Tag: best-in-class

Forty Under 40: Katie Lejong

Katie Lejong was fortunate to identify her ideal career early and easily. “I didn’t know exactly what accounting was, but I liked the thought process and the idea of being…

Forty Under 40: Leslie Lentz

Don’t call it an overnight success story. Leslie Lentz’s climb to the top was years in the making. The founder of Lentz & Co., a sales and consulting firm for…

Forty Under 40: Reed Luhtanen

Early on in his career at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Reed Luhtanen was instrumental in rolling out the acceptance of EBT food assistance cards at Sam’s Club. He also coordinated the…

Forty Under 40: Gabriel Machado

Life for Gabriel Machado is vastly different from what he envisioned growing up in Caracas, Venezuela. He certainly didn’t foresee living in Arkansas, but with Rockline Industries, he’s found a…

Forty Under 40: Mandy Macke

Her peers say Mandy Macke is the glue that holds the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation together, but a career in nonprofit was not originally in her plans. “It…

Forty Under 40: Stephanie McCratic

It’s safe to say Stephanie McCratic was an early adopter of social media and mobile devices. Friends used to ask her why she wrote a blog, why she needed the…

Forty Under 40: Joey Nelson

Joey Nelson developed an affinity for art early in life. “I was really one of those creative kids who liked to take nothing and create something out of it,” he…

Forty Under 40: Michael Paladino

“I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine.” That’s the attitude Michael Paladino tries to instill in the staff at RevUnit, a digital product development and marketing agency. “As a…

Forty Under 40: Erica Preston

Erica Preston has climbed the ladder for 18 years, and the ascension didn’t stop when she joined Chambers Bank in March. She was hired initially as senior vice president and…

Forty Under 40: Joshua D. Rankin

Joshua Rankin enjoys taking care of people through the years. “That’s why I went into primary care, so I could develop long-term relationships with my patients,” he said. “That really…

Forty Under 40: John R. Rausch

John Rausch grew up in Fort Smith doing the fun stuff of home building — framing and pouring concrete. He learned the trade from his grandfather, Buddy Coleman, who built…

Forty Under 40: Molly Collier Rawn

Molly Collier Rawn is tasked with the fundraising efforts of Bentonville’s newest attraction, working with some of the most prominent donors in Northwest Arkansas’ philanthropic community to help fund the…

Forty Under 40: Amanda Rogers

Amanda Rogers wanted to be in advertising so bad she took a job as a courier with Blackwood Martin/CJRW while she was a journalism student at the University of Arkansas….

Forty Under 40: Corey Runnells

Corey Runnells enjoys seeing his whole team succeed. That, in addition to providing for his family, is what drives him in his career. Runnells leads corporate operations at Specialized Real…

Forty Under 40: Jonathan Schisler

When Jonathan Schisler was a student at Shiloh Christian School, he took a course in HTML coding, and he was hooked. The Rogers native went on to earn both a…

Forty Under 40: Wes Shelton

Wes Shelton’s life is nothing if not purposeful, both personally and professionally. Born the son of a dentist in Batesville, Shelton spent much of his childhood helping at his father’s…

Forty Under 40: Gaven Smith

“Don’t be a coach,” Gaven Smith’s parents advised as he grew up in Rogers. “You’re too smart.” Smith’s mother was a first-grade teacher, his father a junior high coach. So,…

Forty Under 40: Avery Starks

A big man with a warm handshake who is determined to leave a strong legacy, Avery Starks is gaining awards and accolades as he ascends ladders in the retail world….

Forty Under 40: Stephanie Stephens

For Stephanie Stephens, success in her career has everything to do with being a role model for her daughter. “It’s been really important to me to show her that, as…

Forty Under 40: Jay Thornton

Jay Thornton has been around. Palm Beach. Miami. Grand Rapids, Michigan. But that was in the past. These days, he’s nice and comfortable at his office just off the Bentonville…