Crafton Tull

Most accountants set out to take the CPA Exam early on in their professional lives. The average exam candidate is 29 years old, with the bulk of their career ahead of them. Dee Dee Carlile’s path to becoming a Certified Public Accountant looked quite a bit different. She passed her fourth and final exam at age 61. Workers in their sixties are typically starting to plan their retirement. “How many years of this do I have left in me?” For Dee Dee, that question didn’t matter. Becoming a CPA was on her bucket list and she didn’t want to end her career without that license on her resume. It wasn’t for a higher salary or more job opportunities or a better title. Now in her 27th year at Crafton Tull, she wasn’t looking for a change of scenery. She enjoyed her responsibilities as Vice President of Finance. No, Dee Dee decided to become a CPA to prove to herself that she could. She brought up the idea to her boss, Jim Tull. He encouraged her to go for it, and that was all the push she needed. “It’s never too late,” she said. In August of 2021, she was two credit hours short of the 150 she needed for the CPA. She enrolled in an online course at Northeastern State University. After passing the class, she took her first CPA Exam in March 2022, and failed. She didn’t realize it at the time, but that first exam was the start of an endurance test. Over the course of the next two years and seven months, Dee Dee tried, failed, and tried again. She would go on to take each of the four exams three times before finally passing. Failing a CPA Exam is not unusual. The average passing rate for first-time candidates is 50%. “It was a humbling experience,” she said. “But once I started, I couldn’t allow myself to quit.” Study prep took over her weekends as she spent hours inside her “study dungeon,” as she calls it. She and her husband Eric are empty nesters, and the study dungeon is their daughter old bedroom. On the wall, Dee Dee hung a dry-erase board above her computer monitor. She filled it with her favorite motivational phrases, some handwritten and some taped-on. One phrase, inspired by Taylor Swift, read, “I’ll just write a better song.” It reminded her to keep improving her study patterns until she got it right. “I had so much support from my family, friends, and coworkers,” she said. “It’s pretty much all I talked about until I passed. They helped me by listening more than anything.” This isn’t the first time Dee Dee found herself on an unconventional career path. She took 12 years to earn her accounting degree. Six of those years were spent taking night classes at Langston University while working full-time. At age 30, she finally finished. Three decades later, she relied on that battle-tested, refuse-to-quit attitude to become a Certified Public Accountant. Dee Dee says it’s the hardest thing she’s ever done in her career. What’s next for Dee Dee? She’s looking forward to having her first grandbaby.

Congratulations to David Rupe who has been promoted to vice president and will lead the Crafton Tull environmental team in his new role. Rupe joined Crafton Tull one year ago and works in the Rogers office. With more than 20 years of environmental experience, he oversees Crafton Tull’s permitting and compliance processes, specializing in Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Rupe previously served as a Regulatory Project Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Little Rock District, working from the Rogers Regulatory Field Office.

We had a great crew at our table for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas annual meeting in Little Rock.

This Veterans Day, we honor the bravery and sacrifice of all who have served across every branch of our military. Veterans Plaza at Pompe Park in Conway is a project that is near to our hearts as it stands as a lasting tribute to their courage and dedication. Crafton Tull is proud to have worked alongside Sowell Architects, Inc. on this project honoring these brave men and women. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Yesterday, our team met with Fayetteville Public Schools personnel for a visioning session for the new Ramay Junior High. Our architects and engineers are partnering with Lake|Flato Architects on the project. The new facility will provide much-needed space for students and will incorporate low-impact development and net zero design elements. The visioning meeting is the first step in the project process and facilitates collaboration between the design team, consultants, and the district as we strategize how to bring this project to life. Prism Design Studio .co 360 Engineering Group, PLLC Point Energy Innovations

ICYMI: Our own Matt Crafton was named a fellow of the American Council of Engineering Companies. This is the highest honor awarded by this national association. For those of us who have had the pleasure of working with Matt, we all know how well-deserved this is. Congrats! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g9JxUB5A

We're so proud of our President and CEO, Matt Crafton. He was named a fellow of the American Council of Engineering Companies. This is the highest honor awarded by the association and is presented to those who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment to excellence, and significant impact in the engineering field. Congratulations, Matt! American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas (ACEC) Arkansas

Mercy Clinic in Fort Smith hired our team to design the site layout (including parking lot configuration, grading, drainage, utilities, and landscape architecture) for their new 6,310-square-foot building on Townson Avenue. The location required a building layout that would offer effective parking for the clinic, including ADA parking spaces, accessible ramps, curb and sidewalks, and a drop-off lane for the front entrance. Our team designed the bioswales, outfall, and pond landscape layout. The site design layout allows for efficient, accessible visits for clients and also includes a back patio to provide additional space for employees. The clinic offers primary care services ranging from regular wellness checkups to family care screenings and vaccines. They also provide treatment of minor illnesses or injuries and diagnosis and treatment of adult conditions. This location is connected to a broader network of Mercy providers that offer more specialized services for patients as needed.

On Tuesday afternoon, many people left their mark on the new University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton health and science center designed by our team. The beam signing ceremony celebrated the milestone completion of the framing for the 36,000-square-foot facility. The new health and science center is estimated to be complete by August 2025, just in time for another school year for students.

A school’s press box is one of the most distinguishable parts of a football stadium and Greenbrier High School has one worthy of attention. This extensive renovation project was led by Jackson Brown Palculict Architects with Crafton Tull providing designs for essential fencing and sidewalks to complement the structure. The new press box bears the name of Coach BJ McMillen who has been a part of the Greenbrier football program since he was in junior high. The dedication was made during an emotional surprise ceremony in 2022. It’s so great to see such commitment to the program honored in this way! ?? Swing by the stadium on Friday and take a look when the Greenbrier Panthers face off against the Alma Airedales. ??: Sitler & Henry