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Class Notes, Spring 2024
Written By: Jacob Childers
Have you recently celebrated a new job, promotion, wedding, baby, or new degree? Been published, gone on a fun adventure, started a new business, moved into a new home, or welcomed a grandchild? Let us - and your classmates - know what you've been doing since your time at UAFS, Westark, or Fort Smith Junior College by submitting a class note. Approved class notes will be published here and in our electronic newsletter Lion Lines. We love to get photos too, and we'll happily share them here and on our socials.
1970s
Ed Standifird, โ75, officially retired from a long career. He was in management for Sears, a minister
for five years, helped rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and recently,
has been a speaker for funerals. He calls Porum, Oklahoma, home.
1990s
Sheri Davis, MSN, RN, โ95, became a Certified Care Manager from the Commission for Case Manager Certification.
Amanda Sanders, โ99, was promoted to Director of Sales and Events at the Fort Smith Convention Center.
2000s
Shannan Morgan, โ06, was promoted to Product Development Manager at ArcBest Technologies.
Lydia (McDaniel) Holloway, โ09, was promoted to Director of Customer Experience and Sales Enablement at ArcBest.
Jeremy Wann, โ09, obtained a new certification as Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from
HRCI. Jeremy is also a current member of the Alumni Advisory Council.
2010s
Aicia Wieburg, โ10, was promoted to Global Senior Search Manager at Mars in Northwest Arkansas.
Delbert Sawyer, โ11, passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 1, 2022. He lived in Huntington, Arkansas,
at the time.
Tamara (Fitzpatrick) Tateosian, โ12, was promoted from Executive Director to CEO for the Callaway Chamber of Commerce
in Fulton, Missouri.
Jared Belt, โ12, was recently promoted to Associate Director of Customer Success at ArcBest Technologies.
Tabatha Inkman, โ12, was promoted to Talent Acquisition Manager at Arvo Solutions, Integrated Risk &
Resilience in Plano, Texas.
Lary Walker, โ13, moved to the Tyson Foods corporate office as the New Blends Senior Controller with
the Tyson Solutions Group. He will lead the accounting teams in developing new solutions
to improve operations in Springdale, Arkansas.
Brooke (Boyd) Magallanes, โ14, proudly announces that she has accepted the position of Vice Chancellor of Enrollment
Management at the University of Arkansas โ Fort Smith.
Kallie (Tanner) Akinola, โ14, was promoted to Senior Project Associate at Creation in Common in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area.
Rene Gates, โ14, started a new position at 5NEWS as a Multi-media Account Executive.
Laken Clark, โ14, started a new position as Senior Category Manager with Thriving Brands in Rogers,
Arkansas.
Madeline (Strickland) Swible, โ15, recently moved their family to the Japanese island of Okinawa, where they welcomed
their first daughter into the world. 
John Sturrock, โ15, married Caroline Rook on April 6, 2024, in Hochatown, Oklahoma, surrounded by family
and close friends. John and Caroline live in Tyler, Texas, where he works as a Student
Pastor at South Spring Baptist Church and she is a wedding photographer and owner
of Caroline Rock Photography.
Irvin Martinez, โ15, accepted a new position as a Senior Client Associate with Gallagher Insurance.
Masa Podunavac, โ15, was promoted to Senior Scientist of Medicinal Chemistry at Arcus Biosciences in
California.
Matthew Farrar, โ15, started a new position as Business Architecture Manager at Accenture in Chicago,
Illinois.
Ricky and Cydney Hernandez, โ15, welcomed their daughter, McClain Elyse Hernandez, into the world on Valentineโs
Day.
Dusan, โ16, and Maddie (Gilliam) Stojanovic, โ18, welcomed their son, Luka, into the world on March 27, 2024, at 6:57 p.m. in Fort
Smith. Maddie joined the United Way of Fort Smith as their new Resource Development
Director.
Krissy (Honeycutt) Cotner, โ16, was promoted to Loan Officer AVP at First Security Bank in Fort Smith.
Quynh Nguyen, โ16, began a new position with TAP Career Counselor as a MKS2 as part of their Technologies
Military Transition Assistance Program.
Tony Jones, โ16, and his wife, Alex, announced the birth of their daughter Ella Francis.
