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LITTLE ROCK (Tuesday, January 20, 2026) - University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria has announced that Jerry Stegall, director of recruiting & student activities at University of Arkansas - East Arkansas Community College (UA-EACC), has been named as chair of the previously announced chancellor search advisory committee at the campus.
Current UA-EACC Chancellor Cathie Cline, Ed.D., announced last August her plans to retire July 1 after more than 25 years of service to the institution. Chris Thomason, vice president for strategic and community college partnerships for the UA System, is leading the search for Cline's replacement for the UA System President's Office and will coordinate the recommendation of a short list of final candidates cultivated by the committee for Silveria to consider before ultimately making his recommendation to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for final approval.
Stegall, who earned an associate degree from UA-EACC in 2016 and a bachelor's degree in finance from Arkansas State University in 2018, has six years of comprehensive service to students at UA-EACC while also having previously served as assistant director of financial aid at the campus.
"I know Mr. Stegall's dedication to the campus and community is strong and will lend itself nicely to a leadership role on the advisory search committee to find its next chancellor," said Jay Silveria, president of the University of Arkansas System. "I appreciate the time and dedication it takes to serve in these roles, and am thankful for those who have committed to ensuring the outstanding level of community service this campus has in its region will carry forward."
Stegall is highly engaged in student success initiatives at UA-EACC, overseeing all student events, coordinating recruitment efforts, and serving as a vital resource for students and their families. He also serves with the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund.
"As a proud alumnus of UA-EACC and one who is committed to advancing the college's mission and serving the community, it's a true honor to be given the opportunity to have a leadership role in contributing to the selection of a visionary new leader in the heart of the Delta," Stegall said. "I want to thank President Silveria and Chris Thomason for the opportunity to serve in this capacity to an institution and region that have both given so much to me. UA-EACC and the community it serves are uniquely special entities and great care will be taken with this responsibility."
The 14-member search committee that was announced in December, which includes key members of the campus community, alumni, and regional education, business and municipal leaders from the campus's service areas, has met three times and has finalized the open chancellor position profile and began promoting it to a wide national audience last month. At its meeting last week, the committee began reviewing candidates. The committee has also launched a chancellor search landing page to keep interested candidates, the campus and community up to date on the search, which can be found here.
"The committee has now met three times with the first order of business being to accomplish the initial milestones in getting a successful chancellor search off the ground and running," Thomason said. "Now that the search is underway, we're pleased to have committee leadership in place to keep things moving and organized as we begin reviewing candidates for the vital role of chancellor at UA-EACC. Mr. Stegall is invested in the future success of the campus and will be a real asset in leading this group during the important work of finding the right person to succeed Dr. Cline and continue the immense progress she's made in this region."
Previous UA-EACC Chancellor Search News:
About the University of Arkansas System (www.uasys.edu) Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state's 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas's premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 27,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state's economic, educational and cultural advancement.
