Welcome to the highly anticipated special section of Power Women, where we proudly showcase the extraordinary accomplishments of women redefining success in Arkansas. As we reach the end of another remarkable year, AMP turns its unwavering spotlight on the exceptional women who are making indelible marks in business and politics. Selected from nominations submitted by our readers are the AMP Power Women of 2023—trailblazers, exemplars of outstanding leadership, and catalysts for enhanced company performance. Join us as we honor and celebrate these remarkable Power Women who are shaping the future with their unwavering determination and unwavering strength.
Senior Vice President, Community Lending Manager
Arvest Bank
Faviola Alba is a senior vice president and community lending manager for Arvest Bank in Little Rock, where she works with residential construction, small-business lending and consumer lending. A native of Mexico who learned English as a second language, Alba’s family eventually settled in Little Rock, where she graduated from Hall High School. She would go on to earn a business administration and management degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Prior to serving in her current role, Alba served as senior vice president and consumer sales loan manager for Arvest. Before joining the Arvest team in 2015, Alba worked for Bank of America in Little Rock as a branch manager and a personal banker.
Alba holds American Bankers Association certifications in lending compliance and digital banking. She serves as a committee member for the Arkansas Fashion School in Little Rock and works as a volunteer for the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock.
Robyn Allmendinger
Rose Law Firm
Sharon Evans Bale
Co-owner
Bale Automotive Group
One of the most well-known names in Arkansas philanthropy, Sharon Bale has made it her life’s mission to help others. She has served and supported countless organizations over the years, from Easterseals and CARTI to the Muscular Dystrophy and American Heart associations.
Bale continues to express her heart for philanthropic work by remaining heavily involved in various groups and causes throughout the Arkansas community. Bale was honored as Woman of the Year in 2015 by Women & Children First, an organization that offers support services to women and children subjected to family violence. She is also an ambassador and former board member for Our House, which provides services and support to the homeless and near homeless in central Arkansas.
The Bale family has been in the automotive business since 1912, and its reputation for generosity in the community has a history that is nearly as long. The Bale family has been deeply involved with Arkansas Children’s for decades. In 2012, the hospital’s Bale Fetal Heart Center was named for Sharon and her husband, John H. Bale Jr. She has also volunteered with the ACH Auxiliary and, in 2009, was elected to serve on the ACH Foundation board.
A North Little Rock native, Bale obtained a political science degree from Ouachita Baptist University. She was the winner of the first-ever Miss Ouachita Baptist University pageant before going on to win the title of Miss Arkansas 1967.
Tiffany Barger
Simmons Bank
Artina Blackmon
People Trust Community Loan Fund
Dr. Amanda Bledsoe
Chiropractor and Owner
Bledsoe Chiropractic
When Dr. Amanda Bledsoe, owner of Bledsoe Chiropractic in Conway and North Little Rock, was 14, she was diagnosed with major scoliosis of the spine. At the time, it was recommended that she visit a chiropractor, but she did not end up seeing one until she was 18. After experiencing firsthand how powerful chiropractic care was, coupled with the fact that she always wanted to work in health care, it became the ideal career path for her. Bledsoe attended Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Kan. While there, she honed several different adjustment styles, so she is able to offer patients options that fit their needs, including instrument adjusting for nervous or elderly patients. One of her ultimate goals for patients is to make chiropractic care not only effective for all, but affordable. Bledsoe provides care that is safe for all ages — from the youngest member of a family to the oldest grandparent or great-grandparent. Bledsoe is a board member of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and supports many local organizations, including Bethlehem House, the Harbor Home and Deliver Hope.
Jean Block
Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority
Shannon Boshears
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas
Beth Brumley
Executive Director
Main Street El Dorado
Beth Brumley was named executive director of Main Street El Dorado in 2017.
A dedicated MSE volunteer, a talented marketing professional and a devoted proponent of El Dorado, Beth Brumley found the ideal home for her talents in her position as executive director of Main Street El Dorado. Bringing together her strong knowledge of the Main Street program and her wealth of professional experience, Brumley has taken the helm at Main Street and led the organization in a new direction.
Brumley, who served on the MSE Board of Directors from 2008 until 2012, began working with Main Street as a volunteer. She served as Board President in 2012.
Steering Main Street El Dorado back to its roots has been part of Brumley’s mission in her role. She has focused her energies on three of the Main Street America program’s four-point approaches, economic gevelopment, organization, and design, while continuing with the fourth point, to promote their annual popular festivals and even introduce some new ones. She was named a 2023 Notable Arkansan, one of 2020 AY’s Intriguing Women and is a three-time nominee for the Arkansas Country Music Awards’Promoter of the Year.
Renata Jenkins Byler
Owner, Vice President of Marketing and Facilities
Roller Funeral Homes
Renata Jenkins Byler, the third-generation owner of Roller Funeral Homes and an esteemed member of the Roller family, holds an important role as vice president of marketing and facilities for Roller Funeral Homes. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Byler serves on both the executive team and board of directors, steering the company towards continued success.
Leading the largest death-care provider in Arkansas, Byler oversees an extensive network of 24 funeral homes, nine cemeteries, two crematories and two flower shops under the Roller Funeral Homes brand. Her dedication to maintaining exceptional standards enables families to find solace during their most challenging times.
She serves on the Baptist Foundation board, the ASU-Mountain Home President’s Advisory Board, has held various leadership positions within the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association, is the state’s representative for the National Funeral Directors Association’s Policy Board and actively participates in philanthropic initiatives.
Physician, Owner
Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic
Jessica Cannon, D.O., joined the Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic team in 2016 and has owned the clinic since 2022. Originally from Austin, Texas, Cannon obtained her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Cornell University in New York and her medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She completed her internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and finished her residency at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York. Prior to medical school, Cannon conducted biomedical research at the Scripps Research Institute in California and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy in the Washington, D.C. area and in San Diego. After her pediatric residency, Cannon moved to rural South Carolina with the National Health Service Corps and then to the Washington, D.C., area prior to moving to Arkansas. She has found her home in Arkansas and intends to continue the legacy at Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic that has served generations of children in the central Arkansas area since 1975.
Cathy Caver
Splash Wine Bar/Chrysalis Day Spa
Kay Chandler
Cornerstone Clinic for Women
Kim Clatworthy
Owner
Elder Independence
Raised in Hot Springs by parents who owned a lake resort they operated with her two older sisters, Kim Clatworthy, owner of Elder Independence Home Care in Bryant, has been in the hospitality industry her entire life. Growing up, Kim had an opportunity to see true care and compassion firsthand. She watched her parents care for her grandmother, who eventually came to live with them so she could age in place and be surrounded by people who loved her. With such life experiences growing up, Clatworthy realized she has a deep connection to older adults, as well as those in need of care. She said her family’s approach to life and legacy of helping those in need is what led her to a passion for caring for others. Looking back on her career decisions, Kim said it was not her Bachelor of Science, attending nursing school, working as a student nursing assistant or even working in surgery that led her to where she is today. Instead, it was a combination of all those career choices, supported by the backdrop of her formative years with her family that led her to become owner of Elder Independence in 2014. Kim is a certified dementia practitioner with the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. She also studied under Teepa Snow to earn her Positive Approach to Care Trainer Certification and Positive Approach to Care Consultant Certification.
