Sonja Yates Hubbard

Sonja Yates Hubbard currently serves as a Principal for Yates Group, Inc., a family based real estate management firm. Sonja is a Certified Public Accountant who received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Sonja served as the CEO for E-Z Mart Stores, Inc. for 20 years before the company sold operations to GPM Investments in 2018. The company was a family-owned business started by Sonja’s father, Jim Yates in 1970 and, at one point, operated over 500 convenience stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Within the industry, Sonja is a National Association of Convenience Stores Past Chairman who also served two terms as Chairman of Government Relations Committee and many years on the NACSPAC Committee. In 2010 she was inducted into Convenience Store News’ Convenience Store Hall of Fame.

Throughout her career, she has served on a variety of boards including the Federal Reserve Banks of both St. Louis and Little Rock, is currently chairing board AR-TX REDI, an economic development organization; and she serves as a director for the Arkansas Research Alliance, Opportunities, Inc., Riverbend Water Resources District, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, UAMS Fund Foundation and Farmers Bank & Trust.