Kathy-Linh Tran, โ16, joined Tyson Foods as a Packaging Systems Specialist.
Allie (Wilson) Deacon, โ16, was promoted to ASC Corporate Account Director โ IDN at Medline Industries, LP.
Connie Bennett, โ17, started a new position as a Security Officer at Sharp Professional Consultants in
Destin, Florida.
Brooke, โ17, and Connar (Lewis) Devine, โ19, welcomed their daughter, Macie Layke, into the world on April 2, 2024, at 11:02
a.m.
Demesha Delaney, โ17, celebrated the graduation of her middle child in May in Fort Smith.
Nikolle Dixon, โ17, won the 2023 Local Store Marketing Award of the Year for the Moore Sonic Group in
Mena, Arkansas.
Sunshine Bartlett, โ17, announced she is now the new Board President of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship
Fund.
Daniel Peek, โ17, was recently promoted to Service Center Manager with ABF Freight.
Victoria (Davenport) Tester, โ17, announced she was promoted to Direct Materials Category Manager at ABB.
Zachary Vann, โ17, was promoted to Director of Financial Planning & Analysis at ArcBest.
Amy Broadway, โ17, started a business using the knowledge she gained in her business classes at UAFS.
She had her first baby in August 2023 in Poteau, Oklahoma.
Kim (Cloud) Okoniewski, โ18, completed her Master of Arts and Creative Writing, held four full-time positions
at UAFS, and celebrated her fifth anniversary of working at UAFS. She also married
her husband, James, an officer for UPD.
Paige Acke, โ18, was promoted to Senior Enterprise Project Manager at ArcBest Technologies in February
2024.
Lindsey Dillard, โ18, started a new position as an Associate of Global Accounting Policy & Technical Accounting
at AlTi Tiedmann Global in New York.
Aaron Davis, โ18, started a new position as a Paycom Specialist at Paycom in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Thien T. Duong, โ18, started as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Arkansas at Little
Rock.
Murphy Burt, โ18, was promoted to Team Lead, Clinician Sourcing at SCP Health in Northwest Arkansas.
Tyler McMellon, โ19, accepted a job as an accountant in Dallas, Texas.
Djordje, โ19, and Heidi (Luks) Stojanovic, โ13, welcomed their daughter Stella Nora into the world on February 15, 2024.
Aleska Sparks, โ19, started at BHC in Fort Smith as a CSR Assistant in March 2024.
2020s
Kristen Karetov, โ20, bought a house and welcomed her son, Myles Lennon, in Conway, Arkansas, last June.
Jennifer Bonilla, โ20, began her new position at Dayco/Propulsion Solutions as Senior Compensation and
Benefits Analyst in January.
Ashley (Mingledorff) Groppe, โ20, started a new remote position as a Data Annotator with DataAnnotation in February.
Kariss Cole, โ20, accepted a new position at ArcBest as a Corporate Social Responsibility Analyst.
Nicole Gardner, โ21, graduated from the University of Oklahoma.
Matthew Womack, โ21, accepted a new position as Project Manager at Don Pictures.
Huy (Mike) Vu, โ21, joined Conduent in Fort Smith as a Customer Service Representative.
Alexandra Barlow, โ21, was promoted to Manager for the Project Management Office of Accounting at Tyson
Foods.
Alexandria Webb, โ22, was recently promoted to Human Resources Coordinator at ArcBest.
Hailey England, โ22, announced that she has started at Uber Freight as a Customer Support Specialist
in Northwest Arkansas.
Ashton Branham, โ22, was promoted to Planning Specialist II at ArcBest.
Madison Hancock, โ23, graduated with her BSN in May 2023. She welcomed her son into the world in July
in Van Buren, Arkansas.
Ramsey Pate, โ23, started a new position with Harper Ellis Hair Co. as a Marketing Associate.
Bethony Crippen, โ24, shared after spring graduation that her โFive years at UAFS, from August 2019 to
May 2024, have been amazing, and I will always cherish! I am ready to move on and
see what the Lord has in store for me! Thanks, UAFS Staff, for everything!โ
Taylor Pixley, โ24, has been hired as a Mathematics Teacher at Hackett High School in Hackett, Arkansas.
Like these stories?
Check out which of your classmates we've featured.
In Memoriam
2010s
Delbert Sawyer, โ11
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