January 2024

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PUBLISHER/ART DIRECTOR

INTRODUCING

Jeremy L. Higginbotham

EDITOR

Stefanie W. Brazile

FOUNDERS

Donna Spears, Sonja Keith and Tracy Ferrell

BRAND AMBASSADOR

Donald Brazile

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Paulette Higginbotham

ADVERTISING SALES

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n partnership with Methodist Family Health, this month we are celebrating individuals who make LIFE brighter for us all. We received your nominations and now present the “Five-Oh-Ones to Watch” issue. These individuals have stepped onto the stage of life and are making a real difference at work, church, or in their community, and we’re shining a spotlight on them.

Spotlights were first invented to highlight performers on stage. What’s interesting about spotlights is that they often use no more power than a typical light source, but the beam is concentrated, which makes it multitudes brighter. As I talked with the three dozen people who are featured in this issue, I found that they concentrate their energy and fully devote themselves to particular occupations and causes. By giving so much of themselves to a narrow range of interests, they maximize their talents and make a huge difference in those areas.

It may sound like a simple concept that allows a person to make a big difference, but it’s not.

Have you heard the saying, “If you want something done ask a busy person?” I’m sure that each month our honorees are pulled in several directions as people ask for their assistance; however, they keep the spotlight focused on their priorities and passions and are successful.

We appreciate the nominations that came in and educated us about many extraordinary people who live in the 501. The selection committee struggled to narrow the list, and we have many future article ideas from the nominations.

I now present the “2024 Methodist Family Health Five-Oh-Ones to Watch” issue and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on each of them. Next November we will again field nominations and, in the meantime, be inspired by those who are making LIFE brighter for all of us!

Wishing you a Happy New Year,

Donna Spears

DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Levi Gilbert

PHOTO DIRECTOR

Mike Kemp

COPY EDITORS

Andrea Lively and Andrea Miller

FINANCE DIRECTOR

Debbie Flowers

SOCIAL MEDIA

Morgan Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTORS Becky Bell Don Bingham Jessica Duff Mary Eggart David Grimes Dwain Hebda Linda Henderson Vivian Lawson Hogue Beth Jimmerson

Mark Oliver Susan L. Peterson Kelli Reep Dr. Robert Reising Judy Riley Carol Rolf Donna L. Stephens Rita Halter Thomas Morgan Zimmerman

FAULKNER CO. EDITORIAL BOARD

Honoree Brenda Hatton-Ficklin (from left) and Editor Stefanie Brazile.

Johnny Adams Jack Bell Don Bingham Jessica Brown RaeLynn Callaway Glenn Crockett Beth Franks Sylvia Gauvey Russ Hancock Mathilda Hatfield Spencer Hawks Roe Henderson Jerry Hiegel Antonio Jamison Mike Kemp

Julie LaRue Karl Lenser Monica Lieblong Lori Melton Deanna Ott Pat Otto Jon Patrom Amy Reed Lori Ross Margaret Smith Jan Spann Kim Tyler Suzann Waggoner Jennifer Whitehead Kay Wood

CONWAY CO. EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Clark Shelli Crowell Dr. Larry Davis Shawn Halbrook Alicia Hugen Alisha Koonce

Stephanie Lipsmeyer Stewart Nelson Kristi Strain Jim Taylor Morgan Zimmerman

WHITE CO. EDITORIAL BOARD Betsy Bailey Amy Burton Tara Cathey Cassandra Feltrop Phil Hays Natalie Horton

Matt LaForce Mike Parsons Brooke Pryor Judy Riley Carol Spears Kristi Thurmon

501 LIFE is published by Make the Jump Media, LLC (920 Locust Ave. Ste. 104, Conway, AR 72034, 501.327.1501) and is owned by Jeremy Higginbotham and Stefanie Brazile.

The contents of 501 LIFE are copyrighted and materials presented may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publishers. Articles should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary.

Advertisements are not necessarily endorsed by 501 LIFE.

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January 2024 January Volume 16 Issue 9

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Letter from the Editor Upcoming events Harding U wins National Championship Loving LIFE Winthrop Rockefeller Institute adds board members Couple of the month: Robert & Karen Ferguson Seven women honored at Women in Business event

By Rita Halter Thomas and Stefanie Brazile

31

Entertaining

By Chef Don Bingham

34

Pre-K: Igniting imaginations at PCSSD

By Jessica Duff

38

Five-Oh-Ones to Watch in 2024

By Becky Bell, David Grimes, Dwain Hebda, Mark Oliver, Rita Halter Thomas, Kelli Reep, Judy Riley and Morgan Zimmerman

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46 48

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Nic Horton — Opportunity Arkansas Nate Polk — Unity Health Cora Easterday — West Central Arkansas Planning & Development District Andrea Cole — ASU-Beebe Youth of the Month: Caleb Pettis — Searcy

By Mary Eggart

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Alexander Baney — Malvern National Bank Callie Quiroz — Bigelow Elementary Principal Kendra Pruitt — Little Rock Mayor’s Office Raul Fernandez — Seis Puentes in North Little Rock Author of the Month: Trenton Lee Stewart

By Susan L. Peterson

62 64

Jill Bonnema — Vilonia Realty Ron Hill’s journey to executive chef

By Vivian Lawson Hogue

66 70

Corbin Pitts — Student, filmmaker, actor Kid of the Month: Amelia Lisowe — Benton

By Kelli Reep

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72 75

Dr. Kelli Martin — Greenbrier Public Schools Artist of the Month: Townsend

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

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Stephanie White — Mayor of Keo Pet of the Month: Preston Noland of Bauxite

By Beth Jimmerson

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Michael Jaques — Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System Courtney Martin — Farm Bureau Brenda Hatton-Ficklin — Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau Karen Ferrer — St. Joseph High School Randy Forst — AR Division of Agriculture Celebrating Athletic Excellence Ashley Imhoff of Lonoke County

By Mary Eggart

Jenny Beth Burroughs — Conway Regional Health System Fitness Tech ideas from Conway Regional Cole Schanandore — Ott Insurance Energy Smart Challenge

By Dr. Robert Reising

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Person of the Month Gabriel Womack of Little Rock

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501 LIFE would like to thank our advertising partners.

American Made General Store, 91 ASU - Beebe, 47 _____________________________________ Barksdale Federal Credit Union, 8 Bledsoe Chiropractic, 19 _____________________________________ Centennial Bank, 21 Conway Corp, 61 Conway Healthcare & Rehab, 64 Conway Regional Health System, 85, 99 Conway Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, 23 _____________________________________ David Hogue for Judge, 91 Diamonds of Arkansas Girl Scouts, 95 Downtown Conway, 36-37 _____________________________________ East End School District, 52 Edward Jones, 79 _____________________________________ First Security Bank, 100 Freyaldenhoven Heating and Cooling, 32 _____________________________________ Greenbrier Schools, 74 _____________________________________ Hartman Animal Hospital, 81 Harwood, Ott & Fisher, PA, 51 Heritage Living Center, 5 _____________________________________ The Keo Collective, 79 Kilwins Little Rock, 71 _____________________________________ Max Event Venue, 21 Milestones, 28 MSC Eye Associates, 71 _____________________________________ Ott Insurance, 24, 89 _____________________________________ PCSSD, 34 Pinnacle Place, 33 _____________________________________ Renewal Ranch, 65 Restoration Wellness, 77 Reynolds Performance Hall, 13 _____________________________________ Salem Place, 25 Seis Puentes , 57 Sissy’s Log Cabin, 16 Shelter Insurance, 85 Superior Health & Rehab, 2 _____________________________________ Unity Health, 3 University of Arkansas Community College Morrilton, 22 University of Central Arkansas, 27, 69 _____________________________________

Subscribe to the only publication that keeps the spotlight on Central Arkansas!

Every month, 501 LIFE beams with the best of our communities.

See who's taking center stage this year with a subscription to 501 LIFE for only $20 a year. Home delivery ensures you have a front row seat as we put Central Arkansas in the limelight.

Visit 501LIFEmag.com or call 501.327.1501 to subscribe.

Catch 501 LIFE on KARK at Noon and Conway Corp each month.

welcome to the Writers’ Room

Rita Halter Thomas

is a Conway native and a pastor’s wife. She attended the University of Central Arkansas and is an award-winning writer, author, editor, writing coach and speaker. She is married to Jimmy and has one daughter, Marinna, and enjoys horseback riding and spending time with family. She sings with the worship team at Mountain Top Cowboy Church in Heber Springs.

Mark Oliver

is an award-winning sports broadcaster and sportswriter from Garland County. A UCA graduate, he has announced play-by-play for Fountain Lake High School football since 2010 and serves as the Sports Information Director and playby-play announcer for National Park College. Mark lives in Hot Springs with his wife, Hanna, and three boys: Michael, Ben and River.

Susan L. Peterson holds a Ph.D. in secondary education and taught at UCA and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. This former reading and language arts teacher loves sharing information about local authors, hoping their stories will inspire others. Now retired, she spends her time painting, making pottery and playing pickleball.

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WWE Monday Night Raw Jan. 15 • North Little Rock

The stars of professional wrestling square off in the ring and behind the scenes at Simmons Bank Arena at 1 Verizon Arena Way. The oversized personalities and melodramatic personal and professional feuds match the massive muscles at this hugely popular event.

Tickets start at $42 online. Be sure to purchase from a verified Simmons Bank Arena vendor..

River Rhapsodies III First Day Hike

Jan. 16 • Little Rock

Jan. 1 • Pinnacle Mountain

Start the new year with a First Day Sunrise Hike at 6:15 a.m. on the West Summit, a 10 a.m. hike at Rocky Valley Trail or a 2 p.m. hike on the Arboretum Trail at 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road. Join a Park Interpreter, and be sure to wear appropriate clothing and bring water.

Visit Arkansas.com to learn how difficult each trail will be.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Library will host the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra as they perform pieces including Faustas Laténas’ String Quartet No. 2, “In Loving Memory”; Aram Khachaturian’s Trio for Violin, Viola, and Piano; and George Rochberg’s String Quartet No. 3 for the enjoyment of ticketholders.

Prices for students and military members are $15, adults are $30. Call 501.666.1761, ext. 1, for information.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The Cher Show

Communities around Central Arkansas will observe MLK Day, which has been a national holiday since 1983. King was an influential civil rights leader who was best known for his work on racial equality and ending racial segregation in the U.S. City offices throughout the 501 and the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, a division of the state’s Department of Education, are all good resources for information about local and area events. Visit arkingdream.org.

Superstars come and go, but Cher is forever. This biographical musical is packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her and includes 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy®, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City. Visit uca.edu/publicappearances.

Jan. 15 • Central Arkansas

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Jan. 21 • Conway

One Big Bison Blowout Harding University wins NCAA Division II National Championship by 31 points H

arding's offense rushed for 502 yards and five touchdowns; the defense sacked 2022 Harlon Hill Award winner John Matocha six times; and the Bisons won the first NCAA national championship in program history with a 38-7 victory over Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 15 at McKinney ISD Stadium.

There were more than 6,000 fans there to witness, with Harding's side of the stadium completely filled, the student section in full voice and black-and-gold pom poms waving for as far as the eye could see.

Harding scored on each of its first six possessions, five touchdowns and a field goal. Mines scored on its first possession and never again.

Junior fullback Blake Delacruz rushed 27 times for an NCAA Division II championship record 212 yards. Sophomore Braden Jay carried 11 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Jhalen Spicer and Cole Keylon added rushing touchdowns, and Keylon completed both of his passing attempts to Roland Wallace for 46 yards.

Harding's defense had 10 tackles for loss, two away from the championship record. Senior Nathaniel Wallace had two sacks, and sophomore linebacker Clark Griffin led Harding with six tackles, including 2 tackles for loss.

Harding scored on all three of its first-half possessions, driving 75 yards on nine plays, 74 yards on 17 plays, and 90 yards on six plays.

Spicer scored the first TD on a 10-yard pitch around the right side with 3:49 left in the first quarter. Jay dove inside the left pylon on a pitch around the left side to score from 10 yards out with 4:30 left in the half. All five of Harding's touchdown drives covered 74 yards or more, and the Bisons had more than 36 minutes of possession.

Harding's last national championship of any kind came in 1975 when the Bisons won their fourth NAIA bowling title.

Head Coach Paul Simmons holds the National Championship trophy high.

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Many people were “Loving LIFE” at CARTI’s 47th Annual Festival of Trees in Little Rock, which includes three nightly events. They raised a record $830,000 for CARTI’s Patient Assistance Program. These photos were taken at the Tux 'n Trees Gala.

FROM LEFT: Dr. Vijay Raja (from left), Dr. Grace Raja, Dr. Bushra Shah and Dr. Omer Khalil.

Meagan Cupan (from left) and Jennifer Campbell.

Jennifer Ralston-Day and Glen Day.

The Women’s Leadership Network hosted a Royal Gala Nov. 30 at Legacy Acres in Conway.

Guests were “Loving LIFE” in their “Bridgerton”-inspired attire.

FROM LEFT: Lea and David Riley, owners Angels Touch Body Wellness.

Becky Bell (from left) and Lisa Hutchison.

Frank and Wendy Holbrook.

Bledsoe Team Leaders were “Loving LIFE” at their annual retreat at Greers Ferry Lake. Stacy Pace (from left), Ashlyn Osborne, Jared Gonzalez, Dr. Amanda Bledsoe, Dr. Rianna Nicodemus, Kayla Johnson and Alex Berumen.

The staff at Power Spine & Sport were “Loving LIFE” when they hosted a grand opening at their new location at 2655 Donaghey Ave. in Conway. Front row: Dr. Casie Ogden (from left), Dr. Hunter Andrews, Dr. Mary Power and Mike Chandler.

Curtis Davis, Keanu Wade and Katrina Davis (Keanu’s parents) were “Loving LIFE” and feeding unhoused people a meal on Thanksgiving day in Conway. Keanu has done this for four years in Conway and for two years in Little Rock. She said God placed it on her heart in 2019 to give back to the community and she did that by feeding people in need with the help of her friends, family and coworkers.

Kountry Kool Dancers were “Loving LIFE” at Superior Rehab in Conway when they performed. Front row: Brenda Linn (from left), Donna Bivins and Sandra Edwards. Back row: Retha Rider (from left), Betty Anderson, Patsy Paul, Argie Davis, Keith Covington and Diane Covington.

Leo and Dean Treat were “Loving LIFE” in Branson in December as they celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary.

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Change Agents

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute board adds three members

Lisa Willenberg has served as chancellor at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) since November 2019.

