Sparkman Promoted to Editor of Business Journal

Worth Sparkman was promoted to editor of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal on Aug. 28. He replaced Bill Bowden, who is moving to Louisiana to work as a reporter for the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

Sparkman has been with the Business Journal since February 2004, serving initially as an assistant editor. He was promoted to senior editor earlier this year. He’s a native of Clinton, Okla., and has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma.

Bowden had been with the Business Journal since its inception in 1997. During his nine years at the publication, Bowden served as associate editor, senior editor and editor. With his promotion to editor in 2005, Bowden had to give up most of the reporting duties he had before.

“I miss reporting, and this move will give me the opportunity to do the kind of work I enjoy in a different and larger market,” Bowden said. “The Business Journal has been great for me, and I’ll miss the friends I’ve made while working there.”

The Baton Rouge Business Report won the gold medal this year from the Alliance of Area Business Publications as the nation’s best city business publication.

In other staff changes, the Business Journal hired Mike Capshaw in July as an associate editor. Capshaw previously worked as a sports writer for The Morning News of Springdale.

J.R. Ledford began working as an assistant editor for the Business Journal on Aug. 21. He previously served as the publications manager at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.