Target’s new CEO Brian Cornell has his work cut out for him amid sagging profits some 62% lower than a year ago in the recent quarter and weaker earnings forecasts for the balance of the year.

The Minneapolis-based retailer said reverberations from the security breach, in which hackers made off with credit and debit card data from customers, cost it $146 million through its second fiscal quarter, which ended Aug. 2. Those costs are net after the $90 million in insurance payments. The company also said that it believed most of the costs related to the breach were behind it.

Target reported net income of $234 million, or 37 cents a share, compared with $611 million, or 95 cents a share, a year earlier. Without the added breach charges and losses from early debt retirement reported in the quarter, Target’s 78-cent results were inline with analysts’ estimates.

Cornell said Target needed "a sense of urgency.”

“No one is happy with our current performance," he said during Wednesday’s earnings call with analysts.

Target slashed its full year earnings guidance to a range of $3.10 to $3.30 per share. Earnings guidance given a year ago for this fiscal year was $5.50. Some analysts believe more cuts will occur given the company would need to improve its performance by 70% in the second half of the year to meet the newest guidance forecast.

Analysts also are concerned that Target will need to issue more debt in the near term amid dismal results in Canada and languishing recovery in its U.S. business. Target announced this week extended hours to midnight in many cities across the nation from now through the holidays.

Wall Street expects to see more promotions by Target, which nibbles away at thinning margins. The retailer’s grocery expansion has not resulted into more store traffic as originally thought.

Horses for Healing (HFH) seeks volunteers across Northwest Arkansas to help make a positive difference in the lives of children with special needs across the region. HFH’s next session begins Sept. 16. Children will attend therapeutic riding lessons Tuesdays through Fridays for 12 weeks.
 
HFH provides therapeutic riding lessons to children with special needs which helps them grow physically, mentally, and emotionally. Often children achieve breakthroughs in the saddle that traditional therapies have not been able to accomplish.

Volunteer duties include helping the children make horse-related crafts in a classroom setting and walking alongside the child as they ride. But the volunteer’s greatest impact is the positive influence they build with the children.
 
“Volunteering at Horses for Healing is a unique and rewarding experience,” said executive director Linda Brown. “Our volunteers see so many positive life changes. We have children who say their first word while riding a horse and some take their first steps because of the physical strength, balance, and coordination they gain from riding. Anyone who loves children will be deeply gratified by the difference they can make by spending as little as three hours a week at Horses for Healing.”
 
Volunteer orientation classes will be held from 9 a.m until noon on Sept. 2, 3, and 4, as well as from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m on Thursday, Sept. 4. New volunteers must attend only one of these classes. Make up days are available. No horse experience is needed.
 
Horses for Healing is located at 14673 Daniels Road in Bentonville. For more information contact Lexie Kerr at lexie@horsesforhealingnwa.org or visit the organization online.
 

Pet specialty retailer PetSmart announced this week that it has been working with J.P. Morgan Securities and law firm Wachell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to explore several alternatives to increase shareholder value including a sale of the company.

The move comes at the urging of investors Longview Asset Management and hedge fund Jana Partners who have both called on PetSmart to sell itself. Longview has about a 9% stake in PetSmart, while Jana holds nearly 10% according to FactSet.

“Whatever the outcome of the process, we are as committed as ever to continuing to meet the needs of our customers and their pets, attracting and retaining world class talent, and driving sales and margins,” said chairman Gregory Josefowicz. “We are not providing a timetable for our process, nor do we intend to comment further or update the market until it is complete.”

He said PetSmart has delivered a 5-year total shareholder return of 243%, versus 140.6% for the S&P 500.

“We are focused on pursuing our strategic plans, including this afternoon’s announcement that we have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pet360 which will allow PetSmart to enhance its omni-channel capabilities and provide customers a unique and leading 360-degree shopping experience,” said CEO David K. Lenhardt.


