The Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield board of directors has announced the election of Alec Farmer, of Jonesboro, president of Farmer Enterprises, Inc., according to James V. Kelley, chairman of the board.
Farmer is the president of a family owned farmland and property investment management company. He serves on the board of directors for E.C. Barton & Company and the Childress Gin and Elevator Company and as a managing member of Alec Farmer Farms, LLC. An Arkansas native, Farmer has served on several other state boards and commissions, including as past chairman of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, as an original member of the Arkansas Agricultural Board and as a special commissioner of the Arkansas State Police Commission. Locally, he served as Finance Committee chairman as a member of the Jonesboro City Council and on the board of directors of Jonesboro City Water & Light (municipal utility district) and the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Farmer’s public service includes currently serving as vice chairman of the Arkansas State Highway Commission and as a member and past chairman of the Craighead Conservation District.
“As a highly respected and seasoned community and business leader with deep roots in northeast Arkansas, Alec Farmer brings to the Arkansas Blue Cross board a wealth of insight into the needs of everyday Arkansans,” said Kelley. “Through his extensive experience working with two of the state’s leading industries, agriculture and transportation, he will bring valuable perspectives, as we seek to better serve our members, including those located in rural areas, and provide more affordable healthcare products and services.”
Farmer received a bachelor’s degree in business from Arkansas State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law) where he served on the Law Review editorial board.
Farmer is a past recipient of the Arkansas State University Distinguished Alumni Award and was inducted into the state Conservation Hall of Fame by the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts in 2019.