Executive Director
Ms. Polonius is a founding member and Executive Director of alt.Consulting, an innovative non-profit organization that provides customized, managerial assistance to rural-based and minority-owned businesses throughout the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta Region. Ms. Polonius leads a team of eight management consultants and has personally worked with over 200 small businesses in manufacturing, distribution, service and retail. She has conducted organizational and financial audits, facilitated planning sessions and customized management systems for these businesses. Ms. Polonius and her team are working on small business financing models for businesses in low-wealth communities that utilize managerial assistance as a means to reduce risk. She has developed and taught numerous seminars on financial management and strategic planning.
As a Business Development Consultant at the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development she served more than 30 clients through an intensive management consulting process. Ms. Polonius earned an MBA and a Masters of Economics at Boston University. Prior to pursuing her graduate work, she worked for three years with rural micro-enterprise development projects in Chile and the Dominican Republic. She has also worked as a financial manager for a manufacturer and a distribution company in Hamburg, Germany. Ms. Polonius received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University.
Ms. Polonius serves on the following boards:
Mr. Auker has 25 years of Management, Sales and Marketing experience working for a variety of companies in the food industry. Areas of expertise include staff management, customer service, distribution, sales and merchandising, training and planning.
Mr. Auker has a B.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. He also earned his Masters in Business Adminstration from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.
As a Management Consultant, Mr. Branch is responsible for providing technical assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs to improve operations and cash flow. Mr. Branch's specialities are Financial Management, Business Planning, Loan Planning and Financial Analysis.
Mr. Branch holds a Bachelors degree in Communications from Bowie State University; a Masters in Business Administration in Entrepreneurship (sum cum laude) and is currently a doctorate candidate in Business Administration at Jones International University.
Mr. Fullen received his B.S. in Accounting and and MBE from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Mr. Fullen has experience in banking and served 30 years as Chief Financial Officer for a local company.
Mr. Fullen has been an active volunteer in many non-profits and helped launch a successful scholarship fund in his home county.
B.S. in both accounting and finance. With emphasis in both banking and corporate.
Strong background in economic development. Former Empowerment Zone Director for Downtown Little Rock Partnership. Bachelor of Business Administration.
Ms. Norwood has a diverse background of experience in the areas of general management, human resources, and legal services. Prior to working with alt.Consulting she worked 4 years in retail management as an assistant manager of operations and a personnel manager for a large retail conglomerate. As an assistant manager Ms. Norwood gained valuable management experience including managing a staff of over 50 employees, retail merchandising, customer services, and risk management experience. As a personnel manager she gained human resources experience in benefits administration, recruitment, hiring and training.
Ms. Norwood earned her Masters in Business Administration and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a licensed attorney in the State of Tennessee. While working for alt.Consulting as a management consultant and managing director, Ms. Norwood also practices law on a part-time basis.
She has been with alt.Consulting since June 2004 working with clients throughout the West Tennessee area, Northern Mississippi and Eastern Arkansas.
Loan Officer
Ms. Powis-Dow rejoined alt.Consulting in 2011. Her expertise is in financial management, strategy development and training. Tina is a veteran of the banking, consumer credit and waste management industries.
Tina spent 8 years providing consulting and training to small businesses. Prior to joining alt.Consulting Ms. Powis-Dow held mid-management level roles in audit, accounting, marketing and training with small businesses in the Arkansas Delta and Fortune 500 companies in major markets on the West Coast.
Ms. Powis-Dow holds an MBA in Accounting from the University of Phoenix and a BA in Social Science and Management Studies with a concentration in Economics from Antioch College.
Program Associate
Responsible for accounting, quality control and all administrative support for consultants in the field. Notary Public.
Mr. Ritchie graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He received a double major in Economics/Finance and Management/Marketing. He also earned his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.
Mr. Ritchie's experience consists of six years in the banking, lending and financial services industry. He has also held sales, advertising, and marketing roles with several small businesses in Arkansas. He has served on the Arkansas Tech University School of Business Advisory Council and the Fayetteville Metro Kiwanis Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Arkansas Tech University Young Alumni Board of Directors.
Before joining alt.Consulting, Mr. Ritchie gained invaluable experience in marketing and advertising when he was part of a small group that successfully introduced and marketed the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Professional Baseball Team.
Loan Fund Manager and Development Director
Ms. Slayton's experience covers fifteen years of business lending and an additional ten years in banking, including banking operations, personal and business lending and management. She is a graduate of the School of Banking of the South, the National Development Council, the Commercial