The Book of Proverbs tells us, “Hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”
Indeed, hard work can lead not just to personal financial profit in a tangible sense but in more abstract terms, to community profit as well.
AMP’s list of 100 top professionals recognizes some of Arkansas’ hard workers in various disciplines from banking to farming.
Andrew Meadors, CRM, CIC,
ARM, AAI
CEO of Arkansas and Tennessee
markets, Sunstar Insurance
Andrew “AB” Meadors, a 30-year veteran of the insurance industry in Arkansas, is the CEO of Arkansas and Tennessee markets for Sunstar Insurance Group. Meadors, a Certified Risk Manager, sold his interest in Meadors, Adams & Lee to his former partner in 2016. He brings a fresh perspective to Sunstar and is excited about being a “player coach” for the company. Meadors graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1985 with a BBA in business administration and is married to Susan King Meadors.
Allen M. Pettit
COO, Bernhard TME, LLC
Ana Claudia Aguayo
Development Officer,
Crystal Bridges Museum
Ana Claudia Aguayo is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a double major in broadcast journalism and international relations with minors in economics and Latin American studies. She was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and Arkansas has become her home away from home. She joined Crystal Bridges as membership program manager in January 2015. In this role, Ana provides overall strategy for the membership program, serving approximately 8,000 Member households nationwide and raising more than $1.4 million to support the museum’s mission and programs.
Andrew Parker
Director of Governmental Affairs & Executive Director, Associated Industries of Arkansas/Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
Anna Beth Gorman
Executive Director, Women’s Foundation of Arkansas
Anna Beth Gorman joined the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas as executive director in April 2016. Prior to taking on this role, she served as chief membership volunteer program officer at Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Through the Women’s Foundation, she is leading the effort for the organization to become the leading equity partner in building women’s economic security. The foundation has two signature initiatives, Girls of Promise and Women Empowered. She earned her B.A. from Hollins University, and her MPA and graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Ben Noble
EVP and COO, Riceland Foods
Bill Gray
CEO, Taggart Architects
Bill Lawrence
President and Owner,
Delta Pest Control
Bill Solleder
Director of Marketing, Visit Hot Springs
Brad Henry
Managing Partner, Natural Capital
Bradley Wright
President, Wright Family Construction/LeafGuard of Arkansas
Brandon Campbell
Director, Small Business & Inclusion, Little Rock Regional Chamber
Brent Birch
Executive Director, Little Rock Tech Park
Britt Stewart, CR
CEO/Loss Specialist, Metro Disaster Specialists
Bruce Trimble
Director of Business Development, The BridgeWay
Carter Malloy
Founder/CEO, AcreTrader
Casey Rockwell
President, Junior League of Little Rock/Assistant Professor of Business Law, UALR
Christopher S. Dickie
CEO, Natural State Recovery Centers
Cody Crawford
President, C.R. Crawford Construction
Courtney Bishop
Director of Assessment and Referral, Pinnacle Pointe
Crystal Kemp
Chief Marketing Officer, Conway Corp
Daniel Robinson
Regional Community President, Pine Bluff, Simmons Bank
David A. Brewer
Vice President/Real Estate Broker/Auctioneer, Wilson Auctioneers
David Holzhauer
Vice President, Sales, Datamax
In 1985, David Holzhauer joined Datamax as an account executive providing customer solutions with Canon’s early office technology. Within two years, he assumed the position of sales manager, tasked with the development and production of the sales team to direct company growth through the digital revolution. Today, he serves as vice president of sales leading marketing efforts of business technology and year over year revenue growth for the company. He holds a BBA in marketing and management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Dorothy Morris
President and CEO, Morris Foundation
Dorothy Morris, president and CEO of the Morris Foundation of Arkansas, is a trailblazing philanthropist with a focus on all things Arkansas. Over the past three decades, she has expanded the Morris Foundation’s reach to every area of need in the state, from health and well-being to education, cultural preservation and the Fine Arts. A 2020 inductee of Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, she shares her passion for Arkansas history as producer of the new film, Daughter of the White River.
Dr. Chris Jones
Executive Director, Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub
Dr. Richard Abernathy
Executive Director, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators
Ellison Poe, CTC
President, Poe Travel
Ford Trotter
President, Trotter Auto Group
Garry Mertins
Owner, Garry Mertins Design Inc.
Gary Parrish
Owner, Parrish Delivery Services
Graham Cobb
President/CEO, Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce
Grant Garrett
Owner, Grant Garrett Excavation
Greg Williams
CEO, Nabholz Construction
Harold Joyner
President, Fence World
Heather R. Nelson
Co-founder/President, Seal Solar
Howard Hurst
Owner, Tipton Hurst
J.T. Ferstl, JD, MAI
Co-owner, Ferstl Valuation Services
Janine Parry
Political science professor/Director of Arkansas Poll, University of Arkansas
Jay Coker
Chairman, Producers Rice; Owner, Coker Farms Partnership
Jay Heflin
Co-owner, Legacy Pest Control
Jay Ramsey
Co-owner, Rx Catering
Jeff Lynch
President & CEO, Eagle Bank & Trust
Jeremiah Moore
Real Estate Agent and Land Consultant, Wellons Real Estate (DBA Wellons Land)
Jim Engelhorn
Little Rock Store Manager, Board of Directors, Sissy’s Log Cabin
John Martin
Principal & Vice President of Brokerage, Newmark Moses Tucker
John Taylor
Owner and Manager, Taylor and Sons Sawmill
John R. Tyson
Chief Sustainability Officer, Tyson Foods
Josh Davenport
Co-founder and CEO, Seal Solar
Josh Hankins
Director, Grower Relations & Rice Stewardship Partnership, USA Rice
Josh Pettus
Account Executive, Pettus Office Products
Keith Weeks
Vice President, Gary Houston Electric
Gar Lile
President/Principal Broker, Lile Real Estate
Gar Lile is the founder and president of Lile Real Estate, founded in February 1993. He is a licensed real estate broker in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas; an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC); and an Arkansas State Certified General Appraiser. Lile is a former candidate member of the Appraisal Institute and was elected to participate in the Appraisal Institute’s Young Advisory Council in Washington, D.C., in 1996. He is actively involved in the ownership and development of farms and recreational properties in Arkansas and has a hand in many major farm and recreational development projects.
