SouthArk Foundation announces ‘Evening with the Stars’ honorees
The South Arkansas Community College Foundation will recognize two distinguished alumni and a friend to the college at its biennial An Evening With the Stars fundraiser.
Honored will be Distinguished Alumni Kristi Gross Lowery and Bruce Butterfield; and Friend of the College John Milam.
Lowery, a 1993 graduate of SouthArk, is a founder and the chief executive officer of HOPE Landing. The non-profit children’s therapy center, founded in 2005, specializes in equine therapy for the disabled, but also provides traditional speech and physical therapy, among many other services.
She’s a licensed occupational therapist who graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Arkansas with a degree in occupational therapy in 1995 and practiced in Union County ever since.
Lowery also is a member of the El DoradoUnion County Chamber of Commerce board and El Dorado Service League. She’s also the former president of the Union County American Cancer Society and former chair of the Union County ACS Relay for Life.
Butterfield is a 2003 graduate of SouthArk and a partner at Mustard Seed Wealth Management. He is a certified financial planner and tax professional and president of Main Street El Dorado.
He’s a member of the Chamber board and president of the Mystic Creek Property Owners Association.
Butterfield is a 2004 summa cum laude graduate of Southern Arkansas University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with emphases in accounting and finance.
Milam, an entrepreneur and rancher, is a longtime supporter of the SouthArk Foundation and numerous other community organizations.
He owns Milam Construction, T-Model’s Pit Stop, Timberlane Meat Market and Apex RediMixed Concrete, in addition to a cattle business. A former member of the foundation board, he’s still involved in the organization’s efforts through his business’ sponsorship and support of the SouthArk Outdoor Expo.
The gala takes place at 6:30 p.m. April 12 at the El Dorado Conference Center. Tickets for the affair are $100; SouthArk alumni may purchase tickets for $75. Information is available at www.southark.edu/foundation.