Tom Courtway is serving as interim president of UCA after Lu Hardin submitted his resignation last week.
The UCA Board of Trustees will likely call a special meeting soon to determine a process for appointing the next president of UCA. Courtway will fulfill the duties of president until a permanent replacement is named.
At the time of his appointment last week, Courtway had been the vice president and general counsel of UCA since August 2006.
Courtway received a B.A. in economics and business from Hendrix College in 1974, a J.D. with honors from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1978, and a M.L.T. from Georgetown University in 1983.
During his time as a representative of District 45 in the Arkansas General Assembly from 1995 to 2001, Courtway chaired the Revenue and Tax Committee, and also served on the Agriculture & Economic Development Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Insurance & Commerce Committee. Previously, Courtway worked in Washington, D.C. as a legislative aide for both U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers (from 1979-1982) and U.S. Sen. David Pryor (from 1983-1986).Courtway practiced law for several years after returning to Arkansas. In 1986, he entered the Wright, Lindsey & Jennings law firm in Little Rock and remained there until 1993, when he moved to Conway and started his own practice. In 1995, he joined the Brazil Law Firm in Conway, and in 2000, he started the Courtway & Osment law firm in Conway, where he remained until 2002.
UCA hired Courtway as its general counsel in 2002, but he left in late 2003 to serve as interim director of the Arkansas Department of Education until May 2004, when he returned to his position at UCA. In December 2005, Courtway became vice president of Hendrix College, where he remained until August 2006, when he again came back to UCA as vice president and general counsel.
Courtway was born in Wynne, Ark. On Dec. 30, 1952 and graduated from Conway High School in 1971. His father, Bob, taught at Hendrix College for about 30 years and retired as athletic director there. His mother, Betty, was a public school kindergarten teacher. He has three brothers