Willenberg is a skilled administrator, certified public accountant and lifelong resident of Conway County. She has served as vice chancellor for finance and operations at UACCM since 2011, which includes the college’s finances, human resources, information technology and physical plant operations. She earned her Master of Education at the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Central Arkansas. She also graduated from the College Business Management Institute at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Dr. Deacue Fields was appointed Vice President for Agriculture of the University of Arkansas System on July 1, 2022. As Vice President, he leads the University System’s coordinated agriculture program, including the Cooperative Extension Service and the Agriculture Experiment Station.

With almost 1,200 employees, the Division has faculty and facilities across the state, including a presence in all 75 counties. The Division's mission is to serve the statewide agricultural community.

He received his Bachelor of Science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.; his Master of Science (1995) from the University of MissouriColumbia; and a doctorate from LSU in Agricultural Economics.

Gus Vratsinas has 50 years of management and professional engineering responsibilities in industrial, retail, commercial, health care, residential, high-rise and institutional projects.

He is also affiliated with Vratsinas Enterprises, LLC. Vratsinas holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He has been active in many civic and philanthropic endeavors. In 2004, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and was named Arkansan of the Year in 2011. He has been inducted into the University of Arkansas College of Engineering Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Construction Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.

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he Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (the Institute) announced on Dec. 5, 2023, that three leaders have accepted an appointment to the board of directors:

Lisa Willenberg — Chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton

Dr. Deacue Fields — Vice President for Agriculture of the University of Arkansas System

Gus Vratsinas — Chairman of Bailey Construction &

Consulting, LLC of Little Rock

“It is a privilege to work alongside these outstanding leaders whose professional backgrounds bring diverse experience to our board, a vital component of the ‘Rockefeller Ethic,’” said Institute Executive Director/ CEO Janet Harris.

“The Institute benefits significantly from the perspective of our University of Arkansas system board members, such as Dr. Fields and Ms. Willenberg, as they help us understand where our mission and services can help system campuses collaborate,” Harris said. “Mr. Vratsinas brings valuable expertise in financial management, capital construction and facilities, all of which will help take the best care of our historic mountaintop campus in service of Winthrop Rockefeller’s legacy.”

The Institute is a 509(a)(3) proud supporting organization of the University of Arkansas System. In 2005, the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust, in coordination with the University of Arkansas System, established the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and has since supported the Institute’s operations and programmatic activity. Five of the nine Institute board members are appointed by Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System.

The nonprofit organization’s mission is to continue Winthrop Rockefeller’s collaborative approach to transformational change. This is accomplished by employing the “Rockefeller Ethic,” which represents the belief that diversity of opinion, engaging in respectful dialogue, and practicing collaborative problem solving combine to create transformational change.

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COUPLE OF THE MONTH

ROBERT & KAREN FERGUSON ________________ ______________________________ CO N WAY

HIS STORY:

HER STORY:

HOMETOWN: I was born and raised in Camden (Ouachita County). I moved to Conway in the fall of 1995 to attend UCA and play baseball. Go Bears!

HOMETOWN: Memphis, Tenn.

EDUCATION: I have a master’s degree in business, bachelor’s

CHILDREN: We have four daughters: Hannah,

Brooklyn, Addison, Karli and a son-in-law, Marv.

EDUCATION: I have a Bachelor in Business Administration with emphasis in finance. I recently graduated from Liberty University with a Master in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: I have worked for the federal government for more than 15 years and I am co-owner of our real estate business, Karen Ferguson Team, RE/MAX Elite.

HONORS: When I started graduate school in 2021, I set a goal of graduating with honors. I was able to accomplish this goal by graduating with a 4.0 GPA. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: We are members of Fellowship Bible Church in Conway and are very involved in our church and community. I volunteer at the Harbor Home for Women and serve on the Hope Village Steering Committee, helping the homeless and veterans. I have also cooked and served food to the homeless at Conway Ministry Center, as well as participating in our church’s men’s ministry.

SPECIAL INTERESTS: I love spending time

with family and anything that involves being out in God’s creation. Especially hunting, fishing and camping.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF: I would say that I

degree in marketing and an Arkansas Real Estate License.

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Owner & REALTOR® Karen Ferguson Team, RE/MAX Elite real estate business.

HONORS: Being voted and named Best Real Estate Agent by the people in Faulkner County (Faulkner Lifestyle Magazine 2023), Rookie of the Year by Faulkner County Board of Directors my first year in real estate and The Harbor Home for Women Community Partner Award for my service on the Board of Directors.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: We are members of Fellowship Bible Church in Conway and are very involved in our church and community. We invest heavily in supporting the local nonprofits, schools, small businesses, women's leadership organizations, etc. I also hold various leadership positions within the communities I serve in Faulkner County, including as a Conway Chamber of Commerce member and ambassador, a Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce member and Gold Sponsor and a Chamber Grow Greenbrier Group member, and a Hope Village Steering Committee member helping the homeless and veterans. I also serve on the Board of Directors for Harbor Home for Women helping women with trauma and addiction.

During the pandemic, I led the Cook 4 Conway project that I started in partnership with Verona Italian Restaurant to feed people and nonprofits in the community.

SPECIAL INTERESTS: In my spare time, I enjoy shopping and dining at local shops and restaurants, volunteering at our church and in the community and spending time with my family at home, at the lake or while camping.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF: I am driven and have a BIG heart

am pretty laid back.

for helping people.

YOUR MOTTO: I don’t guess I have a motto, per se. However, each day I strive to do things a little better than the day before.

YOUR MOTTO: Always give more than you receive.

On Nov. 4, 2018, we went on our first date at a Mexican restaurant in Brinkley,

THEIR

STORY:

and it lasted five hours! We both left the restaurant knowing he/she is “the one.”

Two months later, on New Year’s Eve, we were engaged. On Jan. 4, 2019, we got married. Since it all happened so quickly, we knew some people wouldn’t believe it would last, so our motto was “We can show you better than we can tell you!” Five years later, we are still in love and stronger in our faith and marriage than ever before. We have also accomplished a lot together in five years, including starting our successful real estate business, serving on local nonprofit committees, serving on the Conway Juniors Club Volleyball Board of Directors, feeding the homeless, leading the Cook 4 Conway community service project, graduating from Downline Institute (a nine-month biblical discipleship program) and more. In our spare time, we love family cookouts, traveling, camping and hanging out at the lake.

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Seven women honored at Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business event

By Rita Halter Thomas and Stefanie Brazile

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he annual Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business Luncheon honors individuals in the Conway area who have excelled in leadership and community service and have inspired others on both a personal and professional level. The annual awards are overseen by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Baptist Health-Conway and Insight Enterprises. The awards luncheon was hosted Dec. 12 in the auditorium of Conway Christian High School.

Hundreds of people filled the auditorium to celebrate this year’s Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business award recipients. The keynote speaker was Brenda Hudson, senior vice president of commercial sales, sales enablement, learning, and development for Insight Enterprises.

The seven honorees were divided as follows: One Diamond Achievement Award winner, four Outstanding Women in Business winners and two Outstanding Women in Nonprofit winners. The ladies are featured in this special section.

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A cut above Karen Garrett is the Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business Diamond Achievement Award winner.

K

aren Garrett is a managing partner of HCJ CPAs & Advisors, PLLC. When she was notified about receiving this highest-level award, she was honored and humbled and said it “brings a sense of accomplishment that will continue to empower me to serve this community.”

Garrett is a Certified Public Accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a member of the Arkansas Society of CPAs. She has been recognized multiple times for her professional accomplishments, including as a recipient of the AGC (Associated General Contractors) Distinguished Service Award for 20+ years of service to the construction industry. She was also named a 40 under 40 Honoree by Arkansas Business.

The mother of two daughters, Megan and Isabelle, credits several people for her successes. “I have lots of people who helped me reach my goals—my husband being the most important person as he not only supported me, but he also kept pushing me to reach higher goals,” Garrett said. “My partners’ group has been instrumental by offering invaluable support, encouragement and collaborative efforts in achieving my goals.”

She serves as a board member of Conway Development Corporation and Home Bancshares, Inc. “I am honored to serve on the boards of both of these organizations as they serve a vital role in the economic development of the Conway Community and beyond,” Garrett said.

If she could give her younger self advice, she would say, “Take more time to smell the roses and enjoy the moments.”

Being honored as the Diamond Achievement Award winner has strengthened her personal resolve and the advice she has for others who want to be successful and leave a legacy in their community and business. “Set goals and commit to those goals—personally and professionally. Commit to your values, follow them and find organizations, businesses, and communities that share the same values.”

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Photo by Makenzie Evans

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One Big Bison Blowout Harding University wins NCAA Division II National Championship by 31 points

A

shley Newman, a Mortgage Loan Officer for Centennial Bank, says when she first learned of the award, she was taken aback. “I would have never imagined I would be recognized among this trailblazing group of women. It is a true honor!”

As a mortgage lender, Newman says she most loves the experience with each person she has the privilege of helping, whether it is increasing their credit score for a future purchase or closing on a new home.

Outstanding Women In Business Winner:

Ashley Newman

Mortgage Loan Officer Centennial Bank

Newman is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Conway and president of the St. Joseph School Board, a member of the St. Joseph Parish Finance Council, and co-chair for the St. Joseph Bazaar Finance Committee. “I didn’t grow up with aspirations to work in the financial industry but feel like God put me here. I’ve always loved to help when and where I can, sharing the gifts God gave me.”

Newman is also an Advisory Board Member for Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center. “CRFC has made a huge impact not only on my physical strength but also on mental clarity and stress management, and I have made some amazing friends.”

Newman and David, her husband of 16 years, have two sons: Lincoln, 8, and Hoyt, 3. They are also expecting a baby girl in April. She grew up with three hard-working parents who instilled their work ethic in her. “I owe everything to God for blessing me with them, even if I didn’t realize it when I was younger.”

Newman also expressed gratitude to Centennial Bank, not only for fostering an atmosphere of support and encouragement but also for sponsoring her for the Faulkner County Leadership Institute (FCLI) class of 2014 (now Conway Area Leadership Institute or CALI). Newman learned of the many needs in her community and met many amazing people working diligently to make a difference. “That is truly when my heart was pierced with the desire to serve our community.”

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Outstanding Woman in Business 2023 Congratulations!

Ashley Newman

Ashley Newman | Mortgage Loan Originator Centennial Bank | NMLS# 1268524 Tel: 479.498.0638 Cell: 479.721.6466 ANewman@my100bank.com

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Outstanding Women In Business Winner:

Tammy Pham Owner V.I.P. Nails & Spa T

ammy Pham is an esthetician, manicurist, and the owner of V.I.P. Nails & Spa, Conway. “When I got the call [that] I had won, I cried tears of joy. For me, this is confirmation that my years of hard work were worth it and have not gone unnoticed.”

Pham’s hard work has definitely been noticed. Her business was selected by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce as Outstanding Minority Owned Business in 2022 and voted by her customers as the Best of the Best of Faulkner County for the past three years.

She puts in the work. She’s active in the Chamber as well as in the Miss Conway, Miss Arkansas and Mrs. Arkansas Pageants, Conway Public Schools, Conway Police Department, and the Conway Regional Health Foundation.

Pham’s greatest pleasure is seeing a happy customer. She strives to create an environment where they can relax and feel like family.

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A mother of two daughters, she credits their support and encouragement for the decision to start her business. “They sacrificed along with me as I worked long hours.” She says she hopes she has been a good role model to them so they understand they can do anything.”

Pham would advise her younger self that “no dream is too big … educate yourself … develop a plan, then most importantly, stick to this plan.” She would remind herself to “work hard and do what you must to calm your fears.” She also says to remember to look for big and small ways to make a difference.

“I am inspired by women who sit in my chair and tell me about their lives. I learn from them daily,” Pham said.

“I will always cherish this honor as a reminder to continue to be a role model for other women and strive to be the best I can be.”

Outstanding Women In Business Winner:

Dr. Sharon Stone Owener St. Francis Veterinary Clinic

W

hen Dr. Sharon Stone, owner of the St. Francis Veterinary Clinic, learned of her award, she was unaware of the nomination and initially thought it was a joke. When she realized otherwise, she felt honored to be nominated and chosen.

Dr. Stone says she enjoys being a veterinarian because every day is unique, and she gets to hang out with animals “from dogs and cats to lizards, snakes and guinea pigs.”

While medical doctors specialize, she gets to address multiple areas of health including dermatology, cardiology, internal medicine, and any type of surgery she’s equipped to do.

Stone is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She and Steve, her husband of 40 years, have three sons: Simon, Sidney and Seth. Simon and his wife, Christie, have a son named Christopher.

Stone said she’s thankful her parents never told her she couldn’t do something because she was a girl, a common

sentiment of the 60s and 70s. Stone said she is grateful for her husband’s unfailing support, and also for the support of their boys. “They probably don’t remember having to sleep on the couch in my office while I attended to emergencies, but they also worked for me at one time or another, and still will … if needed.”

Stone served four-and-a-half years in the Army, serving in a MEDDAC unit and a Veterinary Corps. “We traveled while in the Army and then returned to Conway to raise our family because it was the best place we’d been.” The veterinarian said she’s grateful to the community and her staff. She has built lifelong bonds with clients who have brought generations of pets to the clinic since it opened in 1996. Stone said she is also thankful for those she works with. “They give their all every day, all day, and work harder than any people I know.”

Sharing one valuable lesson she’s learned over the years, she said, “You can’t do everything yourself. Delegate to the people who want to help you.”

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Outstanding Women In Business Winner:

Rachel Weaver Plant Manager SFI of Arkansas

R

achel Weaver finds it hard to believe that she is plant manager for a manufacturing facility and was equally shocked to be honored as a Sissy’s Log Cabin Women in Business Honoree.

“Not many people in Conway even know what SFI of Arkansas is or where we are located, so it was hard to believe anyone even knew who I was,” Weaver said. “I guess that’s the point of the award as well!”

She is married to Brandon and they have two daughters, Whitney and Maddison. Weaver holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas and has completed the Crestcom Leadership Program and OSHA 10 Training.

“I am very involved at my church, NLC Greenbrier, and colead our Welcome Team,” Weaver said. “I love meeting new people and making them feel welcome and at home.”

The young leader thanks her father-in-law for introducing

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her to manufacturing and leadership. “Without my fatherin-law, Tommy Weaver, I wouldn’t have grown to love manufacturing and succeed the way I have. He knew that I was in college to work in human resources and asked if I wanted to work as an assistant with the SFI Human Resources Department, and I gladly accepted. Every time there was a chance for me to grow, he gave it to me, and I will forever be thankful for the opportunity.”

If she could give her younger self advice, she would not doubt her abilities. “With each new role I took on, it took me a while to become confident that I would succeed, and I wasted valuable time doubting myself instead of learning.”

Weaver values her best friends. “Jamie Ward is a constant inspiration in all things! She runs two of her own companies,” she said. “Marrey Carter is a fellow #bossbabe who is the Global Clinical Product Manager–Ultrasound at GE Healthcare. Watching her travel the world and hearing about her successes is even more inspiring.”

