith Wren—also a UA Little Rock and Bowen School of Law graduate—have three grown children, two sons-in-law, two grandchildren, a great-grandchild, and a beloved family dog.
Learn More
Through their leadership and community connections, these new board members will help champion the university’s efforts to support students, strengthen academic programs, and build partnerships that benefit the community.
Learn more about the Office of Alumni and Development at ualr.edu/advancement.