HOPE/TEXARKANA, AR – June 30, 2026
University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Chancellor Dr. Ricky Tompkins has been appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Institutional and Financial Resilience. Tompkins’s term of appointment begins July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2029.
Selection to an AACC commission is a distinguished national honor, recognizing community college leaders whose experience, insight, and leadership can help shape important conversations across the sector. Dr. Tompkins’s appointment reflects not only his professional leadership but also the growing reputation of UAHT as a college committed to student success, institutional strength, and service to the communities it serves.
The Commission on Institutional and Financial Resilience advises the AACC Board of Directors on strategies to help community colleges strengthen their ability to respond to demographic decline, financial volatility, and operational disruption. The appointment recognizes Tompkins’s leadership and commitment to advancing the mission of community colleges at the local, state, and national levels.
“We are sure that Dr. Tompkins’s insights and leadership will significantly contribute to the Board’s decision-making process and its ability to serve the interests of all AACC member institutions across the nation,” said Tammy Reichelt, AACC Chief of Staff.
Tompkins said he is honored to be selected by the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges to represent UAHT and community colleges nationwide on the Commission that advises AACC on strategies to strengthen colleges’ ability to withstand demographic decline, financial volatility, and operational disruption.
The American Association of Community Colleges serves as a national voice for community colleges and supports member institutions through advocacy, leadership, and service. AACC’s mission is “Building a Nation of Learners by Advancing America’s Community Colleges.” The association represents nearly 1,200 associate-degree-granting institutions enrolling more than 12 million students.
For more information about the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, visit www.uaht.edu.