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Photo by Mike Kemp

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Outstanding Women in Nonprofit Winner:

Mary Lackie

Vice President of Advancement for UCA M

ary Lackie was humbled, honored, and surprised by how emotional she felt when she learned of her Outstanding Women in Nonprofit nomination and award. “I lost my mom in 2019, and I immediately … wished she could be here to see me receive this honor.”

Hat & Glove Society. She is also involved in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Arkansas Chapter, the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), and Leadership Arkansas Class XII.

Lackie is Vice President of University Advancement at the University of Centeral Arkansas as well as President of the UCA Foundation, Inc. Lackie, who has served 30 years in higher education, touted the leadership and staff at UCA as the best overall of anywhere she’s been. She finds fulfillment working with people who are passionate about helping others they may never meet. “These are people who have good hearts, and I am humbled and grateful to get to know them,” she said of the generous philanthropists she works with.

Lackie and her husband, Bill, have four children and two grandchildren. She lauds Bill’s support for making it possible for her to get her doctorate when they both worked full time and had four kids at home. Today, she is inspired by two strong, accomplished women who set the bar high for positive, giving, and courageous leadership styles: Dr. Patty Poulter and Dr. Marta Loyd.

Besides her work at UCA, Lackie is a member of Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock, Kiwanis Club of Conway, and PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) International Chapter CA, and a founding board member for the Arkansas

To her younger self, she’d say, “Find mentors in all stages of your life and career. Seek people out who are where you want to be or who do what you want to do; cultivate a relationship with them; and ask them to mentor you.” To others, she says, “No matter what your job is, give it your all every day.”

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Outstanding Women in Nonprofit Winner:

Janice Daniels

Director of Finance, Milestones Services, Inc. J

One of the best things Daniels enjoys about her job is watching the children served at Milestones reach their age-appropriate milestones despite their developmental delays or disabilities. She loves knowing she plays a part in an organization that helps children and adults reach their maximum potential and does so with love and respect.

Daniels is thankful to her husband, Larry, and daughters Candance and Kyra for always believing in and encouraging her. “They have always been my biggest supporters. I can always count on them for a ‘go for it,’ or a ‘you can do it,’ or a ‘you got this.’” She also finds motivation and inspiration in her mother, Jimmie Montgomery. “At the age of 19, my mother’s mother passed away. Since my mother was the oldest of seven, she became the mother of eight, her six siblings and her own two toddlers.” Daniels was one of those toddlers. “Year after year, I have had the pleasure of watching her do the hard things and make a dollar out of 15 cents.”

Daniels is a Certified First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor and a SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional). She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Chi Eta Omega Chapter, serving the communities of Central Arkansas.

Advice to others? “Always be your authentic self. You do not have to dim someone else’s light in order to shine. There really is enough space for everyone.” She also said she’d tell her younger self, “This too shall pass. Whatever the situation, make the best of it. Nothing lasts forever.”

anice Daniels, Director of Finance at Milestones Service, Inc., was shocked when she learned she had been named a winner of the award. “Once the initial shock wore off, humility and gratefulness began to set in,” she said.

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Photo by Mike Kemp

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Photo by Mike Kemp

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Certified Executive Chef Don Bingham shares a favorite meal that has spanned his entire career New Year's celebrations often present us with a

I thought it clever to cover the rug in the dining area

time of both reflection on the past and anticipation

with straw/hay for the island effect! We spent hours

of the unknown challenges of the approaching new

getting the particles out of that rug when the party

year.

was over! The menu for that luau was Chicken Curry.

As we were musing over a career of a diversified

As the years developed, so did our love for the

portfolio—the central threads running through fifty

culinary arts. To shorten the story, a life of training,

years, plus, have been the worlds of music, ministry

restaurant owning, cooking school attendance in

and hospitality! How this all unfolds leaves me

many of the major 5-star hotels with famous chefs,

speechless with the realization that all was God-

acquiring Certified Executive Chef status, becoming a

ordained! I agree with the statement "when you do

member of the American Culinary Federation, and a

something you love, you never really 'work' at all." My

Certified Culinary Administrator—our paths have led

wife and I loved to entertain from the very beginning

to volumes of experiences and a grand time with the

of our marriage, and I began to collect equipment,

world of cooking and entertaining.

dishes, recipes—things needed to entertain and cater.

Our first endeavor was held in an old Victorian home

As a reflection on a long and varied career, we have

in Chattanooga, Tenn., in a second-story apartment.

included the recipes for one of our early menus–one

We were truly novices in some ways; this could be

that has become a favorite of many! Happy culinary

proven by the fact that we were hosting a luau, and

new year to all!

See recipes on pages 32 & 33 501LIFEMAG.COM

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4 | 31

2 eggs • 1 stick butter, melted 1/2 cup all-purpose flour •1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla •6 ounces chocolate chips 1 cup walnuts or pecans • 1/4 cup bourbon, optional Mix all ingredients, place in an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Do not overcook.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu 6 skinned, deboned chicken breasts (whole) Bread crumbs, to coat 6 strips of ham 6 slices Swiss cheese

Place strips of ham and cheese between pieces of breasts; roll chicken in melted butter first, then in bread crumbs.

Place chicken breasts on a cookie sheet, line with foil. Bake 350 in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender crisp. (Be careful not to overbake and dry out the meat.) Serve hot, with cheese sauce (recipe below); Serves 6.

Cheese Sauce 4 Tbsp. butter 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 cups milk Dash nutmeg 1/2 cup Swiss cheese

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add in nutmeg and milk; stir constantly until mixture thickens; add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Serve over chicken breasts.

Carrots with Walnuts and Honey 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup walnuts

Cook carrots until crunchy. Drain carrots. Melt butter and honey, then add walnuts. Toss carrots in butter-honey-walnut mixture. Serves 4-6.

Baked Almond Rice 2 cups of water 2 rounded tsp. of instant chicken bouillon cubes 1 small onion, chopped 1 stick butter 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds 4 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup long grain rice

Bring first six ingredients to a boil; add rice, stir once, cover; cook for 20 minutes on medium heat. Do not lift the lid or stir. (optional: may add 1/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, and/or may substitute beef bouillon for chicken bouillon.)

Serves 6.

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PRE-K: IGNITING

Imaginations

By Jessica Duff

P

roviding high quality and equitable education is a priority for the Pulaski County School District. This commitment begins with Pre-K and extends through 12th grade. PCSSD's Pre-K program is a free, standardsbased program that aims to build strong foundational skills that help prepare students for kindergarten.

PCSSD offers 14 Pre-K programs across the district, including Crystal Hill Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary in the Maumelle Feeder.

Kim Lee, an Oak Grove Elementary Pre-K teacher, emphasized the developmental importance of the program during a recent interview.

“Pre-K is important for developing social skills by building relationships and making friends, fine motor skills and learning through investigating, creating and communicating,” said Lee. “Pre-K teaches children that every student matters. Children are able to learn early on that school is a safe place where friends and teachers are like family.”

Over at Crystal Hill Elementary, Heather Castaldo provided insight into the social growth and development that

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young children gain from attending Pre-K. “Pre-K is a great opportunity for children as they learn to be around others to make new friends and interact with other adults,” said Castaldo.

“They learn social skills, as well as how to navigate emotions that come from big changes. We build foundations for learning in so many areas of life that will be used throughout their time in school.

All in all, our Pre-K students get to learn in an environment filled with fun, respect, learning, and love.”

In order to attend Pre-K within the Pulaski County Special School District, families must meet at least one of the eligibility requirements issued by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program, which can be found at pcssd.org on the Pre-K page, which can be found under the “Families” section in the main menu navigation.

Registration for PCSSD’s Pre-K program is now open and can also be found at pcssd.org. If you have specific questions related to PCSSD’s Pre-K program, please contact the Pre-K Department at 501-234-2065.

Pulaski County Special School District spans more than 600 square miles in Central Arkansas and requires highly skilled and passionate personnel to adapt educational policies and personalization to 26 schools. Every school is accredited by the Arkansas State Board of Education. PCSSD has served schools across Pulaski County since July 1927.

PCSSD is committed to creating a nationally recognized school district that assures that all students achieve at their maximum potential through collaborative, supportive and continuous efforts of all stakeholders.

A message from

Kim Williams

Executive Director, Conway Downtown Partnership Mark your calendars for Friday, Jan. 26, as Downtown Conway transforms into a shopper's paradise for our annual Moonlight Madness event! From 10 a.m. until the close of business, our vibrant shops will be offering incredible discounts on their fall and winter lines, along with irresistible deals on holiday items.

It's the perfect opportunity to snag those coveted pieces at amazing prices.

But that's not all! Our fantastic restaurants are joining in on the fun by hosting Moonlight Madness specials throughout the day.

Indulge in delicious dishes and treats while taking in the bustling atmosphere of Downtown Conway.

Don't miss out on this spectacular event! Gather your friends and family, make your way downtown, and immerse yourself in these delightful happenings. Let's make this January 26 an unforgettable experience in Conway, Arkansas!

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THIS EDITION OF 501 LIFE IS DEDICATED TO SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON OUTSTANDING PEOPLE FROM CENTRAL ARKANSAS WHOM WE HAVE APPOINTED “FIVE-OH-ONES TO WATCH.” In November, we asked readers to nominate people who make LIFE brighter for us all and live in the 11 counties we serve: Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, Saline, Van Buren and White. The response was tremendous, with many outstanding nominations! An editorial selection team poured over your submissions and compiled a group of outstanding individuals who are featured in this first issue of 2024.

They were selected not only for their talents but also their tenacity, community involvement, volunteerism, and passion for what they do every day. These “Five-Oh-Ones to Watch” are changing the game in Conway, leading the way in Little Rock, setting new standards in Jacksonville and taking center stage in Central Arkansas.

We are confident that this elite group of up-and-comers will inspire you in some area of your life.

Join us in congratulating them as we present to you the “Five-Oh-Ones to Watch” in 2024!

PHOTOS BY MIKE KEMP F E AT U R E S BY Becky Bell, David Grimes, Dwain Hebda, Mark Oliver, Kelli Reep, Judy Riley, Carol Rolf, Rita Halter Thomas and Morgan Zimmerman.

NIC

orton

OPPORTUNITY ARKANSAS A

profound life event, coupled with a desire to make a lasting difference, led Nic Horton to take a very bold leap last year, as the 35-year-old Searcy native launched a public policy think tank Opportunity Arkansas.

“We’ll talk to voters. We’ll do polling to see if [a proposed idea or legislation] is something the public would support.

Then we’ll sit down with state policymakers and help them take ideas from creation to implementation.”

“My dad passed away really suddenly, really tragically, in September of 2021. He was 60 years old,” Horton said.

“My dad was my best man at my wedding, he was my best friend. To go through something like that, it really makes you stop and think not only why am I here on Earth, but why am I here in Arkansas? Why did the Lord place me here and what does He have for me to do here, specifically?

Horton said while some of the flak politicians get for being ineffective in office is warranted, many officials are simply unprepared for the job of lawmaking, especially newcomers.

“It felt like the time was right to jump out and do something like [Opportunity Arkansas]. It’s a scary thing to do with a young family and now trying to help take care of my mom as well, but we’ve been very, very fortunate.”

Horton’s nonpartisan organization focuses on several areas of public policy with education reform, foster care reform and tax reform primary among them. Horton chuckles at the term “think tank”, admitting it’s a wonky, inside-the-beltway kind of label, preferring to describe the organization as a problem-solving entity.

“I tell people we’re all about our mission, which is simplifying government and solving generational problems in Arkansas,” he said. “We partner with state policymakers to try to make that mission a reality, and that can take a lot of different shapes and forms.

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“Politicians are great at getting elected, and a lot of them have good ideas when they’re campaigning,” he said. “But then they take office the first week of January, and they go right into legislative session, where they have 90 days [of session] for their first two years in office. They don’t have legislative staff, they don’t have very much of a support structure around them at all. They’re dependent upon, a lot of times, state bureaucrats, special interest groups and lobbyists to tell them what’s best. We feel like it’s important to be another voice in the room and try to help guide them.”

Along with his wife, Leah, Horton is the proud parent of 6-year-old Clark and 3-year-old Clara, who inspire him daily in his work.

“At the end of the day I’m an Arkansan, my kids are Arkansans, hopefully to grow up, live and die here. I want to make sure that this is a really, really great place,” he said. “It’s already a great place, but there are some things we could do to make it even better for the next generation.”

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NATE

olk

U N I T Y H E A LT H JACKSONVILLE N

ate Polk has lived a life of service, much of it in difficult circumstances. A 26-year U.S. Air Force veteran, he served in the fight against terror and was eventually reassigned to Arkansas to aid his father, who was dying of cancer. The veteran gravitated toward the respiratory field, where four years ago he spent his days among the sickest of the sick with COVID, which claimed his own daughter, Misha, in 2021.

Yet the 63-year-old, who recently came to Unity Health in Jacksonville after serving for years with the system’s Searcy location, is still inspired by the good he gets to do in his job as cardiopulmonary supervisor.

“The thing I enjoy most about the job is like, today, I had a girl call in sick so I get to work as a therapist,” he said.

“I like patient interaction and getting to talk to and know people.”

Polk discovered his vocation by accident. Just ahead of retiring from the service, he worked for the state veterans administration in IT at Fort Roots in North Little Rock.

He was assigned to Little Rock’s John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital’s respiratory department and was hooked. Graduating from the respiratory program at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, he landed with Unity in 2010.

Polk said while respiratory therapists are generally associated with specific diseases such as COPD or COVID, their reach is far broader in the day-to-day operation of a hospital.

“As cardiopulmonary supervisor, I have four full-time employees and about eight part-time employees,” he said.

“We run a 13-bed emergency department, we have five overnight beds and there’s a 24-bed psych unit here as well.

“Our ER averages 40-something patients a day; we had 55 the other day and that was a record. If we have to sedate and intubate someone and put them on a ventilator, we’re the ones that manage that, whether it’s a full-blown ventilator, which is invasive with tubing in your throat, or if it’s a BIPAP/CPAP. We probably see just about every single patient that comes through the door because we also do the cardiac side of the house, which is the EKGs and stuff.”

In addition to the patient-facing aspects of the job, Polk also has a passion for teaching, putting medical interns through their paces as they learn about his particular specialty.

“We have a teaching hospital in Searcy, and I’ll go in and teach them courses on ventilation,” he said. “I break down the simple stuff, anything from oxygen all the way through to the mechanical ventilation.” Through all these interactions, Polk gets to stress the vital importance of his medical specialty, be it in emergency or chronic situations.

“I’m most proud of being able to help patients breathe better,” he said. “You can go almost a month without eating anything substantial and you can make it about five, six, seven days without water, but you’ve got four minutes without breathing before you’re brain dead or damaged, at least. That’s where respiratory therapists come in.”

