Honoring young business professionals is the dominant narrative in our culture: success and fulfillment are encouraged and recognized at the dawn of adulthood (or even sooner, if you can manage it). But achievements don’t come instantly, and success is becoming of everyone, regardless of age. People don’t turn obsolete at 32, 45, 50, or even 70, and our reader-nominated list proves just that.
The following individuals are not only making positive impacts in their communities but in the lives of all Arkansans. They are lawyers, CEOs, doctors, educators, small business owners and more. Thanks to decades of hard work, they are superstars in their fields. At Arkansas Money & Politics, we revere these individuals for their expertise and look forward to seeing what their futures hold—now presenting: AMP’s 2024 Fifty Over 50.
Michele Allgood
Attorney
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard
Attorney Michele Allgood has built a stellar reputation by helping communities throughout Arkansas with their most ambitious capital improvement and economic development projects. She has become a go-to resource for local and state representatives working to recruit investment in and development of projects in Arkansas. Working with community leaders and stakeholders, she facilitates economic development projects through payment in lieu of tax and tax abatement agreements. To move economic development forward in the state, she has supported legislative initiatives, both as a drafter and as an advocate, that have benefited communities throughout the state. She is currently serving as the Arkansas Bar Association Representative to the Title 19 Recodification Working Group. She is an Arkansas Bar Foundation fellow. Outside of practicing law, Allgood serves on the board of directors of Christopher Homes of Arkansas and Kiwanis Activities.
Cory Anderson
Chief Innovation Officer
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Cory Anderson is a relentless collaborator. He builds and maintains local and national partnerships, launches bold initiatives and strategies to ensure the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation in Little Rock pursues equity for all Arkansans. In addition to his role at Foundation, Anderson also served as the interim executive director of Forward Arkansas. He understands collaboration because it has been his career. For seven years at the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, he supported state-level child advocacy organizations and helped lead the KIDS COUNT Initiative. He is currently a BMe Public Voices Fellow. He also serves on the boards of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, the Urban League of Arkansas, the Association of Black Foundation Executives and Neighborhood Funders Group. Anderson is married to Phillis Nichols-Anderson, CEO of a national educational management organization.
Brent Birch
Executive Director
Little Rock Technology Park
Brent Birch is the executive director of the Little Rock Technology Park in Little Rock, which opened phase 1 in March 2017 and is currently in the middle of a phase 2 renovation of 421 Main St. Birch was the chief information officer at Arkansas Business Publishing Group for 14 years and started one of the state’s most successful web development firms, FLEX360, during his time there. He is also the editor of Greenhead: The Arkansas Duck Hunting Magazine, author of The Grand Prairie: A History of Duck Hunting’s Hallowed Ground and serves on the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation board. Birch is also a past board president for the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and still serves on the executive committee. Brent is a graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he lettered four years as a member of the Razorback baseball team.
Cindy Bishop
Owner
Diamond Medical Equipment & Supply
Cindy Bishop is the owner of Little Rock’s Diamond Medical Equipment & Supply. For three decades, the independently owned home medical equipment company has provided quality equipment and supplies at a reasonable price, all the while prioritizing timeliness and professionalism. Diamond Medical was founded in 1992 by Bishop’s mother, Rosemary Francisco, and Bishop has carried on her mother’s legacy of service. Bishop is sensitive to the needs of caregivers and knows that access to the right equipment can make a world of difference when it comes to helping take care of a loved one. As one of the area’s largest retail suppliers of health care products, Bishop and her team go the extra mile to ensure every customer is satisfied.
