You don’t have to be a CEO, baby, to be in our show. The executives are great, but Arkansas Money & Politics readers recognize that it takes everyone — small business owners, marketers, nurses, real estate agents and more to make Arkansas work. We asked readers to help us recognize some of the professionals in Arkansas who stand out in their fields.
Brandon Adams,
Nursing homes owner/
Banded Brands
Jordan Addison,
Stone Creek Solar
Dennis Adkins,
iRealty Arkansas
Dennis Adkins started his real estate career in 1972 at McKay, Askew, Shearin & Associates. He and two other partners opened Adkins, McNeill, Smith & Associates in 1987. In a 2018 merger, the company name changed to iRealty Arkansas. iRealty is one of the leading companies in the Little Rock housing market with 51 active agents and nine other locations. Adkins is a founding, charter and life member of the Million Dollar Club and a member of the Little Rock Executive Association.
Jimmy Anthony,
Delta Dental of Arkansas
Jimmy Anthony joined Delta Dental in 2007 as an underwriter and within a few years, created and managed the underwriting and business analytics department. He has served as vice president of operations since 2019. In 2017, Anthony led an effort to win the bid for and implement the Arkansas Medicaid dental program with Delta Dental. He serves on the board of the Medicaid and Medicare State Dental Association.
Steve Arrison,
Hot Springs Convention
& Visitors Bureau
Aaron Baldwin, MD
Arkansas Oral Maxillofacial
Surgeons
Bill Barnes,
Mountain Harbor Resort
Merissa Beard,
Beard Chiropractic
Chris Beaty,
TeleComp
Bobby Bemberg,
Bemberg Iron Works
Mark Bennett,
Brown Rogers & Co.
Jason Bermingham,
Arkansas Luxury Lawns and Greens
Jason Bermingham, a sports enthusiast with more than 25 years of experience in the landscaping industry, founded Arkansas Luxury Lawns and Greens in 2018. Bermingham was born and raised in Canada and played professional hockey for 11 years, and hockey is what brought him to Arkansas. With his depth of knowledge in the landscaping industry, Bermingham realized how well synthetic grass compliments the perfect yard.
Mike Boschetti,
Strategic Merger &
Acquisition Advisors
Danny Bradley,
Crystal Ridge Distillery
Jim Camp,
C & C Commercial Cleaner
Mark Camp,
Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission
Mark Camp is the executive director of Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission, a part of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Camp spent more than 30 years in municipal finance, with over 28 of those years as the general market municipal bond trader at Crews & Associates, one of the top Investment banking firms in the South. Camp is also president and managing partner of the 1836 Club in Little Rock.
Daniel Cate,
Market Place Pharmacy
Kim Clatworthy,
Elder Independence
Raised in Hot Springs, Kim Clatworthy grew up with her two sisters on a lake resort owned by her parents. Having been in the hospitality industry her entire life, she appreciates the personal joy found in caring for others’ needs. Growing up, Clatworthy saw true care and compassion firsthand when her elderly grandmother came to live with the family. Clatworthy realized that she a deep connection to the elderly as well as those in need of care.
Andrew Clyde,
Murphy USA
Jessica Coker, W
UAMS
Becky Cranford,
The Bug Man
Cody Crawford,
C.R. Crawford Construction
Adora Curry,
Thaden School
Adora Curry is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Thaden School in Bentonville. She brings 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector in both higher education and private foundations. Curry has a bachelor’s degree in radio, television, and film from Howard University and a master’s degree in rhetoric and professional writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Todd Denton,
Dairy Queen/Peds Plus
Sandy Downs,
Don’s Supply
Jeff Duncan,
Best Park
Scot Davis,
CMPE, Arkansas Urology
Scot Davis joined Arkansas Urology as CEO in May 2013. With more than 20 years in physician practice management serving in a variety of executive roles, he has developed an expertise in physician recruitment, joint-venture arrangements, compensation modeling and operational efficiency. Before moving to Little Rock, Davis was CFO at Baptist Medical Group in Memphis. Prior to that, he was CFO at Northeast Arkansas Clinic in Jonesboro, also serving in an interim COO capacity. Davis is a member of the Arkansas Medical Group Management Association and the American Medical Group Association.
Bryan Day,
Little Rock Port Authority
Taylor Denniston,
Fort Thompson Sporting Goods
Jessica Duff
Pulaski County Special School District
Jessica Duff is Executive Director of Communications for the Pulaski County Special School District and has led communications for the district since October 2018. In her role, she handles internal and external communication, marketing and public relations for the school district’s central office as well as the 26 schools within the district. Duff spent five years in digital marketing and nearly a decade in TV (as a reporter and producer) which helped prepare her current role with PCSSD.
