BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Get to Know our Board of Directors

  • Director of Policy Governance, Walmart;J.D., Business Law Certification, and B.S. in Biochemistry, all from the University of Arkansas

    Resident of Bella Vista

    Lauren Brewer is an attorney and Director of Policy Governance at Walmart, where she is responsible for designing and overseeing the framework of policies that govern Walmart’s global ethics, compliance, legal, security, and investigative functions. She is also part of a team working to enhance the cycling programs and infrastructure at the new Walmart home office campus in Bentonville.

    Lauren is active in the outdoors, spending most of her free time sport climbing, riding bikes, and exploring her backyard trails with her husband and two dogs. 

    A native Arkansan, Lauren grew up in southeast Arkansas and earned her Juris Doctorate and B.S. in Biochemistry, both from the University of Arkansas.

    Term Limit Date 12/31/27

  • Owner and Principle Architect at Brian Phillips Architect (BPA), located in Northwest Arkansas and specializing in both commercial and residential projects.

    Brian, a resident of Bella Vista, is a NCARB-certified architect, a member of the American Institute of Architecture, and licensed to practice in many states, including Arkansas and Texas. With over 25 years of experience, Brian has worked on a diverse range of residential and commercial projects, bringing a passion for the built environment, place-making, and creating meaningful, lasting impacts in the communities he serves.

    Since relocating to Northwest Arkansas, Brian and his family have fully embraced the area’s rich cultural and natural amenities. An avid cyclist, he enjoys gravel, road, and mountain biking. He is actively involved in the local cycling community as a volunteer coach for Bentonville High School’s NICA Mountain Bike Team, where his son, Jonathan, competes. Additionally, he rides with the Pedaler’s Pub cycling team and contributes as a dedicated Trailblazer Volunteer (formerly TAP), supporting trail building and advocacy efforts in the region.

  • Walton College Professor of Sustainability, Chair of Strategy, Entrepreneurship Department, and Founder of The Sustainability Consortium.

    Ph.D. in Management from Indiana University; MBA from the University of Arkansas, B.S. in Zoology from the University of Arkansas

    Resident of Fayetteville
    Jon is a native of Northwest Arkansas and has enjoyed a long-time passion for whitewater, cycling (road, gravel, mountain), and camping in the Ozarks. He is a former manager of the Pack Rat (1980s) and joined the faculty in the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in 1996. Jon has been an advocate for many cycling initiatives at the University of Arkansas, including cofounding (with Eric Boles) the Bicycle Advocacy Council and serving as faculty sponsor for UA Cycling Club. He is heading up the creation of undergraduate and graduate curricula at UA to prepare students for careers in the cycling and outdoor industries.

    Term limit date 12/31/25

Board Member Nomination

We are now accepting new board member nominations. Individuals with an interest in trails, active transportation, community outreach or advocacy are encouraged to submit a nomination form, regardless of background, education, or experience level.

Directors are elected to three-year terms and may serve up to nine consecutive years before “rolling off” for at least one year. Each year, one-third of the directors are elected. Every two years, one-third of board members roll off. 

If you are interested in joining the board or know someone that would be a candidate, please complete the "Nomination Form" in Step 2.

A matrix of current board member skills and attributes is reviewed and updated at the Q2 and Q4 board meetings each year to ensure it reflects current needs. The identified gaps will become priority characteristics to assess future board candidates to create a diversified board.

  • Names of potential board members are suggested by current board members, staff, or significant philanthropic funders/donors, or are received by self-nomination from members of the public. The Trailblazers Board of Directors Nomination Form is required to be completed for the nominee.

  • Forms that are submitted at least 2 months prior to the next board meeting will be reviewed and discussed by the board governance committee and CEO. Forms received within 2 months of a board meeting will be reviewed at the discretion of the governance committee and CEO, but at least prior to the following quarter’s board meeting.

    If the candidate info form is submitted at least 1 month prior to the next board meeting, then it will be reviewed and discussed by the board governance committee and CEO.  If consensus is reached to invite the candidate to the board, then the Candidate Info Form will be sent to the full board at least 2 weeks prior to the next board meeting. Forms received within one month of a board meeting will be reviewed at the board governance committee and CEO’s discretion but will be reviewed prior to the following quarter’s board meeting.

  • If consensus is reached on a nominee to move on to the next step, then the nominee will be contacted to set up a phone or zoom meeting with the CEO. The goal of this meeting is to determine whether there is any interest by the nominee to serve on the board, share the roles and responsibilities of being a board member, and answer questions that the nominee may have. If the nominee is interested in serving on the board, then they are asked to complete the Trailblazers Board of Directors Candidate Info Form.

  • At that meeting of the full board of directors, the candidate information will be presented to the board and discussed.  The board will then vote at that meeting on whether to nominate the candidate to the board or not.  If the board approves the candidate by a majority vote, then the candidate will be notified and invited to attend the following board meeting.

    The nominee must attend the next board meeting, and at the end of the meeting, the nominee is appointed to the board by a vote, formalizing the appointment.