Evening on the Plaza
The Evening on the Plaza Dinner is an annual “friend-raising” celebration hosted by the North Arkansas College Foundation. Normally, the event is held on the Friday evening before Northark’s Commencement exercises. The dinner was co-founded by Katherine Nance and the late Wanda Coffman in 1986-87 and named in recognition of its first home: the John Paul Hammerschmidt Plaza on the South Campus of North Arkansas College. Starting in 1990, the dinner has honored recipients of the Ozarks Ambassador Award, an honor selected by the North Arkansas College Foundation Board of Directors.
CHIEF JUSTICE JIM HANNAH of the Arkansas Supreme Court, 2008 recipient of the Ozarks Ambassador Award, is shown with retired Circuit Judge Rob McCorkindale and Northark President Dr. Jeff Olson at the Northark Foundation’s annual Evening on the Plaza Dinner.
Established in 1990, the Ozarks Ambassador Award is presented to someone from northern Arkansas who has represented the area with distinction nationwide in one or more of the following fields: agriculture, finance, medicine, education, politics, law, business, social services, the ministry, or industry.
Robert M. Eagle of Dallas, TX, was the 1990 recipient; James H. Jones of San Francisco, CA, was honored in 1991; David R. Banks, now of Fort Smith, received the award in 1992; William P. Stiritz of St. Louis, MO, was the 1993 honoree; James F. Keenan of Palm Beach, FL, received the honor in 1994; Dr. Ronald C. Jones of Dallas, TX, was the 1995 recipient; Tom and Don Salmon of Little Rock were honored in 1996; John Paul Hammerschmidt of Harrison was recognized in 1997; C.D. Wright of Barrington, RI, was the 1998 honoree; Sheridan Garrison of Harrison was presented with the award in 1999; David Perry of Mountain View, Calif., was the 2000 recipient; University of Arkansas Chancellor Dr. John A. White was honored in 2002; former Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jack Holt, Jr. received the 2003 honor; Northark graduate and former Tyson Foods General Counsel Les Baledge was recognized in 2004, John Arthur Hammerschmidt was awarded the 2006 award, and Ranger Boats founder Forrest Wood was honored in 2007.
The award was not presented in 2001 or 2005. Instead, the Foundation recognized retiring North Arkansas College President Dr. Bill Baker at the BBB Bar-B-Que and Blow-Out in 2001 and honored former Twin Lakes Vocational Technical School Director Weldon Stevenson in 2005.
For more information about the Ozarks Ambassador Award and the Evening on the Plaza Dinner, contact Jacquie Markle (391-3159) or Micki Somers (391-3242).