Tim Boone
Partner
Munson, Rowlett, Moore & Boone
Tim Boone is a partner in the Little Rock law firm of Munson, Rowlett, Moore, and Boone. With 38 years of litigation experience, his practice focuses exclusively on representing Arkansas health care providers. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2008, he has twice been named Lawyer of the Year by that organization. He has been selected for inclusion in the Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2014 and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has achieved an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the American Inns of Court Foundation. He has served the firm as a managing partner and is currently the senior member of the management committee. He received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and his juris doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Shane Broadway
Vice President for University Relations
Arkansas State University System
Shane Broadway is vice president for university relations for the Arkansas State University System. He served in the Arkansas General Assembly from 1997 to 2011. He was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1997 and served as speaker from 2001 to 2003. He was Arkansas’ youngest speaker of the house. He was elected to the Arkansas Senate in 2002 and reelected in 2006. There, he was a member of the senate education committee. From 2011 to 2015, he served as deputy director, interim director and director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. Broadway graduated from Bryant High School in 1990. In 1994, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where he was president of the student body and received the R.E. Lee Wilson Award, the highest award given to a graduating senior, and the Distinguished Service Award. He married his wife, Debbie, in 1996.
Dale E. Colclasure Jr.
President of Wealth Management
RetirePath Wealth
Dale E. Colclasure Jr., a certified financial planner, has spent the past three decades honing his skills as a retirement income specialist. Along with his RetirePath co-founder Mark Smalling, Colclasure has built a financial services firm that focuses on the exact needs of the pre-retired and retired. He understands the mindset change that must occur when retirees transition from the asset accumulation phase to the income distribution phase of investing. He is an industry leader in helping clients secure a predictable lifetime income combined with the specific tax implications on retirement plan distributions, social security income strategies, medicare, long-term care and estate planning.
Becky Cranford
General Manager
The Bug Man Inc.
Becky Cranford is the general manager of the Bug Man Inc. in Little Rock. Her father, the late Bill McCauley, founded the Bug Man Inc. in 1976, with the promise that he would credit God with the business ownership and success. In 1991, after 12 years in the banking industry, Cranford joined her father’s company, and she has continued to uphold his faithful legacy. Cranford’s sister and brother-in-law, Beth and Rob Davis, have owned and operated the Bug Man’s Searcy location since 1985. Between the two locations, the Bug Man Inc. is able to service many areas of the state.
Susan Devero
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
Susan Devero serves as the vice president of marketing and communications for the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education in Fort Smith. She joined ACHE in its beginning phase in 2015. Since then, she has led marketing efforts for the institution’s now five graduate-level programs, and the ACHE Research Institute Health & Wellness Center. Devero earned her degree in journalism with minors in public relations and advertising from Oklahoma State University. Beyond her professional achievements, she is profoundly dedicated to community service. Devero actively serves on several boards, including the United Way of Fort Smith and Trinity Middle School Trust in Fort Smith.
Chip Dunlap
President
Regal Utility Services Group
Chip Dunlap is president of Little Rock-based Regal Utility Services Group, which was launched in 2023. Dunlap, a native of Indianola, Miss., assumed the role of president after 29 years in the telecom construction industry. He previously served as senior director of construction services for Alice USA. Regal recently closed on the acquisition of Tri-State Utility Construction in Chattanooga, Tenn., and more growth is planned.
John Eichler
Senior Vice President and Controller
Windstream
As senior vice president and controller at Windstream in Little Rock, John Eichler is responsible for the company’s accounting, external reporting, regulatory reporting and accounts payable functions. Prior to taking on this role in 2009, he served as vice president of internal audit for Windstream. Eichler previously worked as an audit manager with Arthur Andersen in Little Rock. Eichler serves as chair of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Arkansas, an organization with which he has been actively involved for over 25 years. He also sits on the Sam M. Walton College of Business Accounting Advisory Board at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Eichler holds a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Arkansas and is a licensed certified public accountant.
Amr El-Shafei, M.D.
