ELLA Team

Chief HR Officer
Cyrus Works

Donna serves as the Chief Human Resource Officer at Cyrus Works, LLC, where she leads and oversees all aspects of the company's human resource operations. With over 30 years of experience in the HR profession, Donna is a highly accomplished leader recognized for her expertise and dedication to advancing the field.

As a founding member of the West Central Arkansas Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter, Donna has been instrumental in fostering professional growth and community engagement within the HR industry. She has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as the State Council Director for the Arkansas SHRM (ARSHRM) from 2020 to 2022.

Donna holds dual senior-level certifications in human resources, including the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation. Her passion for empowering organizations and individuals makes her a trusted advisor and advocate for workplace excellence.

Human Resource Business Partner
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Dale Clinton, PHR is currently an HR Business Partner for Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and is currently based in the NWA Corporate Center in Springdale.  In addition to supporting the NWA facility, he supports over 600 exempt and non-exempt employees in a variety of business lines throughout the state.  Dale is also the Director of At Large Membership for the ARSHRM State Council. Prior to joining ABCBS, he spent his 30+ year career in the recruitment and staffing industry working for one of Arkansas’ largest staffing firms. Prior to relocating to NWA, Dale was a member of CAHRA having served as President in 2019 and in a variety of roles on the board for 6 years. Dale has been a member of SHRM for over 25 years.

Kevin Robinson is the Director of Human Resources for Encore Bank.  Kevin is responsible for managing all areas of the Human Resources functions including, Payroll, Benefits, Recruiting, Employee Relations, HR Compliance and more. Kevin has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources.  Kevin earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Arkansas State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  Kevin holds the PHR certification from HRCI and the SHRM-CP certification from SHRM. 

Kevin is a long-time member of SHRM and he has served as a volunteer leader in the Central Arkansas Human Resources Association (CAHRA) and Arkansas Society of Human Resources Management State Council. He has also been an Adjunct Instructor teaching Human Resources Management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He previously served on the board of directors for CAHRA for many years in various positions including President. He was the recipient of the Russell Gunter Member of the Year Award for CAHRA in 2017. He previously served on the ARSHRM State Council as Director of Core Areas for the State of Arkansas and as Director of Workforce Readiness. Currently, Kevin is serving as a general board member for the Arkansas Industry Liaison Group,  Programs Co-Chair for the 2024 ELLA Conference and on the ARSHRM State Council as the Director of Finance. 

Jennifer Vaughn serves as the Director of Human Resources at Arkansas State University Three Rivers in Malvern, Arkansas, where she provides leadership and strategic guidance for all human resources functions including recruiting, performance management, payroll and benefits.  Jennifer received her BA in Sociology with a Minor in Public Policy/Administration from Western Oregon University in 2002 and her MBA with a Human Resources focus in August 2024 from Arkansas State University.  Jennifer has over 10 years’ experience in Human Resources and Benefits Management along with an additional 15 years of public service.  Jennifer is a certified Development Dimensions International (DDI) Facilitator and has 25 years of public speaking experience. Jennifer has been an active member of Society for Human Resource Management and West Central Arkansas SHRM since 2020.  Jennifer is currently the WCASHRM’s President-Elect and serving as the Programs Chair for the WCASHRM Managers Seminar. She previously served the chapter as VP for Membership and SHRM Foundation Director.

Director of Human Resources 
Birch Tree Communities

Shayne King serves as the Director of Human Resources for Birch Tree Communities, a behavioral health care provider with eleven locations throughout Arkansas.

Shayne has served many years on the Board of Directors of the West Central Arkansas Society of Human Resource Management (WCASHRM) in various capacities, including president. She has also served in multiple positions for the ARSHRM state council, State Conference and ELLA Conference Committee. In 2022, Shayne was named ARSHRM’s Outstanding HR Professional of the Year.

Executive Vice President | Chief Operating Officer
Selected Funeral and Life Insurance Company

Tara Mauk Arthur serves as the Executive Vice President/ Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Human Resource Officer and Compliance Officer for Selected Funeral and Life Insurance Company headquartered in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She manages a team that handles HR, Compliance, IT, Customer Services, Benefits and New Business, and is a member of the SFLIC Board of Directors.

Tara is a long-time SHRM volunteer having served as the Membership Advisory Council (MAC) representative for the SHRM Southwest Central Region in 2010-2011, and as the State Director for Arkansas SHRM in 2008-2009. She has held many volunteer positions within the SHRM state council and chapter structure, including chapter president, WCASHRM Manager's Seminar chair, Arkansas Employment Law and Legislative Affairs (ELLA) Conference chair, State Conference Chair, and worked on multiple conference committees. In 2007, Tara was named the Arkansas HR Professional of the Year and in 2021 was the recipient of the Russell Gunter Legislative Advocacy award.