Cara Connors
Law Offices of Boyd Connors
Tammie Davis
Cadence Bank
Chief Human Resources Officer
Baptist Health
As an innovative business leader whose career spans 35 years, Cathy Dickinson is the chief human resources officer at Baptist Health in Little Rock, where she leads all aspects of human resources for the statewide health care network.
She was immediately drawn to Baptist Health’s culture of Christian compassion and its stability within the community as an employer and accepted a clerical role with the organization in 1988 with the hope of being promoted in the organization.
Since joining Baptist Health, she has served in various roles, including director of staffing, director of human resources services and vice president. As the first woman to join the Baptist executive team in the organization’s 100 years, she has strategically led recruitment, workforce development, leadership development, diversity and inclusion and community partnerships.
Dickinson has a Bachelor of Science degree in human resource management, Master of Science in Business Administration, the SHRM-Senior Certified Professional certification and the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. She is also a member of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Association and Society for Human Resources.
President and CEO
Arkansas Children’s
Marcy Doderer, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is president and chief executive officer at Arkansas Children’s, where she leads the state’s only pediatric health system serving the children in Arkansas and beyond.
A dynamic leader, Doderer is focused on improving child health by advancing patient care, building community and championing excellence through digital transformation, engaged and efficient partnerships and bold child advocacy.
Doderer transformed Arkansas Children’s from one hospital in the center of the state, into a health system with two hospitals, a research institute, a philanthropic foundation, regional clinics and alliances, telemedicine and statewide outreach programs to serve children in all 75 counties.
In roughly a decade at Arkansas Children’s, Doderer has significantly extended the health system’s reach through an expanded physical footprint to better serve the children and families of Arkansas. Most notably through the building of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Southwest Little Rock Clinic and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic. In addition, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Jonesboro Clinic was renovated to better serve the community’s needs.
Katherine Eldridge
Owner
Doe’s Eat Place Little Rock
Katherine Eldridge is the owner of Doe’s Eat Place Little Rock, which she took over from her father, George Eldridge, in 2012. Opened in 1988, Doe’s Little Rock maintains the no-frills tradition of the original in Greenville, Miss., and has achieved its own renown as a regional — and even a national — favorite. Doe’s was a favorite of former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, and it became a hangout for Clinton staffers as well as national press covering the Clinton campaign.
Famous for its patios, including the dog-friendly back patio, Doe’s still attracts politicians and celebrities while maintaining its down-to-earth atmosphere. Eldridge has continued the Doe’s tradition, and the downtown Little Rock hideout lives on as a prime business lunch spot.
Executive Director
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
A native New Orleanian, Quantia “Key” Fletcher makes it her mission to ensure that the beauty, value and significance of the African American experience in Arkansas is curated and celebrated. She currently serves as the director of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a museum of African American history in Little Rock, after serving eight years as deputy director. Key joined MTCC prior to its opening in 2008 and has helped develop the cultural center into the only state-funded Black history museum in Arkansas. She led the effort to achieve national accreditation for the museum in 2020, a distinction held by only 3 percent of museums in the U.S. Her expertise in the preservation of Black experience spans over 19 years in the field of cultural studies and museums, including her work for the U.S. Department of Interior with the National Park Service. In 2022, she and her team hosted the largest Juneteenth celebration in her agency’s 13-year history. This year, she successfully completed a major funding project $3.5 million dollars, the first of its kind for the museum and one that will ensure the continued preservation of the Arkansas Black experience. MTCC will host its grand reopening with all new and expanded exhibits. Fletcher is a member of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX and serves on various boards and organizations, including the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, LifeQuest of Arkansas, the Greater Little Rock Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative and the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum. She received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism and Masters in English: Folklife and Southern Culture, from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.
Crystal Floyd
Acxiom
Sarah Flynn
Founder and Lead Instructor
IR Court Reporting Institute
Sarah Flynn, CCR, CVR-M, RVR, CLT, has been a certified court reporter since 1994 and has worked in the state of Arkansas since that time. She founded International Realtime Court Reporting Institute in Little Rock in 2005 and has been teaching the best voice-writing reporters ever since. She is a working court reporter and a cheerleader for her students. She is a past vice president and director of the National Verbatim Reporters Association. Her certifications include certified verbatim reporter-master, realtime verbatim reporter and certified legal transcriptionist with the NVRA.
Amy France
Owner
Spa City Rentals
Amy France is a creative entrepreneur and the mastermind behind Spa City Rentals in Hot Springs. Despite spending most of her career in the medical field, she made the decision to leave her job and focus on raising her children. Her husband, Joe France, found two homes in Hot Springs, which the couple converted into vacation rentals. Inspired by their success, the Frances expanded their business, acquiring 15 additional properties, a resort, a ranch and a hotel in just three years. In April 2020, France opened Spa City Rentals as a women-owned business.
Beyond the challenges of running a business, Amy cherishes her role as a mother. Amy takes on the challenge of work and family with finesse and is deeply devoted to both. Her rock-solid work ethic and one-of-a-kind personality make her an inspiration to everyone who’s lucky enough to cross her path.
Anna Beth Gorman
CEO
Women’s Foundation of Arkansas
Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, has committed her professional life to public service with a specialized focus on advancing the status of girls and women in our society. During her tenure with the Women’s Foundation, she has led the effort for the foundation to be the leading equity partner in building women’s economic security across the state of Arkansas. The foundation has seen tremendous growth under her leadership while focusing on two signature initiatives, Girls of Promise and Women Empowered. In 2023, the organization’s 25th anniversary, under her leadership, the organization surpassed $2 million in contributions. In 2022, she was the Democratic nominee for Arkansas Secretary of State. She has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., as well as a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is the immediate past chairman of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, active in Club 99 Rotary, a board member of Arvest Bank Little Rock, a board member of the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, and a founding board member of the Southern Capital Project.
