Forty Under 40: Sarah Boyer,

Paragould native Sarah Boyer, 39, got her bachelor’s degree in human development, which she said was psychology-based. No doubt it’s helped her in a retail career.

She graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1991, then joined the buyer training program with Dillard’s Inc. She eventually became a buyer for junior sportswear. In 1996, she was recruited by Wal-Mart Stores as a buyer in its international division, where she learned the intricate ins and outs of sourcing products in various countries — shipping coats from Russia to Argentina, for instance. In 1999 Boyer became a cosmetics buyer, dealing in all teen and tween cosmetics for Wal-Mart.

At Wal-Mart, she inherited a department that was down 12 percent, but was up by 18 percent when she left.

In 2002, she joined Crossmark and managed several consumer packaging goods accounts, including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Rembrandt. In 2004, she joined The Beanstalk Group, where she did a four-year stint before joining Nickelodeon for two years.

Boyer recently took a position with JE Source, a consulting agency that helps connect suppliers with sustainable manufacturers. She still consults with Nickelodeon.

She’s active with the Rogers Historic District and Little Theater, the American Heart Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.