ADVERTISING
Ashlee Nobel has been hired as an art director at Exit Marketing in Little Rock. Nobel graduated from the University of Central Arkansas at Conway with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
AGRICULTURE
Brian Kirksey has been selected as the overall winner of the 2008 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. Kirksey operates a plant nursery near Amity (Clark County).
BANKING
Scott Dews of Bryant has been promoted to assistant vice president-commercial relationship manager at the downtown Little Rock office of Metropolitan National Bank. Dews joined Metropolitan in 2004, and is a University of Central Arkansas graduate.
J. Richard Carver and Phillip E. Stevenson have been elected to the board of directors of Union Bank of Mena. Carver and John Stevenson have been elected to serve on the board of the bank’s holding company, Union Bankshares Inc.
CONSTRUCTION
Jeremy D. Hyde has been promoted to vice president of operations for Hydco Inc. in North Little Rock. Hyde began his career with Hydco in 1994 and has served in numerous roles, including superintendent, project manager and estimator.
EDUCATION
Nalini Bora and Dr. Christopher T. Westfall, faculty members at the Jones Eye Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, are the inaugural recipients of endowed chairs established by gifts from two long-time UAMS supporters. Bora received the Bernice Young Jones Chair in Ophthalmology, and Westfall received the Pat Walker Chair in Ophthalmology.
Robert Maranto has been appointed to the 21st Century Chair in Leadership at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville as part of an effort to support schools and help develop the leaders they need. A former professor of political science at Villanova University near Philadelphia, Maranto will study the role of leaders in education.
GOVERNMENT
Glen Jones, senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and research and executive assistant to the chancellor for diversity at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro, has been appointed to the board of the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority.
Mayor JoAnne H. Bush of Lake Village was recently honored by the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police as the 2008 Mayor of the Year. Three others were honored: Officer Tommy Norman of the North Little Rock Police Department was named Police Officer of the Year, Chief Percy Wilburn of the Lake Village Police Department was named Police Chief of the Year, and Arkansas State Police Highway Patrol Sgt. Richard C. LeBow of Ozark, who died Feb. 4 while on duty along Interstate 40 near Mulberry, received the Fallen Officer Recognition.
HEALTH CARE
Chelsia Harris, an advanced practice nurse, recently joined North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison as the occupational health officer and the wellness coordinator. Before joining NARMC, Harris was a registered nurse at Skaggs Community Health Center in Branson, Mo.
Jan Brandeburg is the new service line administrator for cardiac services at St. Vincent Health System in Little Rock. Her responsibilities include oversight of cardiac care in collaboration with physicians and partners at St. Vincent and continuing to foster excellence in quality and service.
LEGAL
Leslie Fryxell has joined Wilson & Associates PLLC’s Little Rock office. Fryxell is an attorney in the bankruptcy department. Also, J. Skipper Ray has been promoted to supervising attorney for the closing commitment and curative, title policy and eviction departments.
NONPROFITS
Tom Hasty of Almyra (Arkansas County) has been named Outstanding Tree Farmer by the Arkansas Forestry Association. Three others were honored at the association’s annual meeting Oct. 8 in Fort Smith. Don Grillo of Camden was named Logger of the Year, Jay Schneider of Mountainburg was named Outstanding Project Learning Tree Educator, and Matthew Pelkki of Monticello was named Communicator of the Year.
REAL ESTATE
Bob Walker was sworn in as the 2009 president of the Arkansas Realtors Association during the group’s 84th annual convention in Little Rock last month. Walker is vice president of broker services for Coldwell Banker Advantage Realty in Cabot.
Dave Mishler has joined Crye-Leike Realtors in Rogers as executive broker. Mishler has recently transferred to Crye-Leike from ReMax Real Estate Results in Bella Vista, where he served as the principal broker for three years.