Franchise Partner
Chicken Salad Chick
Emily Gray is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and the proud owner of three Chicken Salad Chick locations , which are in Benton, Little Rock and North Little Rock. She is passionate about serving delicious food and providing exceptional customer service, and her dedication to these principles has earned her stores a loyal customer base and numerous “Best of” awards. Gray’s skills as a leader and her dedication to customer service have also been instrumental in the success of her business. She understands that happy employees are the key to happy customers, and she works hard to create a positive and supportive work environment for her team. This approach has helped her build and maintain a strong team of employees who share her passion for excellence. In 2024, Gray is set to open her fourth location in Maumelle. This new location will be a testament to her hard work and dedication, and it will provide even more customers with the opportunity to experience the delicious food and warm atmosphere that she is known for. In addition to her work with Chicken Salad Chick, Gray is also actively involved in the local community and supports a variety of charitable organizations and events.
Karil Greeson
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Debbie Grooms
Arkansas Enterprise for the Developmentally Disabled Auxiliary Board
Janet Harris
Executive Director and CEO
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Janet Harris serves as the executive director and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain, a nonprofit convenor that continues former Arkansas Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller’s collaborative approach to creating transformational change. Harris was chosen to lead the institute in 2022 and has been with the organization since 2016, when she was tapped to help build the institute’s programs and bring clarity to the organization’s mission and method.
Her achievements include aligning institute operations to the mission, building staff capacity in professional meeting design, facilitating impactful dialogue and deliberation and creating educational programs that draw on Winthrop Rockefeller’s legacy, including the Institute’s Walks with the Governor workshop. Harris speaks to groups frequently on the history and legacy of the former governor, telling his story to inspire leadership growth in others. Harris earned her bachelor’s degree while playing varsity basketball for the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. While working full-time, she completed her Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She went on to work for the city of Little Rock and serve in senior leadership roles in three state executive offices, including eight years as Arkansas deputy secretary of state.
Kelli Heathman
West Director, Corporate Accounts and Strategic Partners
BeiGene Pharmaceuticals USA
Kelli Heathman is the west director of corporate accounts and strategic partners for BeiGene Pharmaceuticals USA, a global firm that focuses on products and services catering to oncology patients worldwide. In this role, Heathman leads a team of corporate account directors working on market access issues and business development.
Heathman has more than 23 years of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry, primarily in sales leadership and market access. Her market access experience is wide-ranging and consists of oral and IV oncolytics, specialty pharmacy in community and hospital settings, reimbursement, regional payers, 340b and group-policy-object management.
In 2022, Heathman served as the industry co-chair for the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association’s Oncology Institute. During the conference, Heathman participated on a speaker panel discussing the business of oncology.
Originally from High Point, N.C., Heathman obtained her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is also an avid competitor in protection sports with her Belgian Malonois, Koning. In 2021, Koning earned his protection dog certification, and the pair earned its Level 1 Protection Sport Association title in 2022, placing second overall in the competition.
Sarah Heck
WACO Title
CFO
Ritter Communications
Lexanne Horton is the chief financial officer of Jonesboro’s Ritter Communications, the largest privately held telecommunications provider serving exclusively the mid-South. Ritter Communications offers world-class broadband fiber, telecom, video, cloud and data-center services. Horton oversees accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury management, billing, risk management and purchasing. She also serves as treasurer for the board of directors of the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, an organization that provides hunger relief to people in need in the region. She has served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Jonesboro, as treasurer for the board of Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas and as Court Appointed Special Advocates board president for the 2nd Judicial District. She holds an MBA from Union University in Tennessee as well as a BBA in accounting from the University of Memphis. in Tennessee Prior to joining Ritter, she spent 24 years in the health care industry and started her career with Deloitte.
Kandi Hughes
Senior Corporate Counsel
Midcontinent Independent System Operator
Kandi Hughes is senior corporate counsel at Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which is headquartered in Indiana. With 15-plus years of legal practice, Hughes joined MISO after serving as a corporate counsel at Southwest Power Pool. Kandi is the former associate general counsel at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and assistant city attorney for the City of Little Rock. Her primary areas of focus are corporate transactional matters. Hughes also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she teaches Lawyering Skills I and Advanced Contract Drafting. She received her B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University in North Carolina, a J.D. from the Bowen School of Law and an MBA with a concentration in business administration and management from UCA. Hughes is president-elect of Arkansas Women in Power; president of the American Association of Blacks in Energy Arkansas Chapter; a member of the National Black MBA Association; and Corporate Counsel Women of Color. She is currently serving a four-year term on the U.S Commission on Civil Rights Arkansas Advisory Committee and has been a commissioner on the Central Arkansas Water Board of Commission since 2016. Kandi is a member of the Duke University Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee, a Junior League of Little Rock sustainer, and immediate past chair of the Leadership Foundation for Women. She is the recipient of the Irma Hunter Brown Women’s Leadership Award awarded by the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus and was named the Little Rock Regional Chamber’s Outstanding Young Professional of the Year for 2022.
Greta Ishmael
Pharmacist and Owner
Econo-Med Pharmacy
Dr. Greta Ishmael is pharmacist and owner of Econo-Med Pharmacy, which has locations in Cherokee Village and Walnut Ridge. Most days, she can be found working as the pharmacist in charge at the Cherokee Village location. She received her Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2009 and her Doctor of Pharmacy from Harding University College of Pharmacy in Searcy in 2013. After graduating, she returned to her hometown to work for her father, Frank Schmidt, at the family pharmacy. In 2015, she bought the pharmacy when he retired. In 2017, the second location was opened in Walnut Ridge. Ishmael served on the Arkansas Pharmacists Association board and has played an active role in pharmacy benefit manager reform in Arkansas. She was also very active in the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, point of care testing and monoclonal antibody therapies in northeast Arkansas. Ishmael and her husband, Eddie, who is a Realtor, own two property-investment companies. She is also part owner of the Pharmacists Relief Network, a pharmacy-pharmacist match company that helps independent pharmacies find pharmacists.
Marlo Jackson
Jacksonville Community Center
Dean
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Shannon Jimenez, D.O., has more than 25 years of dedicated experience as a family physician. Prior to joining Arkansas Colleges of Health Education as dean of Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith in 2023, she spent 20 years running her own family practice in North Carolina. She has played a pivotal role in establishing medical programs at Campbell University in North Carolina and Sam Houston State University in Texas.
Jimenez’s expertise extends to the realm of health policy, with a specific focus on addressing the health care workforce challenges faced by rural communities.
She is also an advocate for medically underserved populations. She is a Costin Scholar for medical education and is in the final stages of completing her Master’s degree in health professions education.
Lead Project Manager Assistant/Office Manager
C.R. Crawford Construction
Jennifer Johnson has been an invaluable asset to C.R. Crawford for more than a decade, leveraging her extensive company and construction knowledge to benefit CRCC clients and employees. She began her career with the company as an estimating assistant. Her dedication and expertise propelled her into the role of project manager assistant. Today, she holds the pivotal position of lead project manager assistant.
