COMMUNITY
Text and photos courtesy of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation
28th Annual Hall of Honor Commemorates Alumni and Educators
The Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and the Fayetteville High School Student Alumni Association and Student Council will recognize three outstanding individuals at the 28th annual Hall of Honor Ceremony on Oct. 3 at the Fayetteville Public Library. The 2024 inductees to the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor are Rita Caver, Col. Jim Chittenden and Max Mahler.
Rita Caver | Educator
Rita Caver was born in Little Rock and graduated from Hall High in 1971. She attended the University of Arkansas, earning a bachelor’s degree in social welfare in 1975 and a master’s degree in history in 1993.
Rita taught in Little Rock, then at the Leysin American School in Switzerland before starting at Fayetteville High in 1995. She became part of the famous AP Block, which was renowned for its rigor and ability to prepare students to take additional Advanced Placement classes. Though students were aware and sometimes fearful of her high expectations for them, they also knew Rita and her team of teachers were preparing them for success.
Rita was the first FHS teacher to obtain National Board Certification, and she encouraged fellow faculty members to follow suit. She was active in College Board activities, offering professional development at several national conferences. This resulted in her recognition as the Southwest Regional Teacher of the Year in 2012. Rita was also active with the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project.
She served as the chair of the AP Department, where she played a key role in establishing the AP Scholar recognition program. She was also active in the leadership of the Fayetteville Education Association.
Rita retired from Fayetteville Public Schools in 2016. She now serves on the board of directors of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and participates in numerous volunteer activities with the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists.
Col. Jim Chittenden | Class of 1987
An Eagle Scout, Chittenden attended Duke University on a U.S. Air Force scholarship and earned an engineering degree in 1991. He distinguished himself with more than 25 years of national security service during numerous impactful command tours and 265 combat sorties in fighter, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft. He has three master’s degrees with honors, is an Air Force “Top Gun” graduate and Distinguished Graduate of every professional military education school he attended.
Following 9/11, Jim deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom where, in addition to flying, he served as a strategic planner. Later, in Europe, his vision was instrumental to the stand-up of the new AFRICOM command. He commanded the 556th Squadron, responsible for testing the Air Force’s newest remotely piloted aircraft. In his last assignment, he stood-up a new unit that directed global unmanned aircraft operations on behalf of the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Jim resides in Nevada with his wife, Lori, and their son. Jim is engaged in community service as a Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas graduate, Military Affairs committee member, president of Duke Las Vegas and a Boy Scouts Outreach Committee volunteer. Recently, he worked with the state of Nevada to bring an aviation center with more than 100 high-tech jobs to the city.
Jim and his brothers attended Fayetteville Public Schools, and his mother, Barbara Prichard, is a career educator. For Jim, military service is about being part of something bigger than himself to help shape futures for the better.
Max Mahler | Class of 2005
Max Mahler was born in Fayetteville and graduated from FHS in 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree in financial management and investments from the University of Arkansas in 2009 and completed his Master of Business Administration there in 2013. While in college, he worked at Pack Rat Outdoor Center and as a river guide through the Grand Canyon. During his MBA program, he co-founded the medical device company Now Diagnostics in Springdale.
In 2010, Max co-founded the Spark Foundation, which has raised more than $3 million and hosts the Cow Paddy Run, Hero Half Marathon, and several other community programs. The foundation’s scholarship with the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation has enabled more than 1,000 children to participate in the Cow Paddy Run at no cost.
Max led the Friends of Gulley Park initiative, raising $1.2 million for land preservation and earning the group the 2015 Volunteer Group of the Year award from the Arkansas Recreation and Parks Association.
In 2015, he studied to become a certified financial planner through New York University while working at Wells Fargo Advisors. Forbes Magazine recognized him as a Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisor in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He was also named to the “Fast 15” list by Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in 2013 and the “Forty Under 40” list in 2023.
Max and his wife, Lydia, who is also a Fayetteville Public Schools alumna, live in Fayetteville with their daughters, Reese and Avery.
The event will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Reservations for the dinner and ceremony are $125 each and may be purchased online or by calling the foundation office at (479) 527-3655.