Tag: best-in-class

Fast 15: Michael Dodd

Michael Dodd, the youngest of this year’s honorees, knows the value of leadership. The Leawood, Kan., native graduated from the University of Arkansas one year ago and held leadership roles…

As an undergraduate pursuing a psychology degree from the University of Arkansas, Nicole Chapman began considering a post-graduate path studying law. Her father, a native of France, suggested working as…

Fast 15: Omar A. Mejia

When Omar Mejia’s teacher at Rogers High School found him a part-time teller’s position at Arvest in his junior year, he had “no clue” he would end up in banking….

Fast 15: Philip G. Schmidt

Rare is the individual who has figured out by age 16 what they want to be when they grow up. Philip Schmidt is one of them. While attending Little Rock…

Forty Under 40: Colby A. Beland

Persistence paid off for CaseStack in its pursuit three years ago of Colby Beland. And hiring the Fort Smith native continues to pay off for the firm. Since Beland joined…

Forty Under 40: Dale Brunk

“I thought, here’s a field where I can help other people with their money, and I can invest mine, as well,” he recalled. To that end, not only does Brunk…

Forty Under 40: Amy Callahan

For the first time in three years, Amy Callahan took a vacation this summer. “I read three books that had nothing to do with business,” she boasted. “I’d say that…

Forty Under 40: J.R. Carroll

If J.R. Carroll had kept the streak alive and attended LSU like the rest of his family, who knows what he would be doing now. Instead, the White Hall native…

Forty Under 40: Tay Sha Carter

The Caddo Indian word “taysha” means “friend” or “ally”. It’s no surprise, then, that Tay Sha Carter finds the mentoring aspect of higher education so appealing. “We’re here to be…

Forty Under 40: Chad Clinehens

Chad Clinehens, a civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Arkansas, began with ZweigWhite in January. He spent 14 years before that as a principal…

Forty Under 40: Alan W. Cole

A decade ago, armed with degrees in marketing and finance/management from the University of Arkansas, Alan Cole was hired by a small startup, Lane Real Estate in Bentonville. He was…

Forty Under 40: Rob Coleman

Fort Smith native Rob Coleman believes working in a family-owned business affords the opportunity to shape his own destiny. “We’re a third-generation company,” he said. “My grandfather had his piece,…

Forty Under 40: Steve Cox

A year after graduating from John Brown University in 2004 with a communications degree, Steve Cox entered a trainee program with Arvest Bank. He worked his way into the asset…

Forty Under 40: Thomas Dunlap

Thomas Dunlap earned a history degree from Southern Methodist in 1996, and has always been interested in the details and strategy of public policy. He just doesn’t seek any of…

Forty Under 40: Conner Eldridge

Conner Eldridge has headed the U.S. attorney’s office in the Western District of Arkansas since December 2010. Upon his confirmation, he was — and still is — the youngest U.S….

Forty Under 40: Sarah Elizabeth Fennel

The suffering she witnessed while volunteering at a children’s home in Cape Town was just too much to ignore. Back in Fayetteville, all she could talk about was what she’d…

Forty Under 40: Fran Free

Make no mistake. She’s a Ding Dong Momma from Dumas. That means she knows her way around a farm and the thick Delta soil is in her blood. Fran Free,…

Forty Under 40: Carl George

In April, Carl George got a big promotion. Along with his twin brother, Charles, he was named co-CEO and president of George’s Inc., one of the largest poultry producers in…

Forty Under 40: Charles George

Charles George said there are not a lot of differences between him and his twin brother, Carl. And he’s right. They were born on the same day, went to the…

Forty Under 40: Jamie Henry

He might be a Michigan man, but he’s looking to lay down his roots here in Northwest Arkansas. Jamie Henry, who holds two engineering degrees and an MBA, likes to…