The Board is made up of community volunteers who came together with hearts and minds to not only serve the community but to find a way to solve some of its challenges. These individuals have invested several years and untold hours investigating governments, collaborating with regional leaders, researching decades of community documents, and developing a mechanism that can progressively serve Texarkana, USA.
Many others with the same heart have assisted our progress. Some of them are Brad McCaleb, Nancy Sandefer, Isaac Pietre, Harold Boldt, Larry Sullivan, Shelby Brown, Al Melde, Judy Morgan, James Carlow….

Our board is about to grow……watch this page.

Sara C. Lawrence

For over 20 years, Sara Lawrence has committed herself to education and community development.
Sara currently serves as Alternative Certification Coordinator and Clinical Faculty in Special Education at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Sara received her BA in Art History and Art and her Masters in Teaching at the University of Virginia.

She has a Masters in Psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce where she is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Psychology. Prior to her work with the University, Sara taught in public education ranging from Kindergarten Autism to Middle School Art and Special Education. From 2001-2006 Sara worked as Director of the ArtsSmart Institute for Learning at Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC), where she her work on a U.S. Dept. of Education grant allowed TRAHC to develop, document, evaluate and disseminate ArtsSmart processes for teacher development and establish TRAHC's ArtsSmart Institute for Learning as a national model in arts-in-education.

As a life-long educator, Sara knows how important it is for community members to educate themselves on the inner workings of their community and actively participate in the growth and development of their community. Over the years, Sara has been involved in community endeavors on a variety of levels including roles ranging from PTO President to Board Member of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce.

Lila Walker, Ph.D.

Dr. Lila Walker is currently a Professor of Adult Education at Texas A&M University-Texarkana and coordinates the Adult Education Masters program. She earned both a bachelor and master degrees from TAMU-T and in 1995 earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in Higher Education, and a minor in Adult Education from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.

Dr. Walker has a strong professional interest in leadership, community development and interpersonal interaction. Previously, she taught interpersonal skills for more than 10 years at TAMU-T.  Dr. Walker currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in foundations of leadership, community leadership, adult education, and industrial psychology.

Dr. Walker completed Covey Leadership Training in 1994 and 2004. She completed Leadership Texarkana in 1997, served as Curriculum Chair for the 2002-2003 class, and Board Chair for two years. She currently serves as President of Conifer Council of Girl Scouts, Program Chair for the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club, a member of the Wadley Foundation Board, and is an active member of St. James Episcopal Church. 

 John Harrison 

Name: John Harrison
Place of Birth:  Texarkana, Texas
Family: Spouse: Julie-Ray Harrison
Years Married: 33 years
Children - Ages & Schools

Personal Information: (Church, Civic and Club Memberships and Offices Held, etc.)

Partnership for the Pathway - Treasurer
City Beautiful Commission - Volunteer
Texarkana Chamber of Commerce - Past Board Member
Leadership Texarkana Graduate
Friends of the Park - Member
Comprehensive Planning Committee for the City of Texarkana, Texas 1990-2005
Forward Texarkana Board Member
Former President of the Texarkana Noon Lions Club

Education: High School/College/Other and Degree(s) Earned:

BS degree in Government from University of Texas in Austin 1970

As volunteers with the Partnership for the Pathway, we are working with the Cities of Texarkana, Texas and Arkansas, to plan and obtain funding for a citywide pedestrian and bicycle trail system for people to use for recreation, exercise, and getting around town.  On Saturday, October 25, 2008, we'll partner for the third year with several organizations for Make A Difference Day at Bringle Lake to blaze nature trails and clean up the area. 

Number of years you have lived in Texarkana: 26

Remica Gray

Remica Gray is a life-time resident of Texarkana, AR. She is a graduate of Arkansas High School. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University as well as two permanent professional certificates (in piano and music education) from the Music Teachers National Association. Mrs. Gray has taught piano for over 30 years. She directs the Texarkana Women's Chorus and performs with the Texarkana Regional Chorale.

