Members from the Phi Beta Lambda chapter at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith received a total of 15 awards at PBL’s National Leadership Conference, setting a school record for number of awards at a PBL national conference and leading the state of Arkansas for total number of awards received by a chapter.

More than 1,700 students representing various colleges and universities from over 30 states across the United States attended the conference, which was held July 8-12 in Nashville, Tenn.

Award recipients included:

Alma: Danita McEntire, ninth place in management analysis and decision making (with teammate Aliesha Wells).

Barling: Claudia Rucchio, eighth place in impromptu speaking.

Fort Smith: Marsha Hayes, sixth place in business law and 10th place in management concepts; Shea Tackett, sixth place in hospitality management (with teammate Jordan Remagen); and Anthony Tahan, eighth place in financial services.

Greenwood: Travis Bolton, second place in human resource management; Payton Place, seventh place in emerging business issues (with teammate Josiah Cotner); and Jordan Remagen, sixth place in hospitality management (with teammate Shea Tackett).

Lavaca: Aliesha Wells, ninth place in management analysis & decision making (with teammate Danita McEntire).

Lowell: Abigail Nietert, first place in employee training and development and ninth place in international business.

Muldrow: Jeremy Brown, eighth place in accounting for professionals.

Russellville: Tamara Reno, third place in financial services (with teammate Ching Wong) and sixth place in Future Business Executive.

Springdale: Lacrecia Billings, sixth place in business presentation.

Van Buren: Josiah Cotner, seventh place in emerging business issues (with teammate Payton Place); and Ching Wong, third place in financial services (with teammate Tamara Reno) and sixth place in accounting analysis and decision making.

Dr. Latisha Settlage and Dr. Margaret Tanner, both of Fort Smith and faculty advisers for the organization, accompanied the students to the conference.

Phi Beta Lambda is an organization for students preparing for careers in business or business-related fields and is the college division of the Future Business Leaders of America.