Thankfully Home in the 501
The benefits of being editor of 501 LIFE magazine are many, and I try to notice them each day. As a “good news publication,” we receive numerous suggestions about people who are worthy of an article. Learning about incredible people, programs and businesses each day helps to counterbalance the bad news that is available 24/7.
Another benefit of producing a magazine is the opportunity to attend interesting conferences and events. I was pleased to attend the 15th Annual Governor’s Award for Excellence in Global Trade Luncheon on Oct. 17 with Paulette Higginbotham. Hosted by the Arkansas District Export Council at Robinson Center in Little Rock, speakers touted the increasing growth of exports and how it benefits Arkansas businesses and employees.
I have discovered that being a fly on the wall at photoshoots is also a perk. It’s interesting to see our professional photographers at work, and I have great respect for the art of producing excellent photos. They are rarely taken by accident. I was fortunate to attend our cover shoot in Maumelle and to meet a fantastic cook who recently won $10,000 on Food Network’s “Family Recipe Showdown.” Legenia SpillerBearden and her aunt competed in the episode “Cast Iron Secrets” and made Arkansas proud! While the experience was a dream come true, Gena lost her father only three days before learning she had been cast on the show. Discover how she handled her grief with faith and grace in an article by Rita Thomas.
Each month, 501 LIFE introduces readers to several charities that are a lifeline to those they serve, and their clients are grateful. Our Couple of the Month founded Immerse Arkansas, which supports young adults as they age out of the foster system. In the agriculture feature, you’ll meet a couple from White County who founded a chapter of Hope Outdoors. They assist disabled youth who want to hunt — making the impossible possible. We also highlight Spark Community, which provides therapies and services to disabled children and adults in five counties.
Our “Giving Thanks” issue has so many inspiring stories that you can read about an amazing Arkansan each day as we head towards Thanksgiving.
With thanks to our advertisers and readers,
PUBLISHER/
ART DIRECTOR
Jeremy L. Higginbotham
EDITOR
Stefanie W. Brazile
FOUNDERS
Donna Spears, Sonja Keith and Tracy Ferrell
ADVERTISING SALES
Donna Spears, Donald Brazile, KD Reep and Rita Halter Thomas
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Levi Gilbert
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Makenzie Evans and Najeé Fletcher
COPY EDITOR
Andrea Miller
FINANCE DIRECTOR
Debbie Flowers
BRAND AMBASSADOR
Lisa Hutchison
SOCIAL MEDIA
Morgan Zimmerman
On the cover: Legenia Spiller-Bearden of Maumelle is thankfully savoring the taste of victory as the $10,000 winner of the Food Network’s “Family Recipe Showdown.”
Photo by Makenzie Evans
Letter from the Editor
IN FOCUS
Couple of the Month: Kara and Eric Gilmore
Entertaining with Legenia Spiller Bearden Setting Her Table for Success By Rita Halter Thomas
of the Month: Short-Legged Petting Zoo and A&R Mini Farm By Lori Dunn
A Bright Spark: Spark Community School By Rita Halter Thomas
Arkansas’s Leading Ladies The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas
On a Prayer and a Hope: Hope Outdoors comes to the 501 By Judy Riley
In the 501 … It’s On Like Donkey Kong The Vortex Classic Arcade By KD Reep
Academies of Central Arkansas
Youth of the Month: EJ Goforth & Bailey Fournier By Donna L. Stephens
Let’s Talk Turkey By Beth Jimmerson
Author of the Month: Latasha Davis By Susan L. Peterson
Artist of the Month: Justin Hoadley By Phyllis Ormsby
501 Hometown Hall of Famers: Joe Johnson By David Grimes 74 Giving Thanks By Vivian L. Hogue 76 Northern Exposure: Brothers Darrin and Brian Logan By Mike Kemp
80 Dub Grant: A Life of Ropin,’ Ridin’ and Rodeo By Phyllis Ormsby 84 Going the Extra ‘Myle’ By Mark Oliver 88 Person of the Month: JoVoni Johnson-McCray
Ace Hardware, 53
American Made General Store, 23
Arkansas Farm Bureau, 47
Barksdale Federal Credit Union, 8, 35
Bledsoe Chiropractic, 77
Centennial Bank, 79
Conway Corp, 61
Conway Human Development Center, 9
Conway Regional Health Foundation, 91
Conway Regional Rehab, 75
Conway Symphony Orchestra, 69
Downtown Conway, 48-49
First Security Bank, 92
First Service Bank, 19
Freyaldenhoven, 61
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Greenbrier Community, 34-35
Green Bay Packaging, 85
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Hartman Animal Hospital, 37
Harwood, Ott & Fisher, PA, 89
Heritage Living Center, 5
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Karen Ferguson, 20
Kilwins Little Rock, 59
Methodist Family Health, 63
MSC Eye Associates, 49
Ott Insurance, 73
501 LIFE would like to thank our advertising partners. welcome to the Writers’ Room
PCSSD, 54
Piccolo Zoppé Winter Circus, 35
Renewal Ranch, 26
Salem Place, 29
Shelter Insurance, 59
Sissy’s Log Cabin, 45
South Conway County School District, 81 Spark Community, 33
Superior Health & Rehab, 2
Texas Roadhouse, 76
The Methodist Foundation for Arkansas, 43
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UACCM, 39
UCA, 17
UCA Public Appearances, 67
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Unity Health, 3
Velda Lueders, 70
V.I.P. Nails & Spa, 59
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 15
Positivity
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Rita Halter Thomas is a Conway native and a pastor’s wife. She attended the University of Central Arkansas and is an awardwinning writer, author, editor, writing coach and speaker. She is married to Jimmy and has one daughter, Marinna. Rita enjoys horseback riding and singing with the worship team at Mountain Top Cowboy Church in Heber Springs.
Phyllis Ormsby knew she wanted to be a writer at age 5 and later fell in love with newspapers. Her journalism career spanned 46 years. She combined her love of horses and writing by publishing the Horsemen’s Roundup magazine in Arkansas for more than 20 years. She and her husband, George, live near Mount Vernon with their horses, dogs, cats and belligerent chickens.
Susan L. Peterson holds a Ph.D. in secondary education and taught at UCA and Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. This former reading and language arts teacher loves sharing information about local authors, hoping their stories will inspire others. Now retired, she spends her time painting, making pottery and playing pickleball.
FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL
November 2 • Maumelle
The largest ethnic festival in Arkansas boasts a long line of cooks from various culinary traditions, including Greek, Armenian, Russian and Indian. Admission is free and trolley service is available.
JAZZ IT UP
November 6 • Conway
Hors d'oeuvres, libations, live music with jazz pianist Julia Buckingham and friends, and silent and live auctions will benefit the Conway Symphony. Tickets include dinner and drink vouchers.
MISTLETOE MARKET
November 7-8 • Russellville
The annual Boys and Girls Club event kicks off the holiday season with unique gifts. Merchandise includes art, beauty products, clothes, food and more. A special preview party will be held Nov. 6.
MAROON 5
November 9 • North Little Rock
The three-time Grammy-winning band will bring their “Love is Like” Tour to Simmons Bank Arena. Pop music’s most enduring artists have been named the top band of the 21st century.
PETER AND THE STAR CATCHER
November 13-16 & 20-23 • Searcy
An adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's best-selling novels, the Tony-winning play is about a young Peter Pan. Featuring pirates, tyrants and heroes, the story explores greed, despair and friendship.
PICCOLO ZOPPÉ WINTER CIRCUS
November 13-22 • North Little Rock
This magical European circus will amaze spectators with its talented performers. Ballerinas on horseback and aerial acts are highlights. The Zoppé family has entertained people around the world since 1842.
Mark Bailey was “Loving LIFE” when he ran his fourth world marathon major. Bailey said it was the warmest Berlin marathon on record at 81 degrees. Although 55,000 people started the race, more than 7,000 didn’t complete it. “It was brutal,” he said. “I was ill from a virus and was lucky to even start the race. The heat caused stress on the runners and … I was fortunate to have completed the race. The best part was running through the Brandenburg Gate, which was 400 meters from the finish line. Thousands of people were cheering. It was magnificent! It was simply a miracle that I was able to finish and beat the cutoff time. A memory I’ll never forget.”
On Oct. 12, members of Houston Baptist Church (Perry County) were “Loving LIFE” when they celebrated 125 years of God's faithfulness to the congregation of believers in their community.
Dottie Zimmerman (from left) and her sister, Janet Scott of Sherwood, were “Loving LIFE” on an Alaskan Cruise in front of the Dawes Glacier.
Marie Roberts of Morrilton was “Loving LIFE” as she received a copy of the September edition of 501 LIFE which featured her story..
Avery Garner of Vilonia was “Loving LIFE” at the Faulkner County Fair after showing his steer, Oreo.
Jerry and Janis Robbins of Greenbrier were “Loving LIFE” when they took a Royal Caribbean Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico.
John and Mary Loe of Vilonia were “Loving LIFE” as they enjoyed a week of snorkeling, spa treatments and interacting with amazing people at Namale Resort on the island of Savusavu in Fiji.
City of Little Rock and Little Rock Parks and Recreation volunteers were “Loving LIFE” on Sept. 27 when they celebrated National Public Lands Day at Hindman Park. The volunteers came together to remove brush and weeds, pick up trash and paint benches. Working together, they made an amazing difference in just a few hours. LEFT: Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. CENTER: District 5 Justice of the Peace Steven Person (from left); community organizer Venita Franklin; Little Rock Vice Mayor B.J. Wyrick; and Hindman Park Community Association President Terrie Runnells. RIGHT: Crystal Amos, a volunteer who lives near Hindman Park.
The Arkansas District Export Council hosted the 15th Annual Governor’s Award for Excellence in Global Trade Luncheon on Oct. 17 at Robinson Center in Little Rock. Four prestigious awards were presented to companies in Arkansas. Within Central Arkansas, the International Impact in Education Award was presented to the University of Central Arkansas Center for Global Learning and Engagement. BACK ROW: Education Chair Rudy Ortiz (from left), Treasurer Larry Walther, Vice Chair Brittany Scott, Vice Chair Michael Schrekenhofer, Members Steve Presley and Dennis Truelove. FRONT ROW: Member Lori Akers (from left), Member Michelle Remerscheid, 501 LIFE Editor Stefanie Brazile, Chair Jonathan Bricker, Treasurer Assistant Bailey Hall, Administrative Coordinator Heidi Whitman and Associate Dr. Kateryna Pitchford.
Fusing Bruno Mars-caliber stage presence with powerhouse vocals and wall-to-wall choreography, the men of UPTOWN delivered a one-of-a-kind concert experience at UCA on Sept. 25.
LEFT: Shelia Kay Fletcher was “Loving LIFE” with UPTOWN. Fletcher was invited on stage to dance and was the hit of the show.
Winners were “Loving LIFE” when Arkansas Heritage hosted the ninth annual Arkansas Food Hall of Fame awards on Sept. 29 at Ben E. Keith Foods. The event celebrates Arkansas's unique culinary heritage by recognizing the state's best restaurants, proprietors and foodthemed events.
“By honoring these community staples, we’re preserving the stories, recipes, and hospitality that make Arkansas unique,” said Marty Ryall, director of the Division of Arkansas Heritage. “We are proud to continue celebrating these culinary landmarks whose kitchens have become part of the heartbeat of the Arkansas experience.”
TOP LEFT: Kat Robinson (from left) and her daughter, Hunter Robinson. Kat received the FoodThemed Event award on behalf of the Arkansas Pie Festival in Cherokee Village. The award honors a community food-themed event or festival that preserves a community’s unique food history
TOP RIGHT: Margaret and Jim Keet, owners of Petit & Keet in Little Rock, won Proprietor of the Year, which honors a chef, cook and/or restaurant owner with significant impact on local food tastes and preferences.
BOTTOM: Lauren Dawson, manager of The Ohio Club in Hot Springs; Seth Bailey Sr., executive chef; and owners Jeannie and Saddiq Mir. The restaurant was an Arkansas Food Hall of Fame winner, which recognizes long-standing restaurants that help create the state’s food culture.
RIGHT: Diane Barnes of Morrilton was “Loving LIFE” at the show inside Reynolds Performance Hall.
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute staff members: CFO Shawn Cathey; Chief Advancement Officer Julia Dossett Morgan; Executive Director/CEO Janet Harris; Chief Program Officer Shana Chaplin; and Chief Strategy Officer Carder Hawkins.
SOULFUL SOUNDS
The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute hosted their 20th Anniversary Event on Oct. 18 at the institute on Petit Jean Mountain
LEFT: Ann Vance (from left) and Coe Wilson. CENTER: Tina McCord (from left) and Mary Lackie.
RIGHT:
Taegen Rainey of Russellville was “Loving LIFE” with her Naughty Nanny named Lilac, who won 2nd place at the Nannies at Night contest during the Arkansas Goat Festival.
Kailey Francis, a Senior Homecoming Maid at Mayflower High School, was “Loving LIFE” on Oct. 3 at the stadium.
