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

Jason Bland has been hired as chief retail officer at Cross Bank of Wynne. Bland comes to Cross Bank with more than two decades of banking experience, most recently serving as the Tennessee region retail sales manager and private banking vice president for a Mississippi-based financial institution.

Kirk McDonald, president and chief operating officer of Zachry Exploration LLC, has been appointed to the board of directors of Farmers & Merchants Bankshares Inc. of Stuttgart. McDonald has a background in both the banking and energy industries.

Phil Stevenson has been named chairman of the board of Union Bank of Mena. Stevenson, who has 37 years of banking experience, has been involved with Union Bank since 2008 as a director and shareholder/owner.

Rob Woods has been promoted to city president of all northwest Arkansas branches of Citizens Bank of Batesville. Woods has served as city president for Bentonville and Rogers since 2021 and will now have the added responsibility of the Fayetteville market locations.
Business Services
Terry Benham has transitioned to the role of strategic adviser at Impact Management Group of Little Rock. Benham is a co-founder and partner at IMG.
Education

Josh Landers has been hired as chair and assistant professor of biomedical sciences at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine of Little Rock. Landers brings more than two decades of experience in medical education and health care leadership to this new role.
Government

Chris Racey has been named the interim director of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission of Little Rock. Racey began his term as interim director Jan. 4, and will serve in that capacity while the agency searches for a permanent director.
Health Care

Lauren Hightower, an advanced practice registered nurse, has been hired at Conway Regional Medical Clinic-Russellville & After Hours. Hightower will treat patients ages 2 and up in the after-hours clinic.

Dr. Roger Gillum has been hired at Baptist Health Family Clinic-Lakewood. Gillum is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Legal
Samuel R. Jackson has been made a partner of Carney Bates & Pulliam PLLC of Little Rock, and Connor Thompson has been hired as an associate at the firm.
Nonprofits

Don Bragg, Greg Hay and Pete Prutzman have been inducted into the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame, which is housed at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Bragg was the director of the Department of Agriculture Crossett Research Station and is a past editor of the Journal of Forestry. Hay is the current president of the Arkansas Forestry Association. Prutzman is the president emeritus of Kingwood Forestry Services and a past president of the Arkansas Forestry Association.

Shannon Riordan has been inducted as the 2025 president of the Central Arkansas Executives Association of Little Rock. Riordan, the vice president of AAMSCO Identification Products of Little Rock, has been an active member of CAEA for seven years.
Real Estate

Velda Lueders was selected to be a regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors of Chicago. In this role, Lueders, a 26-year real estate industry veteran, will oversee the work of the associations in the organization’s Region 9, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Utilities

Jimmy Dolan, a carrier relations and account development coordinator at Conway Corp., recently earned his key accounts certification from the American Public Power Association of Washington, D.C. Dolan started his career at Conway Corp. in May 2015.

Tori Freeman has been promoted to billing analyst 1 at Conway Corp. Freeman began her career with Conway Corp. as a cashier in April 2021.

Leonard Tidyman has been promoted to manager of operations for the Harrison division of Black Hills Energy of Fayetteville. Tidyman has held several positions throughout his career, including division manager, business development manager and energy efficiency program coordinator.