Following are news brief items from the Fort Smith metro.
Bank Boss
Grove, Okla.-based Grand Savings Bank has hired Mark Buergler as the Fort Smith market president. He has 33 years of experience in consumer and commercial lending in the Fort Smith metro.
He also has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and lends his time and leadership to the Good Samaritan Clinic Board and the Fort Smith EMS Board. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Mark to our Fort Smith team,” said Tommy Coughlin, Arkansas regional president for Grand Savings Bank. “His deep roots in the community, proven leadership, and extensive banking experience make him a tremendous asset as we continue to grow and serve the Fort Smith area with a personalized, community-focused banking approach.”
Grand Savings Bank is a full-service community bank with 14 locations and 14 ATMs in Northwest Arkansas, Northeast Oklahoma and the Fort Smith metro.
Alma Medicine
Drake Lee, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), and Kourtney Surber, an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), have been hired at Baptist Health Family Clinic-Alma as nurse practitioners. They will work with Dr. Jeffery Medlock at the clinic, according to Baptist Health.
A Greenwood native, Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Arkansas Tech University and his doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Central Arkansas. He previously worked as a registered nurse at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Springdale.
“I’m passionate about caring for people at every stage of life and look forward to building lasting relationships with families in the Alma community,” said Lee.
Surber, who has nearly a decade of nursing experience, earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and a master’s degree in nursing from Harding University. Her background includes orthopedics, intensive care, preoperative, and post-anesthesia care.
“It’s essential to meet each patient where they are in their health journey—whether it’s something routine or more complex,” Surber said. “Supporting patients is both a responsibility and a privilege.”
According to Baptist Health, services provided by Lee and Surber will include wellness exams, treatment for acute illness or injury, chronic disease management, minor procedures, and preventive care such as screenings and immunizations.
Mercy Heart Award
Mercy Fort Smith has received the Silver Performance Achievement Award from the American College of Cardiology. Mercy’s hospital in Northwest Arkansas received the Platinum Performance Achievement Award.
According to Mercy, the awards note Mercy’s efforts to implement a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signify that Mercy has reached an aggressive goal of treating patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations.
“This national recognition from the American College of Cardiology is a powerful reflection of the exceptional, coordinated care our teams deliver every day,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Arkansas Communities. “Receiving these awards demonstrates our unwavering commitment to saving lives and improving outcomes for patients experiencing chest pain and heart attacks. It’s a proud moment for Mercy and the communities we serve in Arkansas.”
To receive the awards, Mercy demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain-MI Registry for four consecutive quarters during 2024 and performed with distinction in specific performance measures. Some of those measures include door-in and door-out time, evaluation of systolic function, rehabilitation referrals, discharge protocols and more.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others.
Area Honors Students
Ayden Kilgore, an Alma High School graduate, and Hannah Lawley, a Van Buren High School graduate, were among 12 incoming freshmen awarded the inaugural Natural State Fellowship by the University of Arkansas Honors College.
Kilgore graduated from Alma High School where he played trombone in the band and served as head drum major. He was a member of the Quiz Bowl team, Tabletop Gaming Club and National Honor Society. He also served as treasurer of his school’s Mu Alpha Theta chapter. He is exploring majors related to premedical studies and is the son of Lori and Ronnie Kilgore.
Lawley graduated from Van Buren High School where she participated in Mu Alpha Theta and the History Club. She works in customer service at Dairy Queen and enjoys sculpting and painting in her free time. She earned the AP Scholar Award and was named to the Honor Roll throughout her high school career. She also completed extensive coursework in biomedical sciences. She plans to major in biology and is the daughter of Jamie and Danny Lawley.
The fellowship provides up to $80,000 over four years to cover tuition, fees, books, room and board and other academic expenses. This support enables students to pursue original research, study abroad, service learning and other enriching academic experiences.
To qualify, incoming students must first meet the ACT/SAT and GPA requirements for fellowship consideration. Students must also be Arkansas residents who meet at least one of the following criteria: have significant financial need, plan to enroll as a first-generation college student, or come from a geographic area of the state that is less well-represented at the university.
Following are the other recipients of the inaugural fellowship: Alyssa Babb, Harrison; Tristan Burnett, Heth; Chloe Dunkelgod, Arkadelphia; Bentley Fox, Gillett; William Hacker, Brookland; Riley Hart, Mountain View; Whitney Juarez, Crossett; Prabhdil Kaur, Bentonville; Altin Kight, Lockesburg; and Carson Maurer, Bryant.
Miss Worldwide
Former Miss Sebastian County 2024, and Miss Arkansas Worldwide 2025 Molly Ann Dunaway has been crowned Miss Worldwide 2025 following the international competition in Omaha, Neb.
The pageant was a week-long experience filled with personal and professional development. Contestants took part in media interviews and walked the red carpet, where they had the opportunity to speak about their chosen platforms.
Dunaway’s platform, the 100 Families Initiative, is a community-led movement designed to help families move from crisis to stability by connecting them to existing local resources. The program is credited with improving outcomes related to foster care entries, crime rates, and prison re-entry. Dunaway is a former foster parent to more than 160 children.