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College of Education and Health Professions Names Toni Lockhart (AR '00) Departmental Alumni Award Winner

Toni Lockhart (AR ’00) has been named a recipient of the 2026 Outstanding Departmental Alumni Award from the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. A veteran educational leader with more than 30 years of experience, Lockhart began her career after graduating summa cum laude from University of Arkansas in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in education. Early in her career, she was named Teacher of the Year in Elkins, and in 2000 she became the first National Board Certified Teacher in Arkansas and received the Milken Educator Award. At the time of her Milken Educator Award, she was a teacher at Rena Elementary School in Van Buren, Arkansas.

Throughout her career, Lockhart has served as an instructional facilitator, Milken master teacher, and educational consultant, supporting schools and districts statewide in strengthening instructional practice and leadership capacity. After earning a master’s degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University, she spent nearly 15 years as a senior educational consultant with Elbow2Elbow Educational Consulting. She currently serves as assistant principal at Sutton Elementary School in Fort Smith, where she continues to champion instructional improvement, teacher development, and student success.