Paul Rowton

Paul Rowton, a 1998 graduate of Arkansas State with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, is president of GES Inc. GES operates nine Edwards Food Giant stores and six Edwards Cash Saver stores. He is also a partner in Fast Lane Markets LLC, which owns and operates convenience stores.

A native of Forrest City, Rowton is past president of the A-State Alumni Association and helped oversee construction of the Cooper Alumni Center. In 2024 he was named Arkansas Business Financial Executive of the Year. The 2009 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree is chairman of the Arkansas Retailers Association and serves on the board of directors of the National Grocers Association. Rowton is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and is a past president of the Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce.

Rowton is a member of Kappa Alpha Order. He and his wife – Ashley Edwards Rowton, a 1999 graduate of A-State – are 1924 Sustaining Life Members of the A-State Alumni Association and are members of the Red Wolves Foundation. They have two sons, JP (a student at Arkansas State University) and William.

His appointment expires in January 2028. He may be contacted at prowton@asusystem.edu.