Kelley Curtis Dunlap, CRPC®, Stifel/The Curtis Team
With more than 20 years in the financial industry, Kelley Dunlap has been a partner of The Curtis Team at Stifel since 2011. Devoting her time to a select client base consisting of affluent families and successful businesses, she focuses on mitigating risk and pursuing growth of her clients’ wealth with an emphasis on holistic planning and risk management strategies. She utilizes her Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®) by assisting business owners in developing a retirement plan tailored to their needs.
Roderick Edwards,
Triple-S Alarm
Little Rock native Roderick Edwards has worked at Triple-S Alarm for more than 20 years. Having grown up in the family business, Edwards has always been involved in the company’s growth and all the industry has to offer. He is a 1992 graduate of Catholic High and a 1997 graduate of Ouachita Baptist University. From sales, operations, security, sound, to life safety technologies and even sports simulators, he has years of experience and expertise. Edwards is on the board for the Young Presidents Organization, Arkansas Chapter, and is president of the Little Rock Executive Association.
Jim Engelhorn,
Sissy’s Log Cabin
Jim Engelhorn was born and raised in Bloomington, Ill., where he started in the jewelry business at age 15. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. After a lengthy career in management and consulting, he moved to Little Rock in 2017. He was general manager of another local jeweler before going to work for Sissy’s Log Cabin and is helping the company enjoy record growth the last four years.
Chris Engleby,
Grapevine Wine & Spirits
Sandy Ferguson,
Generations Bank
Sandy Ferguson, board member and CFO at Generations Bank, began her banking career in 1981 on the frontlines as a teller. This year, she will celebrate her 40th anniversary with the bank, which underwent a rebranding in 2016 to pay homage to the generational leadership in the bank. Ferguson is a strong example of that having worked with four generations of the Harrell family. She has played a pivotal role in the bank’s growth, working in every department throughout her career.
Dr. Phil Fletcher,
City of Hope Outreach
Ryan Flynn,
Network Services Group
Ryan Flynn was named president of Network Services Group in late 2013. Network Services Group provides IT support and voice-over IP telephony solutions for many businesses across the state. Under his leadership, NSG has grown from 11 employees and a single location in North Little Rock to 65 employees and three locations in Arkansas. Flynn also has served as president of the Cabot Rotary Club, two terms on the city council of Cabot, on the Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission and on the Lonoke County Election Commission.
Jennifer Gabbard,
Shewmake Plastic Surgery
Regan Gallaher, MD
Conway Regional
Dr. Regan Gallaher is a board-certified neurosurgeon with the Conway Regional Neuroscience Center. Gallaher holds a medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a residency in neurosurgery from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He also has a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College. Gallaher has been in practice for more than 20 years, specializing in surgical and non-surgical treatment of spinal illness and trauma.
Will Gladden,
Signature Bank
Elizabeth Glasbrenner, Smiley Technologies
Steve Gray,
Premium Refreshments
Kimberly Hill Gregory,
R&N Hydraulics
Since 1979, R&N Hydraulics has been the leader in hydraulic cylinder repair and manufacturing in the state of Arkansas. She has been an integral part of that long-term success and remains active in the day-to-day operations. She has been the sole owner and operator since the passing of her late husband, Ronnie Hill, in 2009. Today, R&N employs 26 individuals and fosters a culture of hard work, dedication and family values. She credits her employees at R&N Hydraulics, calling them “the heart of the business.” In addition, she remains forever grateful for the continued support of her valued customers.
Kalene Griffith,
Visit Bentonville
Kalene Griffith is the president of Visit Bentonville. Since starting in 2005, her goal has been to share her enthusiasm and experiences to create an environment to foster tourism and support our community. Griffith was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas State Parks and Tourism Commission in 2016 and currently is the chairperson. She is a board member of the Arkansas Hospitality Association Travel Council, Arkansas Association of Convention Visitors Bureau, Bentonville Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Bentonville Inc., Bentonville Public Arts Advisory Board, Bentonville History Museum, Amazeum Children’s Museum and Dress For Success.
