COMMUNITY
Text and photos courtesy of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation
29th Annual Hall of Honor Commemorates Alumni and Educators
Hosted by Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and co-hosted by the Fayetteville High School Student Alumni Association and Student Council, the 29th annual Hall of Honor Ceremony will recognize four outstanding individuals Oct. 30 at the Fayetteville Public Library. The 2025 inductees to the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor are Beth Storey Bryan, Rebecca (Becky) Cox, and Lioneld and Diana Jordan.
​Beth Storey Bryan | Class of 1991
A Fayetteville native and graduate of Fayetteville High School, Bryan earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arkansas in 1995 and her juris doctorate from the U of A School of Law in 1998, 30 years after her father graduated from the same school. She began her legal career at the Everett Firm before founding the Storey Bryan Law Firm, where she represented clients in civil, domestic, criminal and probate cases.
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Elected circuit judge in 2010, she presides over Division V of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, managing more than 2,500 cases annually. She spearheaded initiatives establishing funding for Circuit Court Ad Litems and creating a domestic violence coordinator role. Active in the Washington County Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association and the Arkansas Judicial Council, she has served on multiple committees and as a speaker for legal trainings.
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A dedicated volunteer, she has served on PTOs, booster clubs, nonprofit boards and, through Central United Methodist Church, led community outreach programs for more than 17 years. She was honored as volunteer of the year three times.
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Bryan lives in Fayetteville with her husband, Davey, and their children attend the University of Arkansas and FHS.
Rebecca (Becky) Cox | Former Educator
Cox graduated from Magnet Cove High School in 1967 and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Ouachita Baptist University in 1971 with certifications in English, speech and drama. She taught in Bryant, Arkansas, and New Deal, Texas, before moving to Fayetteville in 1978 to teach English at Woodland Junior High.
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In 1987, she joined FHS, where she taught Advanced Placement English Language and Composition and served as faculty adviser for Connotations, the award-winning student literary magazine, until her retirement in 2014. From 1990 to 2014, she supervised SAT and ACT testing at FHS and, from 1997 to 2017, worked as a College Board consultant. She contributed to Arkansas’ writing assessment development, served as an AP exam reader and table leader, and continues to judge national student literary magazines.
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Active in the Fayetteville Sequoyah Kiwanis Club, she has twice served as president and is also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma and PEO Chapter K.
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Cox lives in Fayetteville with her husband, Ron, and enjoys time with her three granddaughters, reading with her book club, traveling and playing tennis.
Lioneld & Diana Jordan | Friends of Public Education
​Lioneld Jordan dedicated his career to public service in Fayetteville, beginning as a longtime University of Arkansas employee before being elected to the Fayetteville City Council in 2000. Re-elected in 2004, he went on to serve four consecutive terms as mayor, elected in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. Throughout his 24 years of service, he never missed a single city council meeting, earning a reputation for dependability and accessibility.
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A visible supporter of Fayetteville Public Schools, he frequently attended school events, visited classrooms and partnered with the district through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Alongside him, Diana Jordan balanced her role as First Lady of Fayetteville with a remarkable career of service in Fayetteville Public Schools Transportation, where she has worked since 1990. With more than 35 years of dedication, much of it spent driving a special needs bus, she has cared for the district’s most vulnerable students with compassion and steadfastness.
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Together, the Jordans embody a life of service to community and education. They live in Fayetteville, where they enjoy time with their children, grandchildren and two rescue dogs.
A reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and the ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. Reservations for the event are $125 each and may be purchased by calling the Foundation office at (479) 527-3655 or by visiting the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation website.