The Fat Soul Band was “Loving LIFE” on Sept. 30 after they performed at the Kiwanis Club of
Week 2025 Fashion Show on Oct. 9 at Legacy Acres. The event was organized by Rachel Lovelace. Designers Justin Leon (from left), Oliver Fitzpatrick, Brittney Harris, Rachel Lovelace, Nick Hill and Dwight Avance and showcased unique and imaginative designs.
Friends from Conway were “Loving LIFE” on Sept. 19 at the Conway Symphony Orchestra’s annual free concert in Laurel Park. Front row, Libby Roller (from left), Ellie Stewart and Sandra Cades; back row: Melissa Ennis and Becky Vint.
CARING BEARS
UCA one of only 13 sites to host national recovery event
The University of Central Arkansas hosted the Mobilize Recovery Campus Surge 2025 on Sept. 30 as part of a nationwide effort to address the challenges of substance use and mental health concerns among college students.
The organization’s purpose is to end America’s addiction and overdose crises one voice at a time. The event, which was free and open to the public, featured music and speakers, and there were booths representing area resources. They distributed overdose reversal agents and fentanyl test strips to reduce fatalities.
Special representatives of the State of Arkansas attended, including State Drug Director Thomas Fisher, Rep. Tara Shephard, Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership Director Kirk Lane, Arkansas Collegiate Prevention Program Director Cody Conway, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, Sen. John Boozman’s office, and others.
Those taking the podium included Noah Thompson, a country music singer and the 2022 American Idol Winner; Tom Farley, New York Times bestselling author of “The Chris Farley Show” and brother to the late actor and comedian. Tom is a recovery advocate who shared that while he was dealing with an alcohol addiction, his brother was battling drugs; Luke Niforatos, executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana; and UCA President Houston Davis.
The Mobilize Recovery Campus Surge 2025 tour, in partnership with META and iHeart Media, will travel to 13 universities nationwide this fall, uniting students, advocates and allies to build momentum for recovery advocacy, prevention and the destigmatization of substance use disorders. From direct outreach to civic and community engagement, they strive to empower advocates to take direct action by providing digital tools, advocacy training and education.
LEFT: Country performer Noah Thompson won the 20th season of American Idol in 2022. TOP RIGHT: Mobilize Recovery's Ryan Hampton (from left), Theo Krizwicki and Garrett Hade. BOTTOM RIGHT: New York Times bestselling author Tom Farley, who is the brother of the late actor and SNL comedian Chris Farley.
Floyd Brantley’s 100th Birthday Celebration!
Conway’s most popular centenarian, Floyd Brantley, was celebrated by his community on Oct. 18 at New Life Church. A Toad Suck Harley-Davidson parade-rally delivered the veteran to his party. He arrived to excited friends, food trucks, exotic cars, motorcycles and even some military vehicles.
An American hero and a veteran, Mr. Brantley turned 100 on Oct. 16. He served as a Navy corpsman with the 1st Marine Division in World War II, later flew as a loadmaster in the Air Force during the Korean War, and even signed up again during the Vietnam War with the Air Guard.
In addition to the
and
as
“Loving LIFE” on Oct. 10 at Conway High School’s Homecoming game against Cabot.
The Brantley Family: Betsy, daughter (from left); Charles, son; Cindy, daughter-in-law; Michael, grandson; Floyd Brantley; Amber, granddaughter-in-law; C.L., grandson; Maddox, great-grandson; and Ady, great-granddaughter.
Tabatha Liverpool and Ronald Jacobs.
Vickie Bailey McMichael (from left) and Tammy Keith were “Loving LIFE” at McMichael’s book signing event on Sept. 14 at The Max Event Venue. Her book “A Barn Named Eleanor” was featured by Keith in the article “Vickie Victorious” in the May 2025 issue of 501 LIFE.
Guests were “Loving LIFE” at Camp Aldersgate’s 42nd Annual Fish Fry on Oct. 12.
delicious food, attendees participated in games
activities
they explored the campus. LEFT: Monae Mkandawire and Melvin Helix were “Loving LIFE” as they enjoyed a carousel ride. RIGHT: Rotary Club volunteers included Beverly Milford (from left), Boyd Terrell, Ric Spearin, Dr. Rosalie Lampone, Harlem Finney, Becky Finney, Ellie Spivey, Andrew McCauley and Carly Santifer.
HIS STORY:
COUPLE OF THE MONTH
Kara & Eric Gilmore LIT TLE ROCK
Photo by Makenzie Evans
I love God, love my family, love people, and love being a part of meaningful relationships and work.
NATIVE OF: I was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Indiana.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Cedarville University, followed by a Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
WORK: Founder of Immerse Arkansas. Learn more about the organization on page 22.
HONORS: The biggest honor for me is seeing our young people succeed. It’s a gift to have a front-row seat to this on a daily basis.
CHURCH ACTIVITIES: We’re a part of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Little Rock, and big fans of many great churches in our area.
HOBBIES: I enjoy time with my family, exploring Arkansas’s outdoors and smoking meat.
HER STORY:
I enjoy windy days, pink skies, long walks, silly moments, big challenges, close relationships and spending time with the Lord.
NATIVE OF: Sherwood
CHILDREN: We have four wonderful children: Ean (16), Mercy Kate (14), Ezra (12) and Mabel Rose (9).
PETS: A mini-Aussie named Love and three cats: Princess, Oreo, and Cookie.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Social Work from Cedarville University.
WORK: I homeschool our younger three children, manage our Airbnb and help out where I can.
SPECIAL INTERESTS: I enjoy being with family and friends, adventuring outside and making healthy food (that will hopefully be edible!) for the people I love!
AWARDS: I’m the proud recipient of the Arkansas Business Nonprofit of the Year, which I received in 2003 for founding Immerse. I am so proud and thankful for the many people who work with a full heart on behalf of our young adults.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE 501?
I tell people all the time that I love Arkansas, especially Central Arkansas! We have such wonderful people who are quick to care and genuinely want good for those around them.
WHY WE CREATED
By Eric Gilmore
Kara and I discovered the challenges that youth aging out of foster care face firsthand as we served as house parents at a local group home for teens in foster care. We had fallen in love with the young people we were serving and simply couldn’t stomach the reality they faced as they exited care. Before this, we hadn’t considered what happens to young people in the foster care system who weren’t adopted or returned to their families.
This awareness came to a climax when one young lady named Meagan aged out of foster care. We had gotten to know her when she briefly lived at our group home, and then did our best to keep up with her as she bounced around facilities throughout the state. By the age of 18 and over the course of the next six years, she moved to more than 50 different foster care placements.
The day after her 18th birthday, Meagan’s caseworker dropped her off at what used to be the Greyhound Bus Station in North Little Rock to return to family members who lived in a different part of the state. We were shocked. Meagan only had a bag of clothes and a day’s worth of medications. We couldn’t wrap our minds around what was unfolding before our eyes.
It was Meagan’s experience that made us realize we had to do something. We firmly believed that Meagan and other young people in her situation were, and always will be, close to God’s heart. As we shared Meagan’s story with others, we found they wanted to help. This is how Immerse Arkansas came to be.
Today, Immerse is the product of the heart and hand of God, combined with the work, financial support and prayers of many. Together, we’ve developed a model that is centered on relationship-based coaching and therapy, and bolstered by transitional housing, shelter, life-skills training, mentorship, recreational therapy and family support.
This year, Immerse will serve more than 500 amazing young people between the ages of 14-24, who are in and around Arkansas’s foster care system. We will embrace each one of them and surround them with the tools, relationships and vision they need to enter adulthood resilient and ready for life. Looking ahead, Immerse is working toward a future in which Arkansas will be a model state for preparing vulnerable youth for adulthood.
Eric Gilmore with Kimberly Cook, the founder of Live Thankfully Little Rock. Her nonprofit upscale resale boutique has given $300,000 to Immerse Arkansas. They were in The Station when it was under construction. It is a shelter for 18 to 24-year-olds.
THEIR STORY:
We met freshman year at Cedarville University in Ohio. Eric had never met a Southern girl before and was smitten upon seeing Kara across campus. It took Eric several attempts to gain Kara’s affection, but he ultimately did.
Eric proposed to Kara on a Florida beach during his senior year of college. They married less than a year later on December 20, 2003, at Grace United Church in Little Rock.
The couple enjoys exploring the outdoors together, raising their incredible children, and working together to show love and kindness to young people who have found themselves on the margins of society — young people whom Eric and Kara feel honored to count as friends.
The Gilmore family: Eric (from left), Kara, Mabel Rose (in front), Ezra, Mercy Kate and Ean.
Legenia Spiller-Bearden's lifelong passion to perform and culinary creations are a recipe for national success.
By Rita Halter Thomas • Photos by Makenzie Evans
Makeup by Francys Alanis of KRAZ4MAKEUP
Legenia Spiller-Bearden of Maumelle is thankfully savoring the taste of victory as the $10,000 winner of the Food Network’s “Family Recipe Showdown.” SpillerBearden, along with her Aunt Cynthia Goodman of Maryland, competed in “CastIron Secrets” (season one, episode six, aired Aug. 14), with Oscar-winning host Octavia Spencer, judge Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase and guest judge Tina Knowles.
“It just feels so surreal,” Spiller-Bearden said of the whole experience. Initially, she was just excited to be on the show, but once she met the other contestants, her desire to win kicked in. “I remember thinking, ‘Wait. I want to win. I have to represent Arkansas,’” she said. And represent, she did.
The pair sealed the deal with an uncommon twist on one of Spencer’s favorite dishes: chicken and dumplings, a Southern comfort food. However, rather than making a traditional dumpling from flour, Spiller-Bearden and Goodman prepared their family’s favorite with a cornmeal-based dumpling that left Spencer oohing and aahing over the dish. Though skeptical at first, the judges loved it and ultimately awarded them the top prize.
From the opening, Spiller-Bearden and Goodman’s energy and enthusiasm delighted viewers with an infectious joy throughout the episode. She is a natural in front of the camera and in the kitchen. She should be. Her personality is just one ingredient in the mix of talents and experiences that gave rise to her cooking on a national stage.
Spiller-Bearden hosts and produces her own cooking and lifestyle channel, Sincerely Legenia, on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, where the show’s casting director found her. She is also the director of theater for Westwind School for Performing Arts, a middle school in North Little Rock. In addition, she is the founder and director of Bearden Production Center for the Arts in Little Rock, a nonprofit offering acting classes, stage productions, dance classes, and cooking classes to area youth for little or no cost.
Continued on page 26
“I compare a lot of what I do in the kitchen to what I do on stage, taking something here, creating this beautiful thing for people to see, and at the end, they ooh and ah over it just like they do my shows when I direct. I want it to be so amazing, they remember it the rest of their lives,” Spiller-Bearden said.
From an early age, she watched cooking shows with her mother and pretended to host her own show using her kitchen playset. While she always had a heart to perform, seeing a live performance of “The Sound of Music” stirred that desire into a passion. “When I saw all those kids singing and acting on stage, I went home and told my mom that was what I wanted to do. ... My mom and dad could not afford acting classes at that time, and I went to bed crushed,” Spiller-Bearden recalled. That disappointment later fueled her determination to found her nonprofit 11 years ago and ensure financial barriers wouldn’t prevent other children from pursuing the arts.
She gave up being a Zumba instructor to focus on her nonprofit. As a result, she gained weight, which frustrated her. Hitting her boiling point, she began the Keto diet and started videotaping and posting her cooking process on YouTube, thinking the recipes might help others. Soon, followers began asking to buy her spice blends. An idea began to simmer. Through Share Grounds, a University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Services project that helps food entrepreneurs learn to legally and safely handle food items, she released a handful of Keto-friendly spice blends now available on her website, sincerelylegenia.com.
Continued on page 28
TOP: Spiller-Bearden (from left), along with her Aunt Cynthia Goodman on the set of ‘Family Recipe Showdown’.
BOTTOM: Octavia Spencer and expert judge Edgar "Dook" Chase hosted the program along with guest judges: Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, Danielle Brooks, Eric Stonestreet, Tina Knowles, Kandi Burrus, Tim Gunn, Al Roker and his daughter Leila. The multi-generational home cooking competition celebrated secret family recipes and traditions and was set in New Orleans.
‘I compare a lot of what I do in the kitchen to what I do on stage, taking something here, creating this beautiful thing for people to see ... I want it to be so amazing, they remember it the rest of their lives.’
— Legenia Spiller-Bearden
1. With her mom and daughters — Mary Louise Montgomery (from left), Legenia Spiller-Bearden, Autume and Angelina Bearden. 2. Legenia and Andres Mack, one of her younger brothers. 3. Members of the cast of "Ugly Duckling," a Bearden Productions play. Angelina Bearden (from left), Legenia and Austin Mitchell. 4. Legenia and her husband, Daniel Bearden. 5. With her mom and brothers — Andres Mack (from left), Legenia, Mary Louise Montgomery and Derek Mack. 6. With fellow Food Network contestants — Hannah Kabir (from left), Ovi Kabir, Legenia, Zach Ortner and Cynthia Goodman (her aunt).
