Kayla Hardage, a native Arkansan, grew up in Pine Bluff and attended college at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. Having worked at DeGray Lake Resort while in school, she fell in love with the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Kayla also worked at the Captain Henderson House Bed & Breakfast as a student. With a bachelor of science in family and consumer sciences and an emphasis in Fashion Merchandising, Hardage worked for Dillard’s after graduation but missed the hospitality industry. After a position became available at DeGray Lake Resort State Park, she worked in group sales for a few years before moving to Little Rock and becoming part of the Arkansas Welcome Center Program. Hardage is now the Welcome Center Administrator and oversees the operation of Arkansas’s fourteen Welcome Centers under the Department of Parks and Tourism. Kayla lives in Benton with her husband William and two dogs, Lizzie and George.

Ms. Cora Easterday, group travel and visitor services assistant at Visit Hot Springs, will speak to the Arkadelphia Rotary Club on December 2. The meeting will be held at the Slim and Shorty’s Boardroom (617 Clinton Street) at noon.

​Cora Easterday completed her Bachelors of Science in Hospitality Administration from Arkansas Tech University in May of 2010. As a student, Cora served as the Treasurer for the Hospitality Association, worked full time for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and part time for Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville, Arkansas.

Upon completing her bachelor's degree, Cora obtained a position as the Group Travel Assistant for Visit Hot Springs. During her tenure, she served on the Board of Directors for the Garland County Beautification Commission and National Park College Hospitality Advisory Board. She continues to give back to her alma mater by serving on the Hospitality Administration Advisory Committee for Arkansas Tech University.

She continues to excel at the largest Meeting and Convention Center in the state by serving as the Secretary for the Downtown Association of Hot Springs, the Treasurer for the Greater Hot Springs Arkansas Hospitality Association Chapter and is currently on the Board for the Hot Springs/Diamond Lakes Travel Association.

Her career achievements include: serving on the Certified Travel Industry Specialist Committee thru the American Bus Association and obtaining a Certificate of Appreciation for her efforts in Group Travel in promoting Hot Springs for the State from Kane Web, Executive Director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism (ADPT), and Joe David Rice, ADPT’s current Tourism Director.

Without a doubt it is her love and passion for Tourism and the Community of Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas that pushes her to continually strive to attain her personal goals for the industry.

Mr. Bishop Woosley, director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, will visit the Arkadelphia Rotary Club September 16 to speak about the progression of The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, which is now celebrating its seventh anniversary. ​

Bishop Woosley of Conway was named Director of the Office of the Arkansas Lottery in February 2012.  He has been with the lottery since its inception, serving as Procurement Director from June-November 2009, then as Chief Legal Counsel from November 2009 through February 2012.  Prior to joining the lottery, he was an Assistant Attorney General under State Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.  
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He grew up in Stuttgart, and returned there after earning his bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Arkansas and his law degree at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law.  He practiced law in and around Arkansas County for eight years, during which time he also served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney.

He assumed responsibility for running the Lottery, a half-billion dollar agency, on February 13, 2012, after being chosen by the Arkansas Lottery Commission from about 100 applicants to fill the Director position.   In addition to his Director duties, he serves as the Chair of the Multistate Lottery Association Legal Committee and is a member of the Multistate Lottery Association Executive Committee and recently served as the Vice-Chair of the MUSL/Mega Millions Product Group.  He also previously served as Legal Steering Committee Chair for the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.   He was selected as a member of the 2012 Arkansas Business 40 under 40 class and was a member of Leadership Arkansas Class X for 2015-16.  In the course of his tenure with the lottery he has been an invited speaker at conferences held by the Public Gaming Research Institute and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. 

Link to Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.

Dr. Lori Hensley of Ouachita Baptist University will visit the Arkadelphia Rotary Club August 19 to share more information about her journey and pediatric cancer research with undergraduates. 