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CORA

asterday

WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT F

or many Arkansans, the COVID-19 pandemic provided challenges and changes to their daily lives. For Cora Easterday, it ignited her servant’s heart, calling her to go above and beyond for others in need.

“When the pandemic hit, I was working in group travel with Visit Hot Springs,” Easterday said. “However, no one was traveling at the time. A new opportunity with West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District (WCAPDD) presented itself, and it was very inspiring for me. I always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. I leaped at the opportunity and I haven’t looked back.”

Since 2021, she has served as business engagement coordinator for WCAPDD. Through 2014’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, WCAPDD promotes economic development, improves government services and offers community enrichment programs for a 10-county area.

“In our Arkansas Workforce Centers, we assist with resume building, online application assistance and utilizing our community connections to help jobseekers achieve their goals,” Easterday said. “For employers, we offer incumbent worker training, applicant screening and customized hiring events to help local businesses fulfill

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their recruiting, hiring and training needs.” As her team looks ahead to 2024, Easterday says expanding brand awareness is WCAPDD’s primary goal.

“There are still so many people out there that don’t know what we have to offer,” Easterday said. “To many, we’re known as the unemployment office, but we are so much more than that. We offer GED assistance with adult education programs, Arkansas Rehab Services (ARS) and more. Last year, we partnered with Arkansas Legal Services to hold record-sealing clinics to help remove barriers for employment for job seekers who have rehabilitated.”

For Easterday, promoting WCAPDD’s services comes second nature because she has used them herself.

“I was an Arkansas Rehab Services applicant when I went to college,” Easterday said. “They helped provide a stipend for books when I was a student, but they can do so much more than that. For example, if you work on a manufacturing line and your hearing aid goes out, you can work through ARS to keep your hearing aid and continue your work. It’s funny how life comes full circle sometimes. I never would have guessed that the program that helped me 20 years ago would be the same program I’m promoting today.”

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ANDREA

ole ASU - BEEBE

A

ndrea Cole of Beebe, nominated as one of the area’s “Five-Oh-Ones to Watch,” is a business professional, entrepreneur, wife, mother and grandmother.

Cole, in her role as the development officer/major gifts at ASU-Beebe, has facilitated educational opportunities for numerous students by overseeing private scholarship fundraising and allocation. Her diverse responsibilities span across fundraising endeavors for all four campus locations, co-chairing the Lecture-Concert Series, organizing comprehensive alumni engagements, managing the Vanguard Mini Grant program, coordinating community-centric events like the acclaimed Community Tree Lighting, and guiding the ASU-Beebe Development Councils for both Beebe and Heber Springs.

Cole also serves as the president of the Beebe Chamber of Commerce and helps plan major events for the community.

In addition, she has been instrumental in connecting several area communities while planning for the April total solar eclipse.

Further, she is the owner/operator of Total Design Revolution, a graphic design and marketing firm, and with her husband, Joseph, owns multiple rental properties and Red Frog Investments, a real estate investment business.

Cole attributes her success journey to her late parents, Bill and Kathy Ball, for raising her to always work hard,

value friendships, set goals and be resourceful. “They taught me how to always look for a better way to do things, continue to improve myself, and jump out there and just do it,” she said. “Life isn’t always easy, but if you do the right things, you will be successful.”

After graduating from Beebe High School, Cole earned an associate's degree in science with an emphasis on physical education from ASU-Beebe, then built upon that to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from ASU-Jonesboro (A-State). She had the unique experience of graduating from ASU-Beebe with her mother. Her mom took classes at ASU-Beebe previously but in 1967 put her degree on hold to raise Cole and her late brother, Andrew. When her mom began working for the college, she resumed classes. They both received their associate's degrees in 1997.

After her time at A-State, first as a student, then as the director of athletic marketing until 2009, Cole started her own graphic and web design business in Jonesboro. She continued working with her own company while becoming the assistant vice president for a software company, then later became a REALTOR® until returning to ASU-Beebe in 2018.

In 2015, she married Joseph, a retired Air Force major. Combined, the couple has three children and one grandchild.

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Photo by Mike Kemp

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YOUTH OF THE MONTH

CALEB PETTIS _____________________ __________________ SEARCY

By Mary Eggart

F

ollowing his graduation in May 2024, Caleb Pettis is looking forward to a bright future; however, he knows that he will be leaving a big part of his heart at Searcy High School as he crosses over into the next phase of life.

Pettis is an outstanding student who goes above and beyond in all aspects of his life. Throughout his high school career, Pettis has taken an active role as a student leader. He has been a member of FCCLA (Future Career and Community Leaders of America), FTA (Future Teachers Association), Key Club, Student Council and Partners Club. In fact, Pettis is the current Student Council President, and he takes great pride in serving and representing his fellow students. He said, “I help represent Search High School and the bright, intelligent students who make it what it is.”

Pettis said his senior year “has been one to remember so far.

I have created bonds with so many new friends and helped build a positive community while doing so.” Pettis credited his teachers for their roles in his life throughout high school and stated, “I will miss my amazing teachers who have taught me many useful life lessons. They really go underappreciated, and I will forever be thankful for them.”

Tennis is another one of Pettis’ passions. He has been playing since he was 8 years old. when he was introduced to the sport by a good friend. He credits his experiences playing tennis for opening up doors to many new experiences that he otherwise would not have had. Pettis said that his favorite part of playing and competing is the connections he has made over the years. He said, “Playing opponents from schools nearby has helped me make new friends from other schools that I will have by my side for the rest of my life.” He has been awarded All-Conference honors and competed at the state level.

Pettis credits his mother for all his success and said she is

the most influential person in his life. He stated, “She comes to all my sporting events and activities and always knows the right thing to tell me. She has taught me to be passionate about my abilities in a sport I love while never going against my morals to do so. I am so thankful for her and who she has helped me to become.”

Not only is Pettis active within his high school, but he is also a dedicated dance instructor at Searcy School of Dance, where he choreographs competitive routines for his students. He has truly enjoyed every minute of working with his students and seeing their progress and success. Pettis teaches solo, duet and trio routines as well as large group dances to put on stage.

He has thoroughly enjoyed attending competitions with his students, which have taken him all over the country. Most of their competitions have been in Arkansas, but Pettis’ favorite competition location has been New York.

Pettis’ skills as a dance instructor come from many years of being a dancer himself. He began dancing competitively when he was 5 years old. He has competed in tap, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary and many other styles of dance.

After graduation, Pettis plans to attend the University of Arkansas. His plan is to study psychology and/or marketing and advertising. Psychology appeals to Pettis because of his love of people and serving others. Pettis said, “I love helping people out and thought that [psychology] would be a great way to have a career in something I love.” He believes that the U of A is a great fit for him because it’s far enough away from home that he can experience a different lifestyle in Northwest Arkansas, but it is close enough to home that he can see his family and friends whenever he likes. Pettis said that he loves the university’s campus and the entire atmosphere it brings. He is looking forward to gaining new friendships and opportunities to serve others.

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ALEXANDER

aney M A LV E R N N AT I O N A L B A N K

E

verywhere you look, Alexander Baney is hard at work making Conway a better place to live, work and raise a family.

From his emphasis on giving teachers the tools they need to succeed, to his advocacy for children in the community, it’s easy to see why Baney is a Five-Oh-One to Watch.

By day, he serves as a commercial loan officer for Malvern National Bank, where he has worked as a lender since 2018. The son of two bankers, forming relationships comes easily for the Conway native, allowing him to give back to his community in a multitude of ways.

“My daily routine involves building new relationships with different members of our Faulkner and Pulaski County communities,” Baney said.

In 2023, he became board president for Children’s Advocacy Alliance, which oversees the management of the Court Appointed Special Advocates program as well as the Children’s Advocacy Center in Conway.

“The children of Central Arkansas are our future,” Baney said. “By giving them a safe space to tell their stories and help put them back together with their parents and families or walking them through the foster care system, we help give a voice to children who have been abused or neglected. Going forward, if our community is to thrive, we must invest in our children and give them the best possible future we can.”

Recently, he was named president of the Conway Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors. In his new role, he aims to empower educators and elevate student experience. For the past two years, he has served as chair

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of the foundation’s Classroom Impact Grants program, helping teachers put thousands of dollars back into their classrooms. “As a former student of Conway Public Schools who also has two sisters who are teachers, I have a heart for the teachers in this district,” Baney said.

“Serving as chair of the grants program, I quickly fell in love with the foundation’s mission of helping teachers and giving them the ability to bring new educational experiences and opportunities into their classroom through grants.”

A positive voice for the foundation, Baney’s experience as a banker has been essential to the organization’s ability to serve its teachers and students.

“One of our biggest accomplishments has been the growth of our grants cycle through the foundation,” he said “The amount continues to increase, and I’m excited to see where we land this year. More teachers are applying each year, and I am hoping to be able to give out an additional $40,000 this year. That is our goal.

“Some of my goals as president will be to increase our awareness and our endowment size,” he said.

No matter how much Conway continues to grow, Baney believes in cherishing the characteristics that make the 501 wonderful.

“Despite the amount of growth and expansion the 501 has seen in the past 20 years, it still feels like a small community of people looking out for you,” Baney said. “That’s the secret. The growth we’ve experienced, combined with the tight-knit community we’ve managed to keep along the way, is what makes this community so special.”

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N

ot everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up.

That was not the case for Callie Quiroz, who always knew she would stand in front of her own class one day. For Quiroz, “playing school” came second nature.

“My mother, Dorcas, has always worked with adults and children who have special needs, and my nana, Ramona Bishop-Johnson (known to everyone as Mrs. B.) taught at Perryville Elementary for 30 years,” Quiroz said.

“I grew up helping Nana with summer school and vacation Bible school, and with getting her classrooms ready for the new school year. I also had a great experience at my elementary school, Ida Burns, in Conway. I loved my years there and had many teachers that I looked up to.”

Quiroz received her college education at the University of Central Arkansas and holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, with endorsements in special education and ESL, as well as a master’s degree in education as a Library Media Specialist. Most recently, she earned an educational specialist degree.

She began work as a preschool teacher more than 15 years ago at Anne Watson Elementary in Bigelow, which is a pre-K through sixth-grade school with a current enrollment of 355 students. The school is part of the East End School District.

“I spent seven years as a pre-K teacher, then decided to use my love of literacy to become the librarian at our school,”

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Quiroz said. “Having the opportunity to teach my former pre-K students was so special, and I really enjoyed having the chance to connect with every student at Anne Watson.

In April of 2022, Quiroz interviewed for the principal position and was hired. Although she said she loved working as the school librarian, she couldn’t ignore that becoming principal felt like a true calling and that her 15 years at the school had been preparing her for the role.

“The relationships I have built with my students, their families and our staff are so important to me, and I am beyond thankful for this opportunity,” Quiroz said. “Anne Watson’s theme this year is ‘Our Future is Bright.’ We want our students to know we believe in them, and that they are capable of anything they set out to achieve. Visitors constantly tell us we have something very special about our district, and I am reminded daily they are right.”

Among the reasons the school is such a great place are the incredible students who attend Anne Watson, she said. “Some of these kids have risen from impossible circumstances, and the compassion our staff has for each of them is very humbling,” Qiuroz said. “Everyone is there because they care about the community, what they do and the kids.”

Quiroz, described as a servant-leader in her nomination, said that the East End School District’s Superintendent is an alum of the district and that she and others are deeply invested in the district’s success. “They all inspire me to lead by example, and my dream is to have a lasting impact on a place that means so much to me.”

CALLIE

uiroz A N N E WAT S O N E L E M E N TA R Y

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KENDRA

ruitt

L I T T L E R O C K M AYO R ' S O F F I C E F

rom small-town lawyer to Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s Chief of Staff, Kendra Pruitt has broken barriers her entire life.

Determined to achieve her dreams of becoming a lawyer, the Newport native spread her wings, attending Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia before graduating with her Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas in 2013, growing relationships with everyone she met along the way.

“One of my favorite sayings is ‘grow where you’re planted,’” Pruitt said. “Examine the world around you, educate yourself on your experiences and execute. Those life lessons guide us toward success in everything we do.”

Amid a highly energized Little Rock mayoral election in 2018, Pruitt was hard at work building her reputation as a lawyer when a phone call changed her trajectory.

“One day, an attorney friend of mine reached out and asked me to join Mayor Scott’s campaign,” Pruitt said.

“They were looking for a fresh perspective to get across the finish line. I came aboard as an advisor helping with debate prep and legal research. For me, it was all about making sure our city had good leadership.”

Following Mayor Scott’s election win, Pruitt’s hard work paid off with a big opportunity.

“It is truly an honor to serve the people of Little Rock,” Pruitt said. “I went from 40 clients as a lawyer to more than 200,000 clients: the residents of Little Rock. I see myself as a servant leader for our residents and do everything in my power to uplift, elevate and advocate change in their lives every day.”

Pruitt attributes the opportunities she has earned to the relationships she has made.

“I believe in the power of networking and mentorship,” Pruitt said. “As a young black woman from rural Arkansas wanting to go to law school, I didn’t know any lawyers personally. My pastor connected me with Candice Smith Kellogg, a Little Rock lawyer who happened to be speaking in Newport. She was impressed by my initiative and ambition and took me under her wing. It was through her that I eventually met Mayor Scott, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that opportunity.”

As a philanthropist, Pruitt runs Club R.E.S.T.O.R.E., a nonprofit organization in Newport focused on empowering students to excel. She has previously served on the board for First Tee-Central Arkansas and the Pulaski County Youth Services board and is passionate about paying mentorship forward.

“After the election, Mayor Scott asked me to join him as his senior advisor,” Pruitt said. “The rest is history. I served as senior advisor and chief strategist until 2022 when I became chief of staff.”

“I believe it’s my duty to lend a helping hand to others who need opportunities, relationships and work experience,” Pruitt said. “I’m constantly having others shadow me. I hire as many interns as I can, and I constantly make myself available to young people with big dreams like me.

As Mayor Scott’s right hand, Pruitt manages everything from hiring and personnel issues in 15 city departments to implementation of strategic innovations for the city.

I want to give back to young people and be an example of what they can achieve by providing programming and opportunities for them.”

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RAUL

ernandez SEIS PUENTES

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R

aul Fernandez brings passion to everything he does.

The 36-year-old has such a drive for community service, he says little time is left for much else, but he would not have it any other way.

Fernandez is the executive director for Seis Puentes Hispanic Outreach, a nonprofit on a mission to empower the Hispanic and immigrant communities in Central Arkansas.

Seis Puentes offers free English classes, free youth summer art programs, free financial and digital literacy workshops, a food pantry and the North Little Rock ID Card Program. So far, they have helped over 700 people obtain IDs. Born in Jacksonville, Fernandez attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in North Little Rock and then graduated from Little Rock’s Catholic High School for Boys in 2006. Fernandez now calls North Little Rock home.

