Connections: NewRoad Capital Partners promotes 2 to partner

Rogers firm NewRoad Capital Partners, Arkansas’ largest private equity fund, has promoted Tracy Black and Stefan Sterns to partner.

Black joined the firm in May 2018 and leads the operating partner team in sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities and advising portfolio companies. She was senior vice president of information technology at J.B. Hunt Transport Services prior to joining NewRoad.

Sterns joined NewRoad in December 2019 as a principal and member of the firm’s investment team. He is primarily responsible for identifying and analyzing investment opportunities, leading deal execution, and the management of portfolio companies. Prior to joining NewRoad, Stefan was with Barclays Investment Bank in New York for eight years.

“Tracy and Stefan have each added significantly to the continuing evolution of NewRoad and our team, further enhancing our capabilities and strengthening our core values of the entrepreneurial spirit, companies built on purpose, thoughtful interaction, humility, and doing what’s right,” NewRoad managing partner Jeremy Wilson said.

NEW HIRES
Banking & Finance
Lucas Pointer
Bentonville
Employer: Grand Savings Bank
Title: senior vice president, loan officer
Previous employer: BOK Financial
Previous title: senior vice president

Manufacturing
Derek Baucom
Springdale
Employer: Simmons Pet Food
Title: vice president; pet food operations
Previous employer: Tyson Foods
Previous title: vice president operations

Retail
Nic Keneipp
Rogers
Employer: New Nexus Group
Title: chief customer and strategy officer
Previous employer: Happi Foodi
Previous title: vice president; sales and business development

Transportation
Dave Reiff
Rogers
Employer: Blue Ribbon Trucking
Title: director of trucking
Previous employer: Walmart
Previous title: senior vice president of supply chain

PROMOTIONS
Transportation
Shelley Simpson
Rogers
Employer: J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.
Title: president
Previous title: chief commercial officer; executive vice president of people and human resources

AWARDS
Arts
Jon Downey
Fayetteville
Employer: Walton Arts Center
Title: director of information technology
Award: Outstanding Industry Leadership scholarship to Venue Connect National Conference
Organization: International Association of Venue Managers

Nonprofit
Kristin Coffman
Fayetteville
Employer: Walton Arts Center
Title: director of human resources
Award: Industry Women scholarship to Venue Connect National Conference
Organization: International Association of Venue Managers