The newest additions to the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor were announced at a news conference today at Fayetteville High School by the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. The 2024 inductees to the Fayetteville Schools Hall of Honor are Rita Caver, Colonel Jim Chittenden, and Max Mahler
Rita Caver was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Hall High in 1971. She attended the University of Arkansas, earning a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare in 1975 and a Master’s degree in History in 1993.
Rita taught in Little Rock and then at the Leysin American School in Switzerland before starting at Fayetteville High in 1995. She became part of the infamous AP Block, which was renowned for its rigor and its ability to prepare students to take additional Advanced Placement classes. Though students were well aware and sometimes fearful of her high expectations for them, they also knew that Rita and her team teachers were preparing them for success.
Rita was the first Fayetteville High School teacher to obtain National Board Certification, and she encouraged fellow faculty members to follow suit. She was active in College Board activities, offering professional development at several national conferences. This resulted in her recognition as the Southwest Regional Teacher of the Year in 2012. Rita was also active with the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project.
She served as the chair of the AP department, where she played a key role in establishing the AP Scholar recognition program. She was also active in the leadership of the Fayetteville Education Association.
Rita retired from Fayetteville Public Schools in 2016. She now serves on the board of directors of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and participates in numerous volunteer activities with the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists.
Colonel Jim Chittenden graduated from FHS in 1987.
An Eagle Scout, Jim attended Duke University on an Air Force scholarship and earned an engineering degree in 1991. He distinguished himself with 25+ years of national security service during numerous impactful command tours and 265 combat sorties in fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted aircraft. He has three masters’ degrees with honors, is an Air Force ‘Top Gun’ graduate, and Distinguished Graduate of every professional military education school he attended.
Following 9-11, Jim deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom where, in addition to flying, he served as a strategic planner. Later, in Europe, his vision was instrumental to the stand-up of the new AFRICOM command. He commanded the 556th Squadron, responsible for testing the Air Force’s newest remotely piloted aircraft. In his last assignment, he stood-up a new unit that directed global unmanned aircraft operations on behalf of the Secretary of Defense.
Jim is engaged in community service as a Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas graduate, Military Affairs committee member, President of Duke Las Vegas, and a Boy Scouts Outreach Committee volunteer. Recently, he worked with the State of Nevada to bring an aviation center with 100+ high-tech jobs to the city.
Jim and his brothers attended FPS, and his mother, Barbara Prichard, is a career educator. For Jim, like his father Doug, military service is about being part of something bigger than himself to help shape futures for the better. Jim, his wife Lori, and their son reside in Nevada.
Max Mahler was born in Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville High School in 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Financial Management and Investments from the University of Arkansas in 2009 and completed his MBA there in 2013. While in college, he worked at PackRat Outdoor Center and as a river guide through the Grand Canyon. During his MBA program, he co-founded Now Diagnostics in Springdale.
At 24, Max co-founded the Spark Foundation, which has raised over $3 million and hosts the Cow Paddy Run and Hero Half Marathon. The foundation’s scholarship with the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation has enabled over 1,000 children to participate in the Cow Paddy Run at no cost.
Max led the “Friends of Gulley Park” initiative, raising $1.2 million for land preservation and earning the group the 2015 Volunteer Group of the Year award from the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Association.
In 2015, he studied to become a Certified Financial Planner® through New York University while working at Wells Fargo Advisors. Forbes Magazine recognized him as a Top Next Gen advisor in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and as a “Best in State” advisor in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He was also named to the “Fast Fifteen” list by Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in 2013 and the “Forty Under Forty” list in 2023.
Max and his wife Lydia live in Fayetteville with their daughters Reese and Avery.
The purpose of the Hall of Honor is threefold:
Provide role models for students by honoring former students who have distinguished themselves;
Create excitement about education
Honor those educators and friends who have made extraordinary contributions to public education in Fayetteville.
The Hall of Honor is hosted by the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation and co-hosted by the Fayetteville High School Student Alumni Association and Student Council. The Hall of Honor Induction ceremonies will be held on Thursday, October 3 at the Fayetteville Public Library. A reception will be held at 5:30 PM, dinner will be served at 6:30 PM, and the ceremonies will begin at 7:30 PM. Reservations for the event are $125 each and may be purchased by calling the Foundation office at 479-527-3655 or by visiting the website at www.fayedfoundation.org.