BUSINESS PEOPLE

Dr. Suzanne Klimberg was named medical director for Ascendant Diagnostics of Fayetteville. The company is currently developing MelodyDx as a pain-free, low-cost screening test that can detect the presence of early-stage breast cancer using the protein profile of a person’s tears, which she helped helped discover.

A practicing breast surgeon, Klimberg is the director of the Breast Cancer Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute in Little Rock. She holds the Muriel Balsam Kohn Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology and is a professor of surgery and pathology at UAMS. Since 1993, she has been director of Fellowship in Diseases of the Breast at the UAMS Cancer Institute and John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital.

Lisa Ray, president and chief executive officer of Arvest Bank in Springdale, was introduced Sept. 18 at the Northwest Arkansas Business Women’s Conference as the 2013 Athena Woman of the Year. Ray joined Springdale’sArvest Bank in April 2012. She held the same position at Arvest Bank in Siloam Springs from 2005-12. Ray started as a management trainee in 1989 with Arvest. Her career has been noted for dedication to community service in Northwest Arkansas. according to a news release.

Two new employees have joined the Bentonville office of CEI Engineering in Bentonville.

Thomas Oppenheim will serve as a project engineer in the local development department. His responsibilities include site layout and design of commercial and municipal projects, stormwater plans, construction plans and project permitting and entitlements. Previously, he was director of engineering and director of compliance for Wal-Mart’s new stores and he was vice president of engineering and constructionfor Cooper Communities Inc. He is a licensed professional engineer and a certified professional in erosion and sediment control.

Neal Griffin will be a construction observer in the local development departmentat CEI. He holds a chemical engineering degree from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and a master’s degree in business administration from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Joseph A. Sanford, CPA, won the Mac Angel Discussion Leader of the Year Award from the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. To earn the award, Sanford received the highest-ranked evaluations as a teacher of continuing education classes. The University of Arkansas graduate has been a CPA since 1977, advancing to manager of an accounting firm before founding his own, Sanford & Company P.A., in Mena in 1988. He received the award at the society’s annual convention Sept. 20 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Morrilton.

Sgt. Dawn Sprayberry of the Fort Smith Police Department was named Investigator of the Year by the National Internal Affairs Investigators Association during the group’s conference Sept. 9-12 in Nashville, Tenn. She is a 22-year veteran of thedepartment and has served in the Office of Professional Standards/Internal Affairs for more than five years. She was nominated for the award by Fort Smith Police Chief Kevin Lindsey.

Erik Smith was hired by the Amazeum as the first exhibits and programs director. He will oversee the development, management and operation of all exhibit activities and provide strategic direction for the planned children’s museum in Bentonville. He served previously as exhibits manager with the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego. His 11 years in the museum industry follow five years as an educator teaching science to high school students in Southern California. He graduated from the University of California-San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in science education.

Email: [email protected] or send your item to: Sue Morris, P.O. Box 7, Springdale Ark. 72765. Information must be received by noon Wednesday to before the Sunday the item is to be published.

Business, Pages 72 on 09/29/2013

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