The Board of Directors is the policymaking body of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, and its members represent a cross-section of the business and professional leadership in our community.  In accordance with the Bylaws, a Board Nominating Committee was appointed earlier this year to recommend vacancies that will expire December 31, 2021.  Get to know these nominees accepted by the Board.

Meet the 2022 Nominees for the Board of Directors

Your Chamber welcomes individuals, businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations and representatives of government, education and industry to our membership. We are a diverse and inclusive organization.  

Our members, partners and investors come to learn, to teach, to grow, to connect and to give back to their community. They invest their time and money knowing that it takes all of us to build a vibrant community and sustain future success. They join our Board of Directors because they share our Vision and understand that supporting the work of our Mission will get us there - it's an investment in our future.

We appreciate the time invested and service from our Board of Directors and thank them for performing their leadership and fiduciary duty that contributes to the Chamber’s continued and long-term success.

Brandy Tuft | Ernst & Young LLP
Assurance Managing Director

Brandy Tuft is a Managing Director in the Assurance practice at Ernst & Young LLP. Brandy has over fifteen years of experience serving public audit clients in various industries, with extensive experience in coordinating and executing services for a large multinational retail and consumer products company. In addition to her client service duties, she also travels extensively to review other EY audit teams to ensure quality as part of the firm’s internal monitoring program. Brandy serves as a leader in the EY Audit Academy where she facilitates training throughout the United States. She is a CPA in the state of Arkansas and a member of both the AICPA and the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. In addition to her duties at EY, Brandy currently serves as the Chairperson for the Accounting Advisory Board for the Walton College of Business and serves on the University of Arkansas Blockchain Executive Advisory Board. She also serves on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Board of Directors for Northwest Arkansas. She has been married to her husband, Erik, for almost fourteen years, and they have a 7-year old daughter, Emma Kate, and three rescue dogs. 

Charlotte Rankin | Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
Chief Administrative and Chief Nursing Officer

Charlotte Rankin was recruited to Mercy nearly 20 years ago to lead the collaboration and advancement of the Cardiovascular service line. After the successful implementation of the Open-Heart program, Rankin has remained at Mercy where she continues to advocate for patient care, wellness, and excellence in healthcare service. Raised in a Catholic Italian community west of Little Rock, Rankin attributes her values around love, family, and work ethic to her upbringing. Charlotte’s calling into nursing was realized after the untimely death of her father due to a heart attack. This unfortunate tragedy served as the driving force for Rankin to pursue her nursing career in 1994. In 1996, Rankin graduated from the Diploma program at Baptist School of Nursing – Northwest and quickly realized her goals to practice in open-heart recovery and cardiac cath lab. She has continued her education with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in Health Administration. Charlotte is a practicing Catholic with hobbies that include sailing, hiking, fishing, and kayaking. Throughout her career, her deepest passion has been dedication and devotion to her calling for the sick and underserved; this is evident by her community involvement and commitment to both patients and coworkers she serves. “Although I serve in an administrative role, my decisions are always focused on doing the right thing for the patients and the coworkers I serve,” says Rankin.

Gaven Smith | JB Hunt Transport
Senior Vice President of Engineering & Technology

Gaven Smith is a native of Rogers, Arkansas. He earned a Computer Systems Engineering degree from the University of Arkansas. He’s been in the technology industry for 20 years, and spent time Wal-Mart, Acxiom, and JB Hunt during his career. He has currently serves as Senior Vice President of Engineering & Technology overseeing software development for JB Hunt. Gaven has always been passionate about giving back to this community. He’s recently served as President of the Rogers Public Education Foundation, supporting our local teachers and schools. He has been an active board member with Rogers Youth Baseball, Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA, and the Miller McNeil Woodruff Foundations locally. He’s an avid sports fan, and former official statistician for the Razorbacks. His daughter, Payton, will be a Senior at the University of Arkansas. His son, Kaden, will be a Senior at Rogers High School.

Josh Vasquez | United Bank
Assistant Vice President and Business Development Officer

Josh Vasquez has been a resident of NWA for over 24 years. He is an Assistant Vice President and Business Development Officer at United Bank in Rogers, Arkansas. Josh has been in Banking for over 15 years and started with United Bank in 2013 where he has served in several capacities. In his current role, he enjoys having the opportunity to develop relationships within the NWA community, while also being a resource for business owners and managers. Josh has been an active volunteer member of the NWA Community. Josh is a Leadership Benton County graduate of Class 2018, Leadership Springdale graduate of Class 2015, and serves on the council board for Leadership Springdale. Josh and his wife, Brittney, have three kids and they enjoy playing and watching sports, water activities, and being active with their church community. 

Michael Parker | Nabholz Construction
President, Central Region

Michael Parker began working in the construction industry right after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from Auburn University, as well as a Minor in Building Administration. He has spent more than half of his 29-year career working for Nabholz, starting as the EVP of Preconstruction Services and working his way up to his current position as President of Central Operations. Michael brings to each project his experience with a variety of areas — including construction, specialty services, energy services, and environmental services. He is especially skilled in preconstruction, management, and known for thinking outside of the box. Michael is also a LEED Accredited Professional, is certified through the Advanced Management Program, holds an ASHE Healthcare Construction Certificate, and is a graduate of the Leadership Greater Little Rock program. A regular contributor to a variety of causes in his community, he is a member of the Northwest Arkansas Council, serves on the Urban Land Institute NWA Advisory Board, the Executive Committee of The Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Dean’s Circle of the Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design. He is a past chair for the Arkansas Chapter of the United States Green Building Council and a former member of the Catholic High Foundation Board. He also coached the Catholic High Trap Shooting Team, the Holy Souls Schools Basketball Team, and the Little Rock Futbol Club. 

Stennett Thompkins | AAA Insurance
Insurance Agent

Stennett has been an Agent with AAA Insurance since 2005 and has over twenty-seven years of insurance experience. He is a recipient of several distinguished awards including Agent of the Year and Top Producer. Stennett holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a MA in Organizational Management. He currently serves on the Board for the Bentonville Rotary Club and past Boards of the Northwest Arkansas American Red Cross and the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. Stennett and his wife Celia are native Texans and they have two children, Andrew and Naomi. 

The Board Nominating Process

The Chamber’s Bylaws state that additional nominees may be added to the Nominating Committee recommendation by a nominating petition signed by at least 15 Chamber members in good standing. All nominating petitions must be submitted to the President/CEO of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce within ten days of the publishing of the Nominating Committee Report. This deadline is August 16, 2021. If no additional names are submitted by the membership, the Board of Directors will certify the six candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee at its September board meeting. The 2022 Board of Directors and Officers will be announced in our October issue of The Chamber Voice of Business newsletter.