2016 Distinguished Alumni
Beene (BSE ’72), senior vice president of Martin-Wilbourn Partners marketing firm, was previously associate provost and dean of the University of Arkansas Global Campus as well as director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. She has more than 40 years of service to higher education and public schools where she served as a leader on state and university levels and has represented Arkansas higher education nationally.
Beene holds degrees from the University of Central Arkansas, the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and the University of Arkansas.
Over the past four decades, Beene has been both a university and community college administrator, having previously held appointments at the University of Central Arkansas, Henderson State University and vice president of the University of Arkansas campuses at Fort Smith and Helena as well as a dean at Fayetteville.
Beene remains active in her commitment to education and leadership development. She has served as a member of the AETN Foundation Board and serves as chairman. In 2008, she was the founding director of the Arkansas Association of Community Colleges Leadership Institute, fostering training for aspiring leaders in Arkansas.
As a UCA student in business administration Beene was elected state and national president of Phi Beta Lambda, a business student organization, and traveled nationally representing UCA.
Beene has remained dedicated to her alma mater. She is a regular contributor to UCA through her time, talent and financial contributions. She has served as a member of the UCA Alumni Association Board, served as a faculty member for the inaugural class of the UCA PhD Leadership Studies program (LEAD) and continues to support LEAD students and faculty. Beene is a charter member of the Reynolds Community Council which is dedicated to advocacy, consultation, programming and fundraising support of the Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA.