Johnson brings an unwavering commitment to detail, being thorough in her processes while quickly and accurately responding to the needs of both employees and clients. She has a comprehensive understanding of project intricacies, including schedules, budgets, contracts, and coordination with subcontractors — essential elements in the successful execution of every C.R. Crawford project.
Johnson ensures that the office operations run with equal swiftness and precision. Her competence and dedication have led to a continuous expansion of her role and responsibilities, earning her the well-deserved title of office manager and the respect of colleagues within the company. Her contributions to C.R. Crawford are synonymous with excellence and proficiency, making her an invaluable member of the team.
Heather JoneS
Bank of America
Jennifer Jones
Stilo HeadSpa
Vickey Kirkemier
Superior Health and Rehab
Karen Kitchens
Vice President, Emerging Middle Market and Specialized Industries
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Karen Kitchens is a career commercial banker with 26 years of experiences who currently serves as vice president in the emerging middle market and specialized industries group at JPMorgan Chase & Co., supporting the expansion of the bank into Arkansas. In her role as a commercial banker, she helps middle market companies overcome challenges by working to understand the intricacies of their unique industries and businesses to outline tailored solutions to help them achieve their goals. Since moving home to Arkansas in 2015, Kitchens has been involved in the Hot Springs community serving as finance chair for the executive board of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and the treasurer for the board of Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership and Oaklawn Rotary of Hot Springs, where she was named the 2022 Rotarian of the Year after serving as the club president. In addition to her banking career and community service, Kitchens also owns and operates a small thoroughbred horse boarding facility in Hot Springs and is a U.S. Masters Swimming adult swim instructor. She has an MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a B.A. in psychology from Mercer University in Macon, Ga.
Carmella Knoernschild, DDS
Dr. K Orthodontist
Kim Koch
Insight Engineering
Heather Larkin
President and CEO
Arkansas Community Foundation
Heather Larkin joined Arkansas Community Foundation in 1998 and became its president and CEO in 2008. Heather has seen the foundation through monumental asset and grant-making growth to where the foundation is now the largest grant maker in the state by the number of grants made annually. In 2022, Heather was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Women’s Commission and was named Woman of the Year in Philanthropy in Little Rock by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. She was also named a scholar in residence at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy for exemplary contributions in the field of community philanthropy. She attended Hendrix College in Conway, graduated with distinction in economics and business and went to work for Ernst & Young, where she became a certified public accountant. She returned to the academic arena and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she served as survey/comments editor for the law journal. Larkin has served on the boards of Just Communities of Arkansas, the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Foundation, Rotary Club 99 and ACANSA Arts Festival in North Little Rock. She was inducted into the Hendrix Athletic Hall of Honor in 2007.
Chief Operating Officer
Moses Tucker Partners
Jennifer Lester serves as the chief operating officer for Moses Tucker Partners in Little Rock and brings more than 20 years of experience to the team. She is a University of Central Arkansas in Conway graduate and has her certified property manager and real property administrator designations. She is also a past president of the southwest region of Building Owners and Managers Association and BOMA Greater Little Rock and currently serves as each group’s treasurer.
Toni Lindsey
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/AIA
Monica Lo, M.D.
Arkansas Heart Hospital
Meredith Lowry
Partner
Wright Lindsey Jennings
Meredith Lowry, a partner in Wright Lindsey Jennings’ Rogers office, advises businesses on intellectual property concerns and data privacy and security matters. As a registered patent attorney, Lowry assists a variety of inventors, from individual entrepreneurs, to large companies in their efforts to obtain patent, trademark and copyright protection. She also helps defend against allegations of infringement and assists in the transfer and licensing of intellectual property rights. She is also a certified privacy professional, counseling businesses on regulatory issues relating to consumer and financial data privacy, data security and artificial intelligence. She is a frequent speaker and author in the tech and startup space, and spearheaded WLJ’s Woman-Run initiative to support woman- and minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through networking, mentorship, education and resources.
Lowry was recently named by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas one of the Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas and was awarded the 2023 Entrepreneurship in the Arts Award by TheatreSquared. In 2021, she was honored by the northwest Arkansas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as Volunteer of the Year for the work she has done in the community to champion local nonprofits. She is an active supporter of the arts and technology communities in the nothwest Arkansas region through her involvement with TheatreSquared and the Scott Family Amazeum, among many other organizations.
CEO
Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association
Stephanie Malone grew up in Rogers, where she graduated from high school in 1996. She earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2000. After college, she moved to Fort Smith, where she started a career in communications with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Malone was named marketing director for the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority.
During her tenure at Chaffee, Malone was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives and served three terms. As a member of the House, she served as chairman of the Committee on Children Aging and Youth, chaired the House Select Committee on Rules and served as an assistant Speaker Pro Tempore. In 2015, Malone moved to central Arkansas, where started a new career in political advocacy, including stints with AETN, Community Health Centers of Arkansas and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. In 2020, Malone was named CEO of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association.
CEO
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana
Janell Mason serves as the chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana. She oversees all programs and fundraising for the 42-year-old nonprofit.
Since Mason joined the team in 2015, the organization has been recognized for its impact and as an outstanding nonprofit by local, state and national organizations. She oversaw the opening of the new, 32,000-square-foot Ronald McDonald House facility in Little Rock in 2016, followed by the opening of the Ronald McDonald Family Room on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences NICU floor in 2020. The nonprofit’s annual budget increased from $1.1 million in 2015 to $2.5 million in 2023 and will further expand again in 2024. Mason has worked with the board and her leadership team to develop a comprehensive, long-term strategy to ensure enrichment of care for families of seriously ill children while building capacity for program expansion.
During her tenure the organization’s program territory has doubled to include all of south Arkansas and north Louisiana as well as a few counties in northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma. With this expansion, the charity’s name has changed to reflect the program territory more accurately. Currently, three new programs are in varying stages of development in central Arkansas and north Louisiana.
In 2008, Mason was initially recruited to chair the organization’s signature fundraiser, Chocolate Fantasy Ball, and was asked to join its board in 2009. As a board member between 2009 and 2015, she chaired the development committee and the organization’s $9 million capital campaign to build the current Ronald McDonald House. In late 2015, she was asked to serve as interim executive director, hired as executive director at year end and promoted to chief executive officer in 2021.