“Losing my father just before filming reminded me that even in grief God’s timing carries purpose and grace.”
— Legenia Spiller-Bearden
Born in Little Rock, Spiller-Bearden grew up in Texas. She returned to Arkansas as a young adult and attended Arkansas Baptist College, where she met her husband, Daniel. While she enjoyed cooking, marriage whisked her into serious cooking mode. “I wanted to feed my husband, and I wanted to be a good cook. So, I started watching Food Network,” she said. SpillerBearden had no advanced knowledge that the show on which she’d been cast would air on the Food Network.
The path to the show was bittersweet. Her father passed away from cancer three days before she learned she’d been cast. She described her last conversation with her father as a source of peace. She had only one week to prepare for the show, and her father’s funeral was that same week. The stress of it all didn’t show on camera. “I felt like his presence was with me,” she said.
Not only is Spiller-Bearden thankful for that last conversation with her father and getting to cook on a national stage, but she is also particularly grateful for her grandmother, an amazing cook who has influenced generations, including her mother and her Aunt Cynthia. She recalls the family kitchen as the heart of gatherings, especially during holidays, when food brought everyone together. “When people say food, fellowship and fun, that was my family,” she said.
While Spiller-Bearden can’t share the show’s winning recipe at this time, she agreed to share some of her tried-and-true Thanksgiving favorites with our readers. She and her family will gather at her mother's with 15-20 other family members to celebrate the holiday. “Every year, I am in charge of the turkey, the ham, and I make dressing for every household in our family. I love it,” she said. The talented cook also makes homemade cranberry sauce and gravy and brines her turkey for three days to ensure a moist breast. “When I say I make dressing for everyone, I mean I make individual pans for everyone so they can take them home to enjoy the rest of the week. I’m in the kitchen for two days, no joke,” she laughed.
Looking ahead, Spiller-Bearden said she split her winnings with her aunt and plans to use her share for a family vacation. She is also working with a public relations team and hinted at exciting developments to be announced on her website.
Spiller-Bearden and her husband of 21 years have four grown children and two grandchildren. Daniel is a minister and a veteran. She credits her journey from those childhood dreams to national recognition as God’s way of giving her the desires of her heart, even those she never vocalized. “God always knows,” she said. For that, she feels incredibly blessed and thankful.
It is clear to see why Legenia is in charge of the Thanksgiving turkey for her family each year.
James Earl Mack
Table runner by Arkansas Designer and Project Runway alum Korto Momolu.
Sincerely’s Perfectly Brined Turkey
1 (14–16 lb.) frozen turkey (serves 10–12)
1 Probe thermometer with alarm
Prep: 2–3 days for thawing, 12–48 hours brining. Place frozen turkey in a refrigerator or cooler kept at 38°F for two to three days before brining and 30 minutes prep before placing in the oven.
Brine
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup golden brown sugar
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. black peppercorns
10 garlic cloves
1½ Tbsp. candied ginger
1 gallon ice water
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, thyme, peppercorns, garlic and candied ginger. Stir occasionally until the solids dissolve, then bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. On the night before, or early on cooking day, combine chilled brine, water and ice in a 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (innards removed) breast-side down in the brine. Weigh down if necessary to keep it submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 8–16 hours, turning once halfway through.
Prepare for roasting: Preheat oven to 500°F. Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine. Place turkey on a roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat completely dry with paper towels. Set aside, then prepare and insert aromatics.
Aromatics for Turkey Cavity
1 orange, quartered
½ cup fresh cranberries
1 cup water
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh sage sprigs
½ cup Canola oil
Combine orange quarters, cranberries, and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, then add to the turkey cavity, along with rosemary, thyme and sage. Tuck wings underneath and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
Roasting the Turkey Place turkey on the lowest oven rack and roast at 500°F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Set the alarm to sound at 161°F. Follow time guidelines: Cook a 14–16 lb. turkey 2–2 ½ hours, an 18–20 lb. turkey for 2 ½–3 hours, and a 22–24 lb. turkey 3–3 ½ hours. Always cook to internal temperature, not time. Remove turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes before carving.
For extra-crispy skin: Uncover turkey for the last 15 minutes of roasting. The high-heat locks in flavor and gives a golden, picture-perfect shine that every holiday table deserves.
Rest: Remove turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered with foil, for 15 minutes before carving.
Sincerely’s Sweet Potato Pie
Pie Crust
1¼ cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup shortening
4 Tbsp. cold butter
3 Tbsp. ice water
In a large mixing bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add shortening and butter, then use a pastry blender (or fork) to cut them into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Slowly pour in ice water, mixing just until the dough starts to come together — don’t overwork it. Lightly flour your surface, shape the dough into a disc, and sprinkle with a touch of flour on top. Wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Once chilled, it’s ready to roll out and fill with your sweet potato mixture. For an extra glossy finish, brush the top of your pie lightly with melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven. It gives it that bakery-fresh shine and enhances the rich flavor of the crust.
Pie Filling
1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin spice seasoning
Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until very tender. Cool completely, then peel and mash until smooth.
Making the filling: In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, softened butter, eggs, both brown sugars, evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla, salt and pumpkin spice seasoning. Mix until smooth and creamy. Pour filling into the prepared crust. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center is set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow pie to cool completely for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serves 8 slices.
A REAL PARTNERSHIP
Arkansas REALTORS® Association Contributes $170,000 to Special Olympics Arkansas
The Arkansas REALTORS® Association (ARA) unveiled a more than $170,000 gift for its long-time partner, Special Olympics Arkansas (SOAR), on Oct. 2, bringing its total contribution to the nonprofit to more than $5 million since 1986.
“For nearly four decades, it has been a privilege for our members to support these remarkable athletes and witness their joy when training and competing,” said Wes Freeman, ARA president. “Communities are stronger when everyone feels included and empowered to achieve their full potential, and that’s just what Special Olympics Arkansas does.”
The funds raised by ARA’s 26 local REALTOR® boards will help advance SOAR’s mission to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. “Every dollar raised for Special Olympics Arkansas directly powers life-changing opportunities for athletes across the state,” said Camie Powell, director of marketing and partnerships for SOAR. “Funds support over 240 competitions in 17 sports annually, ensuring athletes can train, compete, and thrive — without ever paying a dime.”
SOAR currently serves 19,500 athletes, offering free training, competition and equipment for individuals with intellectual disabilities who are 2 and up. All SOAR programs encourage inclusion, team building and character development.
“We are dedicated to helping our Special Olympics Arkansas athletes compete, grow and thrive, both on and off the playing field,” said Terri Weir, SOAR CEO. “We are honored by the unwavering support of partners like the Arkansas REALTORS®
Association, which helps transform lives through sports across our state.”
Donations also provide vital health and wellness screenings yearround, leadership development through the Athlete Leadership program, and inclusive events like Recfest, according to Powell. From uniforms and equipment to meals, travel, and awards, the Arkansas REALTORS® fundraising efforts cover costs tied to participation, she said.
“Young Athletes programs and Unified Champion Schools further extend our reach, offering early training, caregiver resources, and social-emotional learning in schools,” Powell said. “Most importantly, athletes can participate in any program, anywhere in Arkansas, as often as they choose — always free, always empowering.”
Thomas Cannon (from left), Ana Dallas, Lyndsey Smith, Andrea Alford, Julie Grantham, David Dallas and Wes Freeman, president of the Arkansas REALTORS® Association.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
Slide into Matthews Park this holiday season!
A hidden treasure in Greenbrier is Matthews Park, the center of activity for individuals and groups. Enjoy the First Service Bank barrier-free playground; a pond stocked by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission with a catch-and-release policy; a skate park open daily until dark; the First Security Pavilion and a walking trail.
Matthews Park is the centerpiece of Greenbrier’s annual holiday events. Glisten in Greenbrier: A Magical Winter Experience commences Nov. 30 at the First Service Bank Tree Lighting Ceremony. The spectacular evening includes caroling, carriage rides, twinkling lights, a parade, Santa Night, the Grinch and Garland event, and a Drive-Through Live Nativity and the magnificent return of the Piccolo-Zoppé Winter Circus through January 4th. Throughout the festive season, FAB&T Skating Rink and concessions will be offered.
Follow the City of Greenbrier Facebook page for updates on events and for inclement weather changes.
ShortPettingLegged Zoo and A&R Mini Farm
Life can be a zoo at the Sudduth family’s Conway home, but they would not want it any other way.
By Lori Dunn • Photos by Makenzie Evans
Amber Sudduth always loved animals but was never able to have as many as she wanted. “When we married, I told my husband I wanted a lot of animals and he bought me a little bottle baby goat,” she said.
Tanner and Amber Sudduth own Short-Legged Petting Zoo and A&R Mini Farm. Their two children, Anistyn, 12, and Rylen, 9, help out with the animals. The family stays busy since the petting zoo and farm function in addition to their full-time jobs. Tanner works for the Union Pacific Railroad, and Amber is a teacher for Greenbrier School District.
Amber has always loved goats, and her favorite is a Nigerian dwarf goat named Chip. The Nigerian dwarf is a miniature dairy goat breed from South Africa. They are known for their small size, colorful coats and friendly nature. They typically stand between 17 and 19 inches tall.
“Chip is very mischievous. Most goats are, but he takes it to a whole new level. He can open the petting zoo gate, and usually does it at least once during an event,” Amber said. “Since he was a bottle baby, we have pictures of him in the house wearing a diaper.”
They also have sheep, ducks, miniature Lowline Hereford calves, miniature Juliana pigs and Flemish giant rabbits. A Flemish giant is a docile breed of domestic rabbit that originated in Belgium. They can weigh up to 22 pounds and grow more than 2 feet long. The Sudduths’ pet rabbits are named Stella and Freya, and they weigh between 15 and 20 pounds. They love to be petted but not picked up and held.
The boss of all the animals is a miniature horse named Penelope. “She is very sweet and will stand there and let people brush her. She does run the pasture, though. She is 100% the queen,” Amber said.
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The COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life for many people. The Sudduth family decided to try having chickens at their home. “Then we got a few more goats, and it went from there,” Amber said. That was also when she first expressed her idea of a mobile petting zoo to her husband. “He loved the idea and we decided to give it a whirl,” she said.
“We became licensed and insured and started the petting zoo in 2022.” The name Short-Legged Petting Zoo came from most of the animals being miniature.
The Sudduths take the mobile petting zoo to different events, including birthday parties, festivals and even company picnics. They also visit preschools, nursing homes and churches. All of the animals ride in the same trailer and the fence panels fit on the sides of the trailer for easy access.
“One of our favorite things about it is seeing the kids’ reactions. Most of them have never seen animals like that and it puts things in perspective,” Amber said. “The family stays busy and is willing to travel. We do a lot of events in Benton and Bryant and have done some in Russellville.”
Many of the Sudduths’ animals are bred on their own farm. Other animals born on the farm are sold to people wanting pets. “Pigs are smart and sell well as pets,” she said.
People always comment on how calm and goodnatured the animals are. Amber said that comes from a lot of hands-on care that the animals receive. “We want people who visit the petting zoo to have a good experience,” she said.
Animals are a lot of responsibility and caring for livestock in bad weather is tough work. “It can be hard when it’s freezing and you have to bust the ice on their water so they can drink,” Amber said.
Anistyn and Rylen help their parents care for the animals. They each have a chore list after school. “When they get home, they go straight out to the animals because they come first. I think it teaches our kids hard work and the value of responsibility. We get compliments all the time about how hardworking and polite they are,” Amber said. “They also love learning about the animals and telling people about them.”
Shep is a momma’s boy! Amber Sudduth said he is a Sheepadoodle — a crossbreed of an Old English sheepdog and a standard poodle. He isn't part of the zoo but is active on the farm, and loves to check on the cows.
For more than four decades, Spark Community has been a beacon of hope and possibility for children and adults with disabilities.
By Rita Halter Thomas •
FMakenzie Evans
ounded as a small program in 1983 as Community School of Cleburne County, Spark Community School is now a thriving center annually in Heber Springs. They support up to 200 children and more than 70 adults in Cleburne, White, Stone, Faulkner and Independence counties. Guided by love, compassion and a commitment to excellence, Spark is redefining possibilities for every individual it serves.
Executive Director Rebecca Dwyer-Coop said that Spark offers a range of lifelines for families, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a Community and Employment Support (CES) Waiver, an expanded preschool program, family assistance, transportation services, a new hippotherapy program and more.
This year, Spark expanded its preschool to welcome all children, regardless of disability or developmental level. Spark’s classrooms promote academic readiness, empathy, compassion, awareness and inclusion. Additionally, students of all abilities benefit from learning alongside their peers. “At Spark, we never lower expectations, and we never underestimate a child’s ability,” Dwyer-Coop said. “Every child is seen as capable and valued.”
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Photos by
“We believe true success means not just teaching skills, but helping each person apply them in real-life settings, so they can thrive at home, in the community, and in life.”
