Ethan Altom is the new chef at Bordinos Restaurant and Wine Bar in Fayetteville. He studied hospitality and restaurant management at the University of Arkansas and graduated from the New England Culinary Institute. He cooked at The Capital Hotel in Little Rock and at Hog & Hominy and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in Memphis.
Steven Plaisance was promoted to president and chief executive officer of Arvest Mortgage Co. and Central Mortgage Co. He was president and chief operating officer. Central Mortgage Co.is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Plaisance began his career with Arvest as a part-time teller in Rogers in 1989, joining Arvest Mortgage Co. in 1991. He is a member of the national Mortgage Bankers Association and is a two-time president of the Oklahoma Mortgage Bankers Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas and is a 1998 graduate of the Mortgage Bankers Association Future Leaders Program.
Bill Robertson is the new director of operations at Credit Counseling of Arkansas. He is responsible for customer care and account management. He was a member of the charity’s Community Action Board before joining the nonprofit entity three years ago as a volunteer working community events and presenting financial education classes. He served as a financial counselor for three years at Freedom 5:one Ministries and has been conducting financial education for six years.
Travis Teague was admitted as a member of Beall Barclay Wealth Management LLC. He joined the company in 2004 and is a financial adviser and daily operations manager. Teague has worked in the financial services industry for more than 16 years and is licensed with the financial industry regulatory authority and all applicable state agencies for conducting securities, insurance and investment services. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1997 with a bachelor’s of business finance and from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2004. He is a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. Beall Barclay Wealth Management is a certified public accounting firm with offices in Fort Smith, Rogers and Russellville.
Kristin Pawlik of Northwest Arkansas law firm Keith, Miller, Butler, Schneider & Pawlik, was appointed to the position of vice chairman to the Legislation Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association. She is serving her third term on the committee. Pawlik practices in the areas of domestic relations, family law, criminal defense and employment law. She is a member of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association and the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was elected to the Arkansas Bar Association’s House of Delegates.
Kirby Jett was named business development officer of Truity Credit Union in Northwest Arkansas. Jett graduated from the University of Arkansas, is member of Leadership Fayetteville Class 28 and is a Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce diplomat. She serves on the Washington Regional Medical Center Eagle Awards and the Dream Big Gala committees and volunteers with Meals on Wheels.
Roger Bryles was promoted to vice president, trust client adviser for Arvest Asset Management. Bryles has worked as a trust client adviser for the company for more than five years. He has worked as a vice president, chief financial officer and board treasurer of a private foundation, a registered investment adviser with a regional investment firm and a bank examiner with the U.S. Treasury. Bryles earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in 1986 and a juris doctor at the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1991.
Ron Tiarks was hired as executive vice president of the international division at 8th & Walton, a Bentonville-based supplier development firm. He began his 25-year Wal-Mart career in 1979 and served as senior vice president of store options, senior vice president optical services and president and CEO of Walmart Germany. He was chief operating officer for Geant Saudi Limited, a hypermarket chain in Saudi Arabia, after leaving Wal-Mart. Tiarks recently served clients as founder of Global Business Consulting and is on track to earn his bachelor of science in business administration degree with an emphasis in management from John Brown University in May.
Dana Young was hired as director of new business development and human resources at 8th & Walton. She has more than 30 years of experience in sales, customer service and performance development training, including nine years in the information technology, finance and human resources departments at Procter & Gamble, working on the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club teams. She is CEO of her own company, mPowerOthers.
JoAnn Mahan, an advanced nurse practitioner, joined Sparks Gastroenterology and Liver Center at 1001 Towson Ave., Fort Smith. She earned her master’s degree from the University of South Alabama in December and has 21 years of experience as a registered nurse with a focus on trauma nursing and emergency care. She worked as a registered nurse at Summit Medical Center in Van Buren. She will work alongside Dr. Ihab Herraka.
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