“This transaction is a smart and efficient way to make PetSmart a leader in the online retail space. Although online sales are still a relatively small part of the pet products industry, we expect them to become a more relevant source of revenue in the future.”

Credit Suisse analysts reported in June that PetSmart and privately owned Petco Animal Supplies have a distinct possibility of merging. Until recently, the veterinary and grooming services PetSmart offers, as well as its line of exclusive, high-end products, provided some protection against competitors.

But as Wal-Mart and smaller stores have begun carrying organic pet food and online pet supplies sales have suffered. A merged Petco-PetSmart, which would control 25% of the pet supply market, and would be a more formidable competitor than either chain on its own, analysts said.

PetSmart shares closed Wednesday (Aug. 20) at $70.52, up 1.18%.

Dollar General has been jilted by Family Dollar as the discounter has opted to hold firm with Dollar Tree’s $8.5 billion deal.

Family Dollar’s board cites “significant antitrust issues” related to the Dollar General offer given that two chains greatly overlap geographically. Early indications of the Dollar General / Family Dollar marriage would have forced the closing of at least 700 stores.

Dollar General management said Family Dollar CEO Howard Levine was being driven his own interest in his support of the Dollar Tree offer, not what is necessarily the best deal for shareholders.

The Dollar General offer of $8.95 billion was also favored by Wall Street and outspoken investors like Carl Icahn, citing the loss of a $300 million break up fee offered by Dollar General.

Dollar General and Family Dollar execs acknowledged the two retailers discussed a possible merger for the past 18 months but Family Dollar executives said Thursday (Aug. 21) that advisers in the matter did not believe such a deal would pass regulatory muster.

Family Dollar then signed a nondisclosure agreement with Dollar Tree that prevented any mention of their deal talks shortly after. The merger of Family Dollar and Dollar Tree was then announced in July.

Shares of Family Dollar were trading at $79.70, down 10 cents on the news. Dollar General shares were down 30 cents, trading at $63.46 in the morning session. Dollar Tree shares slid 72 cents to $54.27 on lower earnings related to its planned acquisition costs of Family Dollar.

Dollar Tree earned $121.5 million or 59 cents a share in the quarter ending Aug. 2, and reported Thursday. This compared to $124.7 million or 56 cents per share a year ago. Excluding the buyout costs of Family Dollar, the company said it earned 61 cents per share still short of the 64-cent Wall Street consensus.

Dollar Tree revenue rose 9.5% to $2.03 billion, higher than Wall Street expectations of $2.01 billion.

Investors of America’s Car-Mart saw their profits mount on Thursday, (Aug. 21) as shares rallied more than 15% to $42.90 on strong volume, nearly seven times the normal shares trading hands.

The Bentonville-based used car dealer reported lighter profits and higher revenue from a year ago on Wednesday (Aug. 20) after the market closed.

That said the results came in 19 cents ahead of Wall Street’s consensus estimate which helped to hoist the shares higher as soon as the market opened Thursday.

Corporate executives said the tactics they are employing to better serve their customers are having a positive impact even in the face of hyper competition among other subprime auto lenders.

Investors were not deterred by comments that indicate some margin squeeze in the short term given the deflationary pressures in average retail sales prices. Car-Mart said longer term, lower prices are good for the customers and allows the company to reduce inventory costs.

Car-Mart shares have traded between $34.56 and $47.93 over the past 52-weeks. Shares are up 2% year-to-date, after Thursday’s rally.

Tyson Foods lost its bid before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals this week to overturn the $503,000 in damages awarded to employees who were underpaid for the time they spent donning and doffing required protective work clothing.

What’s more, the plaintiff’s attorneys fees of $3.389 million awarded by the court will also stand, despite Tyson’s effort to get them reduced.

The appeals court ruled Tuesday (Aug. 19) that the evidence supported a finding of undercompensation for every class member. Although Tyson pointed out that the fee award far exceeded the damages award, the appeals court observed that the fee award need not be proportionate to the damages award, and the district court acted within its discretion in setting the amount of attorneys’ fees.