— Executive Director Rebecca Dwyer-Coop
With more than 40 years of experience, Spark knows that starting therapies when kids are very young makes a real difference. “Early therapy — whether [that’s] speech, occupational, physical, or autism-specific — can repair or even eliminate developmental delays,” she added.
Spark works to eliminate obstacles for families. By providing family services liaisons, families receive help completing complicated applications for Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), CES Waiver and housing. The school’s compassion fund and family closet help with essentials like food, clothing, diapers and more. By alleviating these barriers, Spark provides children with a greater chance to thrive.
Transportation is another essential service. Spark’s fleet of accessible vans, each with a playful name like Otter, Trout, and Possum, ensures children and adults travel safely and comfortably. Ride times are carefully considered to keep journeys under an hour whenever possible.
Spark’s top priority is always community integration. Rather than pushing for independence, the organization’s focus is on creating opportunities for people with disabilities to make their own choices and live with confidence and dignity through treatment plans that are individualized.
BACK ROW: Transportation Director Billy Birmingham (from left), Director of Development Dawn Dill and Director of Finance Chad Hashisaki.
FRONT ROW: Communications Director Amy Strackbein, Executive Director Rebecca Dwyer-Coop, Assistant Director Michelle Edwards and Director of Education Kelly Newcomb.
Spark Community Adult Program students stand with Adult Paraprofessional Kira Burroughs (far right).
The director encourages anyone with concerns about their child’s development to reach out to Spark because help is available. Anyone diagnosed with a disability before age 21 may qualify for CES Waiver services and Adult Day Habilitation or Adult Developmental Day Treatment (ADDT). While other providers in the state offer these supports, Spark is unique because its ADDT professionals also serve as direct support professionals for Waiver recipients. This continuity creates a seamless support system for not only teaching daily life skills, but also fosters stronger relationships, trust and better outcomes.
One key approach is Spark’s use of Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, a type of therapy that uses positive reinforcement during everyday activities, breaking skills into small, manageable steps.
“At its heart, ABA is about helping each child reach their potential, step by step, with support and encouragement,” Dwyer-Coop said. “Children who are nonverbal, only able to express their frustrations through stimming, flapping, screaming and self-harm, suddenly are able to express themselves, show affection, and speak to their likes and dislikes. It’s amazing.”
A significant moment in Spark’s early ABA implementation came not long after a grueling effort to secure Medicaid approval. Dwyer-Coop and Assistant Director Michelle Edwards had spent nearly 40 hours per child completing paperwork, receiving repeated denials, when two therapists rushed into Edwards’ office with tears in their eyes.
“The first child we had finally gotten approved had just used his communication device to say, ‘more play,’ then hugged his therapist when she complied,” Dwyer-Coop said.
“This was a child who, only weeks earlier, screamed every time he was touched and spent much of his day frustrated and upset. They knew then, no matter the obstacles, they would fight for every autistic child. “ABA isn’t just therapy, it’s life-changing.”
Spark is committed to finding new and innovative therapies, including the recent addition of their hippotherapy program. For those unfamiliar with the term, hippotherapy comes from the Greek word “hippos,” meaning horse, and “therapy,” of course, meaning treatment. It refers to how occupational, physical and speech-language professionals use horses, and the movement of horses, as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes.
According to Amy Strackbein, Spark’s director of communication, Edwards began looking into equineassisted therapy after one of the school’s preschool clients with cerebral palsy started hippotherapy at another facility. “We began looking into the benefits of hippotherapy and were wowed,” Strackbein said.
Even though hippotherapy will not bring extra revenue, Strackbein said that Spark’s priorities are decided with one question: What is in the best interest of our clients? “The answer to that question, having the perfect location, and wanting to pour into our community, helped us to make the decision to move forward with our very own hippotherapy program,” she said.
Spark’s licensed physical therapists have 20 years of experience in hippotherapy and will use their own horses. With their outdoor arena now complete, Spark offers hippotherapy on Thursdays, with plans to increase frequency as the program grows and as donations allow.
The organization has grown far beyond the families of children and adults with disabilities. “We now serve families of all backgrounds, offer a rigorous curriculum with strong kindergarten readiness, and support adults with disabilities in becoming active, valued members of their communities,” Dwyer-Coop said. With a mission to reach every person who needs support, Spark has a vision to expand statewide. “We’re confident we can be the best provider in Arkansas, sparking potential every day.”
For more than 60 years, the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas (MFA) has provided investing options to benefit congregations here in the Natural State, helping people of faith be the best stewards possible of the funds entrusted to them.
While MFA’s mission is to establish and manage charitable funds to strengthen and expand Methodist ministries across Arkansas, we know this effort often benefits more than just Methodists — and we work to maximize that impact. Managing more than $240 million in assets helps us support an array of vital needs here at home: Last year’s grant disbursements totaled $1.8 million.
As a 2025 recipient of the Acting Out Against Hunger Award from the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, MFA has a demonstrated commitment to helping Arkansas become a better place for everyone to live, learn, and grow. In the last 10 years, MFA has given nearly $2.7 million toward alleviating hunger in communities statewide.
MFA encourages Arkansans to consider and plan for their legacies. Our resources for charitable giving now and longterm don’t just create tax benefits; they connect generosity with living a life of meaning.
And by offering immersive continuing education for both clergy and laypersons, MFA’s study-travel opportunities broaden perspectives and encourage understanding — two elements that help foster spiritual growth and deepen the human desire to care for each other.
At the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas, gratefulness leads the way to faithful living and faithful giving. Thank you for taking time to learn about MFA, and please contact us if you’d like to know more.
Arkansas’s Leading Ladies
Women’s Foundation of Arkansas celebrates those who are shaping the state’s future at Power of the Purse
The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (WFA) celebrated Arkansas women making an impact in public service, business and philanthropy at the 27th annual Power of the Purse luncheon on Oct. 1. The soldout event at the Statehouse Convention Center raised $260,000 to advance WFA’s mission of building economic security and opportunity for women and girls statewide.
This year’s luncheon, held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, honored three extraordinary women for their leadership and lasting contributions to Arkansas:
Woman of the Year in Business:
Elizabeth Burns Anderson, senior vice president of Farmers Bank & Trust and executive director of the Farmers Bank Foundation. A fifth-generation banker and Magnolia native, Anderson is known for her advocacy for rural development, education and civic leadership.
Woman of the Year in Public Service:
Gayatri Agnew, senior director and head of the Walmart Accessibility Center of Excellence. A Bentonville City Council member and cross-sector leader, Agnew is recognized for her work building inclusive communities and expanding access to opportunity.
Woman of the Year in Public Service:
Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. A lifelong advocate for equity and justice, West-Scantlebury has spent her career leading transformative philanthropic work to build a stronger, more equitable Arkansas.
Cori Keller, physician liaison at Baptist Health and Miss Arkansas 2023, and Ebony Mitchell, director of external affairs at the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and Miss Arkansas 2022, served as event co-chairs, bringing their shared commitment to public service, advocacy and empowerment to the stage.
“We are incredibly proud to recognize this year’s honorees, who each lead with vision, compassion and purpose,” said Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. “They, along with our co-chairs, embody this year’s theme, ‘First, But Not Last,’ showing what’s possible when women claim their seat at the table and pave the way for others to follow.”
This year’s program featured several new highlights, including an opening spoken-word performance, “Give a Woman a Dollar,” by Bailey Nicole Gibson, Miss Ouachita River 2026. The “Circle of Impact” roundtable brought honorees together with WFA program alumnae to discuss improving access and opportunity across Arkansas.
Proceeds from the WFA’s largest annual event benefit programming designed to advance economic security for Arkansas women and girls, such as the Girls of Promise Conference, the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program and the Women’s Economic Mobility (WEM) Hub — all initiatives that embody the “First, But Not Last” commitment by expanding pathways to education, careers and entrepreneurship.
Founded in 1998, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas is the only statewide foundation focused solely on ensuring economic security for women and girls in Arkansas. Through grantmaking, partnerships and programs, WFA seeks to address the most pressing challenges facing women in the state today. For more information, visit womensfoundationarkansas.org.
Miss Arkansas 2022 Ebony Mitchell (from left), WFA CEO Anna Beth Gorman and Miss Arkansas 2023 Cori Keller.
Elizabeth Burns Anderson was named "Woman of the Year in Business."
PRAYER HOPE ON A AND A
A one-of-a-kind outdoor experience for their son led the Parsons’ family to bring hope to the 501.
By Judy Riley • Photos by Makenzie Evan
When commitment, love for kids, and personal tragedy come together for a cause greater than themselves, the kids of Central Arkansas reap benefits. This is evident in the work of the Hope Outdoors Chapter in Arkansas. Paul and Christy Parsons’s son Joe had Duchenne muscular dystrophy and lost the ability to walk at age 9. They took advantage of every opportunity to provide experiences for him. In 2006, they connected with an outdoor group called Hope Outdoors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in Alabama. With their help, the Parsons took Joe on a guided hunt to bag his first big buck, and the experience transformed the three of them. Joe had the time of his life, and Paul beamed with pride for his son’s accomplishment, which they never thought possible.
“It felt like home,” Christie said, recalling her son’s reaction. “Joe was so comfortable with other kids facing similar special needs. We knew this was a calling for our family.” After praying together, they opened the Arkansas chapter in the summer of 2007.
The primary mission of Hope Outdoors is to fulfill the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ by reaching individuals with special needs through outdoor experiences, all at no cost to the participant or their family. All chapters rely solely on donations. They stop at nothing to restore a sense of hope in children and adults living with special needs. When the world says, “No,” they say, “Yes!” When the world says, “Can’t,” they find a way. Their motto is “Let nothing stop you!” according to hopeoutdoors.org.
Each chapter has a team of volunteers who provide guide service, financial support and even lodging for families whose kids participate. “We share Christ’s love by trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus, caring for those with special needs in everything we do. Whether it’s teaching a child with an amputation to fish or helping a child learn to hold a rifle, even being still in a deer stand, we do that in love. Many of these children have never had the opportunity to hunt or fish,” the Parsons said.
Resources were found in unlikely places. Their friends, Pastor Jeff Overstreet and his wife, Natalie, raised 14 children. He is a cabinet maker by trade. The Overstreets converted their large home into Two Rivers Lodge in the Georgetown river-bottom area. They regularly rent it to deer and duck hunting groups but also decided to offer their 10-bed facility to Hope Outdoors for lodging, though it would need some renovations.
That’s not actually how it all began for their current land provider, Nicky Hamilton. He is a lifelong farmer from Griffithville in southern White County, who had two major life-altering events that led him to Hope Outdoors. First, his granddaughter was born prematurely with complications. Hamilton asked God to take him and let his tiny granddaughter live. Two weeks later, he had a medical emergency — a cancer diagnosis, followed by major surgery, a severe reaction to an immunotherapy treatment, and a life-threatening infection, which led to a five-week stay at M.D. Anderson in Houston. His granddaughter lived and is thriving, and Hamilton recovered. He gives great credit to his wife, Melissa. “She got right down in my ear with her coaching voice (she is a retired high school basketball coach and teacher) and yelled at me to fight and fight hard.”
With encouragement and support not only from his wife but a collection of medical professionals, Hamilton took a long look at why he survived and what he could do with the remainder of his life. As he recovered from treatment and his final surgery, his good friends Jeff and Natalie Overstreet contacted him about partnering with Hope Outdoors. Soon after, the couples began working to renovate Two Rivers Lodge in earnest. The lodge just happens to be located near Hamilton’s land and offers lodging, places for meal preparation and meeting spaces in a home-like setting. The lodge was readied for disabled guests and the Hamiltons offered their nearby land for hunts.
Their first joint endeavor began two years ago when seven kids hunted. Last year, 13 kids bagged nine deer. They are expecting 17 kids this year, all hunting at various places on the farmer’s land.
Hamilton, a big man in stature, work ethic, humility, and every way one could be measured, is quick to assert, “This story is not about me; it’s about these kids. I’ve been on big hunts both in Arkansas and out west and came home with some trophy deer. But nothing, absolutely nothing, feels as good to me as seeing the excitement of these kids with their first hunt.”
The Overstreets’ lodge, the Parsons’ leadership and the Hamiltons’ commitment of land, along with other landowners, make an unbeatable team. Their zeal to help special needs kids is an inspiration. For the Parsons, they are paying it forward, and “I’m paying it back,” Hamilton said.
More information can be found at hopeoutdoors.org.
Brad Thornton (from left), Paul Parsons and the late Joe Parsons in 2007 when Joe was 14. Paul and Christy Parsons took their son to Chatom, Ala., to be part of a Hope Outdoors hunt. Joe felt at home with the other youth there and was so excited to kill a buck. The Parsons founded a chapter of Hope Outdoors in Arkansas in the summer of 2007.
Christy and Paul Parsons with granddaughters Avery Grace Smith (from left), Lainey Smith and Presley Smith. They are the children of the Parsons’ daughter, Victoria Smith.
Alex Boyce (from left), Lucas Dunlap and Josh Dunlap.
Christian Ruiz (from left), Eli Brown and Eli Ruiz.
