Forty Under 40: Holly Hall Byars

Holly Byars got a job right out of law school, but she didn’t go to work in the world of plaintiffs and defendants. She was hired as public relations coordinator for Northeast Arkansas Medical Center in her hometown of Jonesboro.

Byars earned a degree in radio and TV news in 1994 from Arkansas State University, and in 1998 graduated from law school at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. Her career choice was influenced by her grandfather, who was an educator and PR practitioner at ASU.

She left Jonesboro in 2002 to become director of alumni relations at William Jewell College near Kansas City, then moved to Northwest Arkansas for a position at Mercy Health System. She started at the Soderquist Center in 2006.

Byars recently joined about 12 others in Northwest Arkansas when she earned Accreditation in Public Relations certification from the PR Society of America. She also teaches media law and ethics at John Brown University.

One part of her job she appreciates is collaborating with others on different projects.

Byars enjoys riding horses, but with a 19-month-old son, she doesn’t have as much time for that these days. She and her husband enjoy watching classic Hollywood films when they get the chance.