Willa Ball joined Crossland Construction as vice president of corporate communications and planning. She is a licensed human resources professional. Ball worked for many years with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sam's Club where she most recently served as a senior human resources business partner. She graduated from John Brown University with a bachelor's degree in organizational management.
Dr. Karunakar Akasapu joined Sparks Clinic Lung Center located inside Sparks Regional Medical Center. He is board certified in critical care, pulmonology and internal medicine and completed his fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Dr. Haritha Karuparti joined Renal Care Associates inside Sparks Medical Plaza at 1500 Dodson Ave., Fort Smith. She was fellowship trained at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
Dr. Ashu Dhanjal, FACC, board certified noninvasive cardiologist, recently joined the medical staff of Northwest Health, practicing at Northwest Cardiology -- Fayetteville, 1695 E. Rainforest Drive, Suite 4. She received her medical education at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, India and completed her internal medicine residency and cardiovascular medicine fellowship at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va.
Linda Blasingame, APRN, FNP-C, is an advanced practice registered nurse and will work at Van Buren Family Clinic, 209 W. Pointer Trail. She has more than 30 years of health care experience, spending her last three years as a nurse in Sparks' Cardiac Rehab Unit. Blasingame received her master's degree in nursing leadership and management from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City in 2013 and her post-master's certificate in APRN family practitioner program from Maryville University in St. Louis in 2016.
Pam Candler joined the Rogers office of Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette. She has been involved with real estate for more than 20 years.
Kamille Best joined the Rogers office of Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette.
The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce announced the 2017-18 participants in Leadership Fayetteville Class XXXI: Holly Andersen, Uptown Eyes; Chas Bohannon, First National Bank; Emily Boyd, Signature Bank of Arkansas; Buckley Bridges, WACO Title Company; Andrew Brink, Chambers Bank; Donna Clark, East Harding Construction; Amanda Cofer, First Security Bank; Kaylee Cooper, Courtyard by Marriott; Kevin Dickinson, Preferred Office Products; Rogelio Garcia-Contreras, University of Arkansas; Alex Hissom, Alex Baldwin State Farm; Lance James, Centennial Bank; Cindy Johnson, Love, Hope & Cure Designs; Lincoln Keck, Washington Regional Medical Center; Megan Lahay, Signature Bank of Arkansas; Rebecca Liles, Mount Sequoyah Inc.; Amanda Little, Arvest Bank; Gillie McGhee, Arvest Bank; Jessica Miller, 1st Employment Staffing; Diana Nathan, Bank of Fayetteville; Emma Pierce, Fayetteville Public Education Foundation; Katie Pounders, University of Arkansas -- Walton College; Jay Stoyanov, Fayetteville Public Schools -- Virtual Academy; Nathan Streett, McClelland Consulting Engineers Inc.; Reese Thompson, Arvest Bank; Molly Throgmorton, Walton Arts Center; Belinda Williams, Centennial Bank and Chairman Matt Bumgarner, Tyson Foods.
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 or send your item to: Christie Swanson, P.O. Box 7, Springdale, AR. 72765. Information must be received by noon Wednesday prior to the Sunday the item is to be published.
SundayMonday Business on 08/20/2017