After first attending the University of Central Arkansas, he later graduated in 2018 from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Family is important to Fernandez, who was encouraged to serve the community by his parents who came to North Little Rock from Puerto Rico in the late 1970s. He also has a brand-new niece who lives in California but recently spent a month with their family here in Central Arkansas.

Prior to joining Seis Puentes, Fernandez worked for the Rogers Photo Archive, where he was able to help create a digital scrapbook of America’s history and also auctioned vintage photography and sports memorabilia.

In addition, he worked for three years as a caretaker to three wonderful little boys.

Founded over 20 years ago, Seis Puentes recently moved into its new headquarters in the city’s Levy neighborhood.

Fernandez has served as executive director since early 2021. He has helped the organization to continue to grow its programming, including a backpack drive, which has doubled every year under his leadership.

Fernandez’s passion is evident when speaking about the nonprofit’s mission, stating, “I feel so proud, privileged and honored to be a part of the magic at Seis Puentes because I see the meaningful impact we create every day through our extensive free resources like our English classes, our financial literacy workshops and our food pantry and food distributions.

I often think of what it may have been like for my parents who moved to Arkansas from Puerto Rico and all the challenges that come with finding yourself in a new home.

I want all our new neighbors to know that they definitely belong here and that they definitely have a friend in Seis Puentes.”

Fernandez states that when not serving the community as part of his job, volunteering his free time to additional community service is his main hobby. He is also involved with the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, including serving on their Minority Business Accelerator committee. He also sits on the outreach board of the Patrick Hays Senior Citizens Center.When he does have a little down time, Fernandez enjoys the company of his poodle, Junior, and listening to NPR.

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Photo by Mike Kemp

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AUTHOR OF THE MONTH

TRENTON LEE STEWART _____________________ ___________

By Susan L. Peterson Continued on page 60

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This month's award-winning author, Trenton Lee Stewart, is definitely one to read and watch ... on TV! I

t was 2007 when Stewart's life took an abrupt turn with the publication of “The Mysterious Benedict Society.” This young adult novel sold well over three million copies, remained on the New York Times Best Sellers List for over a year, won prestigious awards, and spawned subsequent books and a Disney+ TV series.

The story is about a group of four gifted orphans, each with a different talent, attitude and perspective.

Under the direction of the enigmatic Mr. Benedict, the four go on a secret mission to save the world. Part of the appeal for the reader are the mental and physical problems, puzzles and riddles the characters need to solve in order to succeed. The book’s themes revolve around friendship, curiosity and teamwork.

Stewart’s success did not come quickly or easily, and its path took a quirky turn along the way. Ironically, he never thought he would be known for writing books for children.

With strong ties to Central Arkansas, Stewart was born and raised in Hot Springs and graduated from Lake Hamilton High School. He knew he wanted to be a novelist early on and majored in English at Hendrix (’92). He then continued his studies at the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop, earning his MFA in creative writing.

Stewart then took a series of odd jobs in Iowa and Ohio. The one caveat was that the job had to give him the freedom to continue to write and listen to audiobooks, so he served as a night clerk, an assistant librarian, and a video delivery man, to name a few. During these years, he applied for several academic positions, wrote and sold short stories and other pieces, and spent years revising one of his short stories into a novel, “Flood Summer.” He persevered for nearly a decade.

After finally finishing and submitting “Flood Summer,” Stewart sought a diversion. Within eight months, he wrote a story for young adults, “The Mysterious Benedict Society.” It was the kind of story that interested him when he was young–a big adventure with small heroes and mysterious elements.

Suddenly, in 2004, his world changed. Within the span of a few months, he was offered a position as visiting writer at University of Miami in Oxford, Ohio; “Flood Summer” was accepted for publication; and "The Mysterious Benedict Society” was purchased by the prestigious publishing company Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

Stewart suspected from the start that "The Mysterious Benedict Society" was going to be big. The publisher asked for a two-book contract, and they were devoting significant time and resources to promote its

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release. It went on sale in 2007, and the rest is history.

His second book, “The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey,” (2008) was easier for him in some ways, harder in others. Working with editors was a new challenge, but he learned lots of lessons from his first book.

And then there were more: “The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma” was published in 2009. “The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict” (2012) tells the backstory of narcoleptic Mr. Benedict. “The Secret Keepers” (2016) is a standalone mystery and adventure novel. “The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages” (2019) is the latest addition to the series.

Currently, Stewart is a few weeks away from completing his first draft of the latest in the series.

Its working title is “The Starfish and the Scorpionfly.”

And, yes, scorpionflies really do exist.

Shortly after publication, “The Mysterious Benedict Society” was optioned as a TV series. But it took about 5 years for it to be picked up, largely at the urging of the children of its producers. The first season aired on Disney+ in 2021-22. Stewart was hired as a consulting producer to give input on the scripts. It was a great Hollywood experience, getting first-class treatment touring the sets and meeting the actors. He believes the show was true to the spirit of the book and is proud that it was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards and won two during its first season. The second season was nominated for nine Emmys, and Stewart will definitely be watching when they are presented in January.

And what about “Flood Summer,” his debut adult novel? Described as a Southern Gothic novel, although it received excellent critical and reader reviews, it seems to have been overshadowed by the success of the Mysterious Benedict Society series. Arkansans will enjoy the setting of “Flood Summer,” which takes place near Hot Springs during a terrible storm. As a fan wrote in her review, “It seems to be grossly undernoticed.”

Stewart, who lives in Little Rock, continues to write and live the life of a successful author, presenting at conferences, giving book talks, and participating in online and in-person interviews. In 2019 his academic career came full circle when he served as Murphy Visiting Writer-in-Residence at Hendrix and taught a class entitled “Writing and Publishing Fiction.”

“Flood Summer” and the “Mysterious Benedict Society” books are available from online retailers or from local bookstores.

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JILL

onnema V I L O N I A R E A LT Y

J

ill Bonnema was born, raised and is a proud citizen of Vilonia. As a REALTOR® with her family-owned and -run company, Vilonia Realty, Bonnema dedicates her time to ensuring families in Faulkner County find the home that fits them best.

And it isn’t just families looking to purchase property for whom she finds homes. She and another community leader, Louise Witcher, formed LIFT (Lifting Individuals and Families Together), a nonprofit to help foster children in Faulkner County.

“Both Louise and I had worked in different aspects of foster care in our community,” Bonnema said. “We saw some gaps in the system that we thought we could fill, so we formed this nonprofit. One of our main goals is helping biological families with their needs so they can reunify with their kids.”

One of these ways is helping establish housing and furnishings so the family will have a safe place to call their own.

“Sometimes foster kids can’t reunify with their biological parents because they either don’t have a home, or the home they are in isn’t up to code or doesn’t have any furnishings. While we can’t take on remodeling or help in every situation, we can provide furniture. We work alongside other agencies in our community, because there are some other great agencies in other counties where we refer to them and they refer to us when we can help.”

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Bonnema said LIFT relies on the community for donations, and they utilize their Facebook page (LIFT) and lift-others.org to keep people up to date on their needs.

“We take gently used furniture, towels, dish towels– anything you might need in your home, our families need in theirs. Along with other agencies, we've helped homeless families get into an apartment, and we've been able to go in and fully furnish it for them. We recently had an infant born to a family who was homeless. They weren’t going to be able to bring their baby home because they didn’t have a place to stay. They were able to move in with a friend, and LIFT helped supply everything for the baby. They were able to stay together.”

Bonnema, a foster mom herself, said she met Witcher through their shared interest of working with foster families. When they decided to establish LIFT as a 501(c) (3) in the spring of 2023, they opened their bank account with $100. Both questioned how long their new venture would last, but they remained faithful.

“It's constantly growing,” she said. “We received a donation from the Faulkner County Board of Realtors and from Gwatney Chevrolet Buick. Ms. Louise keeps all the donations in her garage, and she’s constantly sorting. She’s a worker. Growing up and living here all my life, I think this is the best place to be, and it’s really an honor for me to serve this area in Faulkner County.”

Food for the Soul

Ron Griffin's journey from Renewal Ranch graduate to executive chef

By Vivian Lawson Hogue

In my earlier inquisitive years, I would sit on a stool and

watch my mother use a “pinch” of salt, a “dollop” or “knob” of butter, or a “blub” of 4 tablespoons. When she made her famous peanut butter fudge, she spoon-slapped the mixture around the bowl, making a distinctive sound that delighted the brothers.

They started a rhyme that imitated the sound and came up with “icky-blicky-blocky-wop.” Just say it—you’ll hear it!

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I was recently privileged to visit with Chef Ron Griffin, who understands those vintage cooking measurements.

Griffin is the executive chef at Renewal Ranch, located near Conway in Houston (Perry County). His career experience is astounding, and his cooking methods are much like my mother used. He routinely uses smidgens and blubs. “At age 15, I served a brief stint at Burger King. It taught me that what

I wanted was creativity,” he said. “I’m one of those chefs that is ‘freestyle.’ I know what 2 tablespoons looks like. I can smell when something is right.” He doesn’t need a dishwasher-safe glass cup red-marked with every measurement known to man.

Griffin was born in Chicago in the small community of Downers Grove. In time, he, his younger siblings and mother moved to Arkansas to live with his maternal grandfather.

“My mother attended nursing school and waited tables at Shoney’s Big Boy,” he said. “As the oldest, I was responsible for preparing food for the three of us after school. Mother would also let my cousin and me ‘cook,’ and we probably made some terrible things.

“We were poor, but mother cooked some wonderful soups and can cook chicken a thousand ways.

She often said, ‘We may not have had material things, but we always had food.’ In fact, the grocery had special offers where chickens were 5 cents a pound with a limit of three per person. Mother would take us three kids plus four cousins, and we got lots of chickens,” he said.

The chef graduated from Little Rock’s Parkview High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He then became serious about working when he contemplated marriage. Starting a family meant finding real work. He was invited to work at Macaroni Grill in Baton Rouge, La., and it was there that he became an executive chef. With 30 years in the food service industry, his qualifications include expertise in Italian, French, Cajun, Asian, Mexican and Southern-style cooking.

In 2020, Griffin began working at Renewal Ranch, a thriving and rewarding faith-based and Christ-centered program for men age 21 and older who fight substance abuse. The one-year program spends six months each in Phases I and II. Residents

are given the means and privilege to form a close relationship with the forgiving Jesus Christ. When asked what keeps him going, he keeps two favorite scriptures at hand. The first is I Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Other times, he summons up Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Griffin knows these are true because he is actually a graduate of Renewal Ranch. With alcohol being so available in kitchens over the years, he finally found, as do many chefs, that he was dependent on it. Once a high-functioning chef, he was at his lowest point. With God, friends, family, pastors and miraculous circumstances, he recovered at Renewal Ranch.

Upon enrolling, he was told that God and the ranch would change his life. He answered with a doubtful, “Yeah, sure.”

However, now he says, “But it is amazing what God has done for me and, in turn, for others. God doesn’t just throw us away. He changes our lives.”

During his career, he fed 1,200 participants in Race for the Cure; trained international culinary interns; served Thanksgiving dinners for Friends and Family of Arkansas Children’s Hospital; provided monthly lunch buffets for underprivileged children; and provided a Chef’s Dinner Donation for the American Heart Association. He supports local ministries with food donations, chef-driven events or fundraisers, including Harbor Home for Women, Bethlehem House, Renewal Ranch, Central Baptist Church, Conway Ministry Center and Soul Food Café Mission.

Griffin attributes his successes to God’s retrieving him from his deep pit, both to save him and so He would receive the glory. His sons, ages 23, 24 and 27, observe their father’s spiritual reliance, work ethic and self-sufficiency. What better legacy could benefit all our children? Especially now.

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CORBIN

itts

FILMMAKER, ACTOR AND PERFORMER F

rom the moment that Corbin Pitts was first bitten by the acting bug, the 501 native knew he was destined for big things on the silver screen.

“The running joke with me is that since age five, I’ve celebrated each of my birthdays on a movie set,” Corbin said. “My first role was young ‘Red’ Erwin in Red Courage. It really just fell into my lap. At the time, I was doing modeling for Dillard’s and some magazines and catalogs.

I couldn’t read, so my mom had to read me my lines. I met so many people on that set who have become valuable mentors today.”

Following Red Courage, Corbin’s career gained traction quickly. By age eight, he was signed to an agency and began performing hundreds of shows at North Little Rock’s Argenta Community Theater and Arkansas Repertory Theater, garnering national attention for his abilities on stage.

“I remember working a lot and taking lots of road trips,” Corbin said. “Every year was something else. My parents were doing everything they could to help me get noticed by larger agencies and productions, and opportunities kept coming my way.”

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At age 11, one of Corbin’s biggest opportunities came in the form of HBO’s crime drama True Detective.

“My agent told me True Detective was holding auditions in Little Rock for season three, and I knew I had to give it a shot,” Corbin said. “Auditions were held at an abandoned mall downtown. I remember feeling like my audition didn’t go well. I forgot my lines and thought there was no way I would be cast. To my surprise, they called me and offered me the role of Mike Ardoin.”

While working on True Detective, Corbin became enamored with the production’s large set and decided to grow the scope of his career. In 2017, the young actor created Heroe Productions Entertainment, a production company run by kids.

“The idea began from taking my mom’s camera and making films with my buddies at sleepovers,” Corbin said.

“Today, we are the largest youth-led production company in Central Arkansas.”

Theater. Standing on stage in front of a sold-out crowd being congratulated for an idea that began in my bedroom one night was electrifying. That moment did it all for me.”

Today, Corbin is a 17-year-old senior at North Little Rock High School and recently finished season one as Stockboy Sam on Arkansas PBS’ Mystery League. Despite his busy career, the young actor maintains a 4.0 GPA and is hard at work planning to make 2024 his best year ever.

“I have two films coming out next year: Crescent City and Murder at Hollow Creek,” Pitts said. “Entering young adulthood, I’m trying to plan for the future. I’m writing my next film to be my first feature film. I’ve cast a few people and named a producer and I hope to start shooting in the next couple of months for a late 2024 release.”

Corbin lives in North Little Rock with his parents, Kyle and Kristin. Corbin’s sister, Grace Pitts, is also an actor, singer and dancer.

Through Heroe Productions, Corbin wrote, directed and released his first official film, Salad Days.

“My family are my biggest supporters,” Corbin said.

“They are wonderful people who have helped me through everything. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

“I started writing my first film at age 15,” Corbin said.

“I spent six months writing a 30-page script. One year later, we held the world premiere at Argenta Community

For more information on Heroe Productions Entertainment, visit heroeproductions.com. For more information on Corbin's career, visit imdb.me/corbinpitts.

