The Workforce Development Center Advisory Board brings together state leaders from industry, education, and the community to provide strategic guidance and to support the Center’s mission of meeting current and future workforce needs.
Board Members
Kristi Barr serves as the Director of Talent Initiatives for the Little Rock Regional Chamber. Kristi leads the chamber’s work to support the advancement of public schools and monitor and increase the talent pipeline for employers in Little Rock and Central Arkansas. In her time at the chamber, she has helped to spearhead initiatives to align current curriculum offerings in both K-12 and post-secondary to industry demand, facilitated hiring events for new and expanding companies to meet their hiring needs and partnered with local business and education leaders in the creation of a career-themed “center of excellence” at North Little Rock High School and the Little Rock School District Excel Program.
Over the past several years, Kristi helped build a coalition among all four school districts in Pulaski County to implement the Academies of Central Arkansas, a systemic high school redesign focused on career-themed academies. Kristi came to Little Rock 21 years ago from the Carmel-Clay Chamber of Commerce in Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. She received her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, is a graduate of Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute, has been awarded the Mid-South Economic Development Professional designation, and is an Education Attainment Fellow with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). In 2019, she was named Outstanding Economic Developer by the Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives. She has previously served as chair of the Little Rock Workforce Development Board and still resides on that board. She has served on numerous business advisory boards for the Little Rock School District, the North Little Rock School District, and the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College, and is a former board member of Arkansas Economic Developers.
Kristi is married to Jason Barr and resides in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dr. Jeremy S. Owoh began his career as an English teacher. He has served as an educational leader at multiple levels. Dr. Owoh was named as the assistant superintendent of curriculum/instruction and desegregation at Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, a newly created school district. In July of 2017, Owoh was named the Assistant Commissioner of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure. Currently, Dr. Owoh serves as the Superintendent of Schools for the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District and as an adjunct instructor in the Education Doctoral Program at Southern Arkansas University.
Dr. Owoh holds a Bachelor of English Education with a concentration in Secondary Education from the University of Central Arkansas at Conway; a Master of Secondary Education with concentrations in Reading and Writing, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also completed the University of Southern California Executive Leadership Academy and the Southern Methodist University’s Executive Leadership Institute.
Dr. Owoh serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Protection Center, American Heart Association, and Arkansas Athletics Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for ASCD +ISTE, as President.
Senator Jane English represents Senate District 13, which includes parts of North Little Rock and northern Pulaski County. She was sworn into the state Senate in January of 2013.
Senator English is chair of the Senate Education Committee. She is a member of the Senate City, County and Local Affairs Committee, the Joint Performance Review, the Senate Efficiency Committee, the Joint Budget Committee, the Arkansas Legislative Council and the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.
Senator English served two terms in the House of Representatives, from 2009 through the end of 2012. During the 95th General Assembly, Senator English sponsored legislation that makes school business more transparent, such as a bill to require school boards to allow public comments at every meeting. She also sponsored legislation that requires each school board to publish their meeting agendas, the names of school board members and their e-mail addresses on the school web site.
Throughout her legislative career she has made it a priority to improve vocational and career education. She worked to restructure job training and adult education in Arkansas so that local business leaders have a greater say in class offerings, and so that students have greater access to training in the fields that are most in demand by business and industry.
Steve Shepard is a senior executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience driving organizational growth, customer experience excellence, and brand development in large, multi-location operations. As Senior Vice President at Greenway Equipment, Inc., he has played a key role in scaling the organization from four locations to 30 through strategic acquisitions, talent development, and a unified culture centered on customer experience.
Known for building high-performing teams and sustainable business models, Steve has led initiatives across marketing, training, safety, eCommerce, and customer experience, overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets and enterprise-wide transformation efforts. His leadership has supported growth from 50 to more than 750 employees while maintaining strong profitability and market leadership, including achieving over 60% market share in the large agriculture segment.
A collaborative and community-focused leader, Steve has developed workforce training partnerships with educational institutions and state agencies, launching apprenticeship and technical education programs that strengthen both the organization and the communities it serves. He is recognized for his ability to align strategy, culture, and execution to deliver long-term results.
Summer Khairi was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. She holds a degree in Nuclear Medicine from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and now serves as a Program Director and Assistant Professor in the College of Health Professions at UAMS. She also earned a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Health Administration from UA Little Rock. Recently, she graduated with her PhD in Change Leadership at the University of Central Arkansas, further expanding her expertise and professional growth. Summer’s passion lies in serving others. She is deeply committed to giving back to her alma mater, UA Little Rock, where she serves on the UA Little Rock Alumni Board, mentors college students, and contributes to various events such as Taste of Little Rock while also holding the role of Scholarship Chair. Recently, she was appointed to the Little Rock Sister City Commission. Her dedication to community involvement extends to serving on boards, including Mount St. Mary’s Academy Board and Avanza Latina. Most recently, she was elected as the Speaker for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, further amplifying her influence in the field on the national level.
Summer is actively engaged at UAMS, serving as Secretary of the UAMS Academic Senate and contributing to various committees dedicated to enhancing the institution’s culture. She is an alumna of the UAMS Leadership Program, Leading with Purpose and Executive Healthcare Leadership Institute. In 2019, she was recognized as one of UAMS’s Phenomenal Women and named among the Ones to Watch by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
Her achievements extend beyond UAMS, as she has been honored as a Museum of Discovery SPARKS! Star, recognizing outstanding professionals in science, math, and technology in Arkansas. She was also selected for Arkansas Business’s 2020 20 In Their 20s, Arkansas Money and Politics’ 2020 Power Women, and AY Magazine’s 2022 Intriguing Women. In 2025, UALR honored Summer with the distinguished alumni award. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Little Rock program through the Little Rock Regional Chamber.
Kenneth Calhoun is a veteran of the trucking industry working in numerous roles in fleet, distributor and dealer organizations. Kenneth has been immersed in remote diagnostics since 2015 establishing his own company which he sold to his current employer Altec where he now serves as part of the chassis engineering team.
During his tenure in the industry, he has served as Chairman of the Arkansas Trucking Association’s Maintenance and Technology Council, General Chairman and Treasurer of the Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations and has served on the Legislative Task Force on Workforce Education Excellence here in Arkansas. He is a past member of the Research Advisory Committee of the American Transportation Research Institute, he established the Apprenticeship Standards Committee Within TMC. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors for Be Pro Be Proud Inc.
In June of 2020 Kenneth was appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson to serve on the Career Education and Workforce Development Board where he served as Chairman through June of 2023. In 2022, he was recognized by the American Trucking Associations with the Mike Russell Industry Image Award. In February of 2023 he was recognized by Commercial Carrier Journal with their Career Leadership Award. Most recently the Arkansas Trucking Association recognized Kenneth as the 2023 Maintenance Professional of the Year.
Toni Lindsay is responsible for fostering community relations with local chambers/chamber members and elected officials in Northwest Arkansas, while representing the positions of the State Chamber and AIA before entities that include the following: committees, boards, various state agencies, the governor’s office and the legislature. She also serves as the lead staff person for our Leadership Arkansas program.
Toni previously worked for the University of Arkansas Department of Athletics for 16 years as director of special events, television show coordinator for the head football and basketball coaches’ shows and in several other capacities. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science and communication from the University of Arkansas in 2000 and has completed coursework for a master’s degree in communication from the U of A. She also has extensive experience serving on various 501(c)(3) boards in a leadership role, plus additional philanthropic experience from a member, volunteer and donor role.