Keith Wortsmith
President, Dash Heating & Cooling
Kevin Wilcox
President, Arkansas Graphics
Kirby Williams
EVP, Chief Marketing & Retail Banking Officer, Stone Bank
Larry Alman
Owner, Sol Alman Co.
Lawson Hembree V
Director, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Safe Foods Corp.
Lee Strother
Principal and Vice President of Brokerage, Colliers International Arkansas
Lewis W. Van Ness
Managing Principal, Meridian Investment Advisors
Luke Brown
Head of Analytics and Support, Crews & Associates
Marquita Little Numan
Leadership Officer, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Numan believes that good public policy creates safe, equitable and thriving communities that support the needs of the whole person and build resilient families. She has spent her career in the nonprofit and government sectors, empowering and supporting people. As leadership officer, she manages WRF’s impact assessment strategies, special projects and board relations.
Before joining the team, she served as president and CEO of the Urban League of Arkansas, where she supported revitalization of the historic civil rights organization after a 20-year closure to once again advance economic and social prosperity for all individuals.
Matthew C. Cashion
President, Cashion Co.
Matt Cashion is a 1981 graduate of Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., with majors in economics, business administration and accounting. His professional designations include Certified Insurance Counselor, Certified Risk Manager and member of Consulting Constructors’ Council of America. He served as national president in 2003-04 for the National Association of Surety Bond Producers and has served as a National Surety Instructor for more than 20 years teaching thousands of students from every state and seven foreign countries.
Matt Crafton
President and CEO, Crafton Hull
Megan Hart
Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Michael Fothergill
Executive and Artistic Director, Ballet Arkansas
Michael Henderson
President, Today’s Power
Miguel Lopez
Chief Community Outreach Officer, Encore Bank
Nelson Peacock
President and CEO, Northwest Arkansas Council
Noressa Kennedy Hinkler
Director of Marketing and Communications, Travel Nurse Across America
Philip Jett
Vice Chairman and President, Encore Bank
Rachel Shaw
Executive Director, Conway Convention & Visitors Bureau
Robbi Davis
President and CEO, The Robbi Davis Agency, Inc
Robert Eason
Co-Owner and Principal Broker, Mossy Oak Properties/Delta Land Management Co. LLC
Robert Hall
Vice President, Hugg and Hall Equipment
Roberts Lee
Partner, Meadors, Adams & Lee
Rory Herndon
President and CEO, Xpress Boats
Sandra Byrd
Vice President of Public Affairs and Member Services, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corp.
Sandra Byrd is vice president of public affairs and member services for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. She previously served as vice president of strategic affairs for both companies. Byrd has 35 years of legal, regulatory and public policy experience in the electric and natural gas industries, at the state and federal levels. Byrd chaired the Arkansas Public Service Commission from 2000-2007. Byrd earned a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas.
Scott McGehee
Executive Chef/Partner, Yellow Rocket Concepts
Scott Street
CEO, Medical Center of South Arkansas
Shane Carter
Director, Public Affairs and Governmental Relations, Clinton National Airport
Shaun Mayo, MBA, SPHR
Senior Director, Human Resources, Sam’s Club
Stan Zylowski
Co-founder and CEO, Movista
Stephanie Jackson
Director, Public and Media Relations, The Design Group
Steve Sparks
Director U.S. Ethics and Compliance, Walmart
Susan Altrui
Director, Little Rock Zoo
Taylor Denniston
Vice President, Fort Thompson Sporting Goods
Taylor Hasley
Executive Director, Startup Junkie
Ted Bishop
President, KLEAN Inc.
Ted Herget
Owner/Founder, Gearhead Outfitters
Tim McKenzie
President & CEO, Travel Nurse Across America
Tim White, CIC
Executive Vice President, Brown & Brown Insurance
Todd Gold, WCEC, WCCE, CEC, CCA, AAC
Director of Food and Beverage, Saracen Casino Resort
Todd Rice
Executive Vice President and Principal, Colliers International Arkansas
Valerie Erkman
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Arkansas Federal Credit Union
Van Tilbury
President and CEO, East Harding Construction
Walter Burgess
Vice President of Sales and Engineering, Power Technology Inc.
Wayne Miller
Executive Director, The Venture Center
Will Ford
Executive Vice President of Operations, Westrock Coffee
William Clark
CEO, Clark Contractors