MOVERS & SHAKERS.

AUTOMOTIVE

Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty III, chief executive officer of McLarty Automotive Group of Little Rock, has been appointed vice chairman of the Asbury Automotive Group of Stamford, Conn. McLarty will assist the company in areas of strategy, manufacturer relations and governmental affairs.

CONSTRUCTION

Conark Builders has been named Contracting Firm of the Year by the American Society of Professional Estimators. Other award recipients were Cromwell Truemper Levy Thompson and Woodsmall for the Architectural Firm of the Year; H. James Engstrom & Associates for the Engineering Firm of the Year; and James Joyce of Baldwin and Shell for Estimator of the Year. Also, new officers elected were president Terry Waldrop of Thompson Electric, vice president Joe Griffin of Progressive Constructors and secretary/treasurer Todd Piepergerdes of FoxCor Inc.

EDUCATION

Ambassador Mary Mel French, the U.S. State Department chief of protocol, and Jimmy R. Newell, a Little Rock businessman, have received the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Alumni Association's top awards. French received the UALR distinguished alumnus award. Newell received the UALR Alumni Association's president's award.

Arkansas Tech University's School of Business has been accredited by the International Association for Management Education. Arkansas Tech is now one of 383 business programs in the U.S., Canada and Europe to be accredited by the association.

FOOD

Affiliated Foods' Charity Classic golf tournament raised $2 million. The 10 beneficiaries include Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute, The Dorcas House, Arkansas Children's Hospital, P.A.R.K., Baptist Schools of Nursing and Allied Health, Youth Home Inc., The Arkansas Hospice, Pathfinder Inc. and Centers for Youth and Families.

Dr. Amy L. Waldroup has been appointed to a three-year position on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Safe Foods Corp. of North Little Rock. Waldroup is a tenured professor of poultry science at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Claud Rutherford of Siloam Springs was named "Man of the Year" and Ron McDaniel of Sulphur Springs was named "Salesman of the Year" at an awards luncheon held during the Poultry Federation's 41st annual Poultry Festival.

GRANTS

Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department will receive a $100,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism's Outdoor Recreation Grants Advisory Committee. The grant will go toward renovation and construction of restroom facilities for the city's park system.

HEALTH CARE

Denise Roark has been named Young Pharmacist of the Year by the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. Roark, 29, is a pharmacist at Collier Drug Store on Dickson Street in Fayetteville.

Ray Kordsmeier, past chairman of the Conway Regional Health System board of directors, has been elected to a two-year term as president of the Arkansas Association of Hospital Trustees.

INDUSTRY

Kenneth D. Mann has been appointed manager of investor relations of Deltic Timber Corp. Mann will continue to serve as assistant controller as well. He has been with Deltic Timber since 1991.

LEGAL

Carolyn Witherspoon, a director in the firm of Cross Gunter Witherspoon and Galchus, has received the Distinguished Service Award from the Transportation Lawyers' Association.

MARKETING

Erica Marshall has joined Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods in Little Rock. Marshall serves as the public relations coordinator for the public relations consultancy team.

Elaine Burkes and Stephen Lasseigne have recently joined the team of Forza Marketing Group. Burks, who has 15 years of media experience, will be media director. Lasseigne, who has a retail marketing background, will be marketing consultant.

Dan Sawyer and Kathy Cannon have joined the staff of the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Association. Sawyer joined as the sponsorship and marketing director. Cannon joined as the space sales and purchasing coordinator.

Lisa Plaquet, Tammie Warren and Brett Tucker recently joined the staff at Mangan Holcomb Rainwater Culpepper. Plaquet and Tucker are account service managers supporting the planning and coordination of advertising, public relations and marketing strategies for various clients. Warren is a creative coordinator who writes copy and assists in broad-cast production and other tasks.

MEDIA

Van Comer has been named president and general manager of KFSMTV in Fort Smith. Comer replaces Gene Graham, whose retirement became effective on March 31. He has been with the company since 1993.