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KID OF THE MONTH

AMELIA LISOWE _____________________ __________________ BENTON

By Kelli Reep Photo by Mike Kemp

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W

hile most 13-year-olds were watching “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Amelia Lisowe starred in it.

to 10 countries, and it came with a little help from Jennifer Hudson herself.

“That was a whirlwind,” she said. “Her team heard about Lisowe’s Lights from the People Magazine article, then we got to do interviews on all kinds of national news shows.”

“At the end of the show, she presented me with a check for 2,500 to reach my goal of 17,250 nightlights by the end of this year,” Amelia said.

For good reason. Amelia founded her own nonprofit at just 8 years old when other nonprofits wouldn’t accept her as a volunteer. “They all said I was too young then,” she explained.

“I decided that, well, if they wouldn’t let me volunteer, I’ll help in another way.”

The reason she continues pursuing her nonprofit work is because a small thing can make a difference to someone in need. A citizen of Benton, Amelia is making plans for the future of Lisowe’s Lights while maintaining her school, pageant and dance careers.

Since she was only 7 years old, Amelia has volunteered more than 750 hours for seven Arkansas organizations, including a food bank, senior centers and dancing with special needs children. Proving that you are never too little to make a difference, Lisowe raised enough money in 2018 to donate more than 500 nightlights to foster children in Central Arkansas.

“My mom told me that some foster kids might have to leave in the middle of the night, and sometimes they don't get to take anything with them,” Amelia said. “That made me feel really bad, and I thought that a nightlight would help them to feel safer and more comfortable wherever they were.”

Expanding on the success of that first year, Amelia decided to reach foster children throughout the U.S. in 2019. As a result, more than 15,000 nightlights were delivered not only to every one of the states in the country but to nine countries throughout the world. This year, that number has expanded

$

“My short-term goal is to continue donating 5,000 nightlights a year to children in foster care around the world,” she said. “We just launched our Ambassadors of Light class where students ages 8 to 17 from across the U.S. will help us get the word out about what we do and how others can help.

There are 12 in this first class, and they can have their own nightlight donation drives and donate where they live. That’s something that can be done throughout the year. And we have packing parties in Saline, Pulaski and Faulkner counties.”

The packing parties are a way for youth, church, community or business groups to get involved and learn more about Lisowe’s Lights while helping children in their community.

“My long-term goal is to continue educating people on foster care and the importance of helping foster kids so when my generation become adults, we have a passion for helping foster children and can get a step closer to fixing the foster care crisis,” she said. “I would like for us to donate more than 20,000 nightlights to 10 countries throughout the world.”

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DR. KELLI

artin

GREENBRIER PUBLIC SCHOOLS D

r. Kelli McGaha-Martin takes every opportunity to make her community a better one to live, learn, work and thrive. The deputy superintendent of Greenbrier Public Schools, Dr. Martin began her career as an educator 24 years ago, but her love of learning began when she was a kindergarten student in the school district she now leads.

“I love the small-town, country way of life we have, and I never really thought about leaving the area,” she said. “Holland and Greenbrier are home, and I know God placed me here and kept me here for reasons bigger than I even know now. Building a career in Greenbrier is my opportunity to give back to my hometown and our people.”

Today, Dr. Martin lives in Holland with a home away from home in Dennard. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, her master’s degree in educational leadership and education specialist degree from Harding University in Searcy, and Ph.D. in educational leadership from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. She is passionate about education because “it’s a people business,” and she says the reason Greenbrier Public Schools is one of the best in the state is because of its people.

“I remember when we began using #GreenbrierProud to brand the school district, and the reasons why are countless,” Dr. Martin said. “I am proud of the love for children that our school community has as well as the combined commitment of our educators, parents, community members and students, which is unmatched.

This all combines to make Greenbrier Public Schools a truly special place to learn, lead, teach and live.”

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In addition to her responsibilities as deputy superintendent, Dr. Martin serves on the board of the Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce and says this has opened numerous opportunities to connect students with local businesses and community partners.

“A few years ago, we re-established work-based learning through internships, career practicum and Jobs for Arkansas Graduates, which allows for high school students to work in various paid and unpaid positions while earning graduation credit,” she said. “The success of our workbased learning program is connected to the collaboration between our school district, the Greenbrier Chamber of Commerce and the city of Greenbrier.

“It is also my privilege to serve as the school district’s unhoused liaison,” Dr. Martin continued. “Just like communities small and large across the nation, Greenbrier has an increasing unhoused population. To help, I apply for and access McKinney Vento Grant funds to sustain our Project Serve program. Over the past four years, this grant has allowed us to allocate more than $140,000 to address the needs of our students without homes or transition.

While grant funds support the event, our community partners provide additional resources, ranging from personal hygiene items, basic medical care items, shoes, socks, nonperishable food, blankets, books, mental health resources and more. Serving as the district's unhoused liaison keeps me grounded as it is a continual reminder that every person we meet is going through something. Serving our unhoused population is a reminder to shine and to be someone’s rock every time the opportunity arises.”

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ARTIST OF THE MONTH

TOWNSEND

________________________ CO N WAY

By Donna Lampkin Stephens

Continued on page 76

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‘I’ve been given a story to share to build a community, to better myself and other people.’

- Townsend

T

he Conway-based musician, who goes by one name, has combined her background in healthcare and her experience of deep loss with her music, resulting in echoes of hope that have reverberated around the world.

“I have a higher purpose now,” she said. “I feel like it’s selfish to keep it all to myself. I’ve been given a story to share to build a community, to better myself and other people.”

According to her bio, Townsend has opened for charttopping artists such as Sister Hazel, Jason Reeves, Kris Allen, Maggie Rose and Ben Rector and has twice been named a semifinalist in an international songwriting contest. Her songs have appeared in commercials and short films. She describes her music as similar to that of Tracy Chapman and Brandi Carlile—“Americana with a touch of country and soul.”

Townsend, 34, grew up in Pine Bluff, where music was always a part of her life. Self-taught, she played drums for a punk rock band through junior high and high school before attending the University of Central Arkansas to study communication sciences and disorders.

“I started picking up the guitar, and I wanted to start a band,” she recalled. “Through the encouragement of my friends, I ended up as the front man, singing and playing guitar.”

The five-person band was called Townsend. “I was in Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, and they’d always have me play guitar at events, and we got hired for a lot of Greek events,” she said.

But she’d grown up with the understanding that music was a hobby, not a career. A good student, she thought her future

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would be in healthcare. But the gigs got bigger, and after graduation, she faced a decision—music or further education.

“A lot of my band mates were getting married and moving on with their lives,” she said. “I was thinking I would make my career as a speech therapist, so I went straight on to the master’s program.”

But she and her drummer, Terrance Richardson, continued their side gig with acoustic shows while she was in graduate school. After graduating in 2013, she got a job in the nursing home setting, still playing music on the side. But in 2016, Richardson, whom she’d met while a freshman at UCA and with whom she’d collaborated musically for nine years, died in a car accident.

“That was a big blow,” Townsend said. “He was my best friend, my security blanket. He was the one who encouraged me to get up and sing and front the band.”

Richardson’s death “absolutely changed everything.” In the aftermath, she stepped away from music for the first time in her life. “It was something I did every single day, but I did not touch anything for at least a year,” she remembered. “It wasn’t fun. I usually had him in there with me, having a great time, but after he died, music brought more grief than joy.”

About a year later, while working through that grief, she started writing again, including the single “Show Me Home.”

“That was pretty therapeutic for me,” she said. “It really resonated with me, hoping that Terrance would show me my way back to myself, figuring things back out again. That was my catalyst back into music.”

A CD release party for the single honored Richardson in 2018 and marked her return to music. “Through sharing that story and playing music again, trying to get back into the scene, I realized that everybody has something in common—basically to need to know they’re not alone,” she said. “I had a lot of anxiety through the grieving process, and I tried to heal myself. I worked out, ate well, went to church—I was in the best health ever, but there was still something off, and I finally made the call to go to counseling.”

That experience resulted in the song “Watch the Walls.” “I’d completely lost light and hope, and I was searching for that, and that’s when people started talking to me about how they could relate to that song, and they would tell me their stories,” she said.

A serviceman who’d lost several people to suicide made her promise to tell people at her next gig that everyone has their demons and “you’re not alone.”

“I held my promise,” she said. “I’ve been through it, and I found myself feeling called that I can do more.”

Thus was eventually born her weekly podcast “You’re Not Alone with Townsend,” which has “quite literally become a mental health movement,” she said. She hopes to use her more than 30,000 social media followers all over the world to make mental health more of a conversation and less of a stigma. In less than a year, the podcast has been streamed nearly 50,000 times.

It is available on all streaming platforms.

Her latest musical project, “brOKen,” shows “how the trauma we experience will always be a part of us. It leaves us broken, but in the end we’re really OK,” she said. “I feel like it was a calling.

I was in healthcare; I can do more. I love helping people and listening to people’s stories.”

For more information, visit TownsendTmusic.com or follow TownsendTmusic on social media.

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STEPHANIE

hite

M AYO R O F K EO, A R M

eet Stephanie White, Keo’s answer to the Energizer Bunny.

Why Keo? This bundle of grit, commitment and vision has lived in the small town of Keo since she was 11. Other than a short stint in the Coast Guard, she has continued to live in the house of her raising. “Keo was a great place to grow up, though I did not think so at the time,” she said. “It is an even better place to raise a family. I am passionate about preserving Keo. It is a blessing to live in such a warm and quaint small community while still close enough to easily access goods, work and travel options.”

White wears many hats. She works full time as an RN at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, volunteers at the public school and has time to serve as the mayor of Keo. She recently led a group of volunteers to rebrand Keo, naming it the Pecan Capital of Arkansas. She said the movement was a total grassroots effort and volunteer-driven.

“We have a coalition of ladies, called the Keo Collective, capable of moving mountains,” she said. “We recognized our beautiful and abundant pecan orchards as a unique asset we knew little about.

Last year, we hosted a small festival with education about pecans as a focal point. A savvy community partner suggested we claim our place as the Pecan Capital of Arkansas, given the abundance of large orchards and homes with pecan trees.” So, the rest is history.

This coalition of volunteers recently hosted the second annual Pecan Festival, attracting more than 2,000 visitors, and dozens of local vendors and exhibitors. And that is a big deal since there are only 207 residents of Keo, according to the last census.

What motivates White? She admits to being a “fixer and problem solver.” The skills and experience she developed in her nursing career are, according to her, easily transferable to her leadership role as mayor. “I know from education and practice the social determinants of health and how a person’s life expectancy can be predicted based on their zip code,” she said. “There are so many wonderful aspects of living in a rural community. I feel compelled to work toward sustaining and improving the environment for everyone. Healthy communities beget healthy citizens. And my personal experience with breast cancer solidified how unpredictable life is, so I committed to live life more fully and present.”

White is determined to help her little town thrive, encouraging others to stay the course with commitments of their time and resources. What is in store for this energetic small-town mayor? “My future is right here in Keo. The small community I could not wait to leave is now with my family, the center of my universe,” she said.

“I dream of a vibrant community with great food, shopping, and cultural opportunities. We want to build on our brand with valueadded pecan product manufacturing and ultimately hope to become a destination for pecan research, development and education.”

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Photo by Mike Kemp

Preston Noland rescued five-year-old Chica, a chiweenie, nearly three years ago through Southern Hearts Rescue. She was found running loose as a stray in the deep cold of winter. His fiancée, Heather, had recently moved to a new apartment and was lonely, so Noland sent her a photo of the friendly, nervous little dog. Heather responded, “I love her—bring her to me.”

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PET OF THE MONTH

SOUTHERN HEARTS RESCUE AND PRESTON NOLAND

By Mary Eggart

S

ome of the biggest hearts belong to those who rescue animals, and Preston Noland’s passion for rescuing and finding homes for abandoned and abused dogs and cats is unparalleled. But this is only one of his areas of expertise.

He has partnered with Southern Hearts Rescue, a nonprofit organization based in Bauxite, whose mission is rescuing and saving as many animals as they can in the Central Arkansas area. Noland, along with his rescue partner, Whitney Ashcraft, also offers consulting and humane trapping of lost and loose animals that need their help. Together, they have reunited countless owners with their beloved fur babies.

Additionally, Noland is always on the lookout for dogs and cats that have been dumped outdoors, often when the weather is not conducive to their survival. More often than not, these animals are starved and have undergone heartbreaking abuse. The process of coaxing a traumatized dog or cat to safety requires an abundance of skill and patience, all of which Noland possesses. Not only do he and Ashcraft come to the aid of dogs and cats that are in peril, they also save multiple forms of wildlife, including rabbits, raccoons, deer, birds and even once a wallaby. As Noland said, “Literally if it’s an animal, and we can find a way to save it, we will.”

In 2014, Noland became the administrator for the Facebook page called Arkansas Lost and Found Pet Network. The page connects owners and finders of lost pets and provides a place where loose pets can be reported. It is one of the first ways he receives notifications of animals in trouble. One of these notifications was actually what led to him meeting Ashcraft in 2018. Someone reported that puppies had been dumped on the side of a road 45 minutes away from him.

The weather was calling for snow, so he knew they would most likely not survive if left outdoors. Apparently, Ashcraft had the same idea, and together, as the first snow of the year began to fall, they worked until 3 a.m. to catch the puppies, who were incredibly tiny and absolutely terrified. Since then, Noland has acquired special humane equipment and developed skills that make rescues easier and faster.

“Every animal deserves a loving home, and if all that stands between an animal’s safety or demise is me being the connector, I will definitely take a shot!” he said. “My determination is definitely stronger than the animal’s fear.

When people send you pictures of that scrawny, terrified ball of fur that you were not sure was going to make it later lounging in their new home with their family, that is my reward.”

Sadly, the work that Noland does is endless. He and Ashcraft are always coming across new animals that have been abandoned. He said he can’t stress enough how important it is for people to spay and neuter their pets.

Noland and Southern Hearts Rescue are totally self-funded and rely on the generosity of donors to further their work.

Any donations made go towards vet bills, animal food, blankets, gas, equipment, travel expenses, etc.

“This is definitely not a way to make money; we always give it back to the animals in one way or another,” he said.

“Luckily, my day job and fiancée help keep the lights on in my home. Rescue work is very demanding. It really takes a toll on a person. The amount of injuries, wear and tear on my vehicle, loss of equipment and money spent is mind blowing.

Not to mention, the heartbreaking times when you’re so overwhelmed with requests and you want to, but you can’t possibly help them all and that is emotionally devastating.”

But for Noland, it’s those amazing success stories that give him the patience, motivation and fortitude to keep going, keep working and keep saving lives—one animal at a time.

Visit Preston Noland and Southern Hearts Rescue on social media. Monetary donations can be sent via Paypal, Venmo or CashApp accounts, or mailed to The Empty Vase, c/o Preston Noland, 11330 Arcade Drive Unit 3, Little Rock, AR 72212.