Director of Public Relations
Wright Lindsey Jennings
 
Rickie Smith is the director of public relations at Wright Lindsey Jennings in Little Rock, where she provides leadership and strategic direction for the marketing, media and communications efforts of the firm’s 80+ attorneys. She has been in the field of legal marketing for more than 12 years in Little Rock and has a background in journalism. Rickie has been involved in the HR community for more than a decade as a long-time CAHRA and SHRM member. She served as CAHRA president in 2020 and co-chair of the ELLA Conference in 2010, and has been on numerous other planning and conference committees for ARSHRM. An active community volunteer, Rickie is a graduate of Leadership Arkansas and has held many roles at First United Methodist Church of downtown Little Rock. She and her husband Sam have three pups and love to spend their free time at Lake Ouachita with family and friends.

Human Resources Business Partner
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Brittney  Garland, SHRM-CP, is a Human Resources Business Partner for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she supports over 900 exempt and non-exempt employees in a variety of business lines. She has been with the organization for the last 2 ½  years.  Prior to joining ABCBS, she has spent her 18+ year career in different industries ranging from mental health, substance abuse, religious, marketing, telecommunications, and transportation and logistics. 

Brittney is a member of  SHRM, and Central Arkansas Human Resources Association (CAHRA). She received her SHRM-CP in 2023.

Regional Vice President
Staffmark

Sara Staley, PHR, SHRM-CP, is the Regional Vice President for Staffmark, a nationwide and leading staffing and human capital provider. She has been with the organization for the last 19 years. She is responsible for developing and maintaining excellent client relationships by managing staffing strategies and employment models as well as analysis of labor markets and trends. She supervises and directs a staff composed of recruiters and staffing specialists responsible for servicing the hiring needs of companies in NWA.

Sara has been a very active member of the Northwest Arkansas Human Resource Association (NOARK) since 2006 and served on the board of directors for several years including having served as President in 2018. She received her PHR in 2014 and her SHRM-CP in 2015.

Michael L. Smith is the Human Resources Manager for Clinton National Airport (LIT). In this role he oversees the administration of all HR functions for the Airport including staffing, compensation, benefits and employee relations.

Michael has over 18 years of experience working in both private and public sector HR. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in HR Management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and three different professional HR certifications through HRCI, PSHRA and SHRM.

He currently serves as the State Director Elect for the Arkansas SHRM State Council. Prior to this appointment, he held multiple board positions on the state council, in addition to serving as a volunteer leader for the Central Arkansas HR Association and Arkansas Public Employers HR Association. Michael is also a commissioned officer in the Arkansas Air National Guard, with previous mission deployments in support of Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

President
The Human Resources Team

Tim is the President of The Human Resources Team, a Little Rock based human resources management consulting company. His consulting firm provides assistance and resources in preparation, training, support and implementation of Affirmative Action Plans with Positive Solutions. He works with a wide and diverse range of industries including banks and financial institutions, utilities, health care, technology, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, nonprofit, construction, and service organizations. He has over 30 years of experience in all areas of functional areas of HR as a Director of Human Resources in manufacturing, service and financial industries and in his consulting firm with client’s coast to coast. 

He is a top-rated speaker on the topic of Affirmative Action compliance for SHRM and other conferences for many other professional associations and conferences across the country. He is a recipient of the Outstanding Member Award from the local SHRM chapter and the Arkansas Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. He received the Arkansas Human Resources Professional of the Year Award and was finalist for the SHRM National Award for Professional Excellence, the Jim Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award in Human Resources and the Russell Gunter Legislative Advocacy Award.

He is the Chair for the Arkansas Industry Liaison Group. 

He has served the ARSHRM State Council as Professional Development Director and is currently the Government Legislative Affairs Director.

As a cancer survivor, he serves as a coach for esophageal cancer patients with MD Anderson Medical Cancer Center.

Owner
CathleenHRConsulting, LLC

Cathleen Hoffman, MBA, SHRM-SCP, SPHR is owner of CathleenHRConsulting, LLC.

Cathleen completed her BA in Psychology/Criminal Justice at the University of Arkansas in 1995, her MSLE at John Brown University in 2002, and her MBA at John Brown University in 2011.

Cathleen has more than 25 years of Human Resource experience. She is very active in the SHRM Human Resources Volunteer Community. She has been a member of SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) for 20+ years. She has been a member of NOARK (Northwest Arkansas Human Resources Association) since 2000. She has served in various roles including Chapter President in 2008 with her last role being the NOARK Chapter Management Professional for 10 years. She is a member of WAHRA (Western Arkansas Human Resources Association). She has served in various roles on the ARSHRM State Council including ARSHRM State Director 2017-2019. She is currently the Professional Development Director.