Arkansas Advanced Energy Expands Boards to Strengthen Statewide Workforce and Education Pipeline
To strengthen Arkansas’s energy workforce pipeline and deepen ties with the state’s higher-education institutions, Arkansas Advanced Energy has expanded its boards to include new leaders from colleges, universities, and economic development organizations across the state.
During its first quarter 2026 board meetings, held at the Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and Foundation (AAE) installed five new board members. Simon Mahan, Executive Director of Southern Renewable Energy Association, and Josh Davenport, CEO of Seal Solar in North Little Rock, have joined the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association board. The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation board welcomed Dr. Chris Heigle, President of Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville; Dr. Courtney Hatch, Professor of Chemistry and Natural Sciences Area Chair at Hendrix College in Conway, and Andrea Allen, Executive Director of the Arkansas State University Delta Center for Economic Development in Jonesboro.
Simon Mahan is the Executive Director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, a nonprofit trade association focused on promoting clean energy in the south. He has run the organization for over ten years, and mostly focuses on integrated resource planning processes, and transmission planning. For over twenty years, Simon has worked in the not-for-profit space on local, state, regional and federal advocacy efforts. He and his family reside in Little Rock, Ark.
Josh Davenport is the CEO and co-founder of Seal Solar, based in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Since launching the company in 2012, he has helped scale Seal Solar into one of Arkansas’s leading solar design and installation firms, delivering turnkey solar and energy-storage solutions across residential, commercial, agricultural, and public-sector markets. Focused on renewable energy infrastructure, electric vehicles, and sustainable building, Josh is also a partner in Premier Pile Driver, Evolve Auto, and Dav Contracting. Josh serves on the Executive Board of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and previously served as Board Chair of the Argenta Downtown Council and President of the Arkansas Association of Energy Engineers. He holds undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Construction Management and an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Dr. Christopher Heigle became the fifth president of Arkansas Northeastern College in 2023, bringing with him more than a decade of leadership experience in higher education, government relations, and economic development. A native of Heber Springs, Dr. Heigle joined ANC in 2020 as the Director for State and Federal Grant Management, later serving as Vice President for Student Affairs before being named President. Prior to ANC, Dr. Heigle spent over eight years at East Arkansas Community College, most recently as Associate Vice President for Student Success, and previously worked as a staff member for former Congressman Marion Berry. He holds a doctorate in Higher and Adult Education from the University of Memphis and is a graduate of multiple leadership programs, including the Blytheville Leadership Institute, the Arkansas Community Colleges Leadership Institute, and the Crittenden County Leadership Institute. He also completed the Midsouth Basic Economic Developers Course through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Dr. Heigle has served as the President of the Mississippi County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Forrest City Chamber of Commerce and is active in several civic organizations around Mississippi County.
Dr. Courtney Hatch is the Nancy and Craig Wood Odyssey Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Natural Sciences at Hendrix College. A graduate of Hendrix, she earned her Ph.D. in Analytical and Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder and has built a nationally recognized research program focused on air quality, climate processes, and the environmental impacts of aerosols. Her work has been supported by more than $1 million in competitive funding from the National Science Foundation and other agencies. Dr. Hatch is an experienced academic and organizational leader, having served as department chair, interdisciplinary program chair, and external reviewer for colleges and universities nationwide. Her leadership emphasizes strategic planning, responsible stewardship of resources, and evidence-based decision-making at the intersection of science, policy, and education. She is deeply committed to advancing clean energy, environmental justice, and STEM workforce development, and to translating scientific research into sustainable, community-centered solutions.
Andrea Allen is the Executive Director of the Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State University, where she leads efforts to strengthen communities through university and stakeholder collaboration. With over 25 years in local, state, and federal government, she has a proven track record of connecting resources and delivering impact across Arkansas. Allen has served in key roles with a U.S. Congressman and Senator, the Army National Guard, municipal leadership, and statewide campaigns. A native of Walnut Ridge and an Arkansas State alumna, she serves on the RiverBank Board of Directors and has been appointed to several statewide commissions, including the Arkansas Rural Services Commission, Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission, and the 2030 Arkansas Complete County Committee.