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Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders has appointed Joe Pieratt to the Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees, adding a respected leader and community advocate to the University\u2019s governing body. His appointment reinforces SAU\u2019s commitment to strong leadership and strategic growth as the University continues building momentum across Arkansas and the region.<\/p>\n
Pieratt replaces Nate Evers on the Board of Trustees. SAU extends its sincere appreciation to Evers for his service and dedication to the University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am humbled and honored to accept Governor Sanders\u2019 appointment to the Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees,\u201d said Pieratt. \u201dSAU has made a tremendous difference in my life, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pieratt serves as Chief Operations Officer for Farmers Bank & Trust, a community-focused financial institution headquartered in Magnolia, AR. Serving in this role since January 2016, he oversees operational strategy and execution across the bank\u2019s markets, helping guide one of the region\u2019s most respected financial institutions. His career reflects a strong background in operations, technology, and strategic leadership.<\/p>\n
Prior to joining Farmers Bank & Trust, Pieratt was employed with Ethyl Corporation (now Albemarle) from 1992 to 1998, working in Magnolia, Arkansas, and Pasadena, Texas, in a number of IT roles. In 1998, he joined Air Products & Chemicals as Plant IT Manager and later served as Chem Group IT Manager. In 2000, he returned to southwest Arkansas and spent 15 years with Murphy Oil Corporation in a variety of global IT leadership roles.<\/p>\n
Pieratt attended Southern Arkansas University from 1988 to 1992, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. A proud SAU alumnus, he has remained deeply engaged with the University and the Magnolia community, serving 12 years on the SAU Foundation Board of Governors and previously on the Rankin College of Business Advisory Council. He was recognized in 2010 as an Outstanding Young Alumni. As a business leader and community advocate, Pieratt understands firsthand SAU\u2019s vital role in workforce development, economic growth, and quality of life in south Arkansas.<\/p>\n
His dedication to Magnolia extends well beyond his professional responsibilities. As a former member of the Magnolia Planning Commission for 18 years, including 10 years as chairman, Pieratt helped guide strategic growth and responsible development in the community. Through his leadership at Farmers Bank & Trust and his civic engagement, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to strengthening local institutions and expanding opportunities for students, families, and businesses throughout the region.<\/p>\n
Joe currently resides in Magnolia, Arkansas, and has been married to his wife, Angela Grafton Pieratt, for 34 years. Together, the couple has two children, Abby and Adam. In his personal time, Joe\u2019s interests include cattle farming, traveling, and outdoor sports.<\/p>\n
Pieratt\u2019s professional expertise, community investment, and lifelong connection to SAU uniquely position him to serve on the Board of Trustees as the University continues to advance its mission and expand opportunities for future Muleriders.<\/p>\n
Dr. Bruno Hicks, SAU president, shared his enthusiasm about Pieratt\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to welcome Joe Pieratt to the SAU Board of Trustees,\u201d said Hicks. \u201cJoe\u2019s leadership, experience, and commitment to service will be tremendous assets to SAU. As we continue building on our strong foundation and expanding opportunities for our students, I look forward to working alongside him to advance the mission of the University.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SAU Board of Trustees plays a critical role in guiding the University\u2019s strategic direction, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources, and supporting student success.<\/p>\n
SAU, located in Magnolia, Arkansas, provides students with the complete college experience in a caring environment of service, innovation, and community. With more than 100 degrees across four distinct colleges and the School of Graduate Studies, SAU initiates new degree programs to meet the needs of career and professional trends of today. As part of this commitment, SAU proudly offers the Next Step Guarantee program, ensuring that students receive the necessary resources, career guidance, and support to transition successfully from college to their chosen careers or graduate studies. To learn more about SAU, visit www.saumag.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders has appointed Joe Pieratt to the Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees, adding a respected leader and community advocate to the University\u2019s governing body. His appointment reinforces SAU\u2019s commitment to strong leadership and strategic growth as the University continues building momentum across Arkansas and the region. Pieratt replaces Nate Evers on… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":11755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[272,578,7753,288],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-archives","8":"category-board-of-trustees","9":"category-homepage","10":"category-regional-news","11":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11751"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11754,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11751\/revisions\/11754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}