NORTHWEST HEALTH JARS OF LOVE

Northwest Health is holding its annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive benefiting Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and is inviting community members to participate in the effort to fight hunger in the area.

Donations may be dropped off through March 24 at one of Northwest Health's five hospital locations:

Northwest Health Physicians' Specialty Hospital, 3873 Parkview Drive in Fayetteville

Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville, 3000 Medical Center Parkway in Bentonville

Northwest Medical Center – Springdale, 609 W. Maple Ave. in Springdale

Siloam Springs Regional Hospital, 603 N. Progress Ave. in Siloam Springs

Willow Creek Women's Hospital, 4301 Greathouse Springs Road in Johnson

Peanut butter is a sought after item for food banks because of its high nutritional value and long shelf life. Yet, it is one of the least donated items. For more information, visit NorthwestHealth.com.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Northwest Arkansas Community College is hosting a professional development session that is free and open to the public. "Building the Foundation: From Manager to Leader" by J. Michael Davis will take place 9 a.m.-noon March 25 at the Walmart Auditorium of the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies, 1000 S.E. Eagle Way, Bentonville. Register at no cost with promo code manager2leader at training.nwacc.edu.

J. Michael Davis is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career in military service, law and education. A retired U.S. Navy Reserve Commander with 28 years of service, he excelled in high stakes operations, including his role as chief of staff for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Task Force, where he led multinational efforts and strategic initiatives. Beyond the military he built a successful legal career as senior staff counsel for the State of California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation and later as an administrative law judge in Los Angeles County. In 2021, he launched a Navy JROTC program in two area high schools, inspiring cadets -- many of whom pursued military service academies.

OLLI

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas has announced a tour of Peabody Hall from 1:30-3 p.m. March 25. Peabody Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus, still serving its mission as a site for teacher education. Former students of Peabody Elementary and University High are encouraged to attend this class and share their experiences. This event is for members only at a cost of $19.

Parking and meeting details will be sent with class reminder.

Information: (479) 575-4545 or olli.uark.edu/participate.

BEAVER WATERSHED ALLIANCE, ILLINOIS RIVER WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP

The Beaver Watershed Alliance and the Illinois River Watershed Partnership are joining efforts to host a regional conference on "Smart Growth and Water Resources" from April 2-3 at Heroncrest Event Center, 1579 E. Lake Road in Springdale.

The two organizations are working with several partners to plan the two-day event. The conference is geared towards engaging local city staff, city council members, county staff and quorum court members, as well as professionals in water quality, planning, design, engineering, development and real estate.

Themes for the conference include:

Visualizing Northwest Arkansas and natural resources in the next fifty years

How to manage flooding and stormwater challenges

Collaborative strategies for water management

Key tools (what's working and what's not)

Engaging the community in water and natural resource management

Interactive sessions with topic experts

On-site tours featuring local LID projects and restoration projects

Workshopping for "Better Site Design -- Codes and Ordinances," led by the Center for Watershed Protection

Registration is $50 per person, and can be completed at beaverwatershedalliance.org/smart-growth-conference/.

HOBBS STATE PARK CONSERVATION AREA

Butch Tetzlaff of the Ozark Bird Conservancy -- Blue Bird Shed will be at the Hobbs State Park Conservation Area visitor center at 2 p.m. April 6 for a presentation of "Bird Identification 101." Tetzlaff will guide beginners and novices, sharing his tips for identifying birds with confidence.

While identifying birds at feeders can seem challenging at first, Tetzlaff emphasizes that the process is part of the fun. His presentation will provide tips and techniques to make bird identification easier and more enjoyable. This program is ideal for anyone interested in identifying the birds visiting their feeders or exploring birding as a rewarding hobby.

For more information, contact the Hobbs State Park visitor center at (479) 789-5000.

ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, BENTON COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS

The Rogers Historical Museum announces a monthly garden tour of Vera's Victorian Garden presented by the Benton County Master Gardeners. This free, one-hour public tour of the museum's garden is offered at 10 a.m. beginning April 12. It will take place every second Saturday of the month through October rain or shine. No reservations required.

Benton County Master Gardeners will share their knowledge about the plants and flowers in the museum's Ozark heritage garden. Each month features a different topic highlighting seasonal plants in bloom.