Evan Renfro
Christian Ruiz
Cason Gardner
A message from Kim Williams
Executive Director, Conway Downtown Partnership
The holiday season begins with the time-honored Downtown Christmas Open House on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Our downtown shops will open their doors on this special Sunday to share their holiday collections and festive spirit.
Then, mark your calendar for Small Business Saturday and Illuminate on Saturday, Nov. 29! Spend the day shopping small and supporting your favorite local businesses, then stay downtown for the Giant Conway Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m. in Rogers Plaza.
There’s no better place to celebrate the season — shop, dine and enjoy the magic of the holidays than in Downtown Conway!
The Vortex Classic Arcade keeps retro gaming alive in Sherwood, including the annual Kong Klash Tournament.
By KD Reep • Photos by Makenzie Evans
When you step into The Vortex Classic Arcade in Sherwood, you’re not just walking into a room filled with blinking lights and electronic beeps. You’re entering a time machine — one powered by quarters, joystick muscle memory and the unshakable enthusiasm of owner Daniel Sollis and his right arm, Kaci Roberts, who helps the business run smoothly.
“I was 8 and a half when my dad told me to pick what I wanted to do when I grew up,” Sollis said with a laugh. “I told him I wanted to own an arcade. He threw a sketchpad down and said, ‘Let’s draw it.’ That’s how it started.”
That childhood dream, backed by faith, family and a fascination with classic gaming, became The Vortex in 2013 — a familyfriendly arcade now home to more than 150 playable machines, from “Galaga” to “Pac-Man” and, of course, “Donkey Kong.”
Every October, The Vortex is home of one of the nation’s premier “Donkey Kong” tournaments: Kong Klash, now in its 15th year. What began with five players battling it out in a small warehouse has grown into a three-day event that draws competitors from across the country and beyond.
“We’ve had players from New York, California, Michigan, Texas — even one from Australia who couldn’t make it last
year,” Sollis said. “We broadcast the whole thing on Twitch so everyone around the world can watch.”
Unlike many gaming competitions, Kong Klash is designed for everyone. “We don’t do just one winner,” Sollis explained. “We have divisions for beginner, intermediate, semi-pro and pro players. Each one gets their own first-place trophy, an oversized (fake) check and now a championship ring.”
This year’s Kong Klash 15 drew more than 50 competitors, filling The Vortex with the cheerful sounds of victory (and the occasional 8-bit heartbreak). Sollis and his volunteer team, 11 strong, handled everything from scoring and streaming to catering homemade meals for players who traveled on a budget.
“This isn’t a money-making event,” he said. “It’s something we do for the ‘Donkey Kong’ community. Everybody here volunteers because they love it. The arcade would not work without my team — I appreciate them!"
For newcomers intimidated by the idea of facing off against world-ranked players, The Vortex offers DK University, a free class that teaches players how to master the game from the ground up.
“We started it because a lot of top players weren’t sharing how they played,” Sollis said. “We wanted everyone to have a fair shot and for new players to join the fun.”
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Daniel Sollis owns The Vortex in Sherwood and Kaci Roberts is his right arm, helping the business run smoothly.
‘I was 8 and a half when my dad told me to pick what I wanted to do when I grew up. I told him I wanted to own an arcade. He threw a sketchpad down and said, “Let’s draw it.” That’s how it started.’
— Daniel Sollis, owner of The Vortex Classic Arcade
Students learn strategies, patterns and “the 15 things you need to beat the game,” using a community-written manual available online. The sessions attract everyone from curious beginners to top players like Josh Mayden, ranked 36th in the world, and Wes Copeland, who famously hit a kill screen — completing all 117 levels — just 83 days after he started training at The Vortex.
Roberts said the DK University crowd is surprisingly diverse. “You’d think it would all be older players reliving their childhood, but our biggest group is people around 25,” she said. “They love the challenge of the classics.”
When they’re not hosting tournaments, Sollis and his team take their passion on the road. At RetroFest Arkansas, held in Conway last month, The Vortex provided more than 45 classic arcade machines this year, turning the event floor into a nostalgic gamer’s paradise.
Despite its national reach, The Vortex remains deeply local. Admission is just $15 for adults and $10 for anyone 17 and under, with unlimited play on all machines. There’s no alcohol — a deliberate choice that keeps the atmosphere family-friendly.
“I like being here at 11:30 at night and seeing parents and kids playing together,” Sollis said. “You don’t need to go to a theme park or spend a fortune to make memories.”
The arcade also hosts special events like a Halloween costume night and a New Year’s Eve family party, complete with food and games until after midnight — no champagne required.
When asked what he hopes people remember about The Vortex, Sollis smiled. “That there’s still a safe, affordable place to go with your kids to play, laugh and build friendships. People have met here, gotten married, brought their kids back. It’s always been about community,” he said.
The Vortex Classic Arcade is in Sherwood and open to players of all ages. Learn more about upcoming events and tournaments at vortexclassicarcade.com.
The Vortex Classic Arcade is in Sherwood and open to players of all ages. Learn more about upcoming events and tournaments at vortexclassicarcade.com.
Academies of PCSSD provide both real-world experience and college credit for students
This year, thousands of students engaged in real-world learning opportunities through the Academies of PCSSD that are expanding their horizons and equipping them with the tools to thrive. From job shadows and industry tours, to college campus visits and internships, our scholars are connecting classroom learning to college and career pathways in unprecedented ways.
We are especially proud to report that during the 2024-2025 school year more than 3,000 college credits were earned through concurrent enrollment and articulated coursework, giving students a head start on their postsecondary journeys. A
staggering 2,889 industry-recognized credentials were awarded, validating skills that are directly aligned with current and future local workforce needs. More than 4,500 engagements from our students in job shadows, industry tours, and college campus tours, provided students with firsthand exposure to the world of work across all sectors.
These results are more than numbers — they represent lives changed, aspirations sparked, and a stronger, more prepared future workforce for Central Arkansas. Together, we are closing the gap between education and employment and creating a system where PCSSD's students have access to more opportunities than ever.
A WORK-BASED LEARNING FRAMEWORK
The work-based learning continuum is a cornerstone of the Academies of PCSSD model, providing students with progressive, real-world experiences that connect classroom learning to career pathways. From industry tours to internships, these experiences ensure students graduate with the skills, confidence, and exposure needed to succeed in the workforce or in their pursuit of postsecondary education.
This month, we take a look at two PCSSD high schools taking part in the academies: Sylvan Hills High School and Maumelle High School.
SYLVAN HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
TOTAL ENROLLMENT: 1,407
POWERFUL PARTNERS: Arkansas Children’s; Arkansas Hospitality Association; Building Momentum; Michael Baker International; New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University; North Little Rock Tourism; Thrivent; WER Architects
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MAUMELLE HIGH SCHOOL TOTAL ENROLLMENT: 832
Academies Available
The Academy of Medical Sciences explores careers in biomedical sciences, nutrition, and sports medicine through hands-on experiences and professional practice.
The Academy of Business explores careers in marketing, entrepreneurship, travel and tourism. The Academy will launch a computer science pathway in 2025–26.
The Academy of Engineering, Aerospace, and Design explores engineering and design principles in preparation for careers in civil and aerospace engineering, architecture, and commercial design. Engineering and design pathways immerse scholars in an environment that promotes creativity and innovation.
The Freshman Academy allows scholars to hear from industry professionals, tour SHHS pathway classrooms, and experience minilessons designed to provide a preview of each pathway. After researching and exploring career pathways, completing aptitude assessments, and attending the Career Expo, 90% of freshmen said they were prepared to choose a pathway to explore in high school.
POWERFUL PARTNERS: Blusky Restoration; Central Arkansas Water; Holloway Engineering Surveying & Civil Design; Maumelle Chamber of Commerce; Quincie DeLoach - Education Coordinator; Telcoe Federal Credit Union; Thrivent; WDD Architects
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Academies Available
The Central Arkansas Water Academy of Science and Construction prepares students for high-demand careers in engineering, nutrition, health science, and water distribution & construction. Central Arkansas Water experts delivered hands-on learning experiences bridging classroom curriculum with real-world water distribution skills, including leak detection and safety protocols.
The Telcoe Federal Credit Union Academy of Business & Service prepares scholars for careers in computer science programming, marketing, banking, education, and multidisciplinary studies. While participating in industry tours at Telcoe, the students observed professionals in departments including computer science, marketing, and banking. Telcoe enriched their financial education by providing advisoryperiod financial literacy lessons, equipping students with essential money management and saving strategies.
Emalee Jack (EJ) Goforth (15) and Bailey Fournier (14) recently earned the top national ranking (AAA) by USA Volleyball.
YOUTH OF THE MONTH
EMALEE JACK GOFORTH AND BAILEY FOURNIER
By Donna Lampkin Stephens • Photo by Makenzie Evans
Hundreds of miles from the expected hotbed, a couple of young women in the 501 are among the elite players in their age group in beach volleyball.
Emalee Jack (EJ) Goforth, 15, and Bailey Fournier, 14, freshmen at Conway Junior High School, attained the top national ranking (AAA) by USA Volleyball recently. The pair has played beach volleyball together since they were sixth graders. That year, they played in the 12U division of USAVB, finishing fourth at nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In 2024, their first year in 14U, they took ninth. In July, they were fifth at 14U nationals in Virginia Beach.
“When they finished fourth that first year, we thought, ‘OK, maybe we have something here,’” said Fournier’s mother, Andrea Bailey-Fournier, who played volleyball at Conway and Arkansas Tech and coached the sport at Fort Smith Northside and later as an assistant to Laura Crow at her alma mater for several years. “Getting that AAA ranking was huge. I don’t know of another Arkansas team their age with that ranking.
“In beach volleyball, you have to be in shape, and you have to have a volleyball IQ that’s higher than most — where the ball is going and where to place it. That first year, they played against teams that play year-round. Most of those girls live on the beach somewhere, and the fact that our girls beat those teams said something.”
The girls have played court volleyball since fourth grade and started beach volleyball through club play. The club system is the training ground until school competition begins in seventh grade. Now Goforth and Fournier play for the junior Lady Cats as well as the HollenBall club out of Greenbrier.
Goforth, daughter of Tommy and Buffy Goforth, said her strength was her volleyball IQ. At 5 feet 8 inches, her height is another advantage.
“I feel like I know where to place the ball,” she said. “I can read players; I can tell who’s the weaker player. I’m really competitive. I like to win. I have good instincts. There’s only two people on the sand, so there are lots of places you can go. You just have to put it in the right place, especially when it’s hot and everybody’s losing energy.”
Fournier, 5 feet 6 inches tall, whose dad is Justin Fournier, agreed that volleyball IQ was one of her strengths as well. That’s not surprising as she has grown up on the sidelines and watching practices as her mother coached court volleyball.
“And just pushing ourselves to be the best on the court,” she said of their other strengths.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the teenagers say they most enjoy meeting people and going places with their sport.
‘When they finished fourth that first year, we thought, “OK, maybe we have something here.”’
—
“I mainly like traveling, and traveling with my favorite people,” Fournier said. “I like going to the beach, spending time with those people, eating and spending money on clothes.”
What teen doesn’t love a beach trip? In fact, they agreed that was their motivation to qualify for their first national tournament.
“Andrea and I laughed because these girls just wanted to go to the beach,” Buffy Goforth said. “And that’s what they did. They had their minds set. Every year since then, they’ve won a beach trip.”Both girls grew up playing various sports, but they’ve zeroed in on court and beach volleyball now. They both want to play beach volleyball collegiately somewhere someday. They’re both good students.
Although she played collegiately and coached court volleyball at a high level, Bailey-Fournier said she underestimated the difficulty of the beach version.
“I thought it would be so easy, just like court
Mom, Andrea Bailey-Fournier, discussing the
girls' first national competition
volleyball,” she said. “But it’s kind of like comparing polo to water polo. You have to be in peak shape in 100-degree weather. There are just two people on (one side of) a court, and it’s not a lot smaller than a regular court. The amount of athleticism required is absolutely insane.”
She joked that the moms have become “the official pit crew to keep them alive,” supplying electrolytes and fruit during matches, rather than protein, as they were used to.
“We learned so much that first year,” she said. “If you don’t do that, your blood sugar will drop.”
The girls will finish their junior high careers this fall and will try out for the Lady Cat varsity volleyball squad in the spring.
“It would be a full-circle moment,” Fournier said of the opportunity to join her mother in a long line of successful Lady Cat teams. And maybe the start of another chapter of accomplishments.
Let's Talk Turkey
Celebrate the holidays without overloading your home — or your energy bill.
By Beth Jimmerson
The holidays are a season of warmth, food, and family – but they can also be a season of higher utility bills and wasted energy. From extra guests to nonstop cooking and twinkling lights, your home is working overtime. The good news? With a little planning, you can celebrate in style while being energy-smart.
COOK SMARTER NOT HARDER
Holiday meals mean crowded kitchens and running appliances all day. Try these tips:
• Use the oven efficiently. Bake multiple dishes at once rather than heating the oven for each item.
• Resist the peek. Every time you open the oven door, the temperature can drop 25–30 degrees. Use the oven light instead.
