BRTC’s Law Enforcement Training Academy graduates 51st class
Black River Technical College’s (BRTC) Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) held the fall 2024 graduation ceremony on Nov. 14 for 37 officers who completed the basic police training course.
The 51st graduating LETA class received recognition from President Dr. Martin Eggensperger and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Brad Baine at the beginning of the ceremony. Col. Mike Hagar, secretary of public safety and director of the Arkansas State Police, reminded the officers that public safety was now their top priority and the state depends on them.
Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training Director Chris Chapmond presented the United Police Supply’s Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship to Corey Rowe of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The United Police Supply’s Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship was named in honor of Trumann Police Officer Jonathan Schmidt, a 2007-B LETA graduate who was killed in the line of duty. The $500 scholarship will be used for professional development.
Chapmond also presented the Jami L. Cook Award of Excellence to Kaleb Burns of the Arkansas Highway Police. The award is presented to an exceptional student who exhibits an exemplary commitment to ethical service as a law enforcement officer in the state.
BRTC LETA faculty recognized and awarded the top cadets from class 2024-B. Jacob Harris of the Paragould Police Department was named top overall, which is earned by having the overall highest average in the areas of academics, firearms, EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course), and physical fitness. Connor Frazier of the Blytheville Police Department earned second overall. Logan Scott of the Clinton Police Department earned third.
WBU’s Dr. Rodney Harris to take part in the Quill Project
Dr. Rodney Harris of Williams Baptist University has taken part in a project about the Arkansas Constitution. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Arkansas Constitution, and Harris, a scholar of the Arkansas Constitution and government, has participated in multiple events to commemorate the state constitution.
The Quill Project will work to preserve historical documents related to the framing and ratification of the Arkansas Constitution and previous state constitutions, making them more easily accessible for researchers and the public.
The project is a continuation of Harris’s work as a doctoral student. Harris’s doctoral dissertation, “Arkansas’s Divided Democracy: The Making of the Constitution of 1874,” is the only full-length study of the framing of the Arkansas Constitution. Lawyers, lawmakers, and advocacy groups have relied on Harris and his knowledge of the Arkansas Constitution.
The Quill Project is a joint effort between the Attorney General’s office and the University of Arkansas Library.
Dr. Latika Johnson named director at A-State Multicultural Center
Dr. Latika Johnson has been named the new director of the Arkansas State University Multicultural Center by Dr. Carlitta Moore, vice chancellor for access and institutional engagement.
Johnson comes to A-State with nearly a decade of experience working in multicultural initiatives, student affairs and leadership development. In her recent jobs, she was administrative coordinator for off-campus student services at the University of Missouri and as a coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Oklahoma State University. Johnson has also led workshops at regional conferences, and has contributed to various campus committees focused on student success, social justice, and race.
Johnson holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis with an emphasis on higher education and a concentration in leadership and administration from the University of Missouri.
She earned a master’s degree in college student personnel administration from the University of Central Arkansas and a bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies, with emphases in leadership, health, and disaster preparedness and emergency management from A-State.
Mid-Delta Health Systems to participate in rural health care program
Five health care facilities, including Mid-Delta Heatlh Systems in Clarendon, have been selected to participate in the 2024 cohort of the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development (DRCHSD) program, a partnership program between the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
Located in Arkansas, Illinois and Louisiana, the health care facilities have been selected to participate in the DRCHSD program, which provides technical assistance and support to critical access hospitals, small rural hospitals, rural health clinics and other health care organizations to enhance health care delivery within the Delta region.
Mid-Delta Health Systems is a federally qualified health center serving Monroe and Arkansas counties.
ASBTDC adds Destiny Adams as business consultant
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Arkansas State University (ASBTDC) has appointed Destiny Adams as its newest business consultant.
Adams brings a wide range of experience in marketing and communications, which she plans to utilize in training events and one-on-one consultations with clients. The ASBTDC offers various workshops and business consultations at no cost for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.
The center serves Clay, Craighead, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph and Sharp counties. Adams will focus on marketing support for clients in this 10-county region.
Soffe, Davis named fellows with American College of Dentists
Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean of the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Gerald Davis, associate dean of academic affairs of the school, were recently named Fellows of the American College of Dentists (ACD) during the ACD’s 2024 Annual Meeting and Convocation in New Orleans.
The American College of Dentists, founded in 1920, recognizes dentists who demonstrate excellence in leadership, ethics and professional achievement. The ACD’s mission is to advance excellence, ethics and leadership in dentistry.
Amanda Prestidge promoted within WBU business office
Williams Baptist University has promoted Amanda Prestidge within its business office. Prestidge has taken on the title of director of business services, where she assumes management of the business office and oversight of bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable and human resources.
Prestidge, who has worked at WBU since 2019, previously worked as the bookkeeping & accounts payable specialist.
Randolph County Office of Emergency Management relocates
Black River Technical College (BRTC) and Randolph County have partnered together to house the Randolph County Office of Emergency Management. Due to spacing issues the Office of Emergency Management needed to relocate and BRTC volunteered their available office space on the Pocahontas campus.
The Office Emergency Management is located in the Academic Complex (AC 110) on the Pocahontas campus.
A-State inducts 11 into Engineering, Computer Science Alumni Academy
Arkansas State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science (CoECS) has welcomed 11 new members into its Alumni Academy. The induction banquet occurred on Nov. 1, at the Woodard McAlister Family Club inside Centennial Bank Stadium.
Charles Brinkley, charter member and vice president of the academy, will serve as president in 2025. Brinkley is employed at Cree-Wolfspeed as a silicon carbide power module customer quality engineer.
The inductees this year are:
• Andrew Cody Brown, senior director of shipping and logistics, Big River Steel
• Brandy Davis, hot roll/cold roll product manager, Big River Steel
• Todd Franke, owner, AmeriSpec Inspection Services
• James Jones, Arkansas transportation lead and project manager, HDR
• Kendall Kirby, senior vice president, information technology, USAble Life
• Heath Lockley, director of biogas planning and operations, Vision RNG
• William “Shannon” Luke, construction engineer, District 10, Arkansas Department of Transportation
• Blake Marotti, general manager, Wynne Water Utilities
• Sharon Robinson-Garrett, senior product engineer, Navistar-International Truck and Engine
• Thomas “Neal” Taegtmeyer, associate principal owner, Pickering Firm, Inc.
• Shane Wood, district engineer, District 10, Arkansas Department of Transportation.