Cardiologist
Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
Amr El-Shafei, M.D., is a cardiologist at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers and has left an indelible mark on cardiovascular care in Arkansas. With nearly three decades of dedicated service as a cardiologist, he has served as a beacon of excellence, touching and saving countless lives through his unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality of care for his patients. He has published numerous research papers in medical journals contributed to medical textbooks. El-Shafei’s impact extends beyond his medical expertise; his compassionate approach and leadership have earned him recognition as a chair of the cardiovascular line at Mercy hospitals in Arkansas. El-Shafei is not only a gifted cardiologist but also a talented photographer and an avid traveler. His achievements, unique blend of talents, and unwavering commitment to his profession make him an exceptional asset to the state of Arkansas.
Matt Farris
Vice President and Integrator
Hytrol
Matt Farris is vice president and integrator liaison for Hytrol in Jonesboro. Founded more than 75 years ago, Hytrol designs and manufactures advanced conveyor systems, controls and solutions for customers with processing, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution needs. Farris has been with Hytrol since 1984. His most recent role was director of business development. Farris earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Arkansas State University.
John Flake
Chief Real Estate Advisor
Flake & Co.
Commercial real estate giant John Flake serves as chief real estate advisor at Little Rock firm Flake & Co.. Flake founded the original Flake & Co. in 1979 and developed the 40-story Simmons Bank Building in downtown Little Rock, which opened in 1986. Flake’s projects span multiple industries, and his client portfolio includes Baptist Health, Walmart, Dillard’s, Verizon, Acxiom, Entergy and Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. Flake is a certified commercial investment manager and a member of the Arkansas Real Estate Association, the Little Rock Real Estate Association and the National Association of Realtors. He is also affiliated with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock, Big Brothers of Pulaski County, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission.
Josef France
Owner
Roadside Properties
Josef France, owner of Roadside Properties, has been in real estate for more than 20 years. He worked at an investment firm and as a Realtor before entering the development arena a few years ago. He recently purchased the Park Hotel in Hot Springs. He also recently completed Vista Point at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs and opened Timberlodge Ranch in Amity. In addition, he and his wife, Amy, own Spa City Rentals in Hot Springs.
Jeffrey Garner, DDS
Owner
The Smile Doctor
For more than 34 years, Dr. Jeff Garner, “The Smile Doctor,” has been the No.1, go-to dentist for cosmetic smile makeovers and full-mouth dental reconstruction in Arkansas and surrounding states. His national reputation for innovation, artistry and mastery of dental techniques is often shared among his peers in dental publications, such as Dentistry Today, the country’s top clinical magazine, which dubbed him “one of the nation’s leading clinicians.”
Being featured on television shows such as Dateline and Entertainment Tonight has brought Garner an international audience and patient base from around the globe. Garner graduated from Harding University in Searcy and received his doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, and his cosmetic dental training was obtained from Baylor College of Dentistry in Texas.
Todd Gold
Senior Director of Hospitality
Saracen Casino Resort
Todd Gold is senior director of hospitality at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff. He began his career in 1988 as a dishwasher at Bruno’s Little Italy in Little Rock and has since garnered numerous honors. The American Culinary Federation Central Arkansas Chefs Association has recognized him with the President’s Award, the Pursuit of Excellence Award and three Chef of the Year Awards, and he has received the ACF National President’s Medallion three times. He was inducted into the ACF-CACA Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Arkansas Hospitality Association Hall of Fame in 2014, and he was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Chefs in 2008. He is chairman of the American Culinary Foundation, chairman of the Central Arkansas Chefs Association, president of the Arkansas Delta Chefs Association and advisory board chairman for the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute in Little Rock.
Gary Green
Owner
Law Offices of Gary Green
Gary Green, owner of Law Offices of Gary Green in Little Rock, has practiced law for more than 40 years. His practice areas include personal injury, medical negligence and malpractice, nursing home negligence, truck wrecks, product liability, and wrongful death. He graduated from Hendrix College in Conway in 1975 and earned his juris doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 1978. He is past president of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, as well as a member of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Arkansas Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. He was born and raised in Texarkana. He and his wife, Patricia, have four children, as well as several grandchildren. His grandchildren inspired him to publish Grand-Pére Bear, An American Bear in Paris and A Day with Grand-Pére. In 2021, he published A People’s Practice.