Vera's Victorian Garden is located in the south lawn of the museum's Hawkins House at the corner of Second and Cherry in historic downtown Rogers. The museum established the garden in 1989 in memory of Vera Key, the museum's co-founder and first chair of the museum commission. Beginning in 2022, with the collaboration of the Benton County Master Gardeners and Rogers Parks Department, the Vera Key Memorial Garden was transformed into an Ozark Victorian flower garden as an outdoor educational extension of the museum's Hawkins House. In keeping with the Victorian era of the 1895 historic house, each plant included in the redesign was chosen to reflect what may have been found in home gardens in Rogers around the turn of the 20th century. The memorial garden was renamed Vera's Victorian Garden in 2024 and earned the 2024 Arkansas Master Gardener Project of the Year Award.

Information: Luke Brewer (479) 621-1154 or lbrewer@rogersar.gov.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY

The Northwest Arkansas Gem and Mineral Society will hold its annual spring gem, mineral and jewelry show from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 12 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 13, in the Bentonville Armory, at 6800 Minuteman Ave., in Bentonville. There will be plenty of free parking close to the building.

The show will include live lapidary demonstrations, educational displays, door prizes every hour, a gem sluice and a silent auction to purchase lapidary items

Admission for the family-friendly event is a $5 donation at the door, but look for $1 discount coupons on several social media posts.

For more information, contact DeLane Cox, publicity chairperson for the Northwest Arkansas Gem and Mineral Society, at (479) 254-0894.

BIG PAWS OF THE OZARKS

Big Paws of the Ozarks will play host to the Big Paws Block Party from 5-9 p.m. May 2 at the organization's headquarters located at 121 W. Township St., Suite 4 in Fayetteville.

The fundraiser will include craft beer, cocktails, food truck cuisine, music, games and a silent auction. Proceeds will help the nonprofit organization fulfill its mission to "assist in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of dogs that have been abused, abandoned and neglected."

The event is free, but tickets are encouraged to help organizers with head count. Tickets can be found at givebutter.com/c/blockparty2025. Donations are welcomed.

Information: Bigpaws72703 on Facebook.

CLAYTON HOUSE

The Clayton House will hold Sippin' on 6th Street 2025 from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Bakery District, 70 S. Seventh St. in Fort Smith. The fundraiser will feature a bourbon tasting, barbecue dinner, drinks, live music and a live auction.

Tickets are $75.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COUNCIL

The Northwest Arkansas Council is working with communities across the region to address challenges created by rapid growth while preserving the unique qualities that make Northwest Arkansas special, according to a news release from the organization. This regional growth strategy emphasizes collaboration, ensuring each community is equipped with the tools and resources to achieve its own vision for the future.

To lead the effort, the council hired DPZ CoDesign, a global leader in urban planning and design. Together with local governments, residents and other stakeholders, DPZ will craft strategies that reflect the region's shared priorities while respecting the individuality of each city, the release states.

Northwest Arkansas is among the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, adding 36 people per day to its population. Projections indicate the region's population will exceed 1 million by 2050, with much of this growth taking place outside the urban corridor along I-49. This rapid growth has pushed up housing prices, strained infrastructure, increased traffic congestion and reduced green spaces, prompting the council to act.

The initiative, supported by funding from the Walton Family Foundation, will include significant public engagement to shape the strategy. A key focus will be ensuring the process is fully representative of the region's diverse communities, including Hispanic and Marshallese residents. DPZ's eight-day roadshow this summer will serve as a cornerstone opportunity for residents to connect with the team, while additional meetings and events throughout the year will provide ongoing opportunities for feedback and collaboration.

DPZ will work with community leaders, business stakeholders and residents to develop a strategy that aligns with existing comprehensive plans. This regional strategy is not intended to replace city plans, but will complement them by providing an overarching framework to help municipalities work together and plan for the future as a cohesive region, according to the release.

The strategy will prioritize enhancing housing affordability, improving infrastructure, advancing thoughtful land-use planning, reducing sprawl and promoting long-term economic success. Special emphasis will be placed on assisting about a dozen of the region's smaller cities, which may face unique challenges created by rapid growth, limited resources and smaller planning staff.

Visit nwacouncil.org/growth for more information on the Northwest Arkansas Council's growth initiative.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will offer an Environmental Health Sciences doctoral program beginning in the fall 2025 semester. Students in the multidisciplinary program will learn how the environment impacts human health.

