2013 Pageant judges named
The Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant will take place July 17– 20 at Summit Arena.
The panel of judges for the 2013 pageant will be introduced at the event.
“We are extremely excited about this year’s panel of judges,” says Jessie Bennett, executive director of the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant.
“We truly believe that this diverse and experienced panel will give us the best Miss Arkansas! They have their work cut out for them narrowing it down from 45 amazing young ladies, but I feel confident they are more than qualified.”
• Hosea Sanders is co- anchor of ABC 7 News This Morning in Chicago, having also been in television in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Little Rock. He is the winner of eight Emmy Awards, gaining honors for live coverage, spot news, entertainment reporting, news writing, and overall news achievement. He is the recipient of more than 100 awards from various civic and community organizations, and is a motivational speaker dedicated to mentoring and helping young people.
• Michelle Rupp, a native of Hot Springs, is an Emmy Award winning reporter, the main anchor for CBS- 19 in Charlottesville, Vir. As a survivor of heart disease, she is an active volunteer for the American Heart Association. She is a marathon runner and has completed more than a dozen marathons nationwide.
• Harlen Gudger is the executive director and president of the Miss Virginia Organization, marking his 35th year of service. At the Miss America Pageant in January, he received the 2013 National Academy of Honor Award presented by the Miss America Organization.
• Jane Alderson, executive director of the Miss Tennessee Pageant, began working with the pageant when her daughter Allison became Miss Tennessee 1999. Jane has served on the board of trustees of Union University in Jackson for 22 years, and now serves on Union’s executive foundation board.
• Melissa Clark Whitworth was Miss Louisiana 2003 and won the National Sweetheart Pageant in 2002.
She was an award- winning television journalist. She married Cincinnati Bengals left tackle, Andrew Whitworth in 2009, and co- founded the Big Whit 77 Foundation which provides scholarships to high school seniors and financially assists families in the process of adoption.
Miss Arkansas 2012 Sloane Roberts will perform each night of Miss Arkansas competition.
Roberts was named Miss Congeniality at the 2013 Miss America Pageant in January.