Glenn Grimes
Owner
Capitol Glass Co.
Glenn Grimes is the owner of Capitol Glass Co., the oldest locally owned and operated glass company in the Little Rock area, as well as co-owner of Lacey’s Narrows Marina and Boating Center and Shiloh Marina at Greers Ferry Lake. Grimes worked at Capitol Glass, the family business, throughout his childhood, starting full time in 1972, immediately after graduating from high school. His father, Jack Grimes, co-founded the company in 1950. Grimes has owned Capitol Glass since his father’s retirement in 1990, and he visits weekly to check on the business, while his son, Aaron, runs the company’s day-to-day operations. Grimes became co-owner of Lacey’s Boating Center in 2016 and Shiloh Marina in 2022.
Spencer Guinn, M.D.
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Jonesboro Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Spencer Guinn, M.D., is a graduate of Jonesboro High School. He returned to Jonesboro in 2002 after completing his residency. He then served in the United States Army in Iraq as a Combat Surgeon in the 1st Forward Surgical Team (Airborne) most of 2003. He again deployed under Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom in 2006. After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Tulane University in Louisiana, Guinn went on to medical school at the same institution, and completed his residency at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He currently specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery, and he is the co-medical director and team physician for Arkansas State University men’s and women’s athletics in Jonesboro. He is also a member of the Arkansas State Police SWAT team, where he serves as medical director and a tactical medic. Guinn is the president and co-founder of the Stop the Bleeding Foundation. The nonprofit foundation provides free medical training and equipment to law enforcement, fire and rescue, first responders and community organizations.
Deron Hamilton
Partner
Denman, Hamilton & Associates
Deron Hamilton is a partner at Denman, Hamilton & Associates in Little Rock. Hamilton and his co-founder, Neil Denman, formed their certified public accountant firm in 2013 with a mission to make a difference in the lives of others and a focus on empowering the businesses they serve with knowledge and information to be successful in the marketplace. The firm works with clients in numerous industries with a strong focus in real estate, construction, transportation and logistics and retail. The firm also helps nonprofit organizations develop strong internal controls, board governance and understanding of the audit process. Hamilton earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis in Tennessee and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He passed the certified public accountant exam in 2003. Hamilton enjoys giving back to others through Kappa League, Rotary, FUSE for the homeless, his church and other boards he serves on. He takes his faith in God as his foundation and makes it a mission to help young men be successful in their endeavors.
Neal Harrington
Owner
Express Employment Professionals
Neal Harrington has owned and operated the award-winning Express Employment Professionals franchise in Hot Springs since 2007. His passion for helping people has been the key to the company’s success. He currently serves on the boards of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, as well as on Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce political action committee and the West Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board. Harrington served as board chairman for the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce in 2020. He is also a founding member of Spa City Steamers, a nonprofit that keeps the blues alive in Hot Springs and produces the Big Steam Music Festival. He is a connect group leader at First Baptist Church Hot Springs.
Greg Hatcher
Founder and CEO
The Hatcher Agency
Greg Hatcher, founder and CEO of The Hatcher Agency, started his business from scratch in 1990 with an assistant and 500 square feet of office space. By the end of the first year, he had outgrown his office space, grown to seven employees and produced more insurance in his first year of business than any agent in Arkansas. Three years later, The Hatcher Agency was the largest health insurance agency in the state. Today, The Hatcher Agency has grown to a business that has more than 65 employees, 1,000 group clients and 180,000 insured. The agency is currently the top producer for eight different insurance companies in Arkansas and has led the state in health insurance sales every year since it has been in business under Hatcher’s leadership. In addition Hatcher has received numerous awards and honors, including Philanthropist of the Year for the State of Arkansas in 2015 and being inducted into the Alma College Hall of Fame in 2017, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Arkansas Insurance Hall of Fame in 2022.
