Profiles

A directory of Profiles for Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Awards

Forty Under 40: Joe Payne

Persevering through a downturned economy, two job layoffs and the challenges of a startup, Joe Payne has emerged as a respected member of the creative tech community in Northwest Arkansas….

Forty Under 40: Landi Mkhize

Landi Mkhize’s decision in 2005 to take a job with the Arkansas State Bank Department ensured that during the recession he was examining banks rather than being in the painful…

Forty Under 40: Shannon Mirus

Growing up amongst the row crops of northeast Arkansas, Shannon Mirus saw that agriculture was both the heart and economic engine of her community — whether people grew rice or…

Forty Under 40: Martin Miller

Born in St. Louis, Martin Miller spent most of his childhood in Fayetteville and considers that his hometown. Through four years at college in Minnesota, then two years of graduate…

Forty Under 40: James Melton

Efficiency expert James Melton spends his days finding ways to maximize the capabilities of the George’s hatchery, while minimizing the cost of labor. He’s only been with the company since…

Forty Under 40: Myra McKenzie-Harris

Inspired as a child by then-Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Myra McKenzie-Harris set her sights on a legal career because she wanted to help people, especially women and minorities. She…

Forty Under 40: Alexa McGriff

Alexa McGriff is a senior social strategist with Moxie, which has been engaged by the corporate affairs division of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to enhance the retailer’s positive reputation. Alexa designed…

Forty Under 40: Joshua D. McFadden

Despite a rocky start, Joshua McFadden’s career in Arkansas has been a success. A California native, McFadden and his father visited John Brown University in Siloam Springs while researching potential…

Forty Under 40: Josh McCaslin

While attending college at the University of Arkansas, Josh McCaslin began to dabble in investing with his family’s financial adviser in Little Rock. A specialized portfolio management class at the…

Forty Under 40: Michael Macechko

Michael Macechko didn’t take the traditional route to become a physician. Most know they always wanted to be a physician, but he didn’t find out until late into his college…

Forty Under 40: Casey Kinsey

Casey Kinsey believes culture is the most important aspect of the workplace. It’s why he started his own business in 2014, and he considers the nine jobs he has created…

Forty Under 40: Christina Karnatz

Christina Karnatz is a storyteller. It’s what she did as host and reporter for almost six years on the radio program Ozarks at Large, and it’s what she does now…

Forty Under 40: Dustin Hughes

When Dustin Hughes started with Kimbel Mechanical Systems he was a plumber apprentice making $10 an hour. Now, he oversees two divisions, seven locations, nearly 250 employees and about the…

Forty Under 40: Erin Turner Hogue

As senior manager of the Walmart Foundation’s NWA Giving program, Erin Turner Hogue puts her years of experience in fundraising to work on the other side of the equation. Before,…

Forty Under 40: Jennifer Heiges

Jennifer Heiges has almost had to reintroduce the watch to the world. With the advent of smartphones, watches have become more of an accessory and less of a necessity. “We…

Forty Under 40: Charleen Greer-Jones

When Charlene Greer-Jones was recruited out of college for the Toys-R-Us management training program, she left New Orleans on a whim and moved to Fayetteville, having no idea that she’d…

Forty Under 40: Nathan Green

Nathan Green discovered an interest in law while taking a required course, legal environment of business, during his study of economics at Saint Louis University. “I loved that class,” Green…

Forty Under 40: Tara Dryer

Tara Dryer grew up in the small town of Prairie du Chien, Wis., where both her parents were teachers, and she was taught to value education. “One thing that I…

Forty Under 40: George “BJ” Deimel

Admiration for his family physician led George “BJ” Deimel to develop an interest in medicine. “[Dr. Larry Brashears] worked tirelessly for his patients and community, and I always respected that…

Forty Under 40: Ryan Dagley

Ryan Dagley and his team of two commercial lenders and two loan assistants have increased loan growth by 40% in four years at Signature Bank in Bentonville. “I think we’re…