Donations for Southern Hearts Rescue are also gratefully accepted. To donate monthly, go to donorbox.org/savinganimals. Checks or packages can be mailed to Southern Hearts Rescue, 13616 Mars Hill Road, Bauxite, AR 72011.

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JENNY BETH

urroughs

C O N W A Y R E G I O N A L H E A LT H S Y S T E M J

enny Beth Burroughs’ friends describe her as hardworking, resourceful and adventurous. It’s clear after speaking with her for just a few minutes that these things are true and that she is more than deserving of the FiveOh-Ones to Watch honor.

Burroughs had a modest upbringing in a rural town in Louisiana. She always knew she wanted to do something different, and she was internally motivated to make a better life for herself. That drive and determination is what led her into the medical field. “It was 20 years ago when I went to scrub tech school, and at the time it wasn’t very common. I just wanted to do something that no one else was doing, so I went for it,” Burroughs said.

After working for six years as a scrub tech, she returned to school to become a Registered Nurse and has worked her way up through several positions in the operating room. She is now the surgical services manager at Conway Regional Medical Center. She oversees day-to-day operations in surgery services, including managing around 75 employees. “I’ve always been a leader, and I’ve always liked science and been attracted to hands-on work,” she said.

When she isn’t working, Burroughs can be found enjoying one of the many hiking trails around Central Arkansas or popping into a flea market along Highway 65 with her husband and two kids. “My kids and I love to be outdoors.

We try to get out and hike as much as we can. Our favorite trails are at Petit Jean State Park,” said Burroughs.

She is also a leader in her church and community.

“Organizations for kids have my heart. I want to be a part of giving kids what I didn’t have growing up,” said Burroughs. She’s organized food drives for homeless shelters, “stuff the bus” projects, and has been a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. She calls upon her natural leadership skills to motivate those around her to participate.

“It’s not easy getting volunteers to take time away from what they do on the weekends and after work,” Burroughs said. “I have to be a motivator. I have to make people reach deep down and help them find their reason for wanting to give back.”

In her career, she has been inspired by her colleagues and mentors whom she has seen excel in their careers.

What motivates her is her daughter. “She is my mini-me. I want her to see that she can do things for herself and that she does not have to depend on anyone to do it for her.

Especially in her career,” said Burroughs, adding that she is already an aspiring surgeon at only 5 years old.

As for what the future holds for Burroughs, who describes herself as “highly motivated,” she is looking forward to continuing to excel in her position at Conway Regional.

She is also on a mission to find an organization where she can be a more permanent volunteer. “Whatever I’m doing, I hope that I am glorifying God in some way throughout the day, every day.”

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There’s an App for That Conway Regional shares the latest tech to help reach fitness goals in 2024 F

itness technology continues to be all the rage as 2024 dawns and fitness enthusiasts are shopping for the best phone apps and personal fitness devices for their goals. The tech selection extends from watches, rings and other wearable devices to upgrades in the exercise technology at local fitness centers.

"The biggest things that most people use these wearable devices for are your steps. Did you get 10,000 steps per day? People also measure their calories and sleep with watches," said Amanda Castillo, member experience manager for the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center. Amanda has an Apple Watch and an Oura ring. The Oura Smart Ring analyzes steps and body temperature. Dubbed a sleep tracker, the ring can also detect when the person wearing it is about to get sick.

Conway Regional Health & Fitness Center member Christy Beacham is attached to her Oura ring. She purchased a Garmin fitness tracker years ago, fueling her drive to learn more about the effect of her exercise routine on her body.

"I've recently purchased an Oura ring, and the insight it shares regarding my body and fitness is above and beyond," said Beacham. "I'm learning things that I would have never paid attention to, from the shifts in my body temperature to sleep patterns, stress insights and my recovery. Reading it on the screen helps me understand the impact of all the different things that affect my day-to-day performances."

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Hunter Little, a certified personal trainer at the fitness center, wears a Whoop fitness tracker on his bicep. The Whoop also tracks sleep and recovery after exercise and has a heart rate variability scale that detects the wearer's overall sleep efficiency, health and wellness. The Whoop measures five distinct aspects of health, including respiration.

Little began wearing the Whoop to assist him in adjusting his sleep habits. He prefers the Whoop because it can determine when he is about to get sick. "I can increase my vitamin intake to slow the sickness or hopefully stave it off," he explained.

Little has a degree in exercise science, a specialty in corrective exercise, and a keen interest in health and fitness research.

He also assists with youth sports performance training and medical fitness programs.

Fitness technology does not end with personalized devices and wearables.

“Their ability to integrate not only fitness tracking apps but also entertainment apps like YouTube, Netflix and others is impressive,” he said. “This, along with the 60+ virtual courses our members can take advantage of, creates an extremely enjoyable workout experience with endless possibilities.”

"The positive aspect of all of this technology is that it can support you with the calorie counting and tracking steps, but I tell people to focus on your diet, drink your water and move," Castillo said. “There is an app that can track your water and breathing. These will track heart rate and tell you what zone you are exercising in."

While fitness apps, smart watches and other devices can monitor exercise intensity, Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center also recommends following the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines to ensure success in meeting those health and fitness goals in 2024.

For instance, Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center provides members with 11 state-of-the-art Matrix Fitness treadmills connected to entertainment with 22-inch touchscreen video display screens.

The Matrix treadmills also offer: • An app interface for streaming services like Netflix.

• A Virtual Active feature—footage from exotic locations that match your pace.

• Pre-programmed workouts and fitness tests.

• Bluetooth capability.

• Wireless charging for devices.

"What's nice is that on these treadmills, you can also create an account to track your workouts and progress," said Castillo.

"You can log in to any Matrix treadmill to show your previous workouts. It is like having your own smart treadmill."

Jeramie Hinojosa, director of the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center, said the Matrix treadmills were chosen because of the company’s heavy investment in fitness technology to create an immersive experience with the cardio equipment.

Christy Beacham, a member of the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center, uses fitness trackers to learn more about the impact her exercise routine has on her health.

Congratulations to

JENNY BETH BURROUGHS on being selected as a “Five-Oh-One to Watch.”

This recognition is a testament to Jenny’s exceptional dedication and the compassionate light she brings into the lives of patients and colleagues alike.

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COLE

chanandore OTT INSURANCE

A

t only 30 years old, Cole Schanandore has been plugged into Conway for years. Born in Chicago, his family moved to Conway when he was 2 years old. He tells people, “I got here as quick as I could.”

Schanandore graduated from Conway High School in 2011. He enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas, unsure of where his career path might lead. An introductory class in insurance led him to obtain a bachelor’s degree in insurance and risk management in 2014.

After several years working as an underwriter for a national insurance company, Schanandore accepted a sales position at Ott Insurance in Conway in 2017. With his knowledge of both personal lines and commercial lines coverages, he can help his clients with any risk mitigation needs they might have for their family and/or their business.

“Working at Ott Insurance is rewarding because we are there to help our clients on their worst day,” he said. “One of the benefits of my job is that I get to meet lots of people and learn about all different types of businesses. I also get to develop deep personal relationships with the clients I work with.”

He is active in several trade organizations, including the Professional Insurance Agents of Arkansas (PIA) and the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas (the Big I).

He said his mother was one of his role models. He grew up admiring her work ethic and heart for others, and like

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his mother, he too finds time to help others.

Schanandore has been very involved in the Kiwanis Club of Conway since joining in 2017. The club has been a longtime sponsor of the annual Toad Suck Daze 10k/5k, and Schanandore became immersed with this event early on.

He currently serves as the committee chair of this event that attracts hundreds of runners each year from all over the state and beyond.

The Kiwanis Club of Conway is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024. Cole is currently serving as vice president and is slated to become the club’s 101st president in October, leading the club into its second century.

His wife, Sally, works part-time as a speech therapist at Milestones in Conway. They welcomed their first child in 2023 with the birth of their son, James.

He enjoys hunting and fishing, especially fly fishing on the Norfork River. He also loves to cook, saying his favorite dishes are the ones that use the most pots and make the biggest mess.

Despite the demands of his career and fatherhood, Schanandore expects to remain active in his hometown.

“Conway is a community that I’ve gotten so much out of, so it’s important for me to give back,” he said. “Helping out is a small way to improve the community we live in.

My professional goal is to be an expert in my field and help take Ott Insurance to the next level. And personally, I want to be the best husband and dad that I can be.”

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ENERGY SMART CHALLENGE

By Beth Jimmerson

I

t’sI that time of year again. The holidays are officially over.

We are putting away the decorations and making lists of what we hope to accomplish this year. In 2024, you can resolve to save energy and money by participating in the Conway Corp Energy Smart Challenge.

The challenge helps Conway residents make home energy upgrades easy and affordable. No matter how large or small you start, saving energy is a resolution you can stick with to save money in the long run, while making your home more comfortable too.

Ready to take the Energy Smart Challenge? Put these five steps into action over the next year and you will notice changes.

PROFESSIONAL HOME ENERGY AUDIT

A professional energy audit from Conway Corp is the first step in energy savings. Best of all—it’s free. Our certified professionals will help you identify how much energy your home consumes and what measures may be taken to make it more energy efficient. The analysis will show any problems that may, when corrected, save significant amounts of money over time.

During the audit process, a Conway Corp-certified energy professional will perform a walk-through inspection of your home using a variety of techniques and equipment. The inspection will help you understand the energy efficiency level of your home’s heating and cooling systems, look at how your windows and doors seal, inspect insulation levels, show you ways to conserve electricity and help identify leaks in your home.

Annually, homes that have received a free audit from the Energy Smart program save more than $1.8 million combined in utility costs. Over the lifetime of the program, these homes have saved more than $10 million. Some solutions are simple and inexpensive. For example, a $4 tube of caulk might save you $100 in energy costs. Other improvements might be more expensive but can be done over time, like installing efficient low-wattage lighting fixtures, adding insulation, or upgrading to Energy Star-rated appliances.

BENCHMARK YOUR ENERGY USAGE

Staring down 12 months of utility bills can be daunting, but benchmarking is a key step toward seeing how your current energy usage stacks up. By prioritizing projects, you will make a dent in your utility bills. The myConwayCorp app is a great resource for the past 13 months of electric and water usage in your home. Once you have a baseline of your energy usage, you can clearly see when you’re making progress.

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MAKE ONE ENERGY-EFFICIENCY INVESTMENT A MONTH

You don’t have to start big. Work at your own pace and start with small upgrades like replacing old lightbulbs with energyefficient LED bulbs. About 10 percent of the energy your home uses goes to lighting costs. By replacing five of your home's most frequently used lights with energy-efficient ENERGY STAR bulbs, you can save $75 a year in energy costs. Compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs can yield as much as 75 percent energy savings and last six times longer.

If you want to make a bigger impact, installing and utilizing a smart thermostat can save you 15 percent or nearly $150 on your yearly utility bills. Switching to ENERGY STAR-certified appliances can save nearly $750 over the lifetime of the item.

The Energy Smart program offers zero percent interest loans to Conway Corp customers for home improvements like replacing old appliances or installing attic insulation. The loan program, funded by the City of Conway through the American Recovery Act of 2009, is available only to Conway Corp customers. Although there are no income limits, applicants must have a good credit history with Conway Corp. Loans, which are between $500 to $2,500 and are repayable over a 36-month period. To date, Conway Corp has provided more than 400 loans totaling more than $1.1 million dollars.

SIGN UP FOR THE 2024 ENERGY SMART CHALLENGE

Set an energy-saving goal that will both challenge you and serve as an attainable milestone to reach by year-end. Aim to reduce energy use by 5 percent and save $300 from last year.

Whatever your goal—set it and work toward it.

Once you have made the commitment, visit ConwayCorp. com/EnergySmartChallenge to officially sign up to take the Energy Smart Challenge and pledge to reduce your energy usage and footprint in 2024. You will find other ideas and tips for energy efficiency, along with information on free residential energy audits and zero-percent interest loans for qualified energy-efficient improvements.

Customers who register to take the Energy Smart Challenge and schedule their free residential energy audit during January will be entered to win a $100 gift card to help with energy efficiency improvements around the home. The winner will be selected by a random drawing in February. To schedule your energy audit or learn more about the zero-percent interest loan program, call 501.450.6000 or email comments@ConwayCorp. net.

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MICHAEL

aques CENTRAL ARKANSAS V A H E A LT H C A R E S Y S T E M If you’ve ever visited Central Arkansas VA

Healthcare System in Little Rock, chances are you’ve met Chief of Chaplains Michael Jaques.

A humble leader with a kind smile and a passion for helping veterans, Jaques is known for going above and beyond to make those around him feel appreciated.

“Every veteran has signed their name on a blank check saying, ‘I’m willing to serve, even if it costs my life,’” Jaques said. “It takes a special type of person to do that. Our mandate as chaplains is to provide religious support to the veterans in our hospital.

We offer Bibles, Communion and any other worship services they would normally do at home. I think that we have an actual connection because of our experiences, and this is what allows me to serve them best.”

Four years after moving to Arkansas from upstate New York, Jaques enlisted in the military in 1992 and quickly discovered an affinity for ministry. More than 30 years later, he continues to use his career to change lives for the better.

“I was a military intelligence officer for the first four years of my career,” Jaques said. “In the midst of the global war on terror, there was a lot of ministry over the years. I sensed a calling to attend seminary to become a chaplain candidate.”

In 2020, Jaques published a book, “A Chaplain’s Battle: Transcending Powerlessness in an Explosive World,” which addresses the feelings chaplains endure while supporting others through the most challenging moments of their lives.

“When I returned from Iraq and started my Doctor of Ministry program, I used my research project to explore the idea of powerlessness that chaplains and other leaders experience,” Jaques said. “Though it may feel that way sometimes, we are not powerless.

One of the most important roles of my job is listening to our veterans. Many of them just want to express themselves and be heard. Being a safe person representing the divine is a magical thing.”

Over the past three years, Jaques’ team of chaplains has grown, improving from two to 11 chaplains per unit.

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COURTNEY

artin FAR M B U R E AU

T

he city of Morrilton promotes itself as “Small city. No limits.”

Courtney Stell Martin, 34, has been a part of this promotion for several years.

Martin is the incoming president of the Morrilton Rotary Club and will take office on July 1. She is also vice chairman of the Conway County Care Center Board of Directors, a nonprofit that helps ensure that “no one in Conway County goes hungry.” She is a past president of Main Street Morrilton and a member of the Morrilton Civic Alliance, and attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she helps with the Christmas program and Vacation Bible School.

