Henderson State University’s College of Business inducted Arkadelphia businessman Billy W. Bunn into its Business Hall of Fame during a ceremony and banquet on April 18.
Bunn joins a long list of notable and successful business alumni and associates who have served and supported the university over the years.
Arkadelphia banker Lori Ross was honored as the Young Alumni inductee, and HCJ CPAs & Advisors, under the leadership of Henderson alumnus Brent Sharpmack, was honored as Business of the Year.
Six College of Business students received Outstanding Student awards. They include:
- Shelby Ashcraft, a senior business administration management major from Jessieville.
- Jinna Boonbumroongsuk, a senior business finance major from Bangkok, Thailand.
- Cayden Davis, a senior business management major from Caddo Mill, Texas
- Andrew Edwards, a junior business management major from Bentonville.
- Katlyn Kadrmas, a senior business administration major from Amity.
- Aaron Lott, a senior accounting major from Nashville, Arkansas.
Billy Bunn, who was born and raised in Arkadelphia, attended Henderson after graduating from Arkadelphia High School in 1970. In 1989, Bunn and his wife Kathie formed Bunn Builders Inc. and began building single-family residential homes. He soon started constructing and managing multi-family housing units.
Bunn also rehabilitated Arkadelphia’s former post office which now houses his company offices, rental space, and two apartments on the second floor. The Bunns also own and operate the Blakelytown Events Venue.
In 2020, they purchased the historic Oliver Hotel in Hot Springs which now houses six luxury condos with commercial rental space on the first floor.
Bunn is past president of the Clark County Home Builders and Arkansas Home Builders. He has also served on the National Home Builders Board of Directors, Clark County Quorum Court, Arkansas Economic Development Plan Committee, and Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board.
Lori Ross serves as the Arkadelphia City President of Citizens Bank. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Henderson, and completed her MBA from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.
Ross began her banking career as a commercial lender for Southern Bancorp, and later worked for Summit Bank before joining Citizens Bank. She currently serves on the Arkansas Bankers Association board.
Co-founded by Johnny Hudson, a distinguished alumnus of Henderson, HCJ CPAs & Advisors evolved from Hudson and Cisne, and is now under the leadership of Henderson alumnus Brent Sharpmack.
HCJ provides accounting, tax, and audit services to a diverse clientele across Arkansas and beyond.
The College of Business also awarded several scholarships to students during the banquet, including:
- Beau Prados — Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Alijah Evans – BKD Accounting Scholarship
- Riley Motes – Brenda & Lee Richardson Scholarship
- Raven Roberts – Bill & Eunice Harrington Business Scholarship
- Christina Miller – Brookshire’s Focus on the Future Scholarship
- Emmie Eriksson – Christopher Castleberry Memorial Scholarship
- D’Allan Sealy and Dawson Goines – Christopher M. Wewers Business Scholarship
- Michael Rich – Deborah & William Nolan Scholarship
- Kanapos Visuttipinate – Dr. Louis Dawkins School of Business Scholarship
- Anyah Fusilier – Ethan M. Thompson BBA Scholarship
- Braden Arnold – Fauline Frazier Scholarship Business Scholarship
- Aaren Moore – Oscar & Eathel Greenberg Scholarship
- Oskar Cebula – Oren Harris Outstanding Business Law Student Award
- Christopher Camarillo, Bayli Fillinger, Jacob Knowlton, and Joshua Murray – Sam & Judy Barker Scholarship
- Louis Holt – Southern Bancorp Scholarship
- Alijah Evans – Stella Spoon Accounting Scholarship
- Makiya Walker – Tad & Judy Krug Scholarship
- Jakobie Scott – The Robert C. “Bob” Fisher Scholarship.