The class action suit originated in 2006 at Tyson Foods’ Finney County, Kan., beef packing plant. Lower courts ruled in favor of some 800 workers in the class action suit.

Tyson appealed the ruling and the fee award with a series of legal challenges, but lost its arguments before the three-judge panel at the appeals court.

"We’re disappointed by the ruling and disagree with it, especially since most of the award is for attorneys’ fees, not for the plant workers. We will now explore our legal options in this case," Tyson spokesman Worth Sparkman told the media following the ruling.

Do-it-yourself home improvement retailer Home Depot announced Thursday (Aug. 21) Craig Menear will be succeed Frank Blake as CEO effective Nov. 1.

Menear is being promoted from his post as president of U.S. retail sales, a position he has held since February. Blake will stay on as board chairman.

Menear has worked for Home Depot since 1997 and has helped revamp its merchandising operations and supply chain as well as improving e-commerce sales growth.

Before joining Home Depot, Menear worked for Ikea and Builders Emporium.


On Tuesday (Aug. 19) Home Depot raised its earnings outlook for the year to $4.52 per share, up from its previous estimate of $4.42 per share.

• Bumble Bee Foods up for sale
Tuna and sardine processor Bumble Bee Food said it plans to launch a sale process this fall and is already reportedly drawing interest from at least two suitors.

Post Holdings and Thai Union Frozen Products PCL reportedly have an interest in Bumble Bee Foods, which is owned by private equity group Lion Capital.

Reuters notes that Bumble Bee is seeking a valuation of at least $1.5 billion.

Bumble Bee is a supplier of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and operates a sales office in Northwest Arkansas.

• Nestle mandates tougher animal welfare policy

Nestle’s suppliers of dairy, meat, poultry or eggs will soon have to meet new animal welfare guidelines. The company has signed an agreement with World Animal Protection to develop and implement the standards.


The number of suppliers impacted from this new policy total around 7,300 as Nestle buys animal-derived products directly, including milk for its yogurts and ice creams, meat for its chilled foods as well as eggs for its fresh pastry and pasta items.

“We know that our consumers care about the welfare of farm animals and we, as a company, are committed to ensuring the highest possible levels of farm animal welfare across our global supply chain,” said Benjamin Ware, manager of responsible sourcing at Nestle.

The food company has commissioned an independent auditor to carry out farm checks to ensure the new standards are being met. Several hundred farm assessments have already been conducted this year across the globe.

Nestle said it will work with suppliers who have farm violations, but if that farm does not then meet the required standards the supplier contract will be discontinued.

Nestle is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and operates a large sales office in Rogers.

Clycia Hammonds of Magazine has been named the full-time instructor of the Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus Adult and Continuing Education.

She now teaches at the Paris-Logan County Adult Education Center on Mondays and Wednesdays, and will expand the hours in the fall at the Charleston-Franklin County Adult Education Center to include Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Fall classes begin Aug. 27 and students can enroll and begin classes at any point in the semester.

“I’m looking forward to reaching out to residents in the Paris and Charleston areas. From the GED to basic skills education, adult education services are free and can be the first step toward a new life for so many people,” Hammonds said.

With more than 20 years of teaching experience, Hammonds begins her eighth year with ATU-Ozark, previously teaching part-time. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville.

Arkansas Tech-Ozark has adult education centers in Booneville, Charleston, Clarksville, Ozark and Paris. Along with its GED program, the centers also teach English-as-a-second-language (ESL) and workplace classes, as well as basic skills reviews for those in need of upgrading skills to enter higher education, the military or workforce.

The Walton Family Foundation’s investment strategy through 2020 includes $302 million to be spent in Northwest Arkansas as well as the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. The money will go toward economic development and creating more education opportunities.

The Northwest Arkansas strategies include:
• Expand high-achieving Pre-K-12 school options;
• Establish the region as a leader in arts and cultural amenities;
• Strengthen coordinated regional economic development; and
• Promotion of downtown revitalization projects, developing transportation choices and improving water quality.

