’70s
Charles “Charlie” Combs ’71 has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Combs was a four-year letterman in football and a two-time A1C All-Star.
Debbie (Morris) Hare ’78 has been promoted to vice president of quality and patient safety at Unity Health of Searcy.
Kelley Erstine ’79 has been appointed to the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees.
’80s
Thomas “Tom” McConnaughey ’80, ’82 has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. McConnaughey was a wide receiver and had a 40-year NFL career as a player, coach, and scout.
Dr. Alice (Long) Heikens ’83, ’86 has received the Franklin College Faculty Steering Committee Distinguished Service Award.
Carla (Briney) Riley ’88 has been promoted to assistant vice president of branch operations at First Community Bank in Harrison.
Michael “Brad” Hegeman ’89, ’96 has received the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal 2023 C-Suite Award.
Lisa (Gunderman) Willenberg ’89 has been named to the board of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Willenberg serves as chancellor of the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton.
’90s
Dr. Martin Eggensperger ’90 has been selected as a member of the 18th Class of Leadership Arkansas.
Judith (Woodward) Goodson ’90 has been selected as a member of the 18th Class of Leadership Arkansas.
Dr. Nina (Shaw) Roofe ’90 has been named assistant vice president of family and consumer sciences for the University of Arkansas System Cooperative Extension Service.
Hamid Amin ’93 has been selected as a member of the Little Rock Soiree Men on a Mission 2023.
Tammy (King) Jones ’94 has been named chief nursing officer and associate vice chancellor for patient care services at UAMS.
Victoria (Byrd) Lamb ’96 has been promoted to senior director of commercial operations at Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. in Little Rock.
Shelley (Pope) Short ’96 has been selected as a member of the 18th Class of Leadership Arkansas.
James Rains ’99 has been promoted to GIS coordinator at Conway Corporation. Rains previously served as GIS senior technician.
’00s
Brian Self ’00 has been promoted to senior associate and architectural project manager at WDD Architects in North Little Rock.
Beau McCastlain ’02 has been named Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
Steven Person ’02 was selected as a member of the Little Rock Soiree Men on a Mission 2023.
Heide (Pingley) Harrell ’03 has joined Central Arkansas Water as director of communications. Harrell previously served as vice president and director of communications at Stephens.
J. Scott Dews ’04 has been named Man of the Year by Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Daniel George ’04, ’08 has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. George was the Gulf South Conference Soccer Player of the Year in 2003 and a three-time All-GSC selection.
Benjamin “Ben” Bard ’05 has joined the law office of Adams and Reese, LLP in Tampa, Florida, as a partner.
Michael “Mike” Norvell ’05, ’07 head coach at Florida State University, has been named 2023 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year by the American Heart Association.
Cassie (Burnell) Francisco ’07 has been promoted to controller in accounting at Conway Corporation.
Chelsea (Huckabay) McCurdy ’08 celebrated six years at Arkansas Children’s nonprofit Arkansas Home Visiting Network as communications coordinator.
Robert “Robbie” Park ’09 has joined J.P. Morgan Private Bank as an executive director in Manhattan Beach, California.
’10s
Chelsea Engel ’10 has been promoted to director at Forvis in Little Rock.
Jeff Whitener ’10 has been selected as a member of the 18th Class of Leadership Arkansas.
Drew Gainor ’11, ’12 has been named a 2023 Catalyst Financial Diversity in Business Honoree by
the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
Justin Rotton ’11, ’12 has been hired as public relations specialist at Arkansas Farm Bureau in Little Rock. Rotton previously served as deputy chief of communications for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
Megan Herbert ’12, ’14 has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Herbert was a three-time SLC Player of the Year, a four-time first-team All-SLC selection, and a two-time NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in basketball.
Shealyn Sowers ’12 has been selected as a member of the 18th Class of Leadership Arkansas.
Christy Bjornson ’13 has been named director of the Arkansas Tobacco Control Division of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.
Leo Cummings, III ’13 has joined the board of the Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives, representing the 2nd Congressional District. Cummings serves as vice president of development for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dillon Richard ’13, ’15 has been promoted to vice president of commercial lending at First Community Bank in Conway.
Andrew “Drew” Spurgers ’13, ’17 has been named a 2023 Catalyst Financial Diversity in Business Honoree by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
Melanie Bryant ’14 has been inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Bryant was a four-time All-Conference catcher in softball and was the Southland Conference Hitter of the Year in 2011.
Chase “Forrest” Stobaugh JD ’14 has been named partner at PPGMR Law, PLLC in Little Rock.
Dr. Logan Bevill ’15 has been hired as a family medicine physician at Unity Health.
Dr. Jonathan Pennington ’15 has been hired as a family medicine physician at St. Bernards Healthcare in Jonesboro.
Stephanie Daigle JD ’16 has been admitted to practice law at the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States of America in October 2023.
Mollie Henager Seminario ’16 has been recognized as an Arkansas 20 in Their Twenties honoree. Henager Seminario serves as senior director of Foundation Relations and Development at UCA.
Callie (Clifton) Parks ’16 has joined Presbyterian Health Care Services, in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe Metro Area, as director of operations in September 2023.
Shelbie Thomas ’16 has been hired as multimedia marketing specialist at JTS in Little Rock.
Jarod Wickliffe ’16 has joined Little Rock Chamber as director of business development.
JiQuintas “Jay” Brown ’17 has been recognized as an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree. Brown serves as director of physician practices at Merit Health in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Robin Franke, APRN, ’17 has joined White River Health Family Care as a provider.
Gilberto Garcia ’17 has been recognized as an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree. Garcia is president and CEO of Garcia Wealth Management in Conway.
Shelbey (Lisko) Morris ’17 has been hired at North Little Rock Tourism as project manager.
Mary Carol (Majors) Angel ’18 has been promoted to senior risk assurance manager at HoganTaylor in Little Rock.
Leah Griffin ’18, ’19 has been promoted to tax manager at HoganTaylor in Little Rock.
Wilson Marseilles ’18 has been recognized as an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree. Marseilles serves as president and CEO at the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Carl Ratliff, III ’18 has been named Teacher of the Year at Carver STEAM Magnet Elementary in Little Rock.
Megan Dykema-Zinno ’19 has been promoted to associate architect at WDD Architects of North Little Rock.
Carley Willmon, CPA ’19 has been promoted to tax manager at HoganTaylor in Little Rock.
Dr. Josh Wilson ’19 was selected as a member of the Little Rock Soiree Men on a Mission 2023.
’20s
Lauren McCauley ’20 has been hired as an associate attorney at McDaniel Wolff PLLC in Little Rock.
Lauren Lovelady ’21 has been recognized as an Arkansas Business 20 in Their Twenties honoree. Lovelady serves as community banking strategy and development at Simmons Bank in Little Rock.
Camryn Mann ’21 has been promoted to senior tax accountant at HoganTaylor in Little Rock.
Jacob Turbyfill ’21 has been hired as billing coordinator at CJRW in Little Rock.
Jordan Gray ’23 has been hired as digital analyst specialist at CJRW in Little Rock.