BUSINESS PEOPLE

Rebecca Hansel of Bost Inc. in Fort Smith was named the American Network of Community Options and Resources’ 2019 Direct Support Professional of the Year for Arkansas. Direct support professionals are also referred to as caregivers, personal assistants and direct-care or home-care aides. Bost provides support to people with disabilities and behavioral health needs.

Danielle Hoades, a medical laboratory scientist for the Laboratory Blood Bank at Washington Regional Medical Center, recently earned certification as a specialist in blood banking from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Hoades, who has been with Washington Regional for nearly five years, earned a master of science in biomedical science from Long Island University-CW Post and a bachelor of science in medical laboratory science from Hunter College, both in New York. She also has achieved certification from American Medical Technologists and from American Society for Clinical Pathology as a technologist in blood banking.

Sue Ann Pekel, Bentonville Public Library’s children’s librarian, will receive the 2019 Peggy Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children by the American Library Association at the group’s summer conference. Pekel earned a degree in organizational management from John Brown University and a master’s degree in library science from Texas Woman’s University. She was children’s librarian at the Rogers Public

Library before joining the Bentonville library in 2007.

Jennifer Summers joined Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers as its director of surgical services. She was operations manager of surgical services with Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tenn. Summers has 15 years of experience in health care, including eight years in nursing and seven in operations management. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Blessing Reiman College of Nursing in Quincy, Ill.

Amanda Jenkins was promoted to director of support services at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers. She has worked at Mercy since 2013 in a variety of technology-related positions, most recently as director of Healthcare Technology Management. She also has 10 years in communications-related roles with two municipal governments. She will complete a bachelor’s degree in business administration and human resources management at Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Ala., this fall.

Anita Lynn Sampley was named president of the Washington Regional Medical Center Auxiliary. A retired educator, Sampley earned degrees from the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University. Briefs are for people in Northwest Arkansas who are new hires, were promoted, received an award from outside their organization or received a certification. Email: cswanson@nwadg.com Information must be received by noon Wednesday prior to the Sunday the item is to be published.