Spencer Griffith,
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Spencer Griffith is a conservation and outdoor recreation marketer from Arkansas. He has served as the marketing manager for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the past five years. He helps lead the agency’s efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters, anglers and outdoor recreationists and improve the agency’s consumer-facing services. Prior to joining AGFC, Spencer was a senior brand manager and strategist for Stone Ward Advertising, where he planned and executed multi-channel marketing promotions in the outdoor, health care, economic development and energy sectors.
Glenn Grimes,
Capital Glass
Rob Gunther,
Frost Inc.
Dr. Jeremy Harwood,
CHI St. Vincent
Rimsha Hasan, MD
Conway Regional
Dr. Rimsha Hasan joined the Conway Regional Cardiovascular Clinic in 2020. She completed a residency in internal medicine at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. From there, she completed fellowship training in interventional cardiology and general cardiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. As an interventional cardiologist, she specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
RJ Hawk,
Clark & Co. Realty/
103.7 The Buzz
Originally from Athens, Texas, RJ Hawk has called Arkansas home for the last 17 years. He is one of the Top 30 REALTORs in the South Central Arkansas Realtors Association and has helped families all over Central Arkansas with the buying and selling of their homes. For the past 13 years, Hawk could be heard on 103.7 The Buzz weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. with Tommy Smith, David Bazzel and Roger Scott.
Michael Henderson,
Today’s Power Inc.
Michael W. Henderson is president of Today’s Power Inc. (TPI). He has more than 40 years of experience in the energy industry and previously served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. (AECI). Before joining AECC, he worked for Associated Natural Gas Co. and the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
Mistie Hill,
Staffmark
Don Houff,
Don Houff Plumbing
Paul James,
Advanced Electrical Supply
John Jayroe, MD
Little Rock Family Practice
Phillip Jett,
Encore Bank
Harold Joyner,
Fence World
Bram Keahey,
Taggart Architects
Crystal Kemp,
Conway Corporation
Kristen Kennon,
iRealty of Arkansas
Kristen Kennon is a Realtor and the CEO of iRealty Arkansas. She has sold more than $100 million in her eight years as a Realtor, and her company has sold more than $1.5 billion in Central Arkansas. Servant leadership starts at the top, and Kennon believes that is what sets iRealty Arkansas apart, believing Realtors are experts who guide clients through the process while making the experience awesome.
Andrew King,
Complete Payroll Services
Kyle King,
KARK/KLRT
Bobby Lamb,
Good Shepherd Nursing
& Rehabilitation
Alyssa Lambert, DDS
Smile Arkansas
Chris Lane,
Cantina Laredo
Amy Langston,
Intellex Talent
As Managing Director for Intellex, Amy Langston oversees recruiting, hiring and onboarding for professional positions including executive-level, administrative, clerical and strategic consultants. She will now assume a leadership position with Intellex Talent, a sister company focused on the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and food industries. Intellex provides flexible talent solutions through a global community of on-demand innovation experts, helping clients accelerate speed-to-market in a highly competitive business environment. In January, Langston was appointed chair of the American Staffing Association’s Office-Administrative Section Council.
Brookshield Laurent, DO
NYITCOM
Dr. Brookshield Laurent is the chair of clinical medicine for NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University and the executive director of the Delta Population Health Institute, NYITCOM’s community engagement arm. The DPHI works to leverage resources in education, research, policy, and community engagement to bring about changes that will create a culture of health in the Delta. Laurent is a practicing family physician and is devoted to training future doctors that will make a difference through medicine.
Andrea Mabry, MD
Pinnacle Dermatology
Dr. Andrea Mabry is a Mississippi native who has now made Arkansas her home. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi and received her medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she graduated magna cum laude. She completed her medical internship and dermatology residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she served as chief resident during her final year of training.
Jurek Makowski,
Install AV
Eric Mangham,
Arkansas Federal Credit Union
Eric Mangham is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Arkansas Federal Credit Union. Prior to joining Arkansas Federal, he was a credit union examiner with the National Credit Union Administration. Eric serves on the boards of Ronald McDonald House, the Better Business Bureau of Arkansas and the NAFCU CFO Steering Committee. He received his bachelor’s and MBA in finance from Lamar University.
Shea Mathews,
Maple Leaf Canvas
Evan Matthews,
National Custom Hollow Metal
Brian McGee, MD
Arkansas Diagnostics
Alex McIntosh,
Mac Evaluations Group
Sandy Middleton Marshall, Middleton Heat & Air/Coastal Partners
Sandy Middleton Marshall is one of those Middletons, a member of the family who founded Middleton Heat & Air in 1976. She remains a co-owner of the business, one of Central Arkansas’ more iconic, with her siblings, Larry and Mark. Marshall also is a co-owner in the national real-estate development firm, Coastal Partners, and is one of the region’s most notable philanthropists.