Phil Herring
Owner (retired)
Herring Furniture Co.
Phil Herring worked in the family business, Herring Furniture Co., from age 6, taking up ownership in 1984 and running it until his retirement in 2016. Located in the town of Strong with a population of less than 1,000, his talent for advertising brought in customers from around the state. His daughter, Amber, became a local celebrity at just 4 years old as the star of the company’s commercials. She has since continued the family business with Vivid Designs in Little Rock, her own interior design firm. Herring is also well known for his frequent appearances on local radio to advertise and entertain. The radio station would often play helicopter noises in the background as he told invented stories of wrecks viewed from his “traffic helicopter” — stories which were often taken at face value, including one about a truck full of monkeys that spilled its cargo on the road.
Brock Hessing
Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending
Signature Bank of Arkansas
Brock Hessing is senior vice president of commercial lending for Signature Bank of Arkansas in Bentonville. Hessing has extensive experience in lending and credit, as well as a comprehensive knowledge of treasury management products, systems and applications. Prior to joining Signature Bank of Arkansas in 2019, he was director of planning and execution in treasury management for a regional financial institution. Hessing previously worked as senior vice president for PNC Bank in St. Louis Mo., where he served as a regional sales manager within the treasury management division. He also held roles in commercial lending at Commerce Bank and Regions Bank in his home state of Illinois. Hessing obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and he is a certified treasury professional through the Association for Financial Professionals.
DeAnn Hunt
President
Arkansas Down Syndrome Association
DeAnn Hunt has served as president of the Arkansas Down Syndrome Association since 2017. She also serves on the national board of directors for Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action. During her tenure, ADSA has expanded annual programming three-fold across Arkansas. Hunt has served as a community member on the development committee for Easterseals Arkansas Board of Directors since 2008 and has served on several event committees. She also founded a summer day camp for children with Down syndrome, which she operated from 2011 to 2017. Prior to the birth of her son, Al, who was born with DS, she worked as a surgical registered nurse, a post-anesthesia care unit nurse and a surgical intensive care unit nurse for almost 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia in 1986.
Mike Jackson
Deputy General Counsel
Summit Utilities
Mike Jackson is an experienced corporate attorney and compliance officer and the deputy general counsel at Summit Utilities. He assists Summit as it continues its investment in Arkansas and across its platform. Prior to joining Summit, Jackson served as senior counsel and later the compliance officer for Murphy Oil Corp., first in El Dorado and most recently in Houston. At Murphy, Jackson provided a wide range of legal support for the company’s operations, including serving on transaction teams domestically, as well as in the United Kingdom, Canada and Malaysia. Jackson began his legal career in private practice in Little Rock before joining the legal department at Alltel and later serving as the general counsel at Mountain Valley Spring Water in Hot Springs. Jackson is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.
Diane LaFollette
CEO
Mid-America Science Museum
In her 11-year tenure, Mid-America Science Museum’s CEO Diane LaFollette has reshaped the institution into a hub of
science education. LaFollette spearheaded a
$7.8 million renovation in 2015 and, in 2018, introduced the Oaklawn Foundation DinoTrek, Arkansas’s only outdoor dinosaur exhibit. In 2020, she introduced the Hall of Wonder, a 5,000-square-foot exhibition space. LaFollette prioritizes strategic partnerships, including with the Hot Springs School District, Hot Springs National Park and Delta Dental of Arkansas, which have strengthened the museum’s programming and finances, ensuring a lasting impact on education in Garland County. Featuring a variety of innovative educational programs such as Tinkerfest, Scientots, Science Saturdays and Girls in STEM, the museum serves over 125,000 visitors from all 50 states.
Mid-America has been recognized as Best Museum in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, an IMLS National Medalist for Community Service and the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Organization of the Year.
