The UALR College of Business will honor two alumni at its Alumni of the Year awards beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16, at The Peabody Little Rock.

“The opportunity to publicly recognize outstanding alumni and to celebrate their achievements and contributions to the community is both an honor and a responsibility for the College of Business,” said Dr. Anthony F. Chelte, dean of the College of Business.

Bill Roehrenbeck will be honored as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. He graduated from UALR with a bachelor of business administration degree in 1992. Roehrenbeck is president and CEO of Arvest Mortgage and Central Mortgage Co. He has served 37 years in Arkansas’ mortgage banking industry. Roehrenbeck is a member of the Little Rock Chamber’s Fifty for the Future and the UALR Foundation Fund Board.

Anthony Black will be awarded with the Young Alumnus of the Year. He graduated from UALR’s Executive MBA program in 2008. A public sector attorney, Black serves as general counsel for the Arkansas Department of Information Systems. His civic activities include the Arkansas Bar Association Law School Committee and the UALR Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“Our distinguished alumni have made important contributions to our community,” said Chelte. “The College of Business and the community are better for having these two individuals successfully complete business programs. I am privileged to know these two individuals and look forward to publicly acknowledging their contributions at the upcoming ceremony.

“The College, in part through the celebration of the accomplishments of two of its outstanding alumni, demonstrates that a visible, valued, and viable College of Business is a vital partner in advancing the interests of members of our community across the region and state.”

Sponsors of the Oct. 16 event include U.S. Bank, Dillard’s, and Arvest Bank.

Previous winners for Distinguished Business Alum are Carl Hunter, 1998; Robert Birch, 1999; Jerry Maulden, 2000; Frank Whitbeck, 2001; John Schlereth, 2002; and Elizabeth Small, 2002. Drew Higginbothom received the Young Business Alum award in 2008.

For reservations to the luncheon, contact Patrice Sims at pnsims@ualr.edu or 501-569-3356.