Dr. Hensley is chair and professor of the Department of Biology at Ouachita Baptist University where she is beginning her 15th year. She earned a bachelor of science in biology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and a doctorate of philososphy in molecular pathology from the University of Tennessee for Health Sciences in Memphis. Hensley completed graduate and post-doctoral fellowships at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital working with Dr. Suzanne Baker on Ewing’s sarcoma, a pediatric bone cancer, and at UAMS with Dr. Philip Kern in endocrinology before coming to Ouachita.

She has two boys, 12-year-old Isaac and 9-year-old Braden.

Max Braswell
Max Braswell is the Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Forestry Association, having served in that capacity since August 2008. Previously, he served as Manager of Communications and Government Relations for Domtar Industries Inc. in Arkansas, from 2001 to 2008, and Communications Manager for Georgia-Pacific’s Ashdown Mill from 1992 until Domtar purchased the facility in 2001. He started his career in the forest products industry with Georgia-Pacific in Crossett in 1990. Max is responsible for the overall management of the Association and provides leadership to the team of four that that includes Jennifer Lambert, administrative director, Rebecca Neely, communications director, and Rob Beadel, director of forestry education for AFA’s Education Foundation. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives and is a member of the Arkansas Society of Professional Lobbyists. He has served as President of the Arkansas Forest and Paper Council, and before beginning his employment with AFA was a member of the AFA board and chairman of the communications committee. Max graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark., in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications. He is originally from DeWitt, AR.

Rob Beadel
Rob Beadel is in his 8th year as the Director of Forestry Education for the Arkansas Forestry Association Education Foundation (AFAEF). In this position he serves as the state coordinator for Project Learning Tree (PLT) and also coordinates landowner education programs throughout the state. In 1995, Rob graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from Arkansas Tech University. He has been involved in Environmental Education since 1995 having worked for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. Rob had served on several environmental education boards at both the state and national levels. He has served on the Arkansas Environmental Education Association board of directors completing two terms as the Board President and on the North American Association for
Environmental Education (NAAEE) Affiliate Steering Committee.

Brandon Mathews of the Arkansas Foodbank will visit the Arkadelphia Rotary Club July 15 to share more information about the organization and the ways it serves individuals and communities in Arkansas. Mathews will also share an update on the Summer Cereal Drive.
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Brandon Mathews is the Regional Gifts Coordinator for the Arkansas Foodbank and is responsible for developing and strengthening relationships between the Arkansas Foodbank and the communities it serves. This includes securing major gifts, corporate funding, volunteers and member support as well as identifying “regional fundraisers” and community advocates. Mr. Mathews is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service with a Masters of Public Service and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas in Human Development and Family Sciences. He is married to Elisabeth Mathews, a student pharmacist and former president of the UAMS College of Pharmacy, APhA-ASP and student board member for the Arkansas Pharmacist Association. 

The Arkadelphia Rotary Club meets at noon on Fridays at Western Sizzlin in Arkadelphia. Guests are welcome to accompany members for programs and service projects. For more information about Rotary and its upcoming programs and projects or to suggest a speaker, please email [email protected].

Henderson State University School of Business and Graduate School Representatives will speak to the Arkadelphia Rotary Club July 1, at the first meeting of the new club year. Joining faculty member Dr. Lonnie Jackson are new business dean Dr. Marc Miller and Vice-Provost and Graduate School Dean Ken Taylor. 

​Marc Miller
Marc Miller just joined Henderson State University as dean of the School of Business. He was executive director of economic development and Professor of Technology Management in the Hull College of Business at Augusta. Miller graduated from Augusta College with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and is currently enrolled at Augusta University in the Master of Public Health program. He received his doctorate in information Systems management from Auburn University.
 
Ken Taylor
Vice Provost and Graduate School Dean Ken Taylor has been with Henderson State University since 2001. He earned his BSE at Grambling State University, his MSE at the University of South Alabama, and his EdD at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. 
 
Lonnie Jackson 
Lonnie Jackson is an assistant professor of management and director of the MBA program at Henderson State University.