Evening on the Plaza

Cathy Brandt will receive the 2024 Ozark Ambassador award presented by the Northark Foundation. She will be honored during the Foundation’s annual Evening on the Plaza dinner on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Signature Bank Community Room. The dinner will be preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. in the atrium. The special event celebrates the 50th Anniversary of North Arkansas College which was founded in 1974. 

Established in 1990, the Ozarks Ambassador Award is presented annually to someone who has represented northern Arkansas with distinction nationwide in one or more of the following fields: agriculture, finance, medicine, education, the arts, politics, law, business, social services, the ministry, or industry. 

Cathy was surprised when she attended the selection committee meeting. “When the selection committee met in late October to discuss and choose the nominees for the Ozark Ambassador and Pioneer Impact Award the members of the committee Charles Adair, Ken Reeves and Dan Bowers, Dr. Rick Massengale ambushed me that the recipient had already been chosen for the Ozark Ambassador Award and it was me. I tried to decline but there was no saying no to those guys.”

She was overwhelmed and did not feel worthy of the award. However, those who have relied on her leadership for years were steadfast in recognizing her many contributions locally, across the state and even to other countries. She has been president of Arkansas State Chapter of Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O) and then served on the P.E.O. International Foundation Board for 6 years. She has also served on the Arkansas Baptist Foundation and Executive Board of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. She traveled with church and Baptist state mission teams to Germany, Bali, Brazil, Canada with hand chime choirs and taught hand chimes to children and adults on those trips. Her local community service includes serving on the Harrison School Board for 20 years where upon her retirement she worked with Dr. Charles Adair to establish the Harrison Public School Foundation. Cathy says, “I take pride in that organization and what it’s done to provide money for grants for teachers for projects to benefit the school district.”

Cathy received a Presidential Citation from Northark in 2006 and the Pioneer Impact Award in 2019. She was selected as a Woman of Distinction in 2011 and went on to lead the Women of Distinction Alumna in support of scholarships at Northark. 

She taught Accounting and Economics at Northark as an adjunct faculty member for 24 years, retiring in 2006. “I loved my time in the classroom and my association with the faculty and staff and with the students during my years in the classroom,” she said. “It is rewarding to see the students that I had and how so many of them have become leaders in business and our community.”

Cathy’s mother, Wanda Coffman was on the Foundation board. After her death in 1988, Cathy was asked to serve. She has now been on the Foundation Board for 36 years and has served in all the offices, as chairman of the Evening on the Plaza event, chairman of the Investment committee and other board committees. “I was honored to be asked to serve as Chairman of the Ozark Ambassador Committee following the death of the original committee members, John Paul Hammerschmidt, Dr. Bill Baker, J. E. Dunlap, Richard Hudson and Frank Lee Coffman, Jr.” Following the death of John Paul Hammerschmidt, John Arthur Hammerschmidt asked her to serve on the JPH Lecture Series Committee. She has served three times on the Presidential Selection committee for the college president. 

Cathy and her husband, Larry have been an important part of the growth and advancement of the college. They support an endowed scholarship to give financial support to a non-traditional student and helped with funding for the Pioneer Villas residence hall. Her work with Boone County Economic Development Corporation allowed for a $700,000K donation for the college’s Center for Robotics and Manufacturing currently under construction.

Cathy and Larry have two sons. Dr. Jason Brandt and wife, Jana of Jonesboro and Jeff Brandt and wife, Wendi of Harrison. They enjoy five grandchildren: Will Brandt, Samantha Brandt Favre, Grace, Ella and J Henry Brandt.

North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) Chief of Nursing Donna Boehm will receive the 2024 North Arkansas College Distinguished Alumna award presented by the Northark Foundation. She will be honored during the Foundation’s annual Evening on the Plaza dinner on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Signature Bank Community Room. The dinner will be preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. in the atrium. The special event celebrates the 50th Anniversary of North Arkansas College which was founded in 1974. 

“Being selected for the Northark Distinguished Alumna award gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment,” Donna said. “It signifies recognition for my contributions and achievements, as well as validation for the efforts put into my development and growth.”

Donna is thankful Northark was an option for getting an education. She graduated from Northark in 1995 with an Associate Degree in Nursing and has been employed at NARMC since 1992. “Attending Northark afforded me several advantages such as being cost effective and having family and friend’s support. Attending college in my hometown allowed me to stay connected to my community, attend my children’s sporting events, and I was able to work in my community hospital while I was getting my degree. The smaller classes and the one-on-one support were invaluable. Going back to school in your 30’s and having a family is challenging.  Northark was there to provide support in those challenging times.”

Once she was working, she found clinical and communication skills were crucial for providing quality care to patients and ensuring their well-being. “Northark provided me with those skills and gave me a solid foundation that was essential for my success,” she said. 

In 2017 she received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and is currently in a Master’s in Nursing Administration program at Arkansas State University.

Donna is a highly competent Registered Nurse with 30 years of experience in orthopedics, pediatrics, urology, and medical-surgical including three years of ICU experience. She supervises over 250 nurses and utilizes a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to drive quality of care and performance excellence to achieve operational and clinical success. She has also provided nursing services during multiple mission trips to Mexico over the course of five years and serves as a Volunteer Board Member of the Office of Emergency Medicine. 

“My current role is multifaceted,” Donna commented. “I have always had a passion for patient care and leadership development. Interacting with patients and their families, witnessing their recovery, and seeing them thrive in the community after a hospital stay is rewarding and highlights the impact of the care NARMC provides. Focusing on advancing nurses into leadership roles and implementing processes that prioritize safe patient care and staff well-being contributes to the overall success and effectiveness of our healthcare team and organization.” 

Donna has three children: Tyler, Morgan, Jason and one grandson Brayden. In her free time, she enjoys boating, traveling, concerts and plays, and going to football and basketball games.