Jim Simpson Elected President of Arkansas Bar Association (Movers & Shakers)

Jim Simpson

Legal

Jim Simpson has been elected president of the Arkansas Bar Association in Little Rock. Simpson is a partner with Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP. Marie-Bernarde Miller, Brian H. Ratcliff, F. Thomas Curry and Shaneen K. Sloan were elected to serve as ABA officers.

Health Care

Dr. Lara Huffman has joined North Arkansas Regional Medical Center’s Reliant Behavioral Health Unit as its psychiatric medical director in Harrison. Huffman formerly served as a psychiatrist at Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in Hayti, Mo.

Deana Thomas has been hired as controller at the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in Harrison. Thomas has more than 13 years of experience in hospital accounting. She formerly served as the director of accounting at Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach, Mo.

Dr. Janelle Van Zandt has joined the White River Medical Center’s Batesville Neurology Clinic as a neurologist. Van Zandt has practiced neurology in Little Rock for nearly 20 years.

Education

Wanda Dole and Angela Maynard Sewall have retired from their positions as deans at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dole served as dean of the UALR Ottenheimer Library, and Sewall served as dean of the College of Education. Gail D. Hughes, UALR associate professor of educational leadership, has been selected as interim dean of the College of Education. A search for an interim library dean is being conducted.

Jason Penry has been promoted to vice chancellor for university advancement at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Penry joined ASU in 2012 and formerly served as the interim vice chancellor for university advancement.

Financial Services

Rob Husong, Kyle Kerwin, Chris Jones and Clinton Ryan have joined the First National Bank of Fort Smith’s lending and executive group in Rogers. Husong is serving as the bank’s market president. Kerwin, Jones and Ryan are serving as vice presidents of commercial lending.

Government

Brenda Gullett and Sam Ledbetter have been elected to serve on the Arkansas Board of Education in Little Rock. Gullett, a former state senator and owner of Brenda Gullett Associates, was elected chairwoman. Ledbetter, a former state representative and partner in the McMath Woods Law Firm, was elected vice chairman.

Nonprofit

Tyler Lindsey has been hired as the marketing and public relations director for the Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock. Lindsey formerly worked as a news producer at KTHV-TV, Channel 11, in Little Rock.

Real Estate

Jeff Miller has been hired as a real estate agent at Crye-Leike Realtors’ Benton branch office. Miller has been the owner of Jeff Miller & Associates, an independent insurance agency in Benton, for 29 years. He will split his time between working as a real estate agent and managing his insurance business.

Retail

Becky Mason has been hired as a vehicle sales representative at Ryder Vehicle Sales in North Little Rock. Mason formerly served as the marketing director of Lenders Title Co.

Architecture

Michael Wayne Hardy has been promoted to associate principal with Roark Perkins Perry Yelvington Architects in Little Rock. Hardy has worked with RPPY for 17 years.

Agriculture

Rodney Baker will succeed retiring Ewell Welch as executive vice president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau in Little Rock on Nov. 1. Baker has been an AFB employee for 36 years. He has served as the organization’s director of governmental affairs since 1998.