“Northwest Arkansas is a great place to call home. Our investment strategy through 2020 is sharply focused on initiatives that will continue to make the region an even more desirable place to live and work.” said Rob Brothers, director of the Walton Family Foundation Home Region Focus Area.

The foundation has invested in educational and quality of life products for more than 30 years, a mission that has been the stated focus of the Walton Family.

Two Northwest projects already impacted from the Walton Family Foundation include the Razorback Greenway and the Amazeum.

“The Amazeum will be a wonderful addition to Northwest Arkansas with educationally sound exhibitions and programs where children and families can come together to explore, discover and create. The Walton Family Foundation shared our vision for such a place and it will soon become a reality.” said Sam Dean, executive director of Amazeum

John McLarty of the NWA planning commission said the foundation helped to lead the vision of the Razorback Greenway from its inception. The 36-mile bike and walking trail that connects Bella Vista to Fayetteville is expected to be completed in 2015. Much of the trail in Benton County is already open.

“The foundation remains a valued partner, providing resources and encouragement to make the regional trail system one of the nation’s very best." McLarty said.

Investments in the Arkansas-Mississippi region will include educational support, targeted job creation projects, talent development and improvements in public safety.

Sterne Agee analyst Ray Young recently lowered his earning estimates for BancorpSouth for fiscal 2014. Young expects the regional bank to earn $1.26 per share, about 7 cents less than previously noted. He shaved 14 cents off of his 2015 earnings forecast of $1.48 per share.

“Despite steady progress in restoring returns, BancorpSouth will likely tread water until regulatory issues pass and its two pending acquisitions are successfully closed and integrated,” Young wrote in a note to investors Friday (Aug. 22).

The lower guidance reflects news that the pending acquisitions of Ouachita Bancshares Corp. and Central Community Corporation will not close until the second quarter of 2015.


“Unfortunately, BancorpSouth has its hands tied with the FDIC in its Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering compliance issue and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with regard to a fair lending investigation,” Young noted.


He adds that management is confident that these issues can resolved in fairly short order but they do extend the closing time for the two pending acquisitions.

Young is neutral on the shares. Bancorp South shares closed Friday at $21.10, up 4 cents. For the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from $18.93 to $26.24.

New orders for manufactured durable goods in July increased $55.3 billion, or 22.6% to $300.1 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau report.

This increase, up five of the last six months, was at the highest level since the series was first published in 1992, and followed 2.7% gains in June. But most of the strength came from demand for commercial aircraft, which tends to fluctuate sharply from month to month.

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.8% Excluding defense, new orders increased 24.9%. Transportation equipment, also up five of the last six months, drove the increase, $56.6 billion or 74.2% to $133.0 billion. Durable manufactured goods include everything from household appliances and automobiles to planes and military tanks.

Economists expect factory output will likely support solid economic growth in the second half of this year.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods increased $8 billion, or 3.3% to $248.9 billion in July, also the highest level since 1992, according the report. Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, led the increase, $5.6 billion or 7.9% to $76.3 billion.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in July rose $59.2 billion, or 5.4% to $1,158.5 billion. Transportation equipment, up 10 of the last 11 months, led
the increase, $56.7 billion or 8.3% to $738.4 billion.

While orders and shipments are up, inventory levels also rose 0.5% for manufactured durable goods in July. Inventories have risen in 15 of the last 16 months to total a record level $401.9 billion in July.

More than 100 regional small businesses have lined up to meet with Sam’s Club buyers for a chance to have their products featured in retailer’s clubs around the country.

The San Diego supplier event is taking place at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, Aug. 26-27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The supplier participants, including several women- and minority-owned businesses, were narrowed down from an application pool of more than 13,000 suppliers, the retailer said Tuesday (Aug. 26).

