Hiland Set to Deliver Commencement Addresses at CBC

Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, will deliver Central Baptist Colleges commencement addresses on Saturday, May 11th in the Burgess Auditorium. The commencement for the Professional Adult College Education (PACE) graduation will be held at 10:00 a.m., and the commencement for traditional students will be at 2:00 p.m. This years class consists of 130 total graduates, 78 in the Traditional program and 52 in the PACE program. 

Both commencement ceremonies will conclude with student and academic processions through the Ratliff Bell Tower and a reception on the campus lawn. Hiland is a native of Bee Branch, Arkansas where he graduated from South Side Bee Branch School District. He attended Central Baptist College from 1990 through 1992, before receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He received his Juris Doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock. Hiland served as a legislative and legal aide to Governor Mike Huckabee, served as the program director of the Arkansas Transitional Employment Board, was employed as the Rural and Community Liaison for the Arkansas Public service Commission, and was a partner at Hiland, Thomas & Cox, PLLC prior to being elected as the 20th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney in 2010 and 2014. He also served as a member of the Central Baptist College Board of Trustees from 2006-2010. Hiland was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas in 2017. He was subsequently unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn into office on October 10, 2017. Hiland lives in Conway with his wife Jana and their children; Claire, Caitlyn, John Reagan, and Ethan. They are members of Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.