President

Picture of Willy with his wife, Tammy, and their youngest son, Jackson.

William Kuykendall is the youngest brother of Jeff Kuykendall, our foundation’s namesake. He dreamed of this scholarship foundation for nearly 2 decades prior to making it a reality in late 2019. He is hopeful that we can provide opportunities for many of the deserving students that have a similar background, values, and experiences.

Willy, as his friends and family know him, graduated from Batesville High School. After his brother graduated, his mother moved him to a larger school district so he could follow his passion and desire to play the sport of football. He is very thankful to his mother’s sacrifice and support - he can never repay her for the lessons and opportunities he gained from this experience. During his sophomore school year, Jeff was killed in a car accident. This event significantly changed his life and helped him become driven to attend and graduate from college. He received a B.S. in Computer Systems Engineering. Since graduating from the University of Arkansas, Willy has worked at J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. His current position is Vice President of E&T. He also shares his love of sports, especially football, through volunteer coaching opportunities.

The first entity for this foundation is for academic scholarships to give opportunities to the families in his hometown area. He hopes to grow the success of the foundation and build out a second entity that supports the rural area investments in sports by supplying scholarships to join clubs, provide equipment, or help fund youth tournaments that build skills in sports.

Vice President

Picture of Barb and her husband, Mario, during their 2018 trip to Israel.

Barbara Moreno is the mother of Jeff. She and several of Jeff’s classmates initiated the first scholarships. She helped to privately fund scholarships in Jeff’s honor over the past 3 decades. Jeff’s love for life and others is directly attributed to his mother.

Barb, as many of her friends and family call her, made many sacrifices to provide and care for her family. She challenged all her children to break through barriers, stereotypes, and overcome setbacks in life. She always took opportunities to show her family how to love on others and share in our opportunities.

She worked at a local restaurant in Batesville, Arkansas for over 30 years. She met many people and made many lifelong friends during her time as a waitress. After retiring as a waitress, Barb enjoys volunteering at church, serving meals for the less fortunate, and supporting friends and families. She can often be found baby sitting, giving rides for the elderly, or simply spending time with others during their own tragedies. She attributes her love to others to her mother, who was a nurse.

Secretary

2020 picture of Tammy with her two sons, Jackson and Blake, during a “re-make” photo shoot from 2011.

Tamara Kuykendall is the sister-in-law of Jeff and fills the role of Secretary for the JSK Scholarship Foundation, Inc. She married into this crazy family in May of 2001. She shares the same deep passion for family and supporting others. She brings a great attention to detail to our foundation.

Tammy, as her family and friends refer to her, grew up in the Siloam Springs, Arkansas area. She graduated from Colcord High School in Oklahoma. She then went to John Brown University where she received an associates degree in business. She started a career at J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. She transitioned into a role in the Springdale School District in 2008 that provided her more time at home with her children and allowed her to follow a passion for special needs. Since 2015, Tammy has led the Ability Ministry at the Springdale campus of Cross Church.

With her passion for special needs, our foundation has a hope to establish a third entity that will support and fund the families with special needs. She has built a very strong relationship with many organizations and people since 2008 and is continually looking for ways to grow support.

Treasurer

Amy Anderson was a secondary mother to Jeff. She is the best friend of Jeff’s mother and became an influential part of his life. She helped Barb raise her children after Barb’s divorce from Butch. Her family was so close and intimate that many people believed that they were relation to Jeff. She provided a summer home for Willy during his early college years and helped support him.

Beth, as her family and friends call her, was born and raised in Batesville, Arkansas. She has spent most of career in advertising. Additionally, she has been a farmer, waitress, and caterer. She volunteers a lot of her free time at her church and in the Batesville community.

Beth is dedicated to empowering and enabling others in the community to succeed. She looks forward to the success of this scholarship foundation and the impact it can have on many young adults.

Honorary Director

Mario Moreno

Papa Reno loved his Christmas trips to Branson with his grandchildren (Grace, Jackson, and Molly are 3 of his 9).

Mario Moreno was the step-father to Jeff. He supported Jeff as he transitioned out of high school into adulthood. He instilled a strong work ethic, helped him find his job, and encouraged him to become the best man possible.

Mario was the 1st born citizen to the United States for his family that immigrated from Mexico. He proudly served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam war. He spent most of his career working at Kallsnick’s in Batesville, Arkansas. During his time as a salesman, he built many strong relationships in the community by doing the right thing for the customer and providing great service. His dedication to his customers left an impression on his children that has enabled them to be strong employees.

Honorary Director

Luther “Butch” Kuykendall

This is a picture of Butch and his wife, Barb.

Luther “Butch” Kuykendall is the father of Jeff. He taught Jeff many lessons about work-ethic, dedication, and putting family first. He was a strong believer in family. For instance, all family vacations involved traveling to see extended family.

Butch graduated from Dyess, Arkansas and joined the Navy. After serving his country, he lived in Florida, Wisconsin, and Arkansas. During that time, he spent most of his time an electrician and telephone service man for General Telephone Electric (GTE).

After he divorced Jeff’s mom, he met and married Barb. They lived in Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri. They spent many days traveling the country during his retirement. Many of the days were spent with family and friends.