“Sam’s Club is focused on providing our members with savings, new and surprising products, and regionally-relevant items,” said Shawn Baldwin, senior vice president for grocery merchandise at Sam’s Club. “We’re a retailer with a highly focused offering of products, so while we know we can’t make every participant in the event a supplier, our merchants are ready to find the best products for our members and help the participating small businesses learn by increasing their knowledge of how to work with a big retailer.”

This event aims to engage new suppliers, strengthen relationships with local suppliers, and identify new food and beverage products relevant to Sam’s Club members in the Southwest and Western regions. Predominant themes among participating suppliers include:

• Organic and all-natural snacks and beverages
• Health-conscious grocery
• Local beer, wine and tequila brands
• Specialty sauces, cheeses and meats

“Sam’s Club is proud to be more than a shopping destination – we are a club for our communities,” said Sean Mehranbod, regional general manager for southwest operations. “When Sam’s Club invests in new suppliers locally and regionally, those suppliers hire people to make products, and that creates jobs for small business owners and growth opportunities for their businesses, their families and their communities.”

The event is sponsored by ECRM, an Ohio-based retail marketing firm and third party retail service provider.

Drivers along a section of Interstate 40 in far eastern Oklahoma will have a slower commute for much of the next year as construction will reduce the number of drivable lanes.

According to a traffic advisory issued by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, I-40 between Dwight Mission Road and U.S. Highway 59 in Sallisaw has been reduced to one lane in each direction at least through spring 2015.

The release from ODOT said the purpose of the lane closures between mile markers 303 and 308 is "a pavement rehabilitation project."

A total of $10.4 million will be spent on the project, which was awarded to Duit Construction Inc./TTK Construction Co. of Edmond, Okla.

The release stated the company has the potential to receive financial incentives should the project be completed ahead of schedule, though ODOT did not disclose the nature of any incentives offered to the company.

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith received a $734,000 grant by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services that will be used to train veterans and unemployed area residents in commercial driving, medical billing and coding and industrial maintenance.

The Center for Business and Professional Development at UAFS received the Arkansas Job Driven National Emergency Grant, along with several other organizations which combined received nearly $2.5 million in an effort to provide collaborative services to nearly 400 people in the Fort Smith area.

“We’re targeting areas where we know there will be demand for workers,” CBPD Director Dave Robertson said.

“What excites me the most is that the Department of Labor wanted the entities that worked with them on this grant to have proven programs in place that could quickly provide job-specific training in areas where they feel people can find employment. Getting chosen for this grant is a confirmation of the work we’ve been doing at the CBPD for years.”

The project “demonstrates our university’s commitment to workforce training and education at all levels," said Ken Warden, associate vice chancellor for workforce development at UAFS.

“This grant is an excellent way for someone who needs short-term training to find employment and enhance the lives of their family. The expertise of the faculty and staff at the CBPD is tremendous. They recognized this grant opportunity and designed a proposal that is uniquely suited to help companies in our region, as well as those seeking gainful employment.”

The program, which also provides pre-employment training in professional etiquette, teamwork, customer service, problem solving and time management, will also work with local employers to provide on-the-job training.

“This is a great example of how UAFS as a comprehensive university is marrying the employment needs of our citizens with the workforce needs of local employers,” said Dr. Paul Beran, chancellor at UAFS.

The Western Arkansas Planning and Development District will help find qualifying participants to receive money from the grant with Winrock International case managers coordinating enrollment and support services, a press release said.

Newk’s Eatery is coming to Northwest Arkansas making its first stop in Fayetteville. The restaurant will be located at 637 E. Joyce Blvd. in a space at Spring Creek Center, Fayetteville. A grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 17.

The Jackson, Miss.,-based fast casual chain specializes in salads, pizza and sandwiches and operates 71 eateries with plans for 200 by the end of 2015. The franchisee is also seeking potential sites in Bentonville or Rogers for a second restaurant, according to Alan Cole, broker with Colliers International.

