NEA Business Notes: Lyon College vet school to get accreditation visit

The Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine (LCSVM) has received confirmation of its accreditation site visit, scheduled for Aug. 9–13, 2026, by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE).

In advance of the visit, the LCSVM is preparing a detailed self-study report outlining its plans for delivering a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) program and demonstrating compliance with the 11 AVMA COE standards of accreditation. The standards address components of veterinary education, including institutional accreditation, organization, finances, facilities, clinical resources, curriculum, faculty, students and research.

LCSVM will be co-located with Cabot Animal Support Services (CASS) on a campus off Interstate 57 near exit 21 in Cabot. Lyon College has partnered with the city of Cabot to support the development of its veterinary medicine program, providing access to facilities, community connections, and opportunities for student engagement in public and animal health initiatives.

As part of its progress, LCSVM announced the structure of its four-year doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) curriculum. Lyon College initially explored offering a three-year DVM program and, after a review, determined that a four-year program would best support student learning and success by allowing for summer internship programs and faculty-mentored research.

Supported by an $11 million gift from the Arkansas Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF), the Katharine Reese Shelter Medicine and Animal Welfare Program will provide hands-on training through an on-site teaching hospital/shelter facilities within CASS and mobile veterinary units. Classes are expected to begin in 2027. 

Citizens Bank Hires Joey Walter As Senior VP, Director of Equipment Finance
Citizens Bank names Joey Walter as senior vice president and director of equipment finance. Walter has played a role in building the bank’s Equipment Finance division, and in this new role, he will lead the division into its next phase of growth.

As director of equipment finance, Walter oversees all facets of the division, including production, administration, collections and asset recovery.

Walter earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communication with a minor in business from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

A-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine Hires Dr. Trey Neyland
Dr. Trey Neyland, of southwest Louisiana, will be an assistant professor of livestock practice, at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Arkansas State University. The college is set to open in fall 2026.

After completing a bachelor’s degree at McNeese State University, Neyland obtained a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, followed by an internship and residency at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He also is board-certified as a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Neyland is a board-certified large animal internal medicine specialist and will bring his experience in cattle, small ruminants, and pigs to the CVM.

The CVM at A-State has a scheduled site visit with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) in January. With an anticipated opening in the fall of next year, the CVM plans to welcome a cohort of 120 students in the inaugural class.

A-State Debate Team Wins Awards At Annual Arkansas Student Congress
The Arkansas State University debate team recently participated in the annual Arkansas Student Congress, sweeping the competition by placing first and earning more than a dozen individual awards.

The team received first place in best overall Senate delegation and earned 22 individual speaking and parliamentary awards. They also received three distinguished awards, had students elected to two offices, and saw three bills passed into the Laws of Congress. Three bills placed first, second and third after being recommended to the Arkansas General Assembly.

Achieving first place, a bill that would prohibit the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement without a warrant to protect Arkansans and their right to privacy was written by Lesleigh Sullivan and Lynley Polsgrove. Placing second, a bill recommended to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education would cap tuition increases at public universities. It was written by Jacqueline Berckefeldt and Kami Newman. Placing third, a bill recommended to the Arkansas General Assembly, which would create a four-day school week for public schools in the state. It was written by Rocco Hicks and Cate Ford.

BRTC’s 53rd Law Enforement Training Academy Class Graduates
Black River Technical College’s (BRTC) Law Enforcement Training Academy (LETA) recently held its fall 2025 graduation ceremony for Class 2025-B on the BRTC Pocahontas campus. The graduating class was composed of 42 officers from 26 different agencies and completed 604 hours of training.

Deputy Director of Training for the Arkansas Division of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (ADLEST) Jason Lawrence was the guest speaker for the ceremony.

The United Police Supply’s Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship was presented to Kerry Goodlow of the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office. Kenneth Gillmore of the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office was awarded the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy Servant Leadership Award.

BRTC LETA faculty recognized and awarded the top recruits from Class 2025-B. Tristen Griese 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. Robert Phillips of the Paragould Police Department earned second overall. Hunter Fortson of the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office earned third. 

BRTC Awards Florence Nightingale Scholarship To Jonesboro Resident
BRTC recently announced Mallory Payton Crain of Jonesboro was awarded the Florence Nightingale Scholarship. Crain earned her GED — high school equivalent diploma — in 2022. She is the daughter of Jaspher Crain and Michelle Anderson of Jonesboro. She has one son, Aubrey Smith, and she is seeking a degree in nursing.

The Nightingale Scholarship is sponsored by the BRTC nursing faculty and staff and is awarded to registered nursing students in their second semester of the program. Recipients are chosen based on qualities that exemplify the spirit of caring embodied by Florence Nightingale. 

First National Bank of Commerce Donates $7,500 To Williams Works
First National Bank of Commerce has made a gift in support of the Williams Works program at Williams Baptist University. Holly Cain, vice president and compliance officer at First National, presented a $7,500 check to WBU President Dr. Stan Norman.

Students in the Williams Works program work 16 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. In return, their tuition and student service fees are fully covered for each semester they participate.

Students also have the opportunity to work full-time during the summer, with their room and board expenses also covered, providing students a pathway to graduate debt-free.