• Small appliances equal big savings. Slow cookers, air fryers and microwaves use far less energy than an oven or stovetop burner.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HEAT
A full house means extra body heat – take advantage!
• Turn down the thermostat. Lowering it a few degrees when guests arrive keeps everyone comfortable and saves energy.
• Reverse ceiling fans. Set fans to spin clockwise at a low speed to gently circulate warm air without cranking up the heat.
• Seal the leaks. Cold drafts at doors and windows make your system work harder. A quick weatherstrip or door snake can help.
LIGHT UP EFFICIENTLY
Holiday lights create magic, but they don’t have to drain your wallet.
• Switch to LEDs. They use up to 80 percent less energy than traditional bulbs and last much longer.
• Put lights on a timer. Enjoy the sparkle during peak hours but set them to shut off automatically late at night.
• Be strategic. A few well-placed strands can create a big effect without covering every inch of your home.
BE SMART WITH HOT WATER
Extra guests mean extra showers, dishes and laundry.
• Lower your water heater to 120°F. That’s hot enough for comfort but saves energy compared to higher settings.
• Run full loads. Dishwashers and washing machines are most efficient when fully loaded.
• Use cold water for laundry. Clothes get clean while saving energy and preserving fabrics.
PLAN FOR ELECTRONICS AND GUESTS
From football games to kids’ tablets, electronics add up.
• Power strips are your friend. Plug TVs, chargers and gaming consoles into a strip and switch it off when not in use.
• Remind guests to unplug. Many chargers still draw power even when devices are disconnected.
• Worried about your internet? You can upgrade your speed directly from the myConwayCorp app at any time. This ensures that you have enough bandwidth for your guests and their devices.
ADD A DASH OF SUSTAINABILITY
A little creativity makes the season brighter without excess energy use.
• Decorate naturally. Pinecones, evergreen branches and candles create a festive atmosphere without relying on power.
• Cook in batches ahead. Prepping and freezing side dishes reduces oven time during the big day.
• Give energy-smart gifts. LED candles, rechargeable batteries or even a cozy blanket encourage conservation year-round.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are about connection, not consumption. By making energy-smart choices, you’ll enjoy the season’s warmth, keep your bills in check and give your family the gift of sustainability. This year, host with heart and efficiency – because the best holiday memories don’t come with a bigger energy bill.
Looking for more ways to save? Visit ConwayCorp.com/EnergySmart and learn about our free energy audits, zero percent interest loan program and more.
Photo
AUTHOR OF THE MONTH
LATASHA DAVIS
By Susan L. Peterson • Photo by Makenzie Evans
Latasha Davis, author of "Diamond in the Rough," has much for which she is grateful. At the heart of that gratitude is her faith — her personal relationship with God, which she says has guided her and provided the answers she sought.
Davis grew up as an only child in a military family, moving frequently across the United States and Europe. Because of the constant relocations, she never completed a full year in the same school. Home life was equally unstable. Her father struggled with alcoholism, which often led to frequent abuse. She describes her family environment as deeply dysfunctional. She and her mother sometimes feared for their lives. Her father occasionally disappeared from the household for weeks at a time. When he returned, things would be good for a while, then the fighting would begin. It wouldn’t take much to “set him off.” Her mother struggled with two jobs to provide a better life for them.
The challenges of that childhood left their mark. She struggled in school and became shy, withdrawn and quick to put up defenses. Even the sound of a raised voice would cause her to flinch. Yet through it all, Davis said she held tightly to her faith. She prayed constantly and never stopped believing that God would one day intervene. To help with the pain, she wrote in a journal, putting her thoughts and prayers on paper.
Growing up in a difficult home, Davis was eager to leave as soon as she could. At 18, she married, partly as a way to escape her circumstances. That first marriage lasted several years and brought her two children. Later, she married a man who seemed ideal and came with two children of his own. But not long into the marriage, he became abusive.
Because she was embarrassed and fearful, Davis felt she could not talk to anyone about her problems. Again, she put her thoughts, feelings and prayers on paper, which was very therapeutic for her. This journal is what later became the basis of her book. After 16 years, their marriage ended. In 2013, God intervened, and her father sought help. In the
book’s acknowledgments, she wrote, “I would like to say to my dad, Richard, I love you! … God saw your heart through it all and saved you. Thanks to you, I know that God can change anyone.”
Since his recovery from alcohol, their connection has changed. Today, she and her father speak almost daily, and they have a great relationship.
Davis believes divine intervention played a role in getting her book published. While working as a receptionist for former Faulkner County Judge Jim Baker, she happened to meet Jim Davidson, a nationally syndicated columnist and author. As Davidson waited for his appointment, the two struck up a conversation, during which he learned that she was writing a book. Impressed, he connected her with a publisher—an introduction that helped bring her work to print.
Davis said she titled the book "Diamond in the Rough" because “God revealed to me that I am a diamond. Even though things have been rough for me, I have still been able to shine.”
In part she wrote the book to help others persevere through rough times and to let them know that they have everything inside themselves to survive. “My prayer is that, in your deepest times of despair, you can turn to this resource as a comfort, knowing that Jesus is in control.”
At just 90 pages, the book is relatively brief, but Davis’s faith shines through every chapter. Scripture is woven into the narrative at just the right moments. The message is clear and simple: Everyone is loved by God.
Davis lives in Conway where she is employed as a human resources manager for Faulkner County. Her four children are grown and doing well, and she has a supportive network of friends. She enjoys speaking about her book and has attended several book signings.
“Diamond in the Rough” may be found on Amazon, at Bean’s Books in Faulkner County and other online booksellers.
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
JUSTIN HOADLEY
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
By Susan L. Peterson • Photo by Makenzie Evans
The themes of collaboration, creativity and community are woven throughout the life and career of Justin Hoadley, who has been director of special events at the University of Central Arkansas since 2021.
In this position, Hoadley oversees anywhere from 75 to 100 events per year that are staged at the UCA President’s House or in connection with the UCA Foundation. This usually means he is responsible for choosing everything: the theme, color scheme, menu, linens, china and decorations. A trained florist, he also creates the floral designs.
How does he do it all? “Coffee and Jesus,” Hoadley said, laughing. But that’s not all. Everything he’s done in his life so far has prepared him for what he does now, and for that, he said, he is truly grateful.
“I’m the oldest of six kids,” he said. “So I feel like I’ve been a chaos manager most of my life. I sat down and did a rough calculation, and I believe there are around 2,400 weddings and other events that I have been involved in during my career.”
When Hoadley came to UCA in July of 2021, his title was Special Events Coordinator, Office of the President, but about a year later his responsibilities expanded and so did the title. “I kept offering to do more and more. I have a real hard time staying in my lane,” he said, laughing.
While it is a symbol of the university and a place to host official events, the UCA President’s House is also the private residence of Dr. Houston Davis and his wife, Jenny. Hoadley wants to make sure events at the house reflect the university and also the people who live there. “I felt like the house had started to feel more like an event center than a home,” he said. “Since I have gotten here, we have worked to make it feel like you’re coming to someone’s home and you’re going to get to enjoy a really great party.”
One of the things Hoadley is very thankful for is the collaboration he has found at the university. “I love that I get to work with lots of creative people,” he said. “There are a lot of moving parts to what we do and having people who are in your corner is so important, [as is] having great vendors to work with.”
Amanda Horton, executive director of public appearances at UCA, said Hoadley’s events are “thoughtfully planned and flawlessly executed.”
“Justin possesses a remarkable ability to transform vision into reality, consistently delivering exceptional and memorable events,” Horton said. “His creativity, passion and attention to detail are evident in every experience he curates. We are fortunate to have him at the University of Central Arkansas, where he continues to elevate the campus experience for both visitors and the university community. When Justin leads an event, I have complete confidence that it will be meaningful, stunning and meticulously organized.”
Of all the events that Hoadley is involved in each year at UCA, at least six are major affairs that host up to 500 people. One of those, Laurels & Stripes, a celebration of distinguished UCA alumni held each spring. The event is going through a reimagining which will is Hoadley’s concept from beginning to end. “I feel very humbled that when I have ideas, they usually just let me run with it,” he said.
Hoadley started out working in Conway for a family friend, Pam Teague, at Events Rental and Floral. “I was the kid in the back scraping plates and loading trucks,” Hoadley said. “I got some floral training there and then went to Little Rock to study more. I went to work for Tanarah Luxe Floral (TLF), which at the time was the largest event designer in the state.”
Continued on page 69
"Fall is a season that evokes home, warmth and comfort; I find it best represented in texture and saturated color. It's a season for being with the people and things that bring you joy. The dining room in the President’s Home at UCA was the perfect background to highlight these elements.
To create the floral centerpiece, I used broom corn and golden upright Amaranthus, along with burgundy Dahlias, Caramel Roses, rust Cremons and champagnecolored Lisianthus. Reaching for what’s near in this season is so fun. I grabbed liquid amber branches from a nearby tree and pinecones from a dear friend's front lawn. They were interesting additions to the table and the fireplace mantle. I knew the mantle needed a grounding, and the branches were the perfect accent without distracting from the tablescape.
Blue is an unexpected color in fall, and I loved getting to use it as a neutral base for the copper and taupe tones in the silverware and taper candles. That’s right, blue is a neutral, you heard it here first!
I am a sucker for our girl Eleanor, a 3-year-old Oopsie Doodle who is always down to be my design assistant.
— Justin Hoadley
Salads provided by UCA Dining Services. Floral containers provided by Three Poppies.
Wedding reception photos with pink and yellow florals were taken by Stephanie Parsley Photography.
The owner, Tanarah Haynie, was a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers and stressed the need for formal training, Hoadley said. “I’ve always been very thankful because so much of my career has been built and influenced by other people,” he said. “I’ve been surrounded by fantastic women.”
His passion for creating memorable events was also greatly influenced by his mother, Marilyn Moix, who was a sacristan at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for more than 20 years. Each week, she made sure everything was in place for the services and coordinated weddings held at the church.
It all comes down to people, Hoadley said. “Events for me are about connections,” he said. “The opportunity to be with your friends and enjoy life — to love what you have at the moment.”
Events even fill much of Hoadley’s time away from UCA. He has gotten so many requests for event planning that he created a side hustle, JK Event & Design, he runs with his wife, JoAnna Treviño-Hoadley. “My parents are real ‘doers’ and very much impressed on us that if you can do something, you should,” he said.
Even though they are busy, the couple prioritizes time for friends and family and loves to welcome them to their downtown Conway home.
“How wonderful that I have the ability to sit on my back porch with a coffee and enjoy it here,” Hoadley said. “How fortunate of me to be at a place to do what I love, and have so many people who believe in what I do, and to have a partner who supports me.”
On Sept. 20, friends and family gathered in Conway for an outdoor evening party to celebrate Justin Hoadley's 40th birthday. He decorated for the event. Photo by his wife, JoAnna.
By David Grimes
Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson is one of the most talented basketball players to ever come out of the state of Arkansas, and he parlayed those gifts into a 17-year NBA All-Star career.
Continued on page 73
‘I would argue
that Johnson
is the
most talented basketball player to ever wear a Razorback uniform.’
— David Grimes
Johnson was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) in 2021 as part of the 63rd class, along with Lisa Cornwell, Lance Harter, Tim Horton, Kevin Kelley, Jesse Mason, Billy Joe Murray, Lawson Pilgrim and Johnny Ray.
Born in Little Rock in 1981, Johnson played at Dunbar Junior High School before moving on to Little Rock Central. In 1997, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette named him their sophomore of the year as he helped the Tigers finish as state runner-up.
As a senior in 1999, the Democrat-Gazette again named him their player of the year after he averaged 18.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He led Central to the 1999 AAAAA state championship, defeating North Little Rock, 97-52, sharing the state playoffs MVP trophy with teammate Jarrett Hart.
When it came to college, he could have gone anywhere he wanted, but he wanted to be an Arkansas Razorback. Coached by fellow ASHOF inductee Nolan Richardson, Johnson had an outstanding freshman season in 1999-2000. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 steals and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Johnson helped Arkansas win the 2000 SEC men’s basketball tournament championship, the first in school history, earning the Hogs a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
In his sophomore season of 2000–01, he was named to the All-SEC second team and SEC All-Tournament team, while also receiving an All-American honorable mention. Still just 19 years old, Johnson decided he was ready to turn pro and declared for the 2021 NBA draft. On June 27, 2001, two days before his 20th birthday, he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 10th overall pick.
During his rookie season, Boston traded him to the Phoenix Suns, where he remained until 2005, when he was traded to Atlanta. With the Hawks, Johnson developed into an NBA star.
Following the 2010 season, he re-signed with the Hawks to a sixyear, $123.7 million contract, making him the highest-paid NBA
player at the time. All told, Johnson made more than $200 million during his NBA career.
The Hawks traded him after the 2012 season to the Brooklyn Nets, where he was still a very effective player for several years. He later had stops at Miami, Utah and Houston. He then went on to excel at professional 3-on-3 basketball for several years.