Esperanza Massana-Crane
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Jennifer Maune
MasterChef finalist, certified chef, lifestyle blogger, interior decorator
Marketing Director
Celebrity Attractions
Deana McCormack, marketing director for Celebrity Attractions in Little Rock, is an experienced marketing professional whose specialty lies within the entertainment industry. Celebrity Attractions is a presenter and producer of national tours and handles the marketing for events across the midwest and southwest. A native Arkansan, McCormack earned her bachelor’s degree in French and literature from the University of Arkansas in Arkansas and pursued graduate studies at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. In 1992, McCormack joined Celebrity Attractions at its Tulsa office before moving to the Little Rock office in 2000. Celebrity Attractions is focused on bringing the best Broadway performances and more to Little Rock, and McCormack works diligently to bring awareness of these exciting theater opportunities to the public. In the business of bringing lasting memories to all who attend, McCormack is a passionate leader in her career field. In addition to her work with Celebrity Attractions, McCormack is the co-owner of Sanders Services with her husband, John, and has served as a board member for both the Arkansas Zoological Foundation and Ballet Arkansas and served as a volunteer with several other local organizations.
Allison McDaniel
Vice President and Business Development Officer
Signature Bank of Arkansas-Jonesboro
Allison McDaniel is a born and raised Arkansan who has called Jonesboro home for the past 15 years. A Pocahontas native, McDaniel serves as vice president and business development officer for Signature Bank of Arkansas in Jonesboro. McDaniel is a founding member of Signature’s team in Jonesboro and has been a driving force behind their success in expanding to northeast Arkansas. Prior to her career in banking, she worked at KAIT-TV for nearly a decade, working her way up the ranks from camera operator to 10 p.m. news anchor. McDaniel became a respected voice for the community, winning an Emmy for her reporting on severe flooding in Jonesboro, as well as multiple Arkansas Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards for stories on the northeast Arkansas community. McDaniel proudly serves her community through multiple nonprofit organizations, including volunteering with the United Way of NEA, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, working with the American Cancer Society (who recognized her as Honoree of the Year and a Top 5 individual fundraiser in 2022) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the 2nd Judicial District, where she currently serves as board president.
Jill McDonald
Executive Chef and Co-owner
The Croissanterie/Buttery Concepts
Jill McDonald is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef and the co-owner of The Croissanterie in west Little Rock. In 2019, alongside her co-chef Wendy Schay, McDonald began selling authentic French croissants and bread at local farmer’s markets, paving the way for a food truck in 2020. By March 2022, the pair had opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant. A second location is set to open in downtown Little Rock the summer of 2024. Beyond its regular offerings, The Croissanterie caters to all occasions and crafts custom cakes. Monthly, the restaurant transforms into an exclusive Chef Driven Supper Club, inviting patrons to savor unique culinary experiences. Prior to The Croissanterie, McDonald served as director of catering for the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College in Little Rock and was an adjunct instructor at the UAPTC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute. Her 25-year culinary journey spans local mom-and-pop establishments to multi-million-dollar corporate restaurants and private catering. Her team prioritizes local foods, brands and community action, fostering an evolving industry, workforce and food scene in central Arkansas. Its commitment to customer service and community has earned The Croissanterie several prestigious awards. The Croissanterie’s overarching goal is to continually learn, grow and maintain a people-focused and forward-looking approach.
Executive Director
ALS in Wonderland
Little Rock native Lara Blume McGee began her career in philanthropy at a very young age. Her parents served as role models who fed and provided work opportunities to the homeless in the area now known as East Village in Little Rock. Occasionally, they would even bring people home for a warm meal and bed. These values were instilled in her from a young age.
McGee modeled professionally from 1994 to the early 2000’s with Elite Model Management in Miami and New York. In 2001, she met former NFL player Keith Mitchell and his famed agent, Leigh Steinberg, who helped her start a nonprofit management company called Team Up World based in Newport Beach, Calif. This company assisted professional athletes develop, market and manage their own nonprofits.
In 2012, McGee moved back to Little Rock to be close to her father, Richard Blume, who was battling ALS. She and her father founded the ALS In Wonderland Foundation, which assists those living with ALS in Arkansas. Its mission is to offer financial assistance, advocacy and education to families dealing with ALS. Since Richard Blume passed away in 2015, ALS In Wonderland has made more than $550,000 in financial grants.
Her latest venture is the opening of husband Brian McGee’s new medical practice, Digestive Care of west Little Rock.
Rose Myers
Corporate Operations Trainer
Sissy’s Log Cabin
Rose Myers is a corporate operations trainer for Pine Bluff-based Sissy’s Log Cabin and has more than three decades of executive management, business development, consultant, strategic planning and operational management experience in the jewelry industry. As a business leader, Myers is credited with successful company expansion nationwide. She is passionate about what she does, always moving forward, setting new goals and learning new things. Over the course of her career, Myers has developed teams and promoted countless leaders, and some have gone on to become CEOs of their own companies. She attended 12 different schools by the time she was a senior in high school and believes this was a blessing that allowed her to acclimate to new places, approach people from all walks of life, and influence those around her. Throughout her varied professional experiences, Myers has made contributions to advancing women in leadership roles. Her impact is evident, from her time in past roles managing operations for more than 700 stores to her role as a general manager in a small community setting. Reflecting on her career, Myers expressed that working for Sissy’s Log Cabin — a business established by the tenacious Sissy Jones — has been a highlight and a fulfilling experience.
CEO
Camp Aldersgate
Sonya Schmidt Murphy has served as the chief executive officer of Little Rock’s Camp Aldersgate, a nonprofit that creates life-changing experiences for individuals with special needs, since 2016. She has spent most of her career in nonprofit management including serving as president of St. Vincent Hospital Foundation and executive director of Economics Arkansas. She also has 10 years of experience in banking specializing in marketing, business development and private banking.
Murphy is dedicated to the betterment of central Arkansas and has served on several committees and boards, including those of Arkansas Children’s Foundation, Circle of Friends, Arkansas Repertory Theatre (where she served as secretary, on the executive committee and as co-chair of its 2016 gala), and Leadership Greater Little Rock.
She is past president of the Rotary Club of Little Rock and has been an active member since 1999. She served on the board for several years and has served as secretary, membership chair, program chair and as a member of the Centennial Campaign cabinet. She served as assistant governor of Rotary District 6150. She was a member and vice president of marketing of the Junior League of Little Rock. She is a sustaining member of JLLR and past president of the sustainer board of directors, as well as program chair of the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum, for which she will serve as president in 2024.
Creshelle Nash
Medical Director for Health Equity and Public Programs
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Creshelle R. Nash, M.D., MPH, CHIE, is the medical director for health equity and public programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In this role, Nash provides leadership for developing, implementing and evaluating health equity initiatives to help create a more inclusive and non-discriminatory health care system throughout Arkansas. She provides oversight and guidance on public programs and products to improve health equity for all Arkansans. Nash is passionate about addressing health disparities in Arkansas’ most vulnerable communities and takes action as a leader throughout the state.
In addition to her role at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nash is adjunct faculty in the department of health policy and management at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health in Little Rock, where she is also the co-director of the Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Service Learning Course.