Dustin McDaniel
Founding Partner
McDaniel Wolff
Dustin McDaniel is an attorney and founding partner of McDaniel Wolff PLLC in Little Rock. Dustin served two terms as Arkansas’s 55th Attorney General and today leads one of the nation’s most successful AG law practices. He represents some of the largest companies in the world as they navigate investigations, litigation and relationships with state AG’s. In 2023, he was named to “Best Lawyers in America” for Government Relations law. McDaniel currently serves as the national co-chair of the Society of Attorneys General Emeritus, on the board of trustees of the Central Arkansas Library System and as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Laura McKinney
Executive Vice President for Project Management and Development
Moses Tucker Partners
In her 50s, Laura McKinney believes she is living her best life. Her role in development at Moses Tucker Partners in Little Rock is the culmination of a career that began in financial consulting at Ernst & Young, followed by almost a decade practicing law, and then a 13-year stint in accounting and real estate development with the largest franchisee of Tropical Smoothie Cafe. A colleague introduced her to Chris Moses, principal, president and CEO of Moses Tucker, in 2023, and she jumped at the chance to join his development team. She especially values Moses Tucker’s role in downtown redevelopment, including of the historic Boyle Building in Little Rock. Since graduating from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and earning her juris doctor at the University of Arizona College of Law, she has held several leadership positions at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock and served on the Little Rock Land Bank Commission.
Bill Miller
President
R&E Supply
Bill Miller is president of R&E Supply, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electric and refrigeration wholesaler based in Little Rock with locations in Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, Russellville, Conway, Searcy and Fort Smith. The company’s inventory of equipment, tools, controls, chemicals, electronics, accessories and indoor air quality components numbers 10,000 products, distributed through seven locations. The family business was started by Miller’s father, Carl Miller Sr., in the 1950s. Miller and his brother, Carl Jr., eventually took over from their dad. Bill’s son, Cory Miller, serves as company vice president.
Saddiq Mir
President and CEO
J&S Hospitality
Saddiq Mir is the president and CEO of J&S Hospitality, which includes Hot Springs culinary staples the Ohio Club, Copper Penny Pub and J&S Italian Villa. Mir is a sought-after name in the hospitality industry, and his story is an example of the American Dream in action. He obtained his degree in hospitality in Germany before moving to San Francisco in the 1980s; once in the United States, he worked his way up from gas stations and hotel restaurants into management positions. That determination has led him to executive positions across the country, including at the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in San Francisco and New Orleans, Omni Hotel in Houston, the Golden Nugget casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Gaylord Texan, Gaylord Rockies in Denver and the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. In 2019, Mir was approached by Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort to serve as vice president of hospitality at Oaklawn, where he oversaw the expansion of the hotel spa and food and beverage operations. Deciding to make Hot Springs home after leaving Oaklawn, Mir and his wife, Jeannie, purchased J&S Italian Villa and Copper Penny Pub in 2022. They acquired the Ohio Club in 2023.
Julie Mullenix
Attorney
Mullenix & Associates
Julie Mullenix is an attorney and lobbyist at Mullenix & Associates, the government relations and consulting firm she co-founded with her husband, Ted, 25 years ago. Throughout her career, she has helped Arkansas secure historic economic development projects such as Atlas Tube, Big River Steel, GTL Americas and Hybar, among many others. She has also played a pivotal role in “firsts” for the state, including the deployment of the Arkansas Wireless Information Network, the Arkansas Administrative Statewide Information System and Rave’s school safety alert system. An Arkansas native, she is honored to represent some of the state’s most iconic brands, including Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, and influential organizations such as the Arkansas Realtors Association. She avidly supports philanthropic causes, from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana to the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Dancing with Our Stars gala, which she co-chaired in 2023.