I would argue that Joe Johnson is the most talented basketball player to ever wear a Razorback uniform. I won’t go quite so far as to say he is the greatest Hog baller ever, although he’d be near the top of that list, but as far as talent, I do not think there has been anyone who can match him. Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and eventually weighing up to 240 pounds, Johnson was a physical specimen. He was a shooting guard/small forward who could handle the ball and play defense.
Johnson has an impressive list of NBA accomplishments. He was named to the All-Rookie second-team in 2001-02. Very durable, he played all 82 games in five different seasons, and he led the league in minutes played during the 2003-04 season. He was a seven-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA third team in 2009-10.
Seven different times he was named NBA Player of the Week. He was named NBA Player of the Month for March 2008. For his career, Johnson shot 80% from the free-throw line. His 1,978 three-pointers made are 21st in NBA history.
Nicknamed “Iso Joe” for his ability to score in isolation matchups, he scored plenty. Johnson finished his NBA career with 20,407 points. The NBA has been in existence for almost 80 years with approximately 5,000 players having appeared in the league. Only 56 players surpassed the 20,000-point mark.
Johnson also had 5,059 rebounds, 5,001 assists and 1,071 steals, making him one of just 12 players to surpass 20,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists and 1,000 steals. Some of the other names on that short list include Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
wave-rocked cradle of our liberties.” “… the
–
By Vivian Lawson Hogue
Henry B. Culver, Naval Historian, 1924
It is November, the month we give thanks. It is also time to acknowledge 102 passengers on a ship called the Mayflower. Seventy-four brave males and 28 even braver females went forth to the New World. Some of each group were babies or teens. Oh, and chickens, pigs, goats and two dogs. Noah would have been proud. Many Native tribes were present, having emigrated from Asia eons before while following animal herds across the temporarily passable Bering Strait. And other human ethnicities came before them!
Young people on shipboard had odd names, but they primarily stood for traits parents hoped they would acquire. Some of these were Love, Wrestling, Resolved, Humility, Remember, Desire, Oceanus and Peregrine. Oceanus was born at sea, of course, and Peregrine was named for a sea bird.
Moms had sources for formula, but all others dined on very little and had no cellphones to replace conversation. There is no recorded data on what they did for diapers, deodorant or even an outhouse.
All discomforts aside, they sailed the Atlantic from Sept. 6 to Nov. 9 in 1620. They were all pilgrims, or travelers, but about half were called Puritans, and the rest, the Saints. In 1611, the King James Bible was published, the Church of England was formed, yet eventually, people realized that leaders in the Church of England were teaching the previous church’s doctrines and Bible interpretations, and the Puritans and Saints objected. Both groups were then persecuted in England and Holland for their Protestant beliefs. They made plans to go elsewhere in 1620, taking their Bibles with them for encouragement and for teaching children how to read. Imagine, there were only 102 people who made us what we are. We are now 347,695,334 people in a free country, coast-to-coast and beyond.
Soon after landing, the Pilgrims recognized there were community needs and decided to compose the Mayflower Compact. It actually contained the pattern for governing they deemed necessary for a peaceful co-existence.
Some in today’s society often struggle with the idea that America was founded by believers in the Christian God. After landing, a “greeting” was sent to King James. Some excerpts may finally answer the question for all. It begins, “In the name of God, Amen. Having undertaken for the glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith … a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern
part of Virginia, [we] do in the presence of God and one another, covenant [agree] and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering [civility] and Preservation [of life] …”
They wished to “enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices as shall be thought most meet [fair] and convenient for the General good of the colony.” These were the initial founding fathers, and it is generally agreed that the compact was the successful, equitable pattern for the Articles of Confederation and the 1789 Constitution of the United States.
Five passengers died at sea, and during the first winter after landing and settling, 53 died of disease, hunger and unbearably cold weather. Considering all of this, Abraham Lincoln was right to create the annual Thanksgiving commemoration in 1863.
In retrospect, I believe I have much for which to be grateful. I am thankful I was born and raised in Conway when it was truly a small town with factories, dairies, farms and long-time small businesses where they knew your name, family and probably the house in which you lived. I am grateful my mother taught me to cook, iron, clean and to keep my hands away from the wringer washing machine. I am grateful that she and dad taught us manners and public behavior (Do NOT sass back. Don’t run or touch anything in stores. Don’t interrupt people in conversation.)
I am grateful that our parents made the long-term sacrifices to see all of us through higher education. I’m grateful for the times my dad and I sat in nearby chairs working crossword puzzles. What a mind for words he had — my own in-house dictionary/thesaurus and search engine! Taught me to do crosswords in ink. I’m also still grateful for his botanical, bird and animal knowledge. (Do you know that birds stop singing when a storm approaches and start up again when it is over? That’s how you know you can go to Walmart.)
I hope this Thanksgiving will find you thinking of situations you didn’t consider beneficial. If you haven’t already, you will eventually realize their purposes. You are here, known by the God of the Pilgrims long before you showed up red-faced, crying and needing mom and a diaper. You arrived with a purpose, which you may or may not have served yet. Look for it and look for Him. Neither will involve sailing the Atlantic in a “wave-rocked cradle” with no outhouse, and for that alone, you’ll be thankful!
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
From Central Arkansas, to Canada and Chicken, Alaska, brothers Darrin and Brian Logan had the adventure of a lifetime on two wheels.
By
Mike Kemp • Photo by Makenzie Evans
Twenty days and a little more than 9,000 miles is all it took to get two motorcycles to Alaska. Well, that and a ton of potholes, a hail storm and a bike that was dumped by a tornado, requiring a repair in a hotel parking lot.
Brothers Darrin Logan of Greenbrier and Brian Logan of Drasco set out on that trip in August, culminating a lifelong pursuit of good times on two wheels.
Their two-wheeled obsession began in elementary school when their parents tried to give them an incentive to bring up their grades. Darrin was struggling in conduct, while Brian needed to bring up his math grade. When their parents told them that if they could get A’s in those classes, they would get them each a motorcycle.
Turns out, Brian kept his end of the bargain with an A in math. Darrin? He got a C in conduct.
“My dad said, ‘(Brian) had to do some work, and all Darrin had to do was keep his mouth shut,’” Darrin said with a laugh.
True to their word, Brian was presented with a brand-new Honda XL 70. However, feeling some sympathy toward the younger son, they ended up getting him a used Honda CL 70, which took a little fixing up. “And my old bike would outrun his new bike,” Darrin said with a laugh.
They have traveled together before, with trips to Niagara Falls and other areas, but Brian had been harboring a desire to do an Alaskan trip on two wheels for a while. He had discussed it on trips with a longtime riding partner, Stan Williams, who succumbed to cancer in 2017.
Brian retired in 2021 and purchased a Yamaha Super Tenere adventure bike, and a year ago mentioned the idea to his brother. Despite being off motorcycles for 10 years, Darrin committed to doing a trip and purchased a BMW 1250 GS.
Continued on page 78
Brothers Darrin Logan (from left) and Brian Logan road motorcycles from Clinton, Ark., to Alaska and back. They visited Glacier National Park in Montana and Logan Pass, which shares their last name.
You can see the country any way you like, but there’s nothing like having the top off and seeing it all,” Darrin said. “It’s the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever experienced.”
Meeting in Clinton on Aug. 3, the two set their sights north. Powering through the Midwest up to Cody, Wy., the meat of the adventure began. The ride along the way included Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and Beartooth Highway, along with Glacier National Park and the famous Going to the Sun Road.
They continued north, crossing into Canada up to Lake Louise and then Jasper. They rode through the Icefields Parkway and the Columbia Icefield. They had planned on taking the Alaska-Canada Highway (also known as the ALCAN Highway) to Tok, Alaska, but a chance meeting with a rider from DesArc altered that course.
“There was a guy who told us that the ALCAN was tore up pretty bad, and so we decided to take the Top of the World Highway into Alaska,” Brian said. “I had wanted to do that, so we took it out of Whitehorse and went north.”
The duo ended up at one of the most remote border crossings between the Yukon and Canada. “They didn’t even check our passports,” Darrin said. “They said, ‘We never see anyone, so we’re just happy to see people.’”
He added that the road between Dawson City and Chicken, Alaska, was mostly gravel, and with the amount of uneven road surfaces, they were glad that they chose adventure motorcycles for the ride.
“I’ve never felt like I’ve been in a video game before this,” he said, noting the number of evasive maneuvers required while navigating the roads.
Along with the questionable conditions of the roads, the pair also encountered some weather extremes, which included narrowly missing a hail storm in Hungry Horse, Mont., and a tornado in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, with winds so extreme that Brian’s motorcycle was toppled in a hotel parking lot.
The motorcycle’s top box was knocked loose from its mounting bracket, which showed Brian’s level of preparedness. “Darrin comes down and says, ‘Now what are we going to do? We’re going to go down to Walmart to get ratchet (straps) and everything else.’ But I said, ‘No, I’ve already got all of this,” Brian said.
“He had everything in that dang saddlebag,” Darrin added.
Brian noted that he and his wife, Sherry, had gone through all of the scenarios they could think of and made sure to carry two of everything just in case.
“I had one pannier box that was nothing but tools,” he said. “I had two air compressors, two patch kits.”
“We carried camping equipment, just never had to use it,” Darrin said.
After a stop in Fairbanks for some scheduled motorcycle maintenance, they headed south for a loop through the interior of Alaska, which included Denali National Park, Wasilla, Palmer and Glenallen.
Darrin was initially disappointed during their trip through Denali, hoping to get a glimpse of the peak. After an overnight stay in Trapper Creek, Alaska, they were back on the road under foggy conditions the next day. At one point, however, he noticed some photographers by the road facing the opposite direction from their travel. When they turned around to ask what they were photographing, they realized the clouds had parted, giving a clear view of Denali.
“You wouldn’t have been able to see that in your motorcycle mirrors,” he said.
The return trip involved the ALCAN back into Canada, making sure that the route back was different than the one going to Alaska. “I wanted to go up one way and come back another,” Brian said. “I didn’t even plan a route back.”
The miles also allowed the brothers to bond in addition to meeting other travelers. Along the way, they met a rider riding from Colombia to the northernmost point in Alaska, a fellow Arkansan, and tourists from Belgium.
“I think my highlight was, of course, getting to do it with my brother, but the Canadian Rockies was really great,” Brian said. “The central part of Alaska was somewhere I hadn’t been. I kind of had an idea about it, but from Palmer to Glenallen was a lot of country I hadn’t seen. It’s really pretty through there.”
“My highlight was the rural crossing of the U.S. and Canadian border, probably the remoteness of the area,” Darrin said. “Man, there’s nothing there. I mean, there’s no homes, no residents. I mean, it’s all just rural. “Seeing Denali on the day that we really didn’t plan on seeing it was … very eye-opening and pretty amazing to just get the opportunity to see it from several miles out.”
A trip away can also make you appreciate the little things back home, Darrin said. Noting the lack of Little Debbie cakes in the remote reaches of the Yukon and Alaska, he said, “I was glad to get back in the States and get an oatmeal pie!”
1. Lake Louise is in the province of British Columbia, Canada. 2. At a diner in Cody, Wyo. 3. Brian Logan as they enter Wyoming. 4. Brian stands next to Dempster HWY sign in the northern Yukon, a territory in Canada. 5. Brian at Glacier National Park in Montana. 6. Brian (from left) and Darrin as they enter Yukon.
‘You can see the country any way you like, but there’s nothing like having the top off and seeing it all.’
— Darrin Logan
Darrin Logan (from left) and Brian Logan at Beartooth Pass in Montana. In the background, a helicopter is water scooping and taking it to a fire on the other side of the mountain.
A life of
Ropin,’ Ridin’ and Rodeo
By
Phyllis Ormsby • Photo by Makenzie Evans
Benton cowboy Dub Grant created ropes for the world's largest rodeo stars.
Knots and ropes have anchored Dub Grant’s life. The 86-year-old Arkansas native started creating lariat ropes when he was just a teenager, eventually building a company that shipped ropes all over the world.
Lots of world champion cowboys have swung and sworn by Dub Grant ropes, as evidenced by the many photos that line his workshop at his ranch outside of Benton. Many of the cowboys in those photos are recognizable even to non-rodeo fans, like the richest cowboy in pro rodeo history, Trevor Brazile. Brazile holds the record for the most world championship titles in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association with 26.
Other photos show Tuf Cooper, a four-time World Champion tie-down roper and PRCA AllAround World Champion, along with Tuf’s dad, Roy Cooper, an eight-time World Champion and Hall of Fame member. Another photo features Stran Smith, also a World Champion roper (who happens to be Tuf Cooper’s uncle). Other champion cowboys who were customers include Joe Weaver, Dean Oliver and Monty Lewis.
Grant’s journey started when he and his brother, Bud, were 9 and 10 years old. They were already doing trick riding and rope tricks at rodeos. “By the time we were 14 and 15 years old, we could handle a rope real good,” he said. Soon, the brothers built a roping pen and learned how to rope calves. “By the time we were around 20 years old with all our early experience handling ropes, we really started winning some money,” Grant said.
