NW Arkansas Talent Showcase (October 2024)
Northwest Arkansas
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While temperatures may be cooling down, Northwest Arkansas’ talent pipeline is ablaze with dynamic professionals eagerly seeking ways to contribute to our region’s future. This month, we’re spotlighting seven standout individuals—Aubrey, Michelle, Payton, Stephanie, Taylor, Devin, and Brenton—whose expertise spans client relationship management, supply chain, immersive technology, cybersecurity, software engineering and social services.
Meet the Members
Aubrey Bland - Field of Interest: Client Relationship Management
Aubrey has been a resident of NWA since 2008, moving from Memphis, TN, to attend the University of Arkansas, where she earned her English degree and decided to make NWA her permanent home. Over the years, she has enjoyed witnessing the area's exponential growth and being an active member of such an incredible community.
Aubrey's career has taken her through a variety of roles at local NWA businesses, from working at beloved Fayetteville restaurants like Hugo's and Theo's to roles at Adventure Subaru and WhyteSpyder (now Flywheel). Most recently, at Flywheel, she built relationships with brands and helped them develop their eCommerce strategies on Walmart.com . While her career has been diverse, one common thread ties it all together: her passion for making connections and ensuring client success.
In her downtime, Aubrey loves spending time outdoors—whether it's hiking, metal detecting, or tending to her garden. At home, she enjoys cooking new recipes, crafting, and relaxing with her two dogs, Tesla and Ampere, her cat, Edison, and her partner.
Michelle Fenton - Field of Interest: Supply Chain/Operations Management
With over 20 years of experience at Intel, Michelle has spearheaded the integration of industry-standard practices, as well as enhanced operational efficiency and decision-making processes. Her expertise lies in advanced data analytics, finance/accounting, and project management, coupled with a talent for orchestrating collaborative efforts within complex supply chain pipelines.
Among her many accomplishments at Intel, Michele played a key role in bringing organizational accountability and establishing a Foundry Services commercial model. “Under my leadership, we assembled a team of deep content experts and outside consultants to deliver Intel’s strategy to action to modernize, and cost effectively establish two separate, financially prosperous companies within a very tight timeframe. Thus resulting in the deployment of an integrated business process and data operations model for a suite of 30 key operational value driver metrics.” She also designed the role of Business Performance Manager, responsible for the improvement of each metric. This initiative paved the way for deploying a self-serve data platform supporting annual revenue of over $50B and enabling more than 10,000 employees to access and generate insights for better decision-making.
As Michele moves on to the next chapter in her career, she hopes to leverage her experience and learn something new! She and her family are packing up to move from Arizona to Northwest Arkansas this fall, where she is eager to explore all that the region has to offer. When Michele isn’t making strides in the office, she enjoys watching sports, working out, cooking, shopping or dreaming about a garden in the woods.
Payton Michael Lenz MBA - Field of Interest: Immersive Technology
Payton is driven by a passion for accessibility and innovation, always looking for ways to create inclusive solutions that benefit everyone. His leadership style is rooted in servant leadership, focusing on empowering his team by providing the support and resources they need to thrive. “I work collaboratively, fostering open communication and a positive environment where everyone feels heard and valued.” Problem-solving and improving processes to make a broader impact are what motivate him. He is constantly seeking opportunities to innovate and lead in ways that benefit both individuals and the organization as a whole.
Payton moved to Arkansas from Atlanta in 2020 after applying for and being selected for the Life Works Here Talent Incentive—joining entrepreneurs, chefs, musicians, and artists in moving across the country to this oasis in the Heartland! “Upon arrival, I got settled into the culture immediately, taking a role with Walmart as a leader in their small but mighty Internet of Things team! I continue to interact with the incentive members, now called ‘The NWA Starters,’ to create a network that helps us all support one another’s ventures and lift up our community.” Recently, Payton started the Executive MBA program through the Walton School of Business in Fayetteville to further his understanding of the needs of his community.
Stephanie Bean Taylor - Field of Interest: Social Services/Human Resource Management
Stephanie is a lifelong resident of Northwest Arkansas and has been working in the social work field for over 25 years. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas and then moved to Florida to pursue her master's degree in social work. Upon returning to Arkansas, Stephanie started her own family and has since become deeply involved in this thriving community. Throughout her career, she has worked with diverse individuals and participated in a variety of activities and events. “In the past five years, I've accomplished several notable achievements. I've developed and implemented an employee recognition program, coordinated community events, and assisted with fundraising efforts for various organizations. I've also collaborated with leadership teams to plan employee engagement events and networked with other agencies to secure resources.”
Stephanie is passionate about working in environments that foster creativity and growth.