According to Gunnar Boysen, Ph.D., associate professor in the college's Department of Environmental Health Sciences, students will receive in-depth training in a spectrum of disciplines such as:

Environmental toxicology

Environmental 0rigins of cancer exposure science

Exposure assessment

Nutrition and dietary supplements

Public health microbiology

Geographical information systems

Biomarkers of exposure

Climate change and public health

For more information about the program visit publichealth.uams.edu/academics/doctoral/phd-in-environmental-health-sciences/.

NATIONAL CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM ASSOCIATION

Tammy Rowland-James, a dedicated advocate for child nutrition from Fayetteville, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship to attend the National Child Nutrition Conference in Dallas this April. Rowland-James is one of just seven recipients nationwide selected for this opportunity, where she will join more than 2,000 members of the child nutrition community for days of professional development and networking.

At the conference, Rowland-James will have the opportunity to choose from more than 140 workshops and training programs, connect with colleagues from across the country and engage with over 55 exhibitors to learn about products to assist her work in the CACFP.

Information: cacfp.org

VISIT BENTONVILLE

Visit Bentonville recently announced the advancement of three key team members following a year of significant growth in audience engagement and media coverage. Alison Nation has been promoted to chief marketing officer, while Mer Wilder and Natalie Stika step into expanded roles as communications managers.

In her new role as chief marketing officer, Nation will oversee all marketing and communications initiatives and lead the visitor experience department, including onsite and mobile visitor center operations. During 2024, the team's efforts resulted in record-breaking engagement across all platforms, with the Visit Bentonville website attracting 713,000 active users (a 32% increase YOY) and generating 2.1 million pageviews (a 51% increase YOY, with average engagement per user a 3.5% increase).

Wilder, promoted to communications manager of web and e-newsletter, has been instrumental in growing the organization's digital presence, investing countless hours into enhancing the user experience through improved business listings, engaging blog content and optimized landing pages. Under her leadership, the newsletter subscriber base has grown to 23,700 subscribers.

Stika, as communications manager of Social and PR, has successfully expanded Visit Bentonville's combined social media following to 90,000 followers, with an additional 29,000 following the dedicated Bike Bentonville channels.

Information: (479) 271-9153 or visitbentonville.com.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FOOD BANK

The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has hired Taylor Speegle to fill a new role as vice president/chief strategy officer.

Taylor has a robust background in development, community engagement, events production and nonprofit leadership, bringing more than a decade of experience to his new role with the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Taylor previously served as the executive director of philanthropy for the Arkansas Children's Foundation from 2021 to 2025. While there, he played a key role in the $50 million capital expansion campaign for Arkansas Children's Northwest, led an annual giving team across the state, and oversaw the state's largest charity golf event, Will Golf For Kids. His dedication to building strong relationships was instrumental in advancing the organization's mission.

Before joining the Arkansas Children's team, Taylor was the vice president of development for Walton Arts Center and the Walmart AMP in Northwest Arkansas. He joined Walton Arts Center's development team in 2015 as sponsorship manager.

In 2018, Taylor was named to Arkansas Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Class, an honor bestowed on the state's rising leaders in business and politics. Taylor was also nominated and completed the Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy that same year.

Taylor has a master's degree in production and technology management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and a bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Immediately following his graduate work, Taylor planned and managed three large-scale events in Los Angeles, New York and Pittsburgh for the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama's Centennial Celebration.

Information: (479) 872-8774 or nwafoodbank.org.

EXCELLERATE FOUNDATION

Excellerate Foundation recently announced the appointment of Brad Sikorski as its new president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 24. Sikorski succeeds Jeff Webster, who served in the role for the past six years. Webster will remain as an executive advisor with the organization through early 2026.

Sikorski brings extensive experience in leadership, finance and philanthropy to Excellerate Foundation. Most recently, he served as chief financial officer for Walton Enterprises in Bentonville, where he played a pivotal role in guiding financial strategy and operations. Sikorski is no stranger to Excellerate, having previously served on its board when the organization was known as Endeavor Foundation. His familiarity with Excellerate's mission, values and strategic vision uniquely positions him to lead the foundation into its next chapter.

Information: (479) 530-5786.