Manufacturing
Judy Balderree, previously vice president of retail sales, has been promoted to executive vice president of merchandizing and design at Aromatique Inc. of Heber Springs. Carlton Collier, previously vice president of sales and marketing, has been promoted to EVP of product development and strategic marketing.
Construction
Matt Bell, a partner at Viridian USA in Little Rock, and Alan Hope, president and owner of Powers of Arkansas of North Little Rock, have been named to the board of directors of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation.
Accounting
Wade Luethy, Renee Mayer and Michael Westerfield have been promoted to managers at BKD LLP in Little Rock effective April 1. Luethy is an in-charge accountant for audit and attest engagements for a wide range of companies. Mayer specializes in accounting outsourcing and corporate and individual taxation for closely held businesses. Westerfield provides assurance and consulting services for hospital clients ranging from small standalone providers to large regional systems.
Funeral Services
Charles F. Dearman Jr., vice president, general manager and funeral director of Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home in Monticello, was named Funeral Director of the Year at the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association’s annual convention last month. The AFDA gave its 2014 Posthumous Hall of Fame Award to Ralph Robinson of Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Home in Pine Bluff and its Living Hall of Fame award to Lewis Winter, who has spent more than 70 years with Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway. The Family Hall of Fame award went to the Verlyn Heath Family with Heath Funeral Home in Paragould.
Agriculture
Ewell “Pete” Welch, former executive vice president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, was honored by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture by having its board room named after him. The high-tech room is in the renovated annex of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service building on South University in Little Rock.
Jeff Pitchford has been hired as director of public policy for state affairs by the Arkansas Farm Bureau. Pitchford had worked in governmental relations for the University of Central Arkansas at Conway since 1999, the last five years as vice president.
Education
Rhonda Caton, director of procurement and travel services at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, has earned the Certified Professional Public Buyer credential from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council.
Caton, who is a former recipient of the Lucille Speakman Excellence Award at UAFS, has worked in procurement since 1995 and has held her current position since 2007.
Kristin Dutcher Mann, Anindya Ghosh and Brian Berry are the 2014 recipients of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Faculty Excellence Awards. Mann, a professor of history in the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, received the $5,000 public service award. Ghosh, a professor in the College of Science, received the $5,000 research and creative endeavors award. Berry, a professor of chemistry in the College of Science, received the $10,000 Bailey teaching award.
Thomas Sebastian Wolfe recently joined UALR’s Information Technology Services department as director of operations. Wolfe, who came to UALR from a global investment bank’s New York office, brings more than 15 years of experience, more than 20 technical certifications and a master’s degree in information security and assurance.
Tim Dockery has been named director of planned giving in the Division of Institutional Advancement at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Dockery previously served as general counsel of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation.
Health Care
Rene Lesnak has been named director of community relations at Clarity Pointe Little Rock, and Raylene Fones has been named community relations counselor. Lesnak was most recently a travel operations specialist for Acxiom Corp. and group sales coordinator for Little Rock Tours Inc. Fones has held similar positions in real estate management for single-family and multifamily properties and senior living communities in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Clarity Pointe is an assisted living community for patients with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, scheduled to open in mid-June at 8401 Ranch Blvd. in west Little Rock.
Dr. Robert Steele has been named to the new position of senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Steele, a graduate of Little Rock Central High, has served 17 years in leadership roles with Mercy Health of Springfield, Missouri.
Dr. Carol McCourt has joined the Pain Management Clinic at White River Medical Center in Batesville as a pain management physician. McCourt is a graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and completed an internship and residency in anesthesia.
Nonprofits
Whitney Vandiver Wellborn, former development coordinator for Our House in Little Rock, has joined the Arkansas Foodbank as major gifts officer.
Scott Drumheller, who earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources from Harding University at Searcy in 1991 and an MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1994, has been appointed executive administrator of Lions Clubs International. He will oversee the nonprofit organization’s international headquarters near Chicago. Drumheller also earned a law degree from the DePaul University College of Law in 1998. n
Have a new employee or one recently promoted? Recently elected to a board of directors? Include it in the Movers & Shakers section. Contact Gwen Moritz at GMoritz@abpg.com or (501) 372-1443.
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