Harris recognized for service to NPC
Don Harris was recognized for his years of service to National Park College Wednesday during his last meeting as a member of the college’s board of trustees.
His term on the board expires at the end of December. Rhonda Harrington was elected to fill Harris’ seat beginning in January.
“I have had a lot of happy memories at (NPC). I have seen a lot of student success in my tenure here at the college and I have seen a lot of great people go through here and a lot of them are still left here,” Harris said.
“I felt like it was time to get some younger blood involved. I am getting on up there. I have outgrown that dangerous part of COVID,” he said.
Harris said he will miss staying in touch with the faculty, students and the administration, noting he tries to come around campus more than once a month.
Harris was an original staff member of NPC, formerly called Garland County Community College, in 1973, serving for 14 years. He was elected to the board of trustees in 1997 and has worked with four different college presidents. He was board president for five years during the college’s merger with Quapaw Technical Institute, a news release said.
He also served as a member of Rotary Club for 25 years and the Abilities Unlimited board for 45 years, it said.
Harris decided to join the board at NPC because he was interested in the students in the Garland County area. At one point in Harris’ life, he was a basketball official and knew a lot of students.
“I used basketball officiating in recruiting students to this college. I have always had a good camaraderie with the players. We were always looking for students,” Harris said.
Harris, a Hot Springs native, graduated from Hot Springs High School before earning his B.S.E. from Henderson State University and his M.S.E. from the University of Arkansas. He served five years in the United States Marine Corps and later taught school in Mountain Pine. He also served as assistant superintendent for
the Hot Springs School District. He is a real estate investor and owner of D.H. Realty Co., Harris Auction Co., and Harris Appraisals, the release said.
“I love teaching. Some of the best friends that I have in this day in time are former students of mine,” Harris said.
“This is a bittersweet day. I can’t think of a single person who has had a bigger impact on this campus than Don Harris. Don has been a champion. Don has been a cheerleader. The community looks to Don Harris for the protection of their tax dollars,” Jim Hale, NPC board member, said in the release.
The board honored Harris by presenting him with an honorary Associate of Arts degree from National
Park College.
NPC President John Hogan noted Harris’ determination to put student success at the center of his efforts and his significant role in the financial stewardship of NPC through his position as chair of the budget and finance committee, a seat he has held for many years, the release said.
“We’re going to try today to say thanks for his tireless efforts, his vigilant stewardship, and his unfailing passion to do what is best for NPC students,” Hogan said.
Hogan credited Harris for his work to put the college in the best possible position of sustainability going forward and noted NPC would not hold such a strong financial position without his leadership.
“Don was the perfect partner with which to engage on these matters. He cares deeply about our students, employees, and mission. He understands the streams of state funding and the complexity of other revenue streams,” he said.