Special Recognition

Born in California’s San Joaquin Valley and raised in Michoacán, México, Rafael Rios is a proud ambassador of Mexico’s authentic regional cuisine. Rafael founded Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico (2012), Yeyo’s Mezcaleria (2019), and Bauhaus Biergarten in (2024).

Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico (The Soul of Mexico) features approachable Mexican food staples made exceptional with expertly grown produce from Rios Family Farm. Yeyo’s Mezcaleria focuses on cocktails and culinary complements—true exploratory experiences for the palate. The Mezcaleria dips into haute-cuisine elements to offer one of Arkansas’s most distinctive dining experiences. Bauhaus Biergarten, located in Downtown Springdale,
brings the lively spirit of a traditional German biergarten to Northwest Arkansas.

A proud U.S. Army veteran, Chef Rios discovered his passion for German cuisine while stationed in Mannheim and Heidelberg, where he developed a deep appreciation for the country’s food, culture, and family-style dining traditions. He believes that meaningful, intentional food with history is the most delicious—food made simply to highlight the highest-quality ingredients. Rafael is called to inspire and inform guests about the bounty surrounding Northwest Arkansas and the traditional cuisines of Mexico and Germany that fuel his passion.

Yeyo’s was listed by The New York Times in 2022 among the 50 best restaurants in America. Rafael is a four-time semifinalist (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024) and nominee (2025) for Best Chef South by the James Beard Foundation.  

Mike Rush is the founder and owner of Rush Running, a Northwest Arkansas–based specialty run shop rooted in community, performance, and a lifelong passion for the sport. A University of Arkansas track and field alum, Mike built Rush Running into a hub for runners of all levels, offering expert shoe fitting, training groups, race support, and deep community involvement. His belief is simple: running can change lives, and strong local businesses help build strong communities.  

Kimberly Kay is a strategic leader in museum operations, serving as Senior Manager of Retail and Guest Services at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, Arkansas. She has led a full transformation of the museum’s retail operations, growing revenue to four times its original level through data driven systems, strong financial controls, and mission-aligned merchandising. Her role has expanded to include oversight of guest services, event rentals, and the development and launch of new food and beverage initiatives, helping create sustainable earned revenue streams and meaningful guest experiences. She also co-created the Youth Makers Program, an entrepreneurship initiative that helps teens turn ideas into products and gain real world experience through making and selling.

In addition to her work at the Amazeum, Kimberly is the founder and co-lead of the Technobotics Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving more than 300 students annually and supporting over 40 robotics teams. Through this work, she leads coaching, program development, fundraising, and competition logistics, with teams competing at state, national, and international levels. Across her work, Kimberly focuses on building systems that create opportunity, strengthen organizations, and expand access to hands-on learning, innovation, and entrepreneurship.  

Christine Falls is a 2026 graduate of NorthWest Arkansas Community College. She has successfully earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Management. She is a member of the NWACC Gamma Beta Phi society. She has completed the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) leadership training, focusing on personal growth, communication, goal setting, and professional development. In October 2025, she was inducted into the NSLS as a lifetime member. She is an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) student member. In April 2026, she was awarded the ArHIMA local chapter 2026 Student of the Year award among HIM students across the state of Arkansas. She volunteers her personal time throughout the year as a member of the Dress for Success Community Event Committee. She enjoys volunteering for community initiatives for women in Northwest Arkansas.

Christine plans to continue her commitment and dedication to excellence throughout her career transition from Human Resources to the Health Information Management profession. During her Clinical Internship II, she had the opportunity to complete a project assignment involving Physician Monitoring, tracking the accuracy and productivity of History and Physical and Operative reports. She shares that the project assignment was extremely rewarding and beneficial to her HIM career goals. The real-world knowledge she obtained prepared her to step into the HIM world as a confident healthcare leader! Her passion for Health Information Management is rooted in improving the quality of patient care through accurate documentation, compliance, physician engagement, privacy and security, and healthcare support excellence.

Christine is a spiritually guided person and has a strong faith in God. She gives all honor and credit to God, who always carries her across the sand, leaving His footprints as the path for her life’s plans.