Chris Thomason joined the University of Arkansas System in 2020 as vice president for planning and development, where he leads projects that broadly impact UA System campuses, divisions and units, including partnership opportunities such as facilitating UA-EACC’s recent migration into the state’s largest higher education system and currently finalizing North Arkansas College’s move to the System. In June 2025, his title changed to vice president for strategic and community college partnerships to better reflect his overall efforts.

 

He was previously chancellor for more than a decade at the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana and has served as a member of the executive committee and chairman of the steering committee for Project One, the systemwide enterprise resource planning (ERP) project that aligned all UA System campuses, divisions and units onto a common platform for administrative business and student functions.

 

Thomason is also past chair of the executive committee of Arkansas Community Colleges, an association representing all of the state’s 22 two-year campuses, and chair of the Southwest Arkansas Community College Consortium, a group of college presidents and chancellors that collaborate on developing a regional vision for education and economic development.

 

Under Thomason’s leadership, UAHT achieved historic student enrollment and graduation rates and was recognized as one of the fastest-growing colleges in Arkansas. He led the effort to establish a campus in Texarkana, Arkansas, which was formally added to the institution’s name in 2019. Along with its long-time campus in Hope, the Texarkana campus helped UAHT set all-time graduation and enrollment records in 2018.

 

Prior to his tenure as chancellor, Thomason was elected prosecuting attorney for the Eighth North Judicial District in 2006 after serving two terms representing District 3 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from UA Little Rock and has experience in private law practice and as a deputy prosecuting attorney.