Education
Laura Miller was selected as the new director of the Small Business & Technology Development Center at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Miller, formerly a lead business consultant at ASBTDC, has been with the center for 13 years. Robert Bahn was promoted to lead business consultant.
Wendi J.W. Williams has been appointed to the board of the Triangle Coalition for STEM Education in Washington, D.C. Williams is a faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas Community College, and earned a doctorate from the University of Texas in El Paso.
Dr. John Henderson will become medical director of the physician assistant program at Harding University in Searcy, effective in May. Henderson received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee and maintained private practices in Searcy for more than 20 years.
Jason W. Dean, an assistant librarian at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, has been selected to serve on a working group for the International Organization for Standardization. Dean’s group will revise the cataloging standard that establishes the specifications for the International Standard Book Number.
Government
Jeff Arey, mayor of Haskell, was recently elected president of the Metroplan board of directors in Little Rock. Also elected were Mayflower Mayor Randy Holland, vice president; Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher, secretary; and Ward Mayor Art Brooke, treasurer.
Don Bennett, Stanley D. Green, Jim Halsell, Michael Phipps, Corey Runnells and Julie Trivitt were recently appointed by the Fayetteville City Council to the city’s first board of directors for the Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program. During the first meeting of the board on Feb. 10, members will draw straws for three one-year terms and three two-year terms. Sarah Marsh, a member of the city council, was also appointed to the board by Mayor Lioneld Jordan, and Peter Nierengarten will serve as the city’s staff representative.
Financial Services
Judy Pennington has been named assistant vice president and loan review officer at Relyance Bank in Pine Bluff. Pennington joined the bank in 2010. Also promoted were Karan Foust, to assistant vice president of Jefferson Title Co., the title and escrow arm of Relyance, and Angela Melhorn, to accounting officer.
Rich Richardson has been hired as a vice president of investments and financial adviser at Delta Trust Investments Inc. in Little Rock. Richardson previously worked for U.S. Bancorp Investments Inc.
Architecture
Ryan Biles has been promoted to firm associate at SCM Architects PLLC in Little Rock. A graduate of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Biles joined SCM in 2000 and now serves as director of media and communication.
Construction
John Turner of Turner & Sons Construction has been elected as the 2014 president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock. Turner has been a member of the HBA since 2009. Also elected were Nathan Cooper of River Valley Builders Inc., vice president, and Justin Keener of Billy Hartness Construction Inc., secretary/treasurer.
Nonprofits
Melissa Hendricks has joined Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services in Little Rock as its director of development. Hendricks will be responsible for all fundraising activities. Also joining Vera Lloyd is Jenny Caldwell as the director of the Laurence E. Schmidt Counseling Center.
Real Estate
Scott Cook of Clark Partners Realty Group in Fayetteville was awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representation designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council. The ABR designation is earned by successfully completing a course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty.
Retail
Will Humphreys has been hired as the senior director of business development at Aromatique Inc. in Heber Springs. He was previously vice president and general manager of Big John Manufacturing Co. Debbie Isaacs has also joined the company as comptroller.