Elizabeth Michael,
Marian Consulting/Bark Bar/
Bud Agency
Elizabeth Michael, MBA, hails from Lake Village, where she worked for her family business, the Paul Michael Company, before joining Little Rock ad agency CJRW. From there, she founded a corporate social-media consultancy firm, Marian, and a cannabis-focused ad firm, Bud Agency, with industry veteran Martin Thoma. Along the way, she opened a dog park and bar, Bark Bar, with her ad agency operating from the second floor. Client meetings can be distracting but always cute.
Bill Miller,
Refrigeration & Electric
Supply Co.
Charles Morgan,
First Orion
Charles Morgan founded First Orion, which provides call transparency with in-network call control, in 2008 in Little Rock. Morgan has extensive experience managing and investing in private and public companies, including Acxiom, the information services company based in Conway that he founded and grew to $1.4 billion in annual revenue with 7,000 employees worldwide. Morgan served as Acxiom board chair for 30 years when he also held various leadership roles with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
Chris Moses,
Newmark Moses Tucker Partners
Chris Moses is the president and CEO of Newmark Moses Tucker Partners. He oversees the strategic direction of the Little Rock-based commercial real estate and development company throughout the state of Arkansas. Moses focuses on build-to-suit development for a variety of national realtors such as Slim Chickens, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Circle K and others. He has a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and received his master’s from the Real Estate Development Program (MRED) at Clemson University.
Joe Murdaugh,
Joe Murdaugh Masonry
Kevin Newton,
CBM Construction
Joey Nichols,
Friday Eldredge & Clark
Matthew Nicolo,
Arkansas Industrial Roofing
Matthew Nicolo, general manager and lead roofing consultant for Arkansas Industrial Roofing, was born in North Little Rock and is a long-time resident of Little Rock. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, real estate emphasis, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He joined Arkansas Industrial Roofing in 2004, after six years in real estate and commercial real estate management. He believes that a company is nothing without impeccable customer service.
Ben Noble,
Riceland
Bill Parkinson,
Parkinson Building Group
Bill Parkinson established Parkinson Building Group in 1999 when his home builder went bankrupt in the middle of his new construction. He used his dedication and business expertise to complete his home to his high standards. As a result, he discovered a new passion for building custom homes and Parkinson Building Group was born. Over the past 20 years, Parkinson Building Group has been dedicated to building the best custom homes in Little Rock.
Jim Pender,
First National Title
Lance Penfield,
Baxley Penfield Moudy
Real Estate
Michael Petty,
The Ohio Club
Todd Pitard,
Lauray’s
Hoyt Plunkett,
Jackpot Interactive
Daron Praetzel, DMD
Arkansas Oral Maxillofacial
Surgeons
Susie Reed,
Taylor Plastic Surgery
Dan Richards,
Richards Honda Yamaha
Jonathan Rogers,
Arnold & Blevins Electric
Brett Russell,
Russell Chevrolet
Brett Russell runs the show at Russell Chevrolet in Sherwood, one of the 200 largest Chevy dealers in the United States. He took over from his father, Bob Russell, who carried on the family business from his dad, John Russell, who launched the dealership in 1963. After John’s retirement, Bob took over the Chevrolet dealership, and his brother Rick assumed control of the Honda dealership. The third generation of Russells runs the family dealerships today.
Kathy Ryan,
Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield
As Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Kathy Ryan currently has executive responsibility for internal operations, enterprise business intelligence, information systems and information technology infrastructure for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. She joined ABCBS in 1982 as senior programmer for Medicare Part B Systems. She has served in numerous capacities and was promoted to her current position in 2019. A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Ryan received her bachelor’s degree from Queens College in Charlotte, N.C., and is a graduate of America’s Health Insurance Plans Foundation’s Executive Leadership Program.
Carlton Saffa,
Saracen Casino Resort
Carlton Saffa is the Chief Market Officer for Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff. The Oklahoma native and University of Arkansas graduate is a former staff member for Gov. Asa Hutchinson, for whom he worked from 2015 to 2019. That summer, he left to become Saracen’s first official employee; today the organization employs nearly a thousand Arkansans. Saffa helped oversee the licensure, construction and opening of the casino resort’s first phase in October 2020 and its second phase, in progress, that includes a 300-room hotel. In addition to the Saracen property, Saffa serves in a number of roles including leadership within the United Way, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and as an appointee to Arkansas Supreme Court’s Office of Professional Conduct.
