The SPSEF Board of Directors are honored to welcome the 2026 Cornerstone Recipients!
Phil Phillips – 2026 Patron
Phillips graduated from SHS in 1962. He went on to be a four-time letterman in football at Arkansas Tech University and earned a B.S. in Education in 1966. After graduation, he went on to be Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Huntsville and Siloam Springs High Schools. In 1973, he bought a small printing company and renamed it Phillips Lithco. The company experienced huge growth and success under his leadership, and the U.S. Small Business Administration and the State Chamber of Commerce named him Small Business Person of the Year in 1993. He sold the company in 1997 and went on to lead a real estate development company. Phillips was active in civic and community duties. He served as president of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, President of the Springdale School Board, Board Member of the Rodeo of the Ozarks, Vice Chairman of the Board of the NWA Regional Airport Authority, Board member of the Northwest Community Bancshares Inc., Member of the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Tech Alumni Association, and was inducted into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of Distinction.
Regina Hopper– 2026 Alumni
Hopper is a Springdale native and graduated from SHS in 1977. She holds a JD and BA from the University of
Arkansas and is a graduate of the Executive Program at the Harvard Business School. Hopper was crowned Miss Arkansas in 1983, and went on to lead the Miss America Organization through a historic cultural transition,retiring the swimsuit competition and repositioning the program to champion women as agents of change.
As an Emmy Award–winning journalist, Hopper covered the White House and Capitol Hill for CBS News and contributed to the national anchor desk and 48 Hours. As an attorney, she specializes in juror and media strategic communications, including crisis response. Her executive leadership spans serving major national trade associations in trucking, telecommunications, energy, and intelligent transportation systems.
Today, she channels this depth of experience into her narration work, especially focusing on works centered on advocacy, policy, and impact. She currently serves as Board Chair of Flapper House Productions producing documentary content on Gen Z voting, President of the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors, and is a board member of both the Vital Voices DC Council and the Arkansas State Society. Regina also volunteers with the Audio Publishers Association, various advocacy groups, and is a proud member of the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association as well as SAG-AFTRA.
Lola Malone – 2026 Retiree
Malone grew up on a farm just south of Highfill. After graduating from Gentry High School, she went on to receive her BA and MA in Elementary Education from the University of Arkansas. She taught for 7 years and was then an
administrator in Rogers before coming to Tyson Elementary in Springdale, where she served as principal for 27 years! At Tyson, she implemented a character development program that gained district, state, and national attention, as it focused on teaching students important character qualities like determination, kindness, etc, in addition to teaching
academics. During Mrs. Malone’s tenure at Tyson, Springdale began to experience a big change in demographics. Suddenly, there were many multilingual learners attending Tyson, and Mrs. Malone and her teachers weren’t equipped to teach those students English while also teaching them grade-level material. She, along with others in the district, ensured that her teachers were highly qualified to teach all the students at Tyson by adopting the ESL Academy for teachers, where they could get an endorsement added to their teaching license after completing several courses about teaching students learning English as an additional language. The ESL Academy for teachers is still operating today.
Dick Kuehl – 2026 Legacy
Kuehl grew up in Calumet and Paullina, Iowa. He graduated with a B.S. from Iowa State University in Ames and earned a Master’s from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. He taught in several community schools in Iowa before moving to Springdale in 1978. He taught science in the Springdale Public School System for 25 years before retiring in 2005. He was absolutely beloved at Springdale High School. One of his former students said, “By far the best teacher I ever had, and I mean no offense to all of the other teachers in my life, but this man was truly special!” Another said this about him: “We loved Mr. Kuehl so much and still talk about him to this day. Somehow this man made us love AP Physics while we were teenagers, which goes to show you his character and the way he approached teaching was truly something special!” Others described him as gentle and kind, encouraging, and a gifted teacher.
Photos from the Cornerstone Event