The brothers met a man in Little Rock who showed them how they could make their own ropes. “We were probably about 17 and 18 years old. People really started liking them, so we’d take some to rodeos with us and sell them. So it kind of got started that way,” Grant said.
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The South Conway County School District exists to be the heart of education in our community in the pursuit of teaching our students integrity, kindness, compassion, courage, respect and character to make a positive difference in the world.
Dub Grant did some team roping with his brother but mainly focused on his calf roping and won dozens of buckles, saddles and prize money. “There for a while when I was trying to win the world championship, I roped 105 calves and only missed five that year,” he said.
LEFT: Trevor Brazile (from left) and Dub Grant. “In 2008 in Springfield, Mo., at Jack Pot Roping, I took Brazile four ropes, and he used a new rope on each calf,” Grant wrote. “He used my ropes and won $45,000 and a saddle that day. On his last calf, he took his rope off of the saddle and gave it to me. It’s in my office now. It was a day I’ll never forget.” Brazile won “Best of the Best, Champion Calf Roper” that day and has won 26 world titles.
RIGHT: In 1969, Dub Grant won the I.R.A. Champion Calf Roper competition in Tulsa, Okla. He counted on his talented horse named Jay Bird. In 1976, Jay Bird won Calf Roping Horse of the Year.
After that, life got even busier. Grant met his wife, Doll, at a rodeo and they were married in 1966. She was a barrel racer and the two of them traveled to different rodeos about five days a week, starting from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “My wife and I had a Chevrolet pickup and a side-by-side trailer that held two horses and a camper on the back of the truck. We would take the back glass out of our truck so we could crawl back and forth into the camper. It’s nothing like it is now,” Grant said, chuckling.
“I went somewhere every Wednesday through Sunday. Loretta Lynn had a rodeo over in Nashville. Every Sunday afternoon, I roped over there. Every Monday, I would go to Cherokee Village. I’d come back home and make ropes until it was time to go again,” he said.
He put so many miles on his truck that for several years he bought a new one every year. “But back then you could get a new truck for $5,000 to $7,000. And gas was 28 cents a gallon when I got married,” Grant said.
He did some team roping with his brother but mainly focused on his calf roping and won dozens of buckles, saddles and prize money. “There for a while when I was trying to win the world championship, I roped 105 calves and only missed five that year,” he said.
And as his reputation grew, so did the rope business. At one point, he had four or five employees and sent ropes to Brazil, Panama, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and lots of stores in the western states. Big distributors in Texas, like National Roper’s Supply and Teskey’s Western Store, would place orders for 500 ropes at a time. “We really had to work hard to fill those big orders,” Grant said.
Much has changed since he first started making ropes, he said. “At first, ropes came in these big 600-foot coils. You had to stretch them out with a tractor in the field to take the kinks out of them and then you had to leave them out in the pasture with some tension on them. Then you cut them, put the knots in them and put the hondo in them,” he said. “Now, they have machines that just make one rope at a time. They don’t come in small coils anymore.”
A rope is made of strands of polyester or nylon that are twisted tightly and coated with hot wax. “I have a guy out in Texas who twists them for me,” Grant said. “I have to chop off each end and tie the knots I want. It’s really simplified it a lot.”
He sold his company a year and a half ago, but you can still find him most days in his shop, cutting ropes to size, tying those knots and creating the hondo, the reinforced loop at one end that turns a plain rope into a lariat. “I still sell some but nothing like I used to,” he said.
He and Doll had been married 49 years when she passed away in 2015. Grant’s brother passed away in 2022. It was probably 20 years ago, he said, when he sold off his horses and the herd of cows. With his family’s approval, he even sold off all the trophy saddles he, his wife and daughter Morel had won during their rodeo years. “I did keep my World Championship saddle and one of my wife’s and one of my daughter’s,” he said.
“Today I just mess with these ropes a little bit and keep my deer hunting places here on my place fixed up,” Grant said. “My good health? I give the Lord the credit for it. It’s been a wonderful life. I could see the Lord taking care of me all the way.”
Going the Extra ‘Myle’
Extra Myles Foundation making generational change in Central Arkansas
By Mark Oliver • Photo by Makenzie Evans
In the quiet town of Kensett, a movement is unfolding that is not only reshaping how one of the 501’s smallest communities sees itself, but also what it envisions for its future.
At the heart of it all is the Extra Myles Foundation, a nonprofit born from a barber’s chair and built on faith, mentorship and a relentless drive to serve. Encouraged by friends and fueled by his faith, Joseph “Joe” Myles launched the foundation in 2020 to empower others through education and community service.
“I’ve always challenged myself to give back to my community,” he said. “As a barber, I began by giving free back-to-school haircuts. I also brought local law enforcement and first responders in to allow the youth in our community to see them in a different light. People have always thanked me for going the extra mile for them, so when we made the leap to becoming a nonprofit, that’s what we became.”
One of those affected early by Joe’s community service was Tevin Baker. At age 10, he was a regular at Joe’s barbershop. Today, at 29 years old, he serves on the foundation’s Board of Directors and plays a key role in shaping its future.
“I’ve always looked up to Joe like a big brother,” Baker said. “He helped me start my first business when I was 15. Everything he was doing for the community was inspiring to me, and I knew that I needed a mentor like that in my life.”
“Tevin visited me often in the barbershop when he was young,” Myles said. “He was always watching me and hanging on to every word of the stories I told. One day, he came to the shop and told me that one of his teachers wanted to meet me. Tevin had to write a school essay on someone who inspired him, and he chose me. I couldn’t believe it. Tevin’s a great young man who I believe was put here by God to help lead our community and I’m excited to see all the great things he will do.”
Set to open in 2026, the foundation’s new headquarters will plant its roots in Kensett, a town of 1,200. Myles and his team are transforming six commercial lots into a hub that will include the foundation’s offices, a barbershop and rentable office space for local entrepreneurs.
“Kensett is a community full of great people that has almost no businesses,” Baker said. “It is a community that was once lively and
full of joy but has lost some of its touch. Our goal is to shine a bright light on what this town can be and hopefully inspire others to start businesses here, too, to see what Kensett is really capable of.”
Through effective events like turkey drives, toy drives and free backto-school haircuts, the foundation strives to create positive change by fostering stronger community connections.
“Our annual Turkey Drive is one of the most important things we do each year,” Myles said. “This year, we’re excited to hold the event on our new land in Kensett. Times are tough and many in this community don’t know where their Thanksgiving meal will come from. Each year, we worry that we won’t have enough turkeys to go around, but somehow, we have always had just enough to feed everyone.”
Events and buildings are just the beginning. The foundation envisions programs for financial literacy, mental health, mentorship, domestic abuse, homelessness, addiction, legal advice and teaching English as a second language.
“Whatever God tells us to do, that’s what we’ll do,” Myles said. “Our job is to listen to the people, connect the dots, and give them the resources they need to be successful in life.”
“Working with the foundation has not only put me back in connection with my community, but it has allowed me to make so many connections I wouldn’t have had before,” Baker said. “We’re laying the blueprint and are very excited to bring the energy back to Kensett.”
Though its path forward is ambitious, the foundation still faces roadblocks and hopes the community will rally to help bridge the gaps in funding, manpower and infrastructure resources.
“From sinks to drywall to tree removal and everything in between, we’re praying for help making our dream come true,” Myles said. “Our goal is to get the barbershop rolling to help bring in money and ask the community for help building the rest.”
In a growing world that often overlooks small towns and the people who live in them, the Extra Myles Foundation is a reminder that change doesn’t always come from the top down. Sometimes, it starts with a haircut and a heart willing to go the extra mile.
For more information, visit extramylesfoundation.org.
Joe Myles (from left) and Tevin Baker, whom he mentored.
The Extra Myles Foundation was founded by Joe Myles in White County in 2020. The nonprofit was born from a barber’s chair and built on faith, mentorship and a relentless drive to serve. In November they will host their annual Turkey Drive to ensure that families have a turkey on the table at Thanksgiving. In December, they will collect and give gifts to children in need.
‘Tevin’s a great young man who I believe was put here by God to help lead our community and I’m excited to see all the great things he will do.’
— Joe Myles
PERSON OF THE MONTH
JOVONI JOHNSON-MCCRAY
Photos by Ryan Freidin & Kiersten Hardeman
JoVoni Johnson-McCray graduated from Conway High School with a 4.27 GPA and an ACT score of 34. When he was 4 years old, he received a bookcase with a brass plate on it that displayed his name. That was significant to him.
“Reading gave my imagination a place to grow,” he said. “It expanded my vocabulary, sharpened my articulation, and even improved my social interactions. The largest impact on my development, however, was the work that reading did for my imagination. Reading unlocked all the possibilities that the walls of reality guarded.”
Since the Bookcase Project was founded in 2005 by Jim Davidson, 1,000 bookcases have been given to HeadStart preschoolers. The project is overseen by the Kiwanis Club and is chaired by Richard S. Plotkin.
“Jim is a great friend of mine,” Johnson-McCray said. “Beyond our connection through the Bookcase Project, Jim and his wife have consistently shown up for things that matter to me, and that’s what truly makes them special. His passion for literacy and the drive he has for making reading accessible in our community are unmatched.”
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Richard Plotkin (from left), Jim Davidson, JoVoni Johnson-McCray and Alice Hines, Ph.D. attended the Kiwanis Club of Conway’s Bookcase Project annual fundraising banquet on Sept. 30. Johnson-McCray and Hines spoke to about 200 people the importance of reading. Hines retired as the C. Louis and Charlotte Cabe Distinguished Professor of English at Hendrix College in 2017.
HOMETOWN: I grew up in Conway and lived in several different neighborhoods, attending multiple schools along the way: Ida Burns, Florence Mattison and Marguerite Vann Elementary Schools, and Ruth Doyle and Carl Stuart Middle Schools. Those were all before I attended Conway Junior High School and Conway High School. I will complete my master’s degree from Rice University in Houston in December.
FAMILY: Markiba Johnson (mother), Jasmine Wright (sister) and Johnathan Wright (brother). Margaret and Willie Johnson are my grandparents.
EDUCATION: I graduated from Conway High School. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Spanish from Rice University. I will graduate in December with a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Data Analysis from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.
AWARDS: I am a Ron Brown Scholar, a National AP Scholar, and a National Merit Scholar Finalist. I was named an Arthur Ashe National Male Athlete of the Year Semifinalist in 2023, which recognizes excellence on the field and in the classroom among all male NCAA athletes.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE AS QUARTERBACK FOR RICE UNIVERSITY? From 2019-22, I played quarterback for the Rice Owls. As a true freshman, I started in four games and scored two touchdowns in our final game of the year against UTEP. In my second year at quarterback, I led our team to victory over nationally ranked Marshall University (#15), marking Rice’s first — and still most recent — win over a nationally ranked opponent since 1997. In my final two years, I switched to wide receiver and recorded catches against the University of Texas and University of Houston before undergoing hip surgery that concluded my playing career. In my time at Rice University, we turned around the program from a 0-9 start in my true freshman year to consecutive bowl game appearances in my last years with the team.
WORK: Multiple internships in banking and financial services. I completed internships in New York City with American Express and the Federal Reserve in Houston, focusing on payments operations, fintech, and corporate banking.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: I am an active member of Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ in Conway, and at The Fountain of Praise (TFOP) in Houston. I am a member of the Forge ministry for young men and No Boundaries young adults ministry at TFOP. In 2025, I launched the free JoVoni Johnson Youth Football Camp for boys and girls ages 6-12 in Central Arkansas. The camp introduces kids to movement as expression while also teaching the fundamentals of football. We also created a Family Zone featuring six local vendors to promote community and fellowship. With 16 Conway High School football alumni as coaches and more than 55 registered kids in our first year, I’m excited to grow the camp in the years ahead. I am also engaged in a nonprofit that my mother founded called Black Diamond Community Foundation, which hosts STEM events throughout the summer and college/career readiness events in the fall.
WHAT ROLE DOES FAITH HAVE IN YOUR LIFE? Faith is the pinnacle of my life and is the foundation of my confidence and purpose. My faith in God compels me to put my best foot forward in everything because I don't want to squander the gifts He’s given me. It also holds me accountable and gives me purpose to live a life like Christ and direct others to the cross. With every platform, I aim to spread the love of God and live as a reflection of the peace, joy and mercy a relationship with God grants us. My faith is everything to me.
HOBBIES: I have recently gotten into hiking as a hobby. This past month, I summited Volcán Acatenango, a 13,000-foot volcano in Guatemala. I also enjoy reading, golfing, cooking and creating content. I post food reviews on TikTok (@datd00d).
NAME YOUR THREE FAVORITE BOOKS: This is a VERY difficult question, but my three favorite books I’ve read this year are: “The Half Never Told” by Edward Baptist, “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides, and “The Adversary” by Michael Crummey.
TELL US YOUR FUTURE PLANS: As I am wrapping up the MBA program at Rice University, I am actively recruiting for roles in banking and financial services, with interests in fintech and payments innovation. In the meantime, I’m traveling and enjoying new experiences before beginning my full-time career.