“Northwest Arkansas has long been on the list of desired locations for Newk’s,” Jim Lynch, Franchisee of Newk’s, said. “Our fast-casual concept and wide variety of menu items will be a great fit for the ever-growing market in this area. We hope to have an additional location underway soon.”

Cole said Newk’s Joyce Boulevard location was strategically placed to be convenient to the entire region with plenty of parking.

“We also made sure that the space was large enough to provide a to-go counter and catering services,” Cole added.

Early this week Boneheads restaurant opened in Bentonville at 1403 SE Moberly Lane. The Atlanta-based chain operates 8 stores across five states and was recently
named by Fastcasual.com as one of the Top 100 Movers and Shakers in the fast casual industry.

Boneheads corporate has 31 stores in development including one in Little Rock and five in Pakistan. The Bentonville location is the company’s ninth store and the first in Arkansas.

Boneheads Bentonville is owned and operated by 30 year army veteran Thomas Baker who said he fell in love with the restaurant’s food and atmosphere after dining at the Atlanta location. The restaurant specializes in grilled fish and Piri Piri chicken.  

According to the restaurant’s website Piri Piri translates to pepper pepper and specifically refers to the African Birdseye Chili pepper, which is native to Mozambique.

The Bentonville restaurant has a Caribbean theme, with seating for 120 guest, ample parking and outdoor dining, according to the release. The restaurant will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Social marketing firm Collective Bias has inked new deals with some of the world's leading brands seeking to connect with consumers in the U.K. and Hispanic markets.

These new service offerings reinforce why Collective Bias recently made its debut on the 2014 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing U.S. companies at #589 and was the #1 ranked company in Arkansas, the company noted in the release.


In addition, Collective Bias picked up an honorable mention from Content Marketing Awards for work done with Disney's #FrozenFun.


The latest brands tapping Collective Bias’ ColectivaLatina team include Tyson, El Yucateco Hot Sauce, Duracell and La Morena. 


With a combined reach of 18 million viewers, ColectivaLatina influencers create quality, culturally relevant content. The social content is produced by influential Latinos and is designed to be easily shareable on social networks including Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in order to reach other Latinos, the release states.


The company also is expanding its regional relationship with Coca-Cola with new shopper social media initiatives. These include campaigns for Capri Sun, Coke Life with Vodafone and original 2014 holiday season campaigns.

Collective Bias, which opened its U.K. office in 2013, also signed regional shopper marketing program deals with J&J Polysporin and Shopper Events Canada for Walmart and HMV.  

"We're seeing global advertisers shift marketing dollars from traditional ad buys to social influencer spend to support their best retail partners. We look forward to supporting these and other brands as shopper social media continues to be a more important part of the consumer path to purchase," said Bill Sussman, CEO of Collective Bias.

Fayetteville-based Picasolar was selected from hundreds of startups across the country to present at the SXSW Eco’s Startup Showcase, an entrepreneurial pitch competition held Oct. 6-7, in Austin, Texas.

“We are excited to be a part of this event which attracts innovators, investors and enthusiasts from around the globe. We have been able to greatly accelerate our progress over the past twelve months by leveraging the SunShot Incubator and we look forward to sharing our venture at SXSW Eco,” said Douglas Hutchins CEO of Silicon Solar Solution, sister company to PicaSolar.

Picasolar’s focus is on technology for N-type solar cells that it hopes to manufacture in Arkansas.

The Startup Showcase, now in its third year, is a rapid-fire pitch competition spotlighting innovative early stage companies in the areas of greentech, cleanweb and social impact.

Finalists in these categories were selected out of a pool of hundreds of applicants from around the world and will compete at SXSW Eco in front of a live audience and panel of Judges from companies the likes of Target, Shell Technology Ventures, the Whole Planet Foundation, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Sprint.

In the past two years, participating companies would raise more than $27 million in funding and acquire global brands as clients.

Hutchings said the timing couldn’t be better as his startup venture continues its capital raising campaign. He said closing the funding round is taking longer than he had hoped.


