This is the fifth consecutive year that Arkansas Business has introduced readers to talented young leaders in our business and nonprofit community in a feature called “The New Influentials: 20 in Their 20s.”
An internal committee reviewed 200 new nominations, plus some strong leftovers from previous years, with an eye toward accomplishments and responsibilities that were clearly ahead of their time for individuals who are not yet 30. I have mixed feelings about being part of the selection committee: I always feel good about the individuals we choose, but I always have a nagging feeling that others who were equally or even more deserving somehow slipped through.
This year’s group contains some firsts, including Capt. Corey Chance, our first active military honoree, and Hermanie Pierre, who is absolutely the first and will probably be the last honoree who is both a highway engineer and a recent Miss Haiti International. The New Influentials may seem a lot like our ever-popular “40 Under 40” feature, and it’s possible that you will see some of these faces in those ranks in the future. But we’ve long recognized that the younger nominees for “40 Under 40” rarely make the final cut because they are mixed in with a much larger crowd of people who have had an extra decade in which to make their marks. I expect that some of these names and faces will be household names for Arkansas Business readers 20 or 30 years from now.
We’re proud to introduce these 20 New Influentials and to consider all the potential they offer our state in the decades to come.
Click here to see photos and read profiles of each of these 20 professionals.
The 2013 20 in Their 20s Class