Volunteerism has been a way of life for Remica. She has been privileged over the years to serve as the presiding officer for a number of organizations including the Texarkana, AR School Board of Education, The Junior League of Texarkana, Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council (TRAHC), Texarkana Education, Culture and Arts Partners (TECAP), and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Mrs. Gray has received honors for her volunteer efforts by the Chamber of Commerce, the Junior League, TRAHC, the AR Education Association, the Texarkana, AR School District, the YWCA and others.

Currently Mrs. Gray is serving as Founding President of the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra Board, Chairman of the Wadley Regional Medical Center Board, Treasurer of the AR Municipal Auditorium Commission, Governance Chair for the Women for Texas A&M Texarkana Board, and she is on the steering committee for the formation of Forward Texarkana, an organization for community-wide visioning, goal-setting and strategic planning.

Remica is married to Danny Gray (35 years!), and they have two grown, married children and a beautiful 4 year old granddaughter. The Grays are members of First Presbyterian Church where they are active in numerous capacities.

Dan Haskins

Dan is a Texarkana native who serves our region with a feeling of personal responsibility and a commitment to give back to the community. He is a prominent figure in education in the Texarkana region.
He became the first African American assistant principal and then in 1973, principal at TISD. Dan is credited by the community with making the transition to integration as smooth as it could possibly have been in that era of chaos and discord. His education experience includes:

After retiring from the school system Dan served for ten years as a Bowie County Correctional Officer.
Presently he is a 20 year member of the Liberty-Eylou School District Board of Trustees.
Dan also serves as chair person of the Texarkana, Texas Housing Authority.
He is a graduate of Leadership Texarkana and the 2005 C.E. Palmer Award winner.

We know Dan is important because he has a street named after him and he's not dead yet!

   Dennis Huffman

Gwen Osborne, Ph.D.

Gwen is a third generation entrepreneur having started several small businesses. Early in her adventures she served as COO and start-up ramrod for a family chain of skilled care facilities. Presently she serves as CEO of Osborne Development.  In addition she is a partner with her sisters in Industrial Construction. Her gifts and inclinations led to a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. Gwen occasionally consults and teaches she is also involved in various Christian leadership groups.

 Highly interested in the development of the Texarkana Region, Gwen has spent considerable time over the last three years, along with many others, collaboratively developing Forward Texarkana.

Robert C. Nelsen

Bob Nelsen retired from Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. in April of 2004 after a 34 year career with the company.  He was the Vice President of Texarkana Operations at Cooper's Texarkana facility for the last 12 years of his tenure with Cooper but also worked in other Cooper facilities around the US during his career.

Past community service includes the Wadley Regional Medical Center Board of Directors from 1992 to 2001, serving as Chairman in 1999-2000.  He is a graduate of Leadership Texarkana class of 1989 and was the Curriculum Chairman for the Leadership Texarkana Class of 1997.  He served on the Chamber of Commerce Board from 1992 thru 1995 and was a member of the Chamber's Committee of 100 serving as Chairman of the Committee of 15 in 1994.

Bob recently completed another three year term on the Chamber Board serving as Chairman in 2006.  During his term as Chairman he also headed the search committee to find a new Chamber President after the resignation of its past president.  He currently serves as the Strategic Planning Committee Chairman for the Caddo Area Region of the Boy Scouts of America.  He also just completed serving a one year term on the Main Street Board of Directors and rewrote their employee handbook.

Other community service has involved raising money for the Endow the Future Campaign at Texas A & M University, Texarkana.  He also serves on the Engineering and Business Advisory Councils at the University.  Bob is a proud member of the Wilbur Smith Rotary Club having been a member for the past 16 years.

Bob graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1969 and completed the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development in 1986.

Bob and his wife of 36 years, Carol, have three sons and four grandchildren and have resided in Texarkana for a total of 27 years on two separate occasions.