Scott Pinney
Co-owner
Curry’s Termite Pest & Animal Control
Scott Pinney is the co-owner of Curry’s Termite, Pest & Animal Control in Little Rock alongside his wife Tammy, and has been a part of the fifth-generation family business for 40 years of its 98-year history. He started as a technician and worked in every division and at every level before eventually becoming the owner. He and his wife now own locations in Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Monticello. Pinney prides himself on running a company driven by ethics and company service and believes people are only as good as the people they keep around them. With all the “best of” awards Curry’s has received, Pinney said he has been blessed with great people. His most prized award was receiving the Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethics.
Daron C. Praetzel, DMD, FAAC
Owner
Arkansas Center for Surgical Excellence
Dr. Daron Praetzel is owner of the Arkansas Center for Surgical Excellence in Hot Springs, a partner in Arkansas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons; owner of Praetzel Culinary Arts, which includes VAULT and the HEIST in Hot Springs; owner of Rustic Development in Hot Springs and founder of the Faces Foundation in Hot Springs. He attained his doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his OMS residency at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and served 13 years as an active duty surgeon with the U.S. Air Force. He has received several military honors and was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a facial trauma surgeon. He currently is in his 27th year and holds the rank of colonel in the U.S. Air Force Individual Mobilization Augmentees Reserves. He is a proud Fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, a member of the American Dental Association, Arkansas State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Arkansas State Dental Association and the Garland County Dental Society. Praetzel is the owner and developer of the Arkansas Center for Surgical Excellence in Hot Springs, a surgery center accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, where he performs facial cosmetic surgeries. He also is an international public speaker, serves as an expert surgical witness on medical legal and malpractice cases around the country, is a developer, and attained a patent on a medical device.
Todd Ross
Chief Strategy Officer
NDC
Todd Ross entered the health care distribution space as president and CEO of Preferred Medical in Conway in 2002. He grew the business by supporting home care providers, long-term care providers and the post-acute health care market, garnering a nationwide customer base. Merging this entity in 2018 with NDC of Nashville, Tenn., provided expansion to a seven-distribution-center footprint from coast to coast, along with end-market expansion to primary care, acute care, dental, physical rehabilitation, as well as the vaccine space.
Ross is active in real estate development and equity, and he invests with Tempus Realty Partners in Little Rock, Cadron Capital Partners in Conway and Fayetteville, Creation Investments Social Funds and Kayne NewRoads. He is a founder and board member of Banded Brands, an outdoor waterfowl hunting and apparel business. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in business management, and he participates in several foundations and boards.
Rob Seay
Executive Vice President
Cromwell Architects Engineers
Rob Seay is executive vice president of Cromwell Architects Engineers in Little Rock and manager of the engineering department. He is responsible for the management of the engineering work done, including scheduling, coordination of the engineering team, development of engineering-related concepts, the quality-management process, and supervision of any engineering design and work done by Cromwell personnel during construction. His recent design experience includes medical facilities, biomedical research facilities and industrial manufacturing complexes. He followed in his father’s footsteps to pursue engineering and started at Cromwell the Monday after he graduated from college. In his spare time, he plays golf and tennis.
Joey Small
Private Wealth Advisor
Small and Associates Financial
Joey Small is a private wealth advisor at Small and Associates Financial in Little Rock. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1993, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance. Small opened his firm in 1999 and has become an industry leader in the financial world by leading with a passion for empowering clients to reach their goals. With an unwavering commitment to his clients’ success, he goes beyond numbers by crafting personalized strategies that turn aspirations into realities. Small’s journey is defined by his dedication to making a positive impact, and his leadership at Small and Associates Financial reflects his commitment to excellence.
Carrie Whiteside Smalling
President
CBW Properties
Carrie Whiteside Smalling graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and Master of Arts in education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. After teaching in Little Rock for two years and then Fayetteville for three years, she returned to her hometown of Little Rock, where she began working for her family’s property management firm, CBW Properties in 2009, before becoming president in 2010. In that position, she managed 300 units at Indian Springs Mobile Home Park in Bryant until the park sold in 2016 and continues to manage 60 apartments in the Little Rock area, along with a parking lot and three commercial office spaces, including the 300 Spring Building in downtown Little Rock. None of this would be possible without the help of her dedicated and loyal staff. Smalling believes strongly in supporting a variety of past times that enrich both the city of Little Rock and state of Arkansas, including local theaters, sporting events, concerts, museums, and the local stores and restaurants the state offers.
