Sherrill named
Next Step director
Amy Sherrill is the new executive director of the Next Step Day Room, anagency serving the homeless in Fort Smith. Sherrill has been the group’s interim executive director since September.
She began working with the agency as marketing manager in November 2011.
Prior to joining the nonprofit, she was an award-winning journalist for The Southwest Times-Record in Fort Smith.
The Next Step Day Room operates a day shelter and resource center as well as three supportive homes for veterans, homeless women and their children and single homeless men.
Friends raise funds for medical bills
Dwayne Kuykendall of Prairie Grove has recently been in the hospital and doesn’t have insurance. His friends and family are organizing a fundraiser to help with the medical bills.
The fundraiser will include a $5 per plate chili and spaghetti supper, live music, a homemade pie auction, silent auction and raffle. It will be from 5 to 9 p.m.
Saturday at the Prairie Grove High School cafeteria. All proceeds are going directly toward Kuykendall’s medical bills.
Donations for the event are welcome.
Monetary donations may also be directly placed into an account at Arvest Bank: the Dwayne Kuykendall Medical Fund, Account No. 0030979114.
Information: Jim Everett at (479) 387-5744
Leeds, Sutton earn
excellence awards
Stacy L. Leeds, dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law, and WalterL. Sutton Jr., associate general council for legal administration and external relations for Walmart Stores Inc., received the American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award Feb. 8 in Dallas.
The award is for those who have promoted a more racially and ethnically diverse legal profession.
Leeds and Sutton are among six recipients of this year’s awards.
Leeds became dean of the Schoolof Law on July 1, 2011. She previously served as professor, interim associate dean for academic affairs and director of the Tribal Law and Government Center at Kansas School of Law.
Sutton is an internal advocate for diversity initiatives in Wal-Mart’s legal department.
University of Ozarks students earn awards
Dylan Eakin of Lamar won the Best of Show award at the Collegiate Exhibition and Competition, held Feb. 3 at theRiver Valley Arts Center in Russellville. Eakin, a senior art major at the University of the Ozarks, earned the honor for his ceramic bust “Looking Up.”
Eakin received a $150 prize. His work will be showcased at a solo show at the arts center in December.
Kurstein Keck of Pettigrew earned an honorable mention for her ceramic sculp ture “CatastropheWonderland.” Keck is a sophomore art major at the university.
Foundation names
board members
Suze Francois, Becky Mc-Coy and Ronald Vizena are the newest members of the Peel Compton Foundation board.
Francois is co-founder and president of the Potter’s Hands Children’s Center, a nonprofit that helps children in Haiti. She is also a senior manager at the WalmartFoundation.
McCoy is a longtime Bentonville resident and organizer of numerous festivals, art shows and ArtWalks.
Vizena has worked for Walmart Inc. for nine years and is currently the director of U.S. finance and planning with the company.
Turner receives Golden Eagle
Nathan Turner of Rogers has been chosen as theDecember recipient for the Northwest Arkansas Community College Golden Eagle Award. He was recognized by the NWACC Board ofTrustees at a meeting Jan. 14.
Turner is pursuing an associate degree in general science. He hopes to receive a license to practice as a registered nurse and then earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He would ultimately like to go to medical school.
He was nominated by social sciences professor Natasha Washington for his service on the Student Ambassador Activities Board and as liaison with the Student Government Association.
He has a 3.86 grade-point average.
Students vie for Miss UAFS
Thirteen local women will participate in the Miss University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Pageant March 2 at the Arkansas Best Corp.
Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith. The pageant is a preliminary for the Miss Arkansas Pageant.
Contestants are Taylor Kaitlyn Baker, 21, of FortSmith; Dalissa Barentine, 19, of Rudy; Cristina Castorena, 22, of Fort Smith; Nancy Guillen, 22, of Fort Smith;
Carter Alexandra Honea, 21, of Fort Smith; Lydia Humphrey, 20, of Ozark; Makayla Jackson, 19, of Muldrow, Okla.; Tanya Martin, 22, of Muldrow, Okla.; Amanda Shook, 23, of Greenwood;
Taylor Smith, 20, of Mansfield; Kellie Elizabeth Taylor, 20, of Poteau, Okla.; Kalyn Renae Tounzen, 18, of Van Buren; and Linda Vichith, 18, Fort Smith.
Tickets are $10.
Information: (479) 788-7300.
Adkisson elected Grand Master
Jarrod Adkisson of Fayetteville has been elected grand master of the Free and Accepted Masons in Arkansas. Adkisson’s appointment came at the Grand Lodge Annual Communication, held Feb. 7-8 in Little Rock.
Adkisson took his oath of office using the George Washington inaugural Bible, the same Bible used by the first president for his oath of office. Adkisson is a lifelong Freemason and a member of Washington Lodge No. 1 in Fayetteville, the oldest Masonic lodge in the state.
Send information about birthdays, honors and reunions to ourtown@ nwaonline.com, trogers@arkansas online.com or Northwest Arkansas Achievers, P.O. Box 7, Springdale, AR 72765.
Style, Pages 19 on 02/21/2013