Prior to her work with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nash served as the medical director for the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, where she developed and implemented community outreach and advocacy programs and partnerships. She also practiced primary care internal medicine for 15 years in the department of general internal medicine at UAMS, mentored students and faculty, and engaged in health-disparity research and advocacy efforts.
A native Arkansan, Nash completed medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and served her residency in the primary care internal medicine residency training program at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and completed a fellowship in minority health policy fromHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
Shannon Newton
President
Arkansas Trucking Association
Shannon Newton is the president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. She has been with ATA since 2003. During her tenure, Newton has filled a range of roles in the development and implementation of initiatives that include strategic planning, finance, member services, governance and public and government relations. In 2018, she was recognized by the American Trucking Associations with the President’s Trucking Association Executives Council Leadership Award for her regional and national advocacy efforts. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson tapped Newton for various transportation posts, including his working group on highway funding in 2019, the Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force in 2020 and the Council on Future Mobility in 2022. Newton served as chair of the Vote for Roads committee that successfully campaigned to pass a half-cent sales tax in November 2020. More recently, Newton served on Gov. Sarah Sanders’ working group to prevent human trafficking in Arkansas. Newton currently serves as chair of the Trucking Associations Executive Council, the federation of state trucking association executives from across the country affiliated with the American Trucking Associations. Newton also serves on governing or advisory boards for the following groups: Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, Arkansas Self-Insurers Association, Be Pro Be Proud, Arkansas State University Three Rivers in Malvern, the University of Central Arkansas College of Business in Conway, and Project Zero, a nonprofit that raises awareness about adoption from foster care. In 2022, Newton was named to the Transportation Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to provide valuable feedback on the economic conditions of the trucking industry.
Marnie Oldner
Stone Bank
Chief Clinical Officer
Birch Tree Communities
Christie Owen, D.O., was named chief clinical officer at Birch Tree Communities, which has locations across Arkansas, in February 2022. She is a licensed professional counselor and began her career with Birch Tree in 1997. Prior to becoming CCO, she served as the director of branch operations at the Hope House and Benton Town branches. Owen began her journey with Birch Tree by working as a paraprofessional on nights and weekends during her undergraduate years at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. She soon became passionate about serving the seriously mentally ill population and changed her career path. Owen continued working at Birch Tree while she obtained her graduate degree and has worked in many different roles at the organization through the years. After receiving licensure, she became a therapist at the Benton Town branch and was later promoted to the director of branch operations. Owen was born in Fort Smith and spent her early years in Greenwood. Her family later moved, and she attended Cabot schools. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in community counseling from Henderson State University.
Project Manager
HP Engineering, Rogers
Brittney Peace’s deep-rooted understanding of the construction industry stems from her upbringing, shadowing her father, a seasoned contractor. Initially embarking on a nursing career, her trajectory took an unexpected turn when she joined her brother’s engineering firm in its early stages. Initially uncertain about delving into electrical design, she soon found her stride and never looked back. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for ensuring client satisfaction, Peace has established herself as a proficient project manager with a specialized background in electrical systems and lighting design. Her ability to navigate complex projects, oversee team dynamics and maintain stringent quality control has earned her a reputation for precision and efficiency. Peace’s creative prowess shines through her intricate designs of electrical distribution systems, lighting layouts and controls. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation and takes immense pride in the health projects she has spearheaded in tribal communities because her work directly contributes to providing vital access to rural and tribal areas that would otherwise be underserved. With her unwavering commitment to infusing indigenous values into her work, she actively champions the development of sustainable and community-centered projects. Her expertise in lighting specification, low-voltage and fire alarm device coordination demonstrates her comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of modern infrastructure. Peace has a lighting certification from the American Lighting Association and actively participates in the Illuminating Engineering Society.
Kara Petro
Garland County Circuit Court Judge
Alisha Polluck
S&P Insurance
Insurance Agent, Agency Owner
State Farm
Charlotte Potts has operated her own State Farm insurance agency in North Little Rock since 2013. If the characteristics of a strong woman are independence, self-awareness, honesty, intelligence and passion, Charlotte Potts is certainly a power woman. Exuding grace and nurturing for her fellow human beings, Potts has imbued her State Farm business in North Little Rock with these qualities and as a result, her agency is among the top 5 percent in the country — 60 agents out of 19,000 — earning Potts and her team the coveted Chairman Circle Award.
Potts graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a degree in business and started her career teaching business classes in the Little Rock School District. She switched to pharmaceutical sales, at which she worked for more than a decade, before being recruited to State Farm. Potts and her team are heavily involved in the community. The agency has a 16-foot smoker trailer that became its tornado relief cooker. For days, the team cooked burgers and bought supplies from wholesale warehouses, packing collapsible wagons and walking as far into affected Little Rock neighborhoods as possible in the aftermath of the March tornado. Everyone from residents to emergency workers to volunteers received a hot meal.
Dorcas K. Prince
Owner
Low’s Bridal
Dorcas Prince and her husband, Stan, are the owners of Low’s Bridal in Brinkley. Low’s Bridal, located in the historic and restored Great Southern Hotel building, is one of the largest bridal shops in the United States and is the go-to bridal gown destination in the South. Low’s Bridal began with Prince’s mother and six dresses in a room above the family pharmacy. Prince initially intended to become a pharmacist like her father, but she joined the other family business instead. Over four decades later, the appointment-only shop now offers more than 2,500 gowns in sizes 0 through 34 — one of the largest selections in the country — and handles about 5,000 weddings annually.
Molly Rawn
Experience Fayetteville
Jamie Rayford
Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Karen Reynolds
Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association
Shanna Richardson
Boy Scouts of America
Principal Accounting Officer and Controller
Garver
Serving as the principal accounting officer and controller for Garver, an Arkansas-headquartered engineering firm, Beverly Roberson has provided expertise and financial acumen in serving the company for more than two decades. Her leadership and dedication have catapulted her through the ranks of the firm, and ultimately led to her being named partner. Over the course of her career, Roberson has demonstrated admirable devotion to empowering the next generation through both professional initiatives and community service. She’s championed multiple programs within Garver and beyond, that uplift young professionals, including the firm’s internship program and its networking program. Through the Garver Partners program, she provides financial guidance to serve DBE engineering firm partners. Additionally, she is a proud member of both the Arkansas chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance.
Roberson is active in igniting an early interest in STEM education through her leadership in GarverGives, a corporate giving program with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math education, and through volunteering for Girls of Promise, which connects girls in Arkansas with women in STEM fields. She also champions AR Kids Read and Recycle Bikes for Kids.
Kristie Ross
Concord EPS
President
Pulaski County Republican Women
Pamela Boyd Shields retired from the U.S. Navy in 2012 and moved back to Little Rock after a distinguished military career that included numerous citations and awards. She started out as a teacher in Little Rock public schools, where she taught American history and gifted education at Mabelvale Junior High and Hall High. Shields, who grew up in Jacksonville and is the daughter of military veterans, decided to enlist at age 35 as an example for her young son.