Bill Solleder
Director of Marketing
Visit Hot Springs
Bill Solleder grew up in Chicago and moved to Hot Springs National Park in 2003. He serves as the director of marketing for Visit Hot Springs, where he manages a multi-million-dollar advertising budget that has led to $1 billion in visitor spending. The current Hot Springs ad campaign, “Soak it Up,” was nationally recognized with a Gold Telly and a Platinum Hermes award. Solleder is the founder and former executive director of the arts organization Low Key Arts in Hot Springs. Currently, he serves as the chairman of the Diamond Lakes Travel Association in Hot Springs and is a member of the Hot Springs National Park Rotary Club.
Melissa P. Taverner
President
Lyon College
Melissa Taverner is president of Lyon College in Batesville. Since becoming provost in 2017, interim president in 2021 and president in 2022, she has led the college through an expansion of its mission statement to include the introduction of select graduate programs; championed the establishment of new degree programs, including a registered-nurse-to-Bachelor-of-Science-in-Nursing program in partnership with White River Health in Batesville and plans for professional schools in dental and veterinary medicine through the Lyon College Institute of Health Sciences in central Arkansas; and spearheaded the transition of Scots Athletics from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to NCAA Division III. She has a doctorate in environmental science from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science in virology from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Randolph College in Virginia.
Gary Vernon
Director of Outdoor Recreation and Trail Innovation
Runway Group
Gary Vernon is the director of outdoor recreation and trail innovation for Runway Group in Bentonville and is considered one of the leading experts in developing mountain bike trail systems. His work over the past decade has been supporting the vision of Steuart and Tom Walton by overseeing design and construction of more than 600 miles of world class mountain bike trails and growing around the state of Arkansas and other locations. His work includes the OZ Trails region of northwest Arkansas, as well as the Arkansas State Parks monument trail projects. In 2019, he was the recipient of the American Trails Chairman’s Award for advancing trail design and changing the landscape for trail systems. His role has recently expanded to include other forms of outdoor recreation that include creating world class climbing, paddling and other outdoor recreation experiences.
Bud Whetstone
Owner
Whetstone Law Firm
Bud Whetstone is the owner of Whetstone Law Firm in Little Rock and specializes in personal injury, including 18-wheeler accidents, wrongful death, medical product liability and nursing home neglect. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, but after teaching in Florida for a year, he went to law school at the University of Mississippi. After earning his degree, he moved to Arkansas to practice law alongside his father and started what was then the Whetstone and Odum Law Firm in 1969. Whetstone has received numerous awards and honors, such as being named an Outstanding Trial Lawyer by the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and earning the Lawyer Citizen Award from the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Distinguished Citizen Award presented by the Arkansas governor, and the Golden Gavel Award from the Arkansas Bar Association.
Phillip White
Rolling Mill Lead Supervisor
Nucor-Yamato Steel
Phillip White began his career with Nucor-Yamato Steel in Blytheville 36 years ago. He started with Nucor as an entry-level, part-time employee in receiving while a student at what was then Mississippi County Community College. He has served in a leadership role at Nucor for 20 years. He rose to a full-time position in the finishing department before being promoted to a lead position in the rolling mill department in 2005. Five years later, White worked his way up to shift supervisor and in 2019, he accepted his current role as lead supervisor over the rolling mill at Nucor-Yamato. The structural beams that White and his team
have helped produce are in structures across the world including Busch Stadium in St. Louis, PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the new World Trade Center in New York City, Amazon fulfillment centers, Tesla gigafactories and more. White is a member of Leadership Arkansas Class XVII.
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