In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, exploring Northwest Arkansas's growth and development, and supporting new local businesses. “I'm also a DIY enthusiast, enjoy technology, and love planning trips for friends and family. I've built strong relationships within Northwest Arkansas over the years, dating back to my high school days.”
Taylor Aishman - Field of Interest: Software Engineering and Project Management
Taylor is a recent Computer Science graduate of Hendrix College. He has an independent spirit that allows him to manage multiple projects simultaneously. “The most effective teamwork style I have been a part of was one where research associates would work on their own projects and come together either with each other when their research happened to overlap, or contact me with programs that needed to be written to support them. At the end of the work week, we would come together for an informal stand-up meeting where we would share the week's progress, discuss any issues we encountered, and share new announcements or breakthroughs in the field.”
Taylor is a classically trained musician who taught himself how to play the organ, sang in Hendrix’s choir, and took voice and piano lessons. “I think music helps free up my mind's creativity and allows me to focus on other things for a while throughout the week.” Taylor was also a fierce CrossFit competitor but was sidelined by an injury. He recently started weightlifting and is looking to compete again in the near future. Taylor has a dog that he takes hiking and is eager to explore the Butterfield Trail at Devil’s Den as the cooler temps arrive.
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Devin Clyburn - Field of Interest: Account Management/Relationship Building
Devin Clyburn is an Arkansas native from Little Rock with a bit of a nomadic spirit. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, he took a leap and moved to Atlanta with his high school sweetheart to kick off a new career at Enterprise Mobility. “A year later, we found ourselves in sunny South Florida, settling into a beachside apartment in Boca Raton. My journey continued with a transfer within Enterprise, which eventually led me to ADP, where I truly honed my sales skills.” Devin quickly discovered his passion for building genuine relationships with clients and accounts and learned to thrive in environments that foster open communication and teamwork.
His experiences at both Enterprise and ADP sharpened his ability to adapt to diverse client needs and think on his feet. “At heart, I'm an extroverted introvert. I love engaging with others and making connections, but I also value my downtime to recharge.” Outside of work, you can find Devin exploring farmers’ markets with his wife, embarking on day trips, discovering new Thai restaurants, or enjoying quality time with friends. He stays active through exercise, jiu-jitsu, diving, surfing, and simply being outdoors. These passions fuel his drive for success and help him bring his best self to any role he takes on.
Devin and his wife are excited to relocate back to Northwest Arkansas to be closer to family and friends as they plan to start a family of their own. “In my next role, I aim to leverage my skills in account management or customer success, focusing on developing key relationships and delivering exceptional service. I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to what the future holds!”
Brenton Taylor - Field of Interest: Cybersecurity
Brenton is a veteran of the United States Air Force who recently completed six years of active duty. His time spent in the Air Force helped hone his leadership, technical support, and adaptability skills. Brenton is a proactive communicator and problem solver, “I am a good listener who asks the right questions to ensure tasks and situations are fully understood. This helps me anticipate needs and proactively address challenges, especially when unexpected situations arise.” Brenton is a quick learner and has earned the reputation of being a "jack of all trades," which has been critical in adapting to new environments and responsibilities throughout his career.
Some of Brenton’s achievements include: Senior Airman Below the Zone, Airman of the Quarter, and AF Achievement Medal (for sustaining theater operations and evacuations during a tropical cyclone while deployed in Guam). Brenton excels in leadership roles where collaboration is key. He empowers team members by listening to diverse perspectives and is comfortable delegating when a better approach is suggested.
Brenton also takes pride in seeing projects through to completion, always aiming for efficiency and quality. “Insurmountable situations lead to learnable outcomes, a mindset I carry into my cybersecurity work, where I am continuously learning and leveraging new technologies like cloud and AI solutions to enhance business operations.”
Outside of the daily grind, Brenton enjoys skateboarding, exploring new mountain biking trails, as well as hiking and kayaking with his wife and two dogs. He also likes finding new fishing holes in the area. When not outdoors, Brenton spends time working on networking solutions for his home lab and learning new programming languages to automate various tasks.
We hope you will reach out and consider connecting with these bright and capable individuals.
If you would like us to facilitate an intro or know someone who might be interested in connecting with any of the members, visit and/or share this link with them: https://people.getro.com/app/shared-lists/talent-showcase
If you would like to be featured in a future showcase, we invite you to join the Northwest Arkansas Talent Network and reach out to Justin Stewart, MBA on Linkedin or via email at [email protected]
Happy Fall!
Justin Stewart, MBA and Aron Shelton , Talent Initiatives Team at Northwest Arkansas Council
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