Page 2 - January-February 2020 HER

2 JAN/FEB HER
MEET THE TEAM
Grace Brown
Associate Editor
Grace is a Hot Springs native and an alumna
of Hot Springs High School, Lyon College,
and Chi Omicron sorority. She enjoys spending her free time in her roller skates or taking photos. Grace is a member of a local roller derby league and loves community theater.
Cassidy Kendall
Cassidy is a UCA alumna, originally from southern Arkansas. She can often be found with her headphones in listening to music, stand-up comedy or one of her sisters. In her free time, she enjoys traveling in her van with a good nonfiction book and a good dog named Murphey.
Rebeca Rector
Rebeca is a California native who calls the city of Hot Springs her home. She is a Gospel Light Christian School grad and a National Park College and UALR alumna. When she isn't writing, Rebeca loves traveling, spending time with her family and their dog, biking, exploring and taking care of her family's land and horses.
Jami Smith
Associate Design Editor
Jami is a Henderson State University alumna with a degree in Digital Art and Design. In her free time she can be found outside mountain biking, hiking, or canoing with her dog Jensen.
Brittany Weaver
Associate Design Editor
Brittany is a Henderson State University and Alpha Sigma Tau alumna. She's lived in Hot Springs since graduating HSU in 2016. In her free time, Brittany enjoys playing video games with her husband and re-reading the Harry Potter series.
PUBLISHER
Harry Porter
EDITOR
Mark Gregory
MANAGING EDITOR
Steven Mross
ADVERTISING DESIGNERS
Amanda Howell MerryLee Meeker ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Richard Rasmussen CONTACT US gbrown@hotsr.com
The hype from the holiday season paired with the motivation to make the new year “the best yet” just fill the first few months of the year with so much positive energy. Although we are not sure what we’re officially referring to the last decade as, the general consensus among the HER staff is convinced it is one for the books. Given the fact most of us are younger women, the 2010s, 2000-teens, or whatever we end up calling them, was truly our decade. From Silly Bands to iPod Shuffles, we saw it all, whether we liked it or not. Looking forward to the next decade and the generations that will come of age during this time, we cannot help but feel a glimmer of hope for our future as women.
As we kick off the 2020 season for HER Magazine we find ourselves in familiar territory. With the start of the live thoroughbred racing season just around the corner and all the new development going on at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, it felt like a good time to take to the track and get a head start picking out our favorites for the upcoming races.
If you’re ever in the back side barns at Oaklawn or just a racing fan in general, the Moquett name will sound familiar. For years, this family worked to make a name for themselves at Oaklawn Park and horse racing tracks around the country. Helping lead the future of Moquett Racing is Laura Moquett. We sat down with her for this year’s issue to see how her hands-on approach in the backside barns helps her horses win race after race. As an exercise rider, Moquett is constantly interacting with her horses and learning just what makes them tick.
On the flip side of Oaklawn, we also met up with the director of security, Patti Pendleton. She dished out information on what it is like to manage such a large group of security officers. Especially a place as interesting as the casino floor. There is never a dull moment. Pendleton is another great example of a woman making a name for herself in a male-dominated industry.
We also found ourselves seeking out fresh styles for the new year and vying for a spot in Melanie Efird’s appointment book. A native of New Mexico, Efird says she’s been brightening up Hot Springs’ heads for years. Although she is known for her work with vivid colors, Efird also keeps a list of clients who prefer a less bold approach. No matter how bright the pallet, this wizard of colors wowed us with her talents at the salon. We will let the pictures do the talking on this one.
This is just a small sample of what the HER staff has in store for our readers in 2020. We are so excited to bring attention to all the fabulous, talented women in the area. Happy New Year to all of our readers! We wish you all the success in sticking to those resolutions. Until next month,
the HERstaff
2 JAN/FEB 2020 ¯ HER MAGAZINE