She started out in the Navy Reserves and within a year was called to active duty and ultimately deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Storm. While deployed, she helped translate intercepted Iraqi messages to English. She later went to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C.
Upon returning to central Arkansas, Shields volunteered with the Pulaski County Republican Women, rose to a leadership position and helped transform the group from a “lunch group” to a group that, in her words, “actually gets out and does things.” Those things entail a host of charitable work including laying wreaths at the Little Rock National Cemetery and delivering presents to veterans at the Arkansas State Veterans Home.
In addition to work with the Pulaski County Republican Women, Shields is a commissioner with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, serves as second vice president for the 2nd Congressional District of the Arkansas Republican Party’s executive board and volunteers for veterans trying to facilitate their benefits from Veterans Affairs.
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Bernhard
Lauren Skeen is vice president of marketing and communications at Bernhard, the leading energy-as-a-service provider in the United States. Her journey with the company began in 2019 when she assumed the role of director of marketing for the development division. Skeen’s leadership skills propelled her to the role of vice president of marketing and communications in January 2023. From the Little Rock office, she leads a diverse and dynamic team of 10 spanning three states. With a background encompassing more than 13 years of marketing experience, including a decade in the architecture/engineering/construction industry, Skeen has used her strategic acumen to play a pivotal role in the growth of Bernhard’s brand. A graduate of Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, Skeen is currently pursuing a master’s degree in digital marketing from Wake Forest University, in North Carolina showcasing her commitment to continuous professional development. She serves as the treasurer for the Society for Marketing Professional Services Ozarks chapter, demonstrating her dedication to fostering excellence within the industry.
Adrienne Smith
Adrienne Smith Design & Events
Elizabeth Solano
Director of Development
GridLiance
Elizabeth Solano, project management professional, has more than 18 years of experience in the energy industry, where she focuses on risk and asset management, strategic planning, project management, and external affairs. Recognizing the great opportunities and challenges faced in transforming the nation’s transmission grid, she joined GridLiance, a NextEra Energy Transmission subsidiary, in April 2023. From Little Rock, she leads a team of professionals who collaborate with rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, joint action agencies and others in the central U.S to plan the grid of the future.
Sandra Stormant
Storment Consulting
Barbara Sugg
President and CEO
Southwest Power Pool
Barbara Sugg has served as president and CEO of Little Rock’s Southwest Power Pool since 2020. She previously served as SPP’s senior vice president of information technology and chief security officer. Barbara has more than 30 years of IT experience in the electric utility industry. A proud Ragin’ Cajun, she earned a B.A. in computer science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
Sugg participates in numerous industry, community and philanthropic organizations. She’s a certified executive coach and founded the Leadership Foundation for Women, a nonprofit that equips women for success, based in Little Rock.
Stacey Svendsen
Vice President of Operations
Delta Solar
Stacey Svendsen is vice president of operations at Delta Solar. She was named Arkansas Advanced Energy Association’s “Rising Star” in 2021. Her work at Delta Solar focuses on optimizing customer experience and building client relationships. A graduate of Hendrix College in Conway with degrees in economics and studio art, Svendsen is excited to be working in the rapidly growing solar energy industry. She is a member of the Arkansas Canoe Club and the Ozark Society’s Pulaski Chapter.
Makeup Artist, Owner
Faces by Stephanie
Stephanie Throckmorton-Duty is a licensed aesthetician and makeup artist. She obtained a
degree in fashion merchandising and has held numerous roles in the arts over her 35-year
career, including as a dance instructor, fashion stylist and makeup artist. She previously worked
as a national sales and regional retail manager for several cosmetics brands. Throckmorton
also served as a guest host for ShopNBC, the national shopping network, for eight years, in
addition to appearing regularly in makeup segments on Good Morning Arkansas.
Throckmorton is a former Mrs. Arkansas USA and a top 10 finalist in the Mrs. USA
pageant. She has a passion for pageants and was inducted into the Miss Arkansas Hall of
Fame at the 80th anniversary pageant in 2017. She is a makeup artist, sponsor and prep
committee member for Miss Arkansas, accompanying the reigning Miss Arkansas to the Miss
America Pageant. In 2018, she was honored as the CARTI Festival of Fashion Style Icon.
In retirement, Throckmorton continues to share all she has learned with the people of Arkansas,
working with women of all ages on skin care and makeup consultations. She is also active in
serving her church, Immanuel Baptist, and in supporting local charities, such as CARTI, the
board of directors for the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Foundation and the Pulaski County Humane Society.
Lenore Trammell
Big River Steel
President and CEO
North Little Rock Tourism
Karen Trevino, TMP, CTIS, CDTP, CCTP, is the president and CEO for North Little Rock Tourism, and has been with the organization for almost 25 years. She worked for several years as a hospitality and tourism professor at the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Institute in Little Rock as both an adjunct and full-time faculty. She has been in the hospitality and tourism industry for 40-plus years, having worked previously at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism and at the Arkansas Hospitality Association.
Trevino was recently named chairman of the board for the Southeast Tourism Society and will be installed as president of Skål International USA for 2024. She is a founding member and past president of the Arkansas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. She previously served on the boards for the Argenta Community Theater, Argenta Downtown Council, Arkansas Travel Council, PTC Faculty Senate, Arkansas Festivals & Events Association, Heart of Arkansas Travel Association, Junior League of North Little Rock, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Riverfest.
She received the Henry Award for Tourism Person of the Year at the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism in 2010, the Silver Cup for Tourism and the President’s Award from the Arkansas Hospitality Association, the Spirit of Skål Award and the J. Dan Baker Award from Skål International Arkansas and the State Management Award from the Arkansas Business & Professional Women’s’ Association. The Southeast Tourism Society recognized Trevino and her staff with its Tourism Office of the Year award in 2023. The Arkansas Hospitality Association inducted Trevino into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame in 2010.
Soroya Tucker
VLS Waste Solutions
Cathy Tuggle
Principal Broker and Owner
Tuggle Services Inc.
Cathy Tuggle began her career in real estate 32 years ago as a leasing consultant, then moved up to assistant manager, property manager and area manager in the multi-family industry. Twenty-four years ago, Tuggle had an opportunity to become a business owner with Apartment Hunters. After one year in business, she started a company called Arkansas Suites. Together, the two businesses are under the umbrella of Tuggle Services, a real estate and relocation service.
