Todd West of Fayetteville has been named the ASMSA Advocate of the Year by the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts and the ASMSA Foundation.
West is a member of the ASMSA Board of Visitors where he serves as vice chair. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASMSA transitioned to remote learning during the Spring 2020 semester, and students were required to attend their classes via the internet.
When ASMSA realized that some students would not have home internet access, especially in certain rural areas of Arkansas, West stepped up to provide a solution to the problem. He donated a number of mobile hotspots that would allow those students to access the internet, check their school email and attend classes remotely. Mobile hotspots use cellphone tower signals to create a digital network for WiFi internet access.
ASMSA traditionally announces the Advocate of the Year award at the ASMSA Foundation Director’s Circle Luncheon held in December. “This advocate is someone who has selflessly gone above and beyond for our school, programs and students throughout the year,” said Dr. Sara Brown, director of institutional advancement and the ASMSA Foundation.
This year’s luncheon was cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions. Brown said West’s contributions to campus still deserved to be recognized.
“Although we were not able to host our luncheon in December as originally planned, it was important for us to still recognize our advocate. During a time full of challenges and uncertainty, we depended on a core group of supporters to help ease our efforts in many areas,” Brown said.
“When we shifted to remote learning in March, we quickly realized the burden of internet connectivity issues for our students. Todd jumped into action and helped make sure that our students across the state could still remain connected and engaged with their classes. As a residential campus, this simple step was key to our students’ success and well-being. We are grateful for his leadership and generosity.”
West said it was an honor to be selected as Advocate of the Year and that it was important for members of the Board of Visitors and others to represent and share information about ASMSA across the state.
“I am proud to serve as an advocate for ASMSA and its mission to increase academic opportunities and improve learning throughout the state,” he said.
ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice praised West’s willingness to lead by example as a Board of Visitors member and to seek out how he could best assist the institution.
"Outstanding board members always start by asking, 'How can I help the school?' At the outset of the pandemic, Todd was the first member of the Board of Visitors to ask how he could lend his assistance to support students in need during the uncertainty of the transition to remote learning. Through his generosity, more than a dozen students were able to receive mobile data access that allowed them to remain fully engaged in their courses,” Alderdice said.
West has served as a member of the Board of Visitors since September 2017, when he was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. He is the managing partner of Westwoods Global Ancillary Resources, an import export company in Springdale.