Henderson State to honor outstanding alumni at annual banquet April 4

Top row, from left: Dan Garrison, Jim Harlow, and Michelle Ortiz. Bottom row: Dr. Johnnie Roebuck, Claudine James, and Clay Sexton

Henderson State University will honor six outstanding alumni at the Alumni Association’s annual awards banquet April 4.

Distinguished Alumni awards will be presented to Dan Garrison ('85), Jim Harlow ('73), Michelle Ortiz ('96), and Dr. Johnnie Roebuck ('74) . Claudine James ('09) will receive the “H” Award, and the Young Alumni Award will be presented to Clay Sexton ('09).

The event will be held in the Garrison Center Grand Ballroom at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at alumni.hsu.edu/alumniawards. For additional information, or to reserve a table, please contact the Alumni office at 870-230-5985 or alumni@hsu.edu.

Distinguished Alumni

Dan Garrison

As the son of former Henderson State president Dr. Martin B. Garrison, who served from 1970 to 1986, Dan Garrison “grew up” in the Henderson president’s home, now known as the Chancellor’s home. Reflecting on his childhood when he was immersed in campus life, Garrison often jokes that he attended Henderson for 16 years.

Garrison graduated from Henderson in 1985 with physics and computer science degrees. He attended Washington University in St. Louis and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, receiving a master’s in physics with an introduction to planetary science research on meteorites and the Apollo lunar samples.

Garrison began work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in May 1988. He leveraged his new science connections for a job in Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry in planetary science as a NASA contractor for Lockheed Martin.

In the 1990s, Garrison returned to school while working full-time to earn a master’s in business administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, in 1999.

Garrison has held progressive management positions since that time and currently serves as the deputy director for Science and Exploration on the Jacobs/JETS contract (the NASA federal contract for science and engineering). He is also the chief scientist for Barrios Technology. The NASA organization Dan serves is the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate.

He and his wife Shauna live in the Clear Lake community along Galveston Bay outside of Houston and next to NASA Johnson Space Center.

Jim Harlow

Jim Harlow grew up in Fordyce, Arkansas, and developed an early connection to the "Reddie Spirit." He comes from a long line of Henderson alumni. His grandparents attended Henderson Methodist College at the turn of the 20th century, while his parents also studied at Henderson. His father was the AIC Singles/Doubles Tennis Champion and editor of the Oracle, and his mother was a cheerleader.

Harlow enrolled at Henderson State College in 1968 and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science. During his time at Henderson, he was an active campus leader. He served as president of the student body for two years, was named BMOC, was included in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and was a member of Heart & Key for four years. Additionally, he worked on the staff of the Star for two years, was part of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Harlow also had the honor of delivering the graduation speech for the class of 1973.

Following his graduation, Harlow received an internship award to attend graduate school at the University of Arkansas, where he entered the master’s program for Judicial Administration. After completing his studies, he joined Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), then the second-largest chemical company in the world with 105,000 employees. He began his 30-year career with UCC in the Human Resources Department, which led to positions in seven states and eight countries. When Union Carbide merged with The Dow Chemical Company, Harlow continued his career there, retiring in 2003 as Director of Human Resources for Dow International Joint Venture Projects.

Harlow and his wife, Nancy, also had careers in human resources and labor relations. While working for Union Carbide in Saudi Arabia during the mid-1980s, they took a mid-career sabbatical to open a bed & breakfast ski lodge in Crested Butte, Colorado. Eventually, Union Carbide invited Harlow back to assume his previous role, offering a promotion that led to another phase of his career, including assignments in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

After retiring, Jim and Nancy became HR consultants, working with over 40 rural electric cooperatives across the United States. They also dedicated 12 years as Red Cross disaster specialists.

Harlow has remained connected to his alma mater, serving on the Henderson Alumni Board for two years.

Michelle Ortiz

Michelle Ortiz is a board-certified, Advanced Forensic Nurse, and and has been a practicing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner since 2005. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Henderson State University in 1996, and her Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Duquesne University in 2007 while serving on active duty as a Navy Nurse Corps officer.

Ortiz retired from the Navy after 22 years of service as a perioperative nurse, and in 2011 was selected by Rear Admiral Alton Stocks to create the first full-time Forensic Services Program for a major military medical institution at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, in Portsmouth, Virginia.

In addition to training medical and nursing staff how to perform the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Ortiz manages one of the busiest forensic programs in the Department of Defense for sexual assault care, and has testified and consulted on a multitude of felony level cases for every branch of the military. Qualified as an expert in all military courts, Ortiz is a consultant for the Department of Defense for both prosecution and defense cases worldwide. In 2013, she became one of 32 Advanced Forensic Nurses in the world.

In 2015, Ortiz collaborated with world-renowned forensic expert Dr. Ann Burgess in creating the educational curriculum and simulation drills used by medical students and DNP candidates at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Ortiz was recognized as a "Master Clinician" in 2015 by the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Commanding Officer -- the first forensic nurse ever to obtain this designation in the DoD. In 2018, Ortiz was honored by the International Association of Forensic Nursing with the Virginia Lynch Pioneer Award, the highest award bestowed by the organization. She was hand selected in 2020 to the DHA Forensic Healthcare Advisory Counsel.

