Arvest, UA Little Rock, Conway Corp Announce New Promotions & Hires (Movers & Shakers)

See more of this week’s Movers & Shakers, and submit your own announcement at ArkansasBusiness.com/Movers.

Banking & Finance

Anna Layne has joined the secondary mortgage team at First Community Bank of Batesville as a mortgage loan originator in Searcy.

Greg Gibson, a market president at Armor Bank of Forrest City, has added the role of director of agriculture to his position at the bank. A native of Marianna, Gibson has served as market president in Forrest City since 2022.

Katherine Harris has been named retail operations manager at Citizens Bank of Batesville, and Amanda Morris has been promoted to retail planning and development manager. The pair will lead the bank’s newly formed retail administration department. As a part of this initiative, Kevin Anders has been promoted to market retail manager for central Arkansas, and Pat Savell has been promoted to retail manager for the north-central region.

Craig Rivaldo is retiring as regional executive of the southeast region for Arvest Bank of Fayetteville after 37 years. Rodney Shepard, a longtime Arvest associate who oversees banking operations in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, will replace Rivaldo. Kirk Hays, who most recently served as president for the bank’s Tulsa region, has been promoted to fill Shepard’s former role.

Construction

Jonathan Watson has been hired as the director of business development and sales at Watson Homes Inc. of Conway.

Economic Development

Donald Westerman will join the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance & Area Chamber of Commerce as the director of workforce development.

Education

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has awarded Julien Mirivel, a professor of applied communication, the Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching. UA Little Rock also recognized Lindsay Ruhr, associate professor of social work, with the Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service; Theresa Beiner, professor of constitutional law, Faculty Excellence Award in Research & Creative Endeavors; Morgan Leyenberger, instructor of social work, Faculty Excellence Award for Social Justice; and John Cook, assistant professor of law, Rising Faculty Excellence Award.

Corey J. Hayes, an associate professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Pharmacy Practice, has been invested in the Office of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention Professorship.

Government

Bryan Christenson, assistant chief of police at Southern Arkansas University, recently graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Legal

William Ogles has been hired as an associate at Hall Booth Smith in Little Rock. Ogles’ practice will focus on providing creative and effective solutions for clients navigating the administrative and legal landscapes throughout the state.

Media & Marketing

Kristin Netterstrom Higgins, a program associate at the Public Policy Center within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has been named by the Arkansas Press Women as the recipient of the 2025 Communicator of Achievement Award, the organization’s highest honor.

Nonprofits

Sara Gardner Hedgecock, an associate merchant at Walmart, and Amanda Simpson Weaver, a sales analytics manager at Belkin, have been appointed to the Arkansas 4-H Foundation’s board of directors.

Real Estate

Stacy Hamilton has been hired by Little Rock commercial real estate firm Hathaway Group as director of operations. Bryan Crow has been hired as a sales associate.

Tourism

Stasha King Irby has been hired by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau as its new vice president of sales and services. A seasoned sales professional, Irby returns to the bureau after previously serving as a sales manager working with national associations.

Utilities

Dylan Hopper has been promoted to apprentice lineman 1 in the electric department at Conway Corp. in Conway.