Sharon Giovinazzo, a veteran of organizations that serve the blind, was named Thursday as the new president and chief executive of World Services for the Blind in Little Rock. Giovinazzo was most recently vice president of programs and Services at RLCB Inc., formerly the Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, in North Carolina. She also served as legislative affairs specialist for the National Industries for the Blind.
Giovinazzo's hiring was the result of a nationwide search, said Bill Biggs, chairman of the board of directors for World Services for the Blind.
"We have found the person who brings to this position all of the talents of our founder, Roy Kumpe," Biggs said in a release. World Services for the Blind helps blind or visually impaired adults achieve independence. Since its inception in 1947, some 13,000 clients from the United States and 58 countries have traveled to Little Rock to receive life skills and career training.
Ex-TV anchor to host Focus on Suppliers
Supplier consulting and education firm 8th & Walton has hired former KNWA-TV anchor Neile Jones as host of its weekly TV show.
Jones, who worked in television in Northwest Arkansas for 17 years and won a Mid-America Regional Emmy Award in 2011, will begin hosting Focus on Suppliers on Sept. 19. Formerly known as Saturday Morning Meeting for Suppliers, the 30-minute show will continue to air on KNWA-TV, Channel 51, on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5:30 a.m.
"This opportunity with 8th & Walton was one I could not pass up," Jones said in a statement. "The show covers many things that are important to me: working with suppliers, supporting our community economically, and helping those in need. I'm excited about the future, this team, and the direction we are headed as we grow and work toward taking a deeper look into what makes northwest Arkansas so special."
Northwest Arkansas is home to more than 1,400 supplier teams. The show debuted on the Northwest Arkansas NBC affiliate a year ago. Between the TV exposure, online viewership and a podcast version of the show, the company estimates that it reaches around 20,000 people a week.
Jones left KNWA-TV in October.
Business on 08/07/2015