Tuggle serves as the principal broker and owner of Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites. She enjoys working with clients who are relocating to the metropolitan area. She currently serves as the chair for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Advisory Board and the Commercial Real Estate Council of Metro Little Rock. She is a past president of the Arkansas Apartment Association and Apartments Across America, as well as an officer of the Institute of Real Estate Management. She is a past chair for Make-A-Wish Mid-South and AR Kids Read and serves on the UA Little Rock Real Estate Advisory Board, the Arvest Bank board, Fifty for the Future, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, and is a member of Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock.
Karen Upton
Owner, EVP
RPM Group
Karen Upton is an owner and executive vice president of the RPM Group, a full-service real estate firm with a storied history of over 68 years. She has been a licensed Realtor for 15 years.
Prior to real estate, Upton spent three years in public accounting with Baird Kurtz & Dobson before beginning a 25-year career with Alltel and its successor companies. She has a deep background in compliance, partnership affairs and mergers and acquisitions.
As part of her commitment to the community, she was a member of the 20th Century Club of Little Rock and served as a Hope Lodge volunteer to help provide no-cost housing to medically and financially qualified patients receiving cancer treatment in the central Arkansas area.
She also served as a mentor for Lessons for Life, an organization that informs, equips and challenges young women to embrace higher standards and make positive life choices.
Upton has helped to energize new growth at the RPM Group and is proud that the company’s residential division, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, recently became the No. 1 company in central Arkansas based on sales.
Pamela Volner
Painted Rock Health and Wellness
Paula Weatherley
Director of Radiology
Conway Regional Health System
Paula Weatherley is the director of radiology at Conway Regional Health System. Weatherley graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where she completed her Bachelor of Science in radiography. Furthering her expertise, she graduated with honors from the Baptist Health College Little Rock – School of Radiology.
With more than 15 years of dedicated service at Conway Regional, she has demonstrated commitment and excellence in her field. Her leadership and expertise were instrumental in her recent promotion to the directorial position. Weatherley’s professional journey is marked by significant contributions, including her role as a senior examiner for the Baldrige Governor’s Quality Award. She is dedicated to maintaining high standards in health care services.
Weatherley was pivotal in launching and serving for more than five years on the first clinical congress for Conway Regional. Additionally, her expertise is recognized on a broader scale as she serves on the Arkansas State ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Advisory Council and the Clinical Advisory Board for Health Tech Arkansas.
Amber White
White Stone Real Estate
Vice President of Chapter Development
Associated Builders & Contractors of Arkansas
Megan Greenland Williams was born and raised in Conway. She received her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor emphasis in graphic design from the University of Central Arkansas there in 2012 and her master’s in communications from Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, in 2019. In 2013, she was hired as director of events and communications for the Associated Builders & Contractors of Arkansas in Little Rock and was promoted to vice president of chapter development in 2019. ABC is a trade association that provides business development, political advocacy, safety training and education to the commercial construction industry. During her time at ABC, Williams has helped increase the quantity and quality of events ABC offers each year, co-developed the Arkansas chapter’s Young Professionals Program, implemented new youth programs and, in 2017, helped launch ABC’s new apprenticeship program, the Arkansas Construction Trades Academy. She also travels the state to provide Heartsaver First Aid/CPR/AED Training to members in the industry.
Chief Operating Officer
National Park Medical Center
Casey Willis has spent her entire career in health care, developing a passion for supporting the front-line workers who deliver quality, compassionate care every day. She began in health information management, working as a licensed registered health information technician. Later, she moved into physician practice management and served as the market director of physician services for two Lifepoint Health markets. She transitioned to executive leadership as an associate administrator for Lifepoint at North Alabama Medical Center. While there, she was awarded Lifepoint’s highest honor, the Mercy Award, with which she was recognized for her dedication, compassion and attention to her community’s needs. In July 2022, she became the chief operating officer at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs. Willis embraces a collaborative management style that allows her to learn about and attend to the needs of the communities and hospitals she serves. She is a vibrant servant leader who takes pride and ownership of the quality of health care provided to patients. Willis received her bachelor’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Tennesssee and her MBA from the University of Tennessee Southern.
Ashley Wimberley
Arkansas Press Association
Olivia Womack
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
Jillian Yant
Bank OZK
Suzanne Yee
Cosmetic surgeon
Suzanne Yee, M.D.
Suzanne Yee, M.D., is a triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon who has been providing life-changing care since the 1990s, practicing in Little Rock since 2003. With both refined artistic skills and years of medical training, Yee is able to provide life-changing results. With a long history of expertise in her field, she has been awarded numerous accolades and honors, including being named to AY Magazine’s “Best Of” list every year since 2011.
Yee graduated first in her class and completed her surgery internship at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock before her fellowship in facial plastics and reconstructive surgery at the University of Texas at Houston. Focused on providing natural-looking results, Yee is certified with the American Board of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Yee has also received the Janet M. Glasgow Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Nurses Choice Award for No. 1 Cosmetic Surgeon. She has served and continues to serve on several notable committees, including the advisory committees of the BOTOX Cosmetic Cosmetic Training Center, the Altus Medical Laser Trainer and Reference Site and the Lumenis laser company for educational workshops and on-site training.
A respected assistant clinical professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Yee is also a published author, a public speaker and a National Education Faculty member. In this role, she instructs physicians in treatment and teaches medical students and residents.
Shannon Young
Founding Partner
Pomifera
As a senior partner and founding partner at cosmetics and beauty brand Pomifera, Shannon Young is dedicated to helping others look and feel great. In her three and a half years with the company, more than 300 customers have entrusted Young with their skin care, hair care and health and wellness needs. She has $130,000 in personal lifetime sales, more than 150 partners and a $500,000-plus sales team. Her goal is to have a partner in every U.S. state. Young also travels frequently for incentive trips and leadership conferences and is a founding accelerator member of the Eric Worre Go Pro Xperience.
Outside of her entrepreneurial endeavors, Young is passionate about her family’s farm and is an advocate for farm safety. In 2022, Young and her husband of more than 30 years, Clay, were named Farm Family of the Year for Arkansas’ Southeast District. One of the longest-running farm family recognition programs in the country, this award is given to families based on production, efficiency and management of farm operations, family life and rural and community leadership and values. In addition, Young helped raise more than $40,000 for Easterseals Arkansas while her daughter attended preschool and received therapy for cerebral palsy. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in small business and entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Jan Zimmerman
Director of Business and Projects
Stan Jones Lodge
Jan Zimmerman is the director of business and projects at the world-renowned Stan Jones Mallard Lodge in Lawrence County. The lodge hosts hunters and business travelers from all over the world, and has been named a top five lodge in America by Fox Nation and included in the acclaimed Federal Premium Select program.
A former successful Realtor, Zimmerman has served on the boards of CARTI, Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Circle (chairman), Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association (past president), Arkansas Independent Citizens Commission and the Arkansas Better Business Bureau (chairman).
