College foundation honors two graduates, Murphy Oil Corp. By SARA MITCHELL For the Sunday News
EL DORADO – The South Arkansas Community College Foundation honored two former graduates, Sherrel Johnson and Ricky Roberts, and Murphy Oil Corp. at its Evening with the Stars celebration on Saturday. The event was held at the South Arkansas Arts Center. Johnson told the crowd, who gathered in the art gallery, that when she was younger and short of confidence, her aging aunt had given her wise advice. "She told me to get my education," Johnson said, adding that her aunt also said that no one could take and education away from her. "It was my third time to enroll in college," she said, "and the only credit I could transfer to SouthArk was a D in bowling that counted as my PE credit." The foundation also commemorated Murphy Oil’s contributions to the college and to the community with its Friend of the College award. A supporter of kindergarten through postsecondary education in El Dorado, Murphy has established the El Dorado
Promise Program, providing scholarships for graduates of El Dorado High School. Murphy has dedicated $50 million to the El Dorado Promise, which has received both national and international coverage. Bill Nolan, chairman of the board, accepted the award. Nolan said the 7,000 employees for Murphy Oil should be thanked. "They make this possible," Nolan praised SouthArk, saying the college deserved support from everyone. "I am going to end my speech by rewarding you," he said "By giving a gift of $5 million to the new community center." El Dorado voters recently approved a special tax, part of which will fund a proposed the center near the college on South We s t Avenue. Johnson named several teachers from SouthArk who helped build her confidence. "I am terrified again because talking about me is much more difficult than speaking on behalf of someone else or a cause." The first in her family to graduate from college, Johnson’s career has been one of firsts. She was the first woman to be president and chief executive officer of the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, serving from 1995-2000. Under her leadership, the city and county formed the Union County Water Conservation Board, the first in the state with unprecedented authority over groundwater. She helped secure over $8.5 million in state and federal funding toward completion of the Ouachita River Alternative Water Project. She directed the community’s project development responsibilities for Del-Tin’s medium density fiberboard plant, Pacific MDF and Union Power Station’s $1.1 billion merchant power plant, the country’s largest. She also coordinated the successful tax levy campaign to merge the technical college and SAU-EB into South Arkansas Community College. She later served as interim vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, where she helped create the Breast Cancer Program Administrator position and launch the Breast Cancer License Plate program, which has raised over $300,000 to date for research and education. She subsequently became director of public programs at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and is currently a private consultant in El Dorado. Johnson was also instrumental in establishing the Allie Johnson Persistence of the Spirit Award and the Robert C. Compton Scholarship Fund with the Union County Community Foundation and the Jodie Mahony Endowed Scholarship at SouthArk. In addition, she worked in the capital campaigns for the Salvation Army, YWCA, the Boys and Girls Club and the El Dorado Education Foundation. A new member of the SouthArk Board of Trustees, she is married to Dr. Ben Johnson, a former instructor at SouthArk and a current professor at SAU-Magnolia. Her son, Jason Ellen, an optometrist and a SouthArk graduate; daughter-in-law, Rona, a veterinary medicine student; and two grandsons, Drake and Lucas, live in Tulsa, Okla. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. Roberts, who has continued a career in police work, graduated from SouthArk in 2003. He serves as police chief for the City of El Dorado. He was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and was named the Outstanding Criminal Justice Graduate for 2002-2003. A Rison native, he graduated from SouthArk in 2003. "It’s such an honor to be a graduate of this college," Roberts told the crowd. He was on the Pine Bluff force from 1985 until 1987, when he came to El Dorado. After serving in the patrol and detective divisions, in March 2000 he was appointed chief of police of the El Dorado Police Department, where he oversees 50 sworn officers, 11 support staff members and 18 reserve officers. Roberts said he has two children in El Dorado High School. "They have been there since Kindergarten and I want to personally thank Murphy Oil for the El Dorado Promise." In the fall of 2007, Roberts served as an adjunct faculty member at SouthArk. He has received numerous awards and commendations for excellence including the El Dorado Police Department Medal of Merit, Supervisor of the Year in both 1996 and 1998, the Police Department Life Saving Award, and the Police Department Medal of Honor. A member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, he has served on the Arkansas for a Drug Free Youth Board of Directors, the Boys and Girls Club board of directors, the Salvation Army advisory board, and the Special Olympics Arkansas Law Enforcement Torch Run board. He enjoys coaching youth sports, hunting, fishing, camping and golf, as well as spending time with his wife, Kim, who works for Dr. Dwayne Daniels, and his two sons, El Dorado High School students Chase and Matthew.
Sunday News/Jim Lemon Special evening At the South Arkansas Community College Foundation’s Evening with the Stars, William C. Nolan Jr. , left, chairman of the board of Murphy Oil Corp., accepts an award thanking the company for its support of education. Outstanding Alumnus awards were presented to Sherrel Johnson and Ricky Roberts.
