Board of Directors

Board of Director, President
Zahir Kamruddin
Zahir Kamruddin, known as “Z.Z.”, has owned multiple businesses, and is an agent of change in his corner of Arkansas who values the power of community. As a member of Rotary since 1986, he has served as President of Rotary Club of De Queen, Arkansas, and notably District Governor of Rotary District 6170, Arkansas 2004-2005. He was instrumental in organizing and chartering Rotary Club of Polk County, Arkansas and Rotary Club of Bryant, Arkansas. During his time in Rotary he has led and been a volunteer in many community initiatives, and was recognized as Citizen of the Year by Sevier County Chamber of Commerce in 2004. With a passion for education and reading, Z.Z. worked with his Rotary club to create a program to donate a dictionary to every 3rd grade student in Sevier County. He has also organized and initiated the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Sevier County. Z.Z. brought the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Southwest Arkansas, a program which has received immense reception, raising 91.5% of funding to date and enrolling 776 plus children. Z.Z has spent five years in Nashville, TN, and was a member of Donelson-Hermitage Club and was active in Rotary District 6760. Also, he has spent five years in Dallas, TX, where he joined Rotary Club 5810 of Dallas-Uptown. Z.Z., born in Karachi, Pakistan, went to college at Arkansas Tech University, Russellville, AR, in 1974. He married in 1978 and moved to De Queen, Arkansas. He has four children all grown and successful leaders in their fields. Steven, Rehana and twins Kara and Zara. Has three grand children Ella, Londyn and Tanner.

Board of Director, Secretary
Cheryl Hickson
Cheryl Hickson, is serving on the chamber board as Director and Secretary. She has been a resident of Sevier County since 1986, and a longtime employee of Bailey Discount Building Supply, with 22 years as Manager. Hobbies include spending time with family, rockhounding or digging for crystals, and reading,

Board of Director
Mike Branson
Mike Branson is a retired Weyerhaeuser Senior Executive with 44 Years of Experience in the Forest Products Industry. Today, he and his son Alan operate a cattle ranch in Sevier County. Mike graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and is also a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program. He currently serves on boards of Hunt Forest Products, FRIENDS, the De Queen Industrial Park Public Facilities Organization, Sevier County Chamber of Commerce and The Southwest Arkansas Rural Water Association. Mike is married to Lorena Branson and they have three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mike enjoys working on the farm, fishing, golf and spending time with his family.

Board of Director
Jay Bunyard
Jay Bunyard is the President/CEO of Bunyard Broadcasting, Inc., which operates a number of media outlets in Sevier County including: #1 Country 92.1, 102.1 The Good Path, Spanish Radio AM 1390/FM 104.5, www.kdqn.net, and
www.theouachitapodcasts.com . Jay, and his wife Teresa, also operate 15 other radio stations in four other Arkansas cities. They also own a tower company that consists of 31 cellular towers in Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma. Bunyard is serving his second four-year term on the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and currently serves as the AEDC Bond Guaranty Committee Chairman. Prior to that, Jay served for twelve years on the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation, and Travel Commission. Jay is a member of the De Queen Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He and his family are members of the First Assembly of God Church.

Board of Director
Steve Cole
Dr. Steve Cole began his career in education at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (UA Cossatot) in 1997 as a member of the business faculty. Dr. Cole received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Henderson State University in 1987, his MBA from Texas A&M in 1997, and his Doctorate from Argosy University in 2013. Being Achieve-Global certified, Dr. Cole also provides workforce and industry training through the UA Cossatot Workforce Development Center. He became Division Chair of Adult, Distance, and Secondary Vocational Education in 2001, Division Chair of Business in 2003, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Academics in 2007, and Chancellor of UA Cossatot in 2010. Steve has received International Teaching awards, was Region 6 President of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and is a Master Presenter at the yearly National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) conference in Austin. Steve’s political career began in 2005 with his appointment to the Arkansas Rural Development Commission where he served as Chair until December 2008. In 2009 Steve served in the 87 th General Assembly as the State Representative for District 21. Steve has also served as a member of the Arkansas State Review Board for Historic Preservation (Appointed by Governor Mike Beebe), and most recently is serving as Chair of the Sevier County Rural Development Authority and Chair of Sevier County Medical Center. Steve is married to Leslie and has two daughters, Morgan and Maddi. He calls Lockesburg home, where he and his wife raise feeder steers.
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Board Director
Angie Walker
Angie Hughes Walker has over 20 years’ experience in healthcare to include quality improvement, meaningful use, patient centered medical home and comprehensive primary care initiative. She successfully applied practice transformation processes across providers, staff, technology, and patients for the multiple value-based programs her practice is involved in. She is married to Randy Walker, M.D. and manages his Family Practice Clinic in De Queen, Arkansas. The clinic is open 7 days a week from 7am-7pm, offers after hours triage and has a patient base of over 11,000. "Born and raised in Northeast Arkansas, I am a 1997 graduate of Remington College in Little Rock, Arkansas with an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. In 2003, Dr. Walker and I relocated to De Queen, to establish a Family Practice Clinic and begin caring for the residents of Sevier County. We believe in working hard for our patients, employees and community. We have one son, Jackson Walker, aka “JW” or 'Precious', that we are absolutely crazy about."