Martin is also an active member of the Conway County Eclipse Planning Committee. “We started this in 2017 when we had a partial eclipse,” she said. “After that, the mayor called a town meeting and we all talked about it. Then we took a few years off and restarted our efforts in 2021. We want to concentrate our efforts on science education and safety. We may not be the biggest city in the path of totality, and our bookings may not be the biggest, but we will have a large amount of total darkness, and we know people will come here. We just want everyone to be safe.”

Martin grew up in Center Ridge, a daughter of Teresa Stell and the late Ronnie Stell. She is a graduate of Nemo Vista High School and has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in applied communication studies from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Martin worked at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton for seven years, first as coordinator of information and public relations and then as director of student activities. She currently works part time as a customer service representative for Conway County Farm Bureau and has her own business, Courtney Martin Creative.

“I love to build websites for nonprofits and municipalities,” she said. “My passion is to be a community servant and enhance my community. I always want to give back to my community.”

Martin said she credits her parents for her love of community.

“I lost my dad in 2018,” she said. “He was not one to be in the spotlight. He gave back when he could, not for recognition but just to help and make things better. “And my mom, she would give you the shirt off her back and never expect anything in return,” Martin said, smiling. “I give thanks for my parents for showing me the importance of giving back to my community.”

Martin and her husband, Wesley Martin, were married in 2019.

She has two boys—Mason, 12, who is her “bonus kiddo,” and Owen, 3. “They take a lot of my time,” she said. “Mason is very active in Greenbrier Middle School, and Owen is happy to tag along with me to most places I go.

“The Morrilton Eclipse Planning Committee is taking up a lot of my time right now,” she said. “But as far as the future goes … the next five to 10 years … I want always to give back to my community. I’m even considering running for mayor of Morrilton … but that’s for one day in the future. I just want to continue to be involved in the community, and to see Morrilton, Conway County and all businesses grow.”

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BRENDA HATTON -

icklin

LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU B

usy people get things done, and that’s true for Brenda Hatton-Ficklin of Little Rock, a Five-OhOnes to Watch nominee.

In her day job, Hatton-Ficklin is always running as the sales director for the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, but her moonlight volunteering is where one might grow winded trying to keep up. She serves on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana Board of Directors and Development Committee, is the executive director for the Timmons Arts Foundation, is on the board for Westwind School for Performing Arts and is a member of the Black Hall of Fame Production Team.

Additionally, she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and co-chair for the 2024 Founders Day event. She is also a member of Second Baptist Church, Little Rock, and the mother of three grown children, two sons and a niece.

Hatton-Ficklin credited her parents for giving her a solid foundation for a successful life. “My parents always taught us to do the right thing. I am the baby of 10 siblings, all of whom are educated and hard workers,” she said. “[They] gave us two choices in life: attend college or go into the military.” She chose college, earning a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University, Little Rock, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Central Arkansas, Conway.

Five keys to her success: purpose and passion, growth mindset, supportive network, balance and self-care, and a faith and belief system.

Hatton-Ficklin believes a clear sense of purpose and being passionate about what one does provides strong motivation to succeed both personally and professionally. She believes it helps one focus, overcome challenges and find fulfillment. She said it’s important to believe abilities and intelligence grow through dedication and hard work, leading to a life of continuous learning and improvement.

She said surrounding oneself with family, friends, mentors and colleagues can provide encouragement, guidance and inspiration. “They can offer different perspectives, share experiences and provide the necessary support to help you achieve your goals.”

She believes in balance among work, family and personal well-being. “Taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally ensures that you have the energy and resilience to navigate the challenges of both your career and personal life.”

Of faith, she said, “spirituality can serve as a source of inspiration, strength and guidance. It can provide a sense of purpose, a moral compass and a belief in something greater than oneself.”

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KAREN

errer

S T. J O S E P H H I G H S C H O O L

T

he Karen Ferrer always knew what she wanted to do when she grew up. “From age 7, I knew I wanted to work at NASA,” she said, laughing. “No … not being upside-down in space but doing research in the lab. I wanted to be among those who made it possible for others to go into space.”

She has done that, working on research projects for NASA when she was in college, and is continuing work with NASA-related projects through a Girl Scout project.

Ferrer, now 49, was a Girl Scout growing up, earning the Gold Award, and is now a Girl Scout leader, working with older girls in Troop 6827 and Brownie Scouts in Troop 6746. “We have so much fun,” she said.

“Our older Scouts just received an award, a grant, through the National Science Foundation (and other organizations) for the upcoming project, Einstein’s Incredible Universe,” she said.

The project is a “media and engagement program designed to catalyze interest in space science and spark scientific curiosity in lifelong learners, especially young women,” according to the National Girls Collaborative Project’s website, ngcproject.org.

Ferrer said the troop has received a telescope and other materials to capture and broadcast solar images during the April 8 total solar eclipse. “We will send our live links directly to NASA,” she said. “We are so excited. We’ve already started practicing with the telescope.”

Ferrer is chair of the science department at St. Joseph High School, where she teaches Algebra I, Algebra II and chemistry.

Prior to coming to the high school five years ago, she was an adjunct professor at Hendrix College for 15 years.

She grew up in Brookville, Ohio, the only child of Bob and Phyllis Lewis, who now live in Conway. She has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and a Master of Science and doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Virginia.

Ferrer and her husband, Gabriel Ferrer, who is a professor of computer science at Hendrix College, met in graduate school. They moved to Conway in 2002, when he joined the staff at Hendrix. They have five children, Juliana, 20, a college student, and Carolina, 18, Thomas, 15, Daniel, 11, and Veronica, 7, who all attend St. Joseph.

“My husband and I grew up as Catholics and we both have taught in the RICA program – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults – for those joining the Catholic church.” When she has time, Ferrer enjoys travel, camping, hiking and “crafty things” such as crochet.

“When I was an undergraduate working on my degree, there were no women in the chemistry department,” she said. “I had a mentor—a woman in the biology department who inspired me to mentor women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields.

“So that’s what I’ve tried to do,” she said. “I taught physics at Hendrix and now math and chemistry at St. Joe. And I’m working with Girl Scouts. “As far as the future, I will be here teaching at St. Joe at least as long as our kids are here,” she said, smiling.

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Photo by Mike Kemp

and a Five-Oh One to grow on Randy Forst of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is watching his gardens grow W

ith the mantra “Go Forth and Grow,” Randy Forst provides knowledge and support for horticulture in Arkansas. Named the Consumer Educator and Master Gardener Coordinator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA), Forst has taken his background and education to a new level of success.

Forst grew up in rural Logan County on a diversified family farm. This exposure to all things agriculture gave him the ideal background for the Extension Service. As one of 11 kids, the family grew vegetables to feed the family. His mentors were his parents, grandparents and a special Aunt “Dokie” (Gertrude) who encouraged his interest in fruit trees and ornamentals as well as vegetables.

Armed with degrees in horticulture and general agriculture from the University of Arkansas, he honed his skills in the private sector. According to Forst, it did not take long to see the light. He was much more suited to the education world, a 15-year path that would take him to his current job. He is the embodiment of the UADA mission. In Forst’s words, “It is all about reaching out and strengthening agriculture and families with trusted research-based information. It is doing whatever we can to help them help themselves.”

His job includes working with County Extension Agents as their resource for all things horticulture, from homeowners with questions about flowers, vegetables and fruit trees to full-time ornamental and vegetable farmers with questions about plant diseases and insects. Horticulture is big business in Arkansas. The latest statistics from the Census for Nursery Green Industry for Arkansas list the market value of nursery products at more than $45 million a year. Forst credits COVID’s influence for increased interest in gardening and home landscape.

His most visible job is coordinating Arkansas’s Master Gardener program. He quickly credits Janet Carson for its beginning 35 years ago and its exponential growth. “Forst is perfect for this job,” said Carson, emeritus extension horticulture specialist. “His personality and energy suit him for taking this volunteer group to a new level.”

What Carson began with a pilot project in four counties now boasts more than 4,000 members in 63 counties. The program links a network of gardeners through training and working on projects around the state. Their projects are legion: running plant clinics, answering phone questions and establishing and maintaining demonstration gardens. Their handiwork is visible on many public building landscapes and is denoted with signage to identify official Master Gardener projects.

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By Dr. Robert Reising Photo by Mike Kemp

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owling fascinated her by age five. The shiny, smooth balls, their unhindered propulsion toward stately targets, and the resultant clatter of success brought sparkle to her spirits and laughter to her lips. The following decade saw that fascination blossom into love as she grew into young womanhood, proficient in the bowling alley and even more so in the classroom. Few schools in the nation today can claim a more outstanding student-athlete than Cabot High’s twelfth-grader Ashley Imhoff.

Born in Little Rock, Ashley confesses that she comes from “a bowling family.” Her older brother and only sibling, Josh Imhoff, was a star bowler for Cabot High’s Men’s Team before moving on to Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, where he experienced intercollegiate bowling success and earned a bachelor’s degree in business. He is currently a professional bowler.

Ashley’s father, Corey Imhoff, a mechanical engineer in Little Rock who serves as Volunteer Assistant Bowling Coach at Cabot High, is “a great teacher…[who] really cares about the kids,” maintains Nathan Brown, the school’s Head Bowling Coach. No less enthusiastic about her daughter’s bowling prowess, Ashley’s mother, Melissa Imhoff, is a professional mammography technician who helps cancer patients at CARTI, the Central Arkansas Radiation Treatment Institute.

The 5-foot, 3-inch senior has been bowling competitively since 2014. Ashley claimed her first trophy in the spring of that year by topping the field in the (age 8 and under) Arkansas State Pepsi Tournament.

She earned first place in every (age-restricted) annual competition for five consecutive years before settling for fourth place in 2021 and second place in both 2022 and 2023.

With the passing of years came ever more formidable challengers and challenges; yet Ashley continued to fare handsomely. By age 16, she had twice competed in Junior Gold Championships, national tournaments requiring participants to qualify through superior performances in other tournaments. Competing were older, more experienced players from all fifty states in what Ashley terms “the toughest conditions in bowling.”

Her scores in those Connecticut-to-California competitions included 36th place in an Under 15 field of 400 in 2021, and 47th place in the Under 18 field of 600 in 2023. Preceding the former was a silver medal in the Arkansas 6A Central Conference Meet as well as a victory in the Under 15 competition on the Southwest Gold Tour. Key in qualifying her for the latter was a silver medal in the 6A Central Conference Tournament and a gold medal in the 2023 season final of the Under 18 Central Arkansas Youth Sport Challenge.

A bowling schedule as full as Ashley’s demands careful planning and superior time management. She provides both, squeezing in hours for volunteer assignments at her family’s church, Beebe’s First Baptist. Nor does she neglect Cabot High’s Sports Medicine Club, in which she has been active for two years.

Because of travel, weekends are especially full, and her study habits are challenged more frequently than she prefers to acknowledge. Yet, as she makes her way to graduation in the spring, her grade point average hovers

slightly above four-point perfection, with credits in four Advanced Placement (AP) courses adding luster to her credentials.

Those credentials will gain still more luster, she knows, if she earns A’s—and only A’s—during the final months of the present school year. Her success to date suggests she is not about to abandon her years-long quest for academic excellence.

Nor is she unmindful that, with her teammates, she will be seeking Cabot High’s tenth consecutive 6A State Girls’ Bowling title in February. The honor—and the responsibility—of continuing the streak weigh heavy on all team members, but especially on those who, like Ashley, will be in the heat of the bowling battles lying ahead.

Sibling rivalry also looms for her. If Cabot wins again, Ashley will have doubled the number of state team titles that Josh claimed as a member of the Cabot High School Men’s Bowling Team, an indignity that he kiddingly hopes will not burst into mocking reality. “Enough is too much,” the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) member already quietly growls.

Ashley, however, is a committed competitor.

Possessing a 219 high school bowling average, she hopes her scores will be considerably higher than average in the coming tournament, not only surpassing Coach Brown’s hopes for her but also impressing Coach Matt Nantais, Louisiana Tech’s Head Bowling Coach. In the fall, a full scholarship awaits Ashley in Ruston, home of the Bulldogs, and nothing would please her more than greeting the veteran mentor with the unique glow that only a fourth state title cloaked in a high honors diploma can summon. Indeed, Coach Nantais would know immediately that he had recruited and invested wisely.

Ashley delights in describing her soon-to-be “home away from home.” Having visited Tech and Ruston, a city of almost 25,000 residents, she smilingly terms both “absolutely beautiful, homey and welcoming.” Other universities and settings beckoned months earlier, but every one of them paled once she spied the advantages accruing to her academically as well as athletically at the Conference USA (NCAA Division 1) institution.

Already she has declared a major. Following in her father’s footsteps, she plans to study mechanical engineering, a field in which she has job-shadowed. She is confident that she is prepared for what lies ahead and that her future is bright. Clearly, the five-year-old of 2010 has matured into an 18-year-old who is as impressive around books as she is around bowling balls, which she aims both wisely and well.

Editor’s note: Celebrating Athletic Excellence did not appear in the December issue due to reasons beyond the control of either Dr. Reising or the magazine. We are thrilled to bring you this regular feature again this month.

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PROUDLY PRESENTS

PERSON OF THE MONTH

GABRIEL WOMACK

GUARANTEED RATE MORTGAGE HOMETOWN:

I was born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Malvern (Hot Spring County). Little Rock is my home!

FAMILY:

I live with my partner, Jordan, and our two fur babies, Caesar and Ransom. My family extends through Central Arkansas in Hot Spring, Garland, Saline and Pulaski counties.

EDUCATION:

I began studying music at the University of Central Arkansas (go Bears!). After my third year of college, I lost focus, which resulted in the decision to leave school and enter the workforce a year later. I went back to school in 2018 and I am very proud of earning my Bachelor of Arts In Music degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in my 30s! I earned my high school diploma from Malvern High School in 2006.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:

I currently serve as a board member for the Little Rock Wind Symphony and the ACANSA Arts Festival of the South. Both organizations enrich our community with art, advocate and collaborate for more art, and stimulate our local economy through – you guessed it – ART!

HOBBIES/PERSONAL INTERESTS:

I play tennis as much as I can! I have a love for musical theater and enjoy opportunities to perform locally with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Argenta Community Theater, and the Studio Theatre.

WORK:

I am vice president of mortgage lending for Guaranteed Rate Mortgage. I have been in this role since 2020.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

I was ranked as a top mortgage professional in Central Arkansas in 2021 and 2022. I also earned the Dale Carnegie Highest Award for Achievement in 2022.

WHY DO YOU ENJOY PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE:

When I got my first saxophone in a beginner band, I was like the toddler we all know who has discovered their voice and talks just to hear themselves talk. My understanding of the music has changed since then, but rather than trying to be the best or play the fastest, hardest music – which were ways I found validation and success when I was younger – now I enjoy playing because I find joy in my voice on the instrument. It is my privilege to share that with others. In addition to saxophone, I also play flute, clarinet and bassoon!

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