“We are working through the details with top-notch folks inside and outside Arkansas and anticipate it being finalized before the next update,” Hutchings said.


Picasolar recently recruited Rick Schwerdtfeger as its new chief operating officer “who has successfully executed our business model in an adjacent industry,” according to Hutchings. He said the startup continues to look for talent to add to its small team.


“We are starting to run into resource restraints to take advantage of all the opportunities that have arisen due to the progress above. We have had to focus on the highest priority partnerships and avoid spreading ourselves too thin,” Hutchings said.

Sharif Omar has been appointed as CEO of Northwest Health System, replacing Dan McKay who recently took over as CEO of Sparks Medical in Fort Smith.


Omar has more than 15 years of hospital management experience, most recently as CEO of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center (PMMC), a 224-bed hospital in Pottstown, Penn.  

“Northwest Health System has a tradition of excellence, and I am honored to join the physicians, employees and volunteers in their daily work of caring for the Northwest Arkansas community,” said Omar. “They have laid a strong foundation for excellence that makes Northwest a place where patients can expect quality, personalized care with every visit.”

During the three years Omar ran PMMC the hospital was named a top performer on key quality measures from The Joint Commission and was one of only 13 cancer programs in the U.S. to receive three consecutive outstanding achievement awards from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

The hospital also received accreditations and awards for excellence in stroke and joint replacement. Omar also oversaw efforts to increase physician and employee satisfaction. Additionally, he developed new service lines that grew how the hospital served patients, including breast health, urgent care, ambulance service, psychiatry and others.

“On behalf of the board, I look forward to welcoming Sharif to Northwest Health System,” said Linda Maienschein, Chairman, Northwest Health System Board of Directors. “His experience working closely with physicians and employees to raise the bar for quality patient care will further position Northwest well into the future.”

Omar also has served in leadership positions at Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, La., and as associate vice president of Tulane University Hospital and Clinic, where he was a part of the hospital’s response to Hurricane Katrina.

 A native of Louisiana, Omar holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Louisiana State University and a master’s in health administration from Tulane University.
 

Arkansas Public Service Commission Chairwoman Colette Honorable has been nominated to serve on the five member board of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

The announcement came from a slew of appointments and nominations released by the White House.

Honorable will replace John Norris, who announced his resignation after serving on the FERC board since 2010. Honorable declined to comment when reached by phone on Thursday (Aug. 29).

Honorable will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the full Senate.

The powerful FERC is the federal agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. According to its website, FERC also:
• Regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce;
• Reviews certain mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions by electricity companies;
• Regulates the transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce;
• Regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in interstate commerce;
• Approves the siting and abandonment of interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities;
• Reviews the siting application for electric transmission projects under limited circumstances;
• Ensures the safe operation and reliability of proposed and operating LNG terminals;
• Licenses and inspects private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects;
• Protects the reliability of the high voltage interstate transmission system through mandatory reliability standards;
• Monitors and investigates energy markets;
• Enforces FERC regulatory requirements through imposition of civil penalties and other means; and
• Oversees environmental matters related to natural gas and hydroelectricity projects and other matters.

Honorable has served on the PSC since 2007 and has been chair of the three-person panel since 2011. She alsoserves as Chairman of the Board and President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

Previously, she served as executive director of the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board in 2007 and she has worked on the Attorney General’s staff during the administrations of Mike Beebe and Mark Pryor.

Honorable received a bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.

U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., offered the following statement on Honorable’s nomination: “There is no one more qualified for this position than Colette Honorable, and I strongly support her nomination. Colette is a long-time advocate for clean energy and an avid supporter of consumer protection. When I served as Arkansas’s Attorney General, I brought her on as a leading assistant attorney general because of her strong commitment to protecting Arkansans. She has built on this experience with notable leadership at the Arkansas Public Service Commission, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and National Petroleum Council. As a FERC Commissioner, these qualities will serve our nation well as demand for efficient, reliable and affordable energy services continues to rise.”