In Dec 2023, Ortiz joined the Physicians for Human Rights Asylum Network as a Volunteer Examiner, providing comprehensive examination, evaluation, and consultation for sexual violence, strangulation, and torture events for refugees and asylum seekers.

She currently resides in Hampton Roads with her retired Marine Corps husband.

Johnnie Roebuck

Raised on a Mississippi Delta cotton farm, Dr. Johnnie Roebuck appreciates the value of education and civic involvement. She holds a B.S. degree from Texas Woman’s University, and is a Distinguished Alumna. She received her M.S.E. from Henderson State University, and Ed.S. and Ed.D. degrees from the University of Arkansas.

Roebuck retired from Henderson State in 2007 after service as a professor of educational leadership, as well as Dean of the Graduate School. She taught in K-12 public schools in Delaware, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas for 41 years. While at Henderson, she was instrumental in launching the Educational Specialist program and in the receipt of the Rockefeller Foundation ‘Break the Mold’ grant which reconstructed the teacher preparation program.

Roebuck served as an Arkansas State Representative and was House Majority Leader, as well as vice-chair of the Education Committee and co-chair of the Higher Education Subcommittee. During her time in the Legislature, she was a staunch supporter of quality public education, health care and law enforcement. She served as chair of the Task Force on College Remediation, Retention and Graduation Rates, which she sponsored. She received numerous awards from various organizations during her time in the Legislature.

Roebuck served as a member of the Executive Committee and board member of the Arkansas State Police Foundation, and received the John W. Allison Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and was named to the ASPF Hall of Honor in 2021.

She was a governor-appointed trustee and served as chair of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and Arts Board of Trustees. She served two terms as a governor appointee on the Southern Regional Education Board.

Roebuck is the current Arkansas Democratic Party National Committeewoman and a member of the Garland County Democratic Party and the VCK Democratic Women. She was named the Clark County Bob Riley Democrat of the Year, the Democratic Party of Arkansas Gressie Carnes Democrat Woman of Year, and the Jimmie Lou Fisher and Lottie Shackelford Woman of the Year. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Hot Springs.

As president of her own company, Managerial and Leadership Concepts, Roebuck served as a consultant to education and business groups throughout the U.S. She is the author of two books, Celebrate the Temporary and How Are You Becoming?, along with numerous articles.

Roebuck is married to Dr. Tommy Roebuck, a retired dentist and former legislator, and they reside in Hot Springs.

'H' Award

Claudine James

Claudine James is a national board-certified teacher whose career is marked by a deep passion for empowering students and a commitment to educational innovation. As a middle school English educator, she has inspired countless learners through her engaging and inclusive teaching style, making complex concepts accessible and exciting for her students.

Beyond the classroom, James has gained international acclaim as a social media influencer, boasting over 5.8 million TikTok followers and more than 300,000 YouTube subscribers. Known as “Social Media’s Favorite English Teacher,” she uses her platforms to share grammar lessons, writing tips, and vocabulary insights, bridging the gap between traditional education and modern technology.

In 2010, after her first year of teaching, James attended the ESL Academy at Henderson State University, earning her ESL certification. She believed this transformative experience was pivotal in shaping her perspective as an educator. The program broadened her understanding of diversity in the classroom and highlighted the profound impact a teacher can have beyond traditional boundaries.

James’ excellence in teaching has been recognized with numerous state and national accolades, including the Henry Ford Innovative Teacher Award (2019), the National University Teacher Award (2019), the Honored Teacher Award (2020), James Atkinson Arkansas History Teacher of the Year (2020), LifeChanger of the Year (2021), ARKTESOL Educator of the Year (2021), National Grammar Educator of the Year (2023), and Bessie B Moore Economics Teacher of the Year (2024).

Young Alumni Award

Clay Sexton

Clay Sexton is a 2009 graduate of Henderson State University with a degree in political science and a minor in communications. He attended high school in De Queen.

After graduating from Henderson, Sexton worked for his uncle’s law firm, Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, while his wife, Leah Forrest Sexton (‘06, ‘14) worked on completing her master’s degree at Henderson. Upon her completion, Clay attended the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he was a member of the Trial Team and the Overton Inns of Court.

After passing the Bar, Clay and Leah decided to make Arkadelphia their permanent home. Sexton worked for a small firm in Arkadelphia for the first several years of his legal career. In April 2020, he founded his own practice, the Sexton Firm. The firm started with just Sexton and one paralegal, and as of today, the firm has grown to four attorneys and a full office staff with locations in Arkadelphia and Texarkana. Sexton has maintained his connections with Henderson, as two of his attorneys are Henderson graduates.

Sexton is very involved in the Arkadelphia and Henderson communities. He and his family are proud Reddie Club members and are supporters of the Miss HSU organization. Sexton serves as president of the Clark County Bar Association, is an alumnus of Leadership Clark County, and is a member of the Downtown Arkadelphia Board.