Tag: best-in-class

Forty Under 40: Sach Oliver

Sach Oliver grew up on a cattle farm in north Arkansas, graduated as valedictorian from Viola High School and was later student government president at Arkansas State University. It was…

Forty Under 40: Rafael “Buck” Ortega Jr.

You know you’ve made it when you have your own Wikipedia page. Just ask Buck Ortega. The former NFL journeyman and University of Miami tight end has had a charmed…

Forty Under 40: Jonathan Perrodin

He was told to “do what you do” by a man he respected, and took the advice. For Jonathan Perrodin, that meant giving himself the freedom and flexibility to follow…

Forty Under 40: Mike Rush

Mike Rush didn’t make the cut for his eighth grade basketball team, so his coach told him to try track. He went out and beat the ninth-graders in sprints and…

Forty Under 40: Thuy Rushing

Thuy (pronounced “twee”) Rushing knows a thing or two about big brands. Her entire career in retail has been built on The Hershey Co., the largest chocolate manufacturer in the…

Forty Under 40: Hamilton Seale Moriarty

On the surface, learning the Russian language and representing a global brand have nothing in common. But having done both, Hamilton Seale Moriarty knows better. Being good at either one…

Forty Under 40: Ben Shankle

Ben Shankle is a team player. Although he was hand-picked to start the Bentonville office of Dallas-based Pavecon Ltd. in 2011 and has grown the staff to 30 — in…

Forty Under 40: Brook Thomas

Brook Thomas has always had a can-do attitude. That’s how he went from part-time teleprompter operator in 2000 to news director in 2007. “You do the job you’ve been given…

Forty Under 40: Josh Whittle

He traded in his sword for a ploughshare. Josh Whittle, a former United States Air Force pilot, did two tours in Iraq flying one of the most successful military aircrafts…

Fast 15: Amy Benincosa

While education is Amy Benincosa’s passion, her role as a fundraiser for the National Child Protection Training Center isn’t that far off the mark. The center offers educational programs for…

Fast 15: Bethany Freeman

Bethany Freeman said she doesn’t really have a sweet tooth for chocolate. But as the world’s most famous chocolate company has learned, liking the merchandise isn’t a prerequisite for moving…

Fast 15: Brooke Moreton

For a girl who was “very much into cheerleading and dance,” but couldn’t wait to get to the family farm every day, it’s hard to imagine Brooke Moreton finding a…

Fast 15: Chance Chapman

From Texarkana, Texas, to New York to Northwest Arkansas, Chance Chapman’s life has been quite a journey so far. And it’s that journey, not specific accomplishments, he values most. In…

Fast 15: David Bradley

David Bradley has varied interests, but he delves into each of them intently. A Blytheville native, Bradley majored in criminal justice at the University of Arkansas and added a master’s…

Fast 15: Jameson Sheppard

Texas-born, but having spent the majority of his life in Ecuador, Jameson Sheppard wasn’t overly impressed by his sister’s interest in attending John Brown University. “But then I came and…

Fast 15: Joseph Hayes

After graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2007 with a political science degree, Joseph Hayes spent the next year working for his father’s lumber business in the rural, southwest…

Fast 15: Kenny Cason

A bona fide rocket scientist, Kenny Cason worked on missile defense at Lockheed Martin in Washington, D.C. But his entrepreneurial spirit grew bored with the corporate routine. So he joined…

As property manager for Northwest Arkansas’ largest office park, Lindy Janes has a long list of professional responsibilities. Collecting rent, paying bills, overseeing maintenance and repairs, handling tenant management, retention…

Fast 15: Matt Fryar

Matt Fryar can relate to lawyer-turned-author John Grisham’s description of law school as “the great American babysitter for directionless postgrads.” Unsure what to do with the degree in agricultural communications…

Fast 15: Max Mahler

Max Mahler said the key to any early successes in his chosen profession is simple. “I work a lot,” said Mahler, a Fayetteville native who graduated from the University of…