Tim Shepard Announces Volunteer Leadership Advisory Team

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., October 15, 2026: Tim Shepard, the Republican nominee for Washington County Judge, has assembled a volunteer leadership advisory team with decades of executive and management experience in business, finance, technology, and public safety. The team will advise him during the transition and, if elected, throughout his term.

The team includes Randy Laney, Michael Smith, Justin Tennant and Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds. Three of the four are graduates of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Members are volunteering their time without pay to advise Shepard personally.

“This campaign has been about building a coalition of people who care about Washington County and are concerned about how its government is operating,” Shepard said. “That coalition spans party lines, with Republicans, Democrats and independents working toward the same goal. We want county government to work better for the people it serves. This advisory team is part of that effort. These advisers are giving their time and experience to help me address those problems.”

Shepard plans to ask the team to review operations in departments under the county judge and recommend improvements. Their advice would also cover spending and proposed policy changes. Shepard would retain decision-making authority and responsibility.

Randy Laney currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Algonquin Utilities (“AQN”), a publicly traded company with regulated utilities stretching from coast to coast as well as in Canada and Bermuda. Mr. Laney, semi-retired since 2008, held numerous senior-level positions at public and private companies, including 23 years with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in roles such as Vice President of Finance, Benefits and Risk Management and Vice President of Finance and Treasurer. In addition, Mr. Laney has provided strategic advisory services to private and public companies and served on numerous for-profit and nonprofit boards. Mr. Laney brings significant management and capital markets experience, along with strategic and operational insight, to his current work. Mr. Laney holds a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas.

Mr. Laney, a Fayetteville native, lives in rural Washington County with his wife of 52 years, Brenda.

Michael Smith is a retired finance and operations executive who served as Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President, and Treasurer of Tyler Technologies, Inc. He managed an accounting staff of approximately 100 and oversaw the accounting and integration of 38 acquisitions. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Remote Dynamics. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, both magna cum laude, from the University of North Texas. He teaches accounting at Northwest Arkansas Community College and lives in Cane Hill.

Justin Tennant is a Global Client Director at Fortinet with more than 25 years in technology and business. He served two terms on the Fayetteville City Council and serves on the Walton Arts Center and Walmart AMP board. He grew up in Washington County and graduated from Fayetteville High School and the University of Arkansas.

Chief Mike Reynolds has served with the Fayetteville Police Department for more than 33 years and has been chief since September 2019. Before becoming chief, he spent eight years as deputy chief overseeing department operations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas and completed the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police.

Reynolds has served on the University of Arkansas System’s Criminal Justice Institute Advisory Board and the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training. In 2020, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed him to the Task Force on Advancing the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas. The Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police named him Chief of the Year in 2020. His community recognitions include Fayetteville’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brotherhood Award in 2021 and the Black Action Collective’s Showing Up for Racial Justice Champion Award in 2022. He grew up in Greenland and lives in Goshen.

“These are people who have managed large operations and been responsible for employees and budgets,” Shepard said. “I’ve known Randy since childhood. Chief Reynolds has been my boss and mentor for nearly two decades. I trust their judgment, and I’m asking this entire team to question my decisions and tell me when I’m wrong. The responsibility for my decisions will still be mine.”

About Tim Shepard

Tim Shepard is a fourth-generation Washington County resident and the Republican nominee for Washington County Judge. His background includes local government, law enforcement leadership, and volunteer fire service. The campaign message is direct: restore trust, focus on durable county services, and lead with accountability. Learn more at votetimshepard.com.

Media contact: Shepard Campaign Communications, press@votetimshepard.com

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