The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will honor Phyllis Rogers, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Delta Dental of Arkansas, as the College of Business Distinguished Alumni of the Year award winner. 

“Phyllis has been an active member of our College of Business Advisory Board. As an alum of the college, she is a positive role model for our students,” said Dr. Jane Wayland, Stephen Harrow Smith Dean of Business. “Her impact is felt through the hiring of UA Little Rock accounting interns as well as participating as an executive-in-resident. We are fortunate to have her serving the college and our students.”

Rogers will be honored during a special award luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Little Rock Marriott Downtown, 3 Statehouse Plaza in Little Rock. Delta Dental is the presenting sponsor. 

Rebecca McEachern, tax supervisor at JPMS Cox, will also be recognized as the winner of the Dean’s Award for Excellence.

“Rebecca is a founding member of our College of Business Alumni Board,” Wayland said. “She was an exceptional student and has excelled at JPMS Cox. We are proud to have had Rebecca receive not one, but two degrees from the college and look forward to seeing where her career leads.”

The highest honor granted by the UA Little Rock College of Business, the Distinguished Alumni award is given to a graduate who has made a significant impact in business or a nonprofit organization and who has served the community and UA Little Rock.

The Dean’s Award for Excellence is granted to a graduate of the past 10 years who has shown promise as a leader in business or nonprofit work, and who is actively involved in serving Little Rock and the university.

Tickets to the awards luncheon are $100 each, of which $75 is tax deductible, and can be ordered online. Sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Sheena Howell Elam at 501.569.3208 or smhowell1@ualr.edu.

More information about the winners:

Phyllis Rogers has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. As senior vice president and chief financial officer of Delta Dental of Arkansas, she is responsible for managing business and commercial strategies and overseeing financial-related operations.

A native of Hot Springs, Rogers graduated from UA Little Rock in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In 2013, the Arkansas Society of CPAs named her Arkansas Business CFO of the Year for Large Private Companies and the Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry.

She is a member of the UA Little Rock College of Business Advisory Council, chair of the CARTI Foundation board of directors, member of the CARTI operating board of directors, member of Rotary Club of Little Rock – Club 99, and board member for Ronald McDonald’s House Charities of Arkansas. She also will serve as the 2018 chair for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women event.

Rebecca McEachern earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2012 and a master’s degree of accounting in 2013 from UA Little Rock. She was on the UA Little Rock swimming and diving team.

A native of Star City, Arkansas, McEachern is a tax supervisor at JPMS Cox. She is a member of the UA Little Rock College of Business Alumni Board, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Arkansas Society of CPAs, and Immanuel Baptist Church.

In the top photos, Rebecca McEachern (left) will be honored as the winner of the Dean’s Award for Excellence, while Phyllis Rogers (right) will receive the UA Little Rock College of Business Distinguished Alumni of the Year award.