ARCodeKids Board of Directors
Dave Wengel
Mr. Wengel is the Co-Founder and President of ARCodeKids. He has served on the Arkansas Governor’s Computer Science Task Force and is also the Founder and CEO of iDatafy®, a privately held real-time information services company that helps clients fight fraud and improve marketing efficiencies through the use of proprietary database solutions.
Prior to starting iDatafy®, Dave was the founding General Manager of TARGUSinfo’s Interactive Markets Division where he helped create the online advertising industry’s first real-time data verification solution. Neustar Inc. acquired TARGUSinfo in November 2011 for $650,000,000. Dave’s Interactive Markets division represented 19% of TARGUSinfo revenues at the time of sale.
Dave has a Master of Commerce Degree in Finance from the University of Sydney and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in History and Political Science from Gettysburg College. Dave and his wife, Sarah, live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have two children, Ella Beth and Malcolm, both young aspiring coders and honorary co-founders of ARCodeKids.*
*Mr. Wengel is the son-in-law of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Neither Mr. Wengel, his family members, Mr. Owen or Mr. Crass receive any compensation for their efforts with the ARCodeKids non-profit.
Anthony Owen
Mr. Owen is the Coordinator of Special Projects/Computer Science for the Arkansas Department of Education and serves as the leader of the computer science initiative in Arkansas. He coordinates with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Computer Science Task Force to identify the state’s computer science and technology needs. Owen began working at ADE in 2011 as the K-12 math and computer science curriculum specialist. He has worked as a math and science teacher at Sheridan High School and has taught math at Gurdon High School, Goza Middle School at Arkadelphia and England High School. Owen received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Education and Computer Science and a Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership from Henderson State University at Arkadelphia. He has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law.
Kevin Crass
Mr. Crass is a partner with the Friday, Eldredge & Clark law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas. He serves as head of the firm’s Class Action and Business Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on significant, complex business litigation in federal and state courts including the defense of claims involving class actions, securities fraud, ERISA, business torts, trade secrets, patent and trademark infringement, product liability, environmental and toxic torts, and breach of contract, among others. Kevin also provides clients with representation before governmental bodies and counsels them in regulatory matters.
Kevin is listed in Chambers and Partners USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Commercial Litigation. Chambers is particularly well regarded for the quality and rigor of its research regarding firms and attorneys listed. With regard to Kevin, it said, “Kevin Crass heads the class action practice group and is noted for his outstanding skills as a litigator. He also provides representation in a number of defense claims involving ERISA, business and toxic tort, securities fraud and breach of contract issues.”
He currently serves on the Board of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Bar Association. He previously served on the Federal Practice Committee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, having been appointed by the judges in that district. Kevin also represents clients before alternative dispute resolution bodies such as FINRA and the American Arbitration Association. Since 1997, he has served as personal counsel to Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.