Brent Schmiegelow,
Arkansas Concrete Concepts
Patrick Schroeder,
Baldwin & Shell
Patrick Schroeder, Central Arkansas president for Baldwin & Shell, began his career in commercial construction more than 20 years ago. His projects have varied over the years from tenant finish work of $100,000 or less to hospitality projects in excess of $1.1 billion. His experience includes oversight of all preconstruction activities such as estimating, value engineering and contract/subcontract negotiations.
Cliff Sebring,
Sharp Image Painting
Barry Simon,
Datamax
Barry Simon is a native of Chicago. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a B.S. in business. In 1985, he moved to Little Rock to become president of what was then Datamax Office Systems and is now Datamax Inc. He has served as board member of numerous organizations including Riverfest, Centers for Youth and Families, Sales & Marketing Executives Association, past chair of the Better Business Bureau, past president of the Copier Dealers Association and is a former board member of Rotary Club 99.
Charlene Simon,
Eilo Oil
Maria Bunting Smedley, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation
Todd Smith,
Park Hill Collection
Christina Trimble,
USAble Life
Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development Christina Trimble leads the marketing efforts for the life, disability and supplemental lines of business at USAble Life, which serves more than 1 million people and approximately 27,000 employer groups. She leads the co-branding strategy in seven large markets in collaboration with one of the country’s largest health insurers. Before joining USAble Life, Trimble led numerous initiatives to grow programs during her 18-year tenure at UAMS. She holds a master’s degree in applied communications from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Matt Troup,
Conway Regional
Matt Troup has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the health care industry, serving in various administrative roles in hospitals in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. He came to Arkansas in 2014 as vice president of ancillary and support services at CHI St. Vincent and was named president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System within one year. Troup is an energetic leader whose five-year tenure has seen historic growth in net revenue and substantial increases in employee and physician engagement.
Lewis Van Ness,
Meridian Investment Advisors
Phil Watson, Bernhard
Phil Watson is an experienced director and mechanical engineer specializing in complex new construction and renovation projects. He oversees a multidisciplinary team of engineers and is a technical expert in mechanical systems design. Phil and his team seek the best possible solution to serve the long-term needs of a building and enable effective operations. He is passionate about promoting STEM education and regularly speaks at schools and career fairs to raise awareness about potential careers in engineering.
Keith Weeks,
Gary Houston Electric
Keith Weeks is president of Gary Houston Electric in Little Rock. For more than 35 years, the company has served Central Arkansas with affordable, quality and timely commercial and residential electrical contracting services with a strong emphasis on customer service. Its area of expertise includes, but is not limited to, homes, retail spaces, restaurants, offices and warehouses. Gary Houston services both new construction and existing structures needing electrical repair or being remodeled.
Kevin Wingfield,
River Rock Builders
Allen Williams,
First Community Bank
Allen Williams is the market president for the Jonesboro region of First Community Bank. Williams has more than 30 years of banking expertise, and he came to First Community Bank in 2013. In his current position, Williams oversees and manages the entirety of the Jonesboro area market which includes branches in Lepanto, Bay and the newest branch in Brookland.
Darrin Williams,
Southern Bancorp
Kirby Williams,
Stone Bank
A Harrison native, Kirby Williams has served as marketing director or consultant to regional banks in Arkansas since 1977. For the past six years as EVP for marketing and retail banking, he has helped Stone Bank establish a Top 100 national brand in the government-guaranteed lending field while the bank’s assets have grown from $90 million to more than $560 million.
Tim Zimmerman,
First Choice Drug Testing
Mary Zunick, Visit Hot Springs
Mary Zunick, Honorary Consul of Japan for the State of Arkansas, is the Cultural Affairs Manager for Visit Hot Springs. She works with the local arts community and as executive director of the Sister City program has received multiple awards and commendations. Under her leadership the Arts & the Park festival, the Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival and multiple downtown murals were created. She is also on the board of Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Hot Springs Chamber.
Robert Zunick,
The Waters
From the music industry in Dallas, Robert Zunick moved to Hot Springs in 1983 out of a love of nature and downtown architecture. That led to a career as a financial advisor that continues today; Zunick has been named to the Forbes Best in State list the past four years. Always active in the community, he founded or served on many nonprofit boards. In 2013, he invested in the historic Thompson Building and built The Waters Hotel & Rooftop Bar.
