New Appointments at Grand Savings Bank, Stephens Insurance, ASU-Beebe & More (Movers & Shakers)

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

Agriculture

Aubrey Blackmon, a founding member of the Perry County Cattlemen’s Association in 1970, has been inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame of Little Rock. Other inductees include Carl Brothers, who spent 53 years with Riceland Foods and retired as senior vice president and chief operating officer; Chuck Culver, a retired University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture executive; Mike Freeze of Little Rock, co-owner and operator of Keo Fish Farms; Frank Wilson, who started Wilson Brothers Lumber Co. in 1972 as well as several logging companies and other timber industry enterprises; and Jack Reaper, who was posthumously awarded.

Banking

Tommy Coughlin has been promoted to regional president for Arkansas at Grand Savings Bank of Grove, Oklahoma.

Economic Development

Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, has been elected chairman of the board of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce of Little Rock. The other elected officers for 2025 are Gary Head of Signature Bank of Arkansas, immediate past chairman; Ronald Dedman of AT&T (retired), past chairman; and Reggie Rose of Simmons Bank, treasurer. Those elected to vice chairman are Curtis Barnett of Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield; John Burgess of Mainstream Technologies Inc.; Raymond Burns of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber; Joe Carter of EverBranch Capital Group; Eddie Lee Herndon of OG&E; Michael Lindsey of Walmart; Mark McHale of Ritter Communications; Andy Miller of Flywheel Energy; Nelson Peacock of the Northwest Arkansas Council; Len Pitcock of Cox Communications; and Larry Shackelford of Washington Regional Medical Center.

Brad Hegeman, vice chairman and chief strategy officer at Nabholz Corp., will continue as chairman of the board of the Associated Industries of Arkansas Inc. of Little Rock. The other elected officers for 2025 are Chris Hart of Central Moloney, immediate past chairman; Grady Harvell of W&W-AFCO Steel LLC, past chairman; and Reggie Rose of Simmons Bank, treasurer. Those elected to vice chairman are Michael Callan of Stephens Production Co.; Steve Card of Albemarle; Thomas Dickinson of McGeorge Contracting Co. Inc.; Ray Dillon of Deltic Timber (retired); Stanley Hill of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation; Dean Hoover of Koontz Electric Co. Inc.; Kevin McGilton of Riceland Foods Inc.; Kristi Prince of Maxwell Hardwood Inc.; Lenore Trammell of U.S. Steel/Big River Steel; and Jeffrey Wood of Tyson Foods Inc.

Education

Bailey Carl has been appointed director of admissions at Arkansas State University-Beebe.

John Teed has been appointed assistant professor at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine of Little Rock, and Mark Anderson has been appointed associate dean of academic affairs.

Energy

Ebony Mitchell has been hired as the director of external affairs at the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation of Little Rock. Mitchell is the association’s first director of external affairs since its founding in 2012.

Health Care

Katie Cruz, an advanced practice registered nurse, has been hired as a neonatal nurse practitioner to the neonatal intensive care unit team at Conway Regional Women’s Center. Cruz has more than eight years of experience caring for critically ill infants at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Pittman Moore, a general obstetrician and gynecologist, has been hired by National Park Medical Center Physicians for Women of Hot Springs.

Insurance

Korosh Saba has been named president and CEO at Stephens Insurance of Little Rock, and Lizzie Phillips Sanford has been named chief strategy officer.

Investments

Arthur Pfeifer has been hired as an executive sales representative at Crews & Associates of Little Rock. The other new executive sales representatives are Trent Hiner, Logan Seifert, and Daniel Walter.

Matt Reddin has been appointed managing principal at DD&F Consulting Group of Little Rock. Reddin will lead DD&F’s community banking division.

Legal

Christopher Hooks has been made partner at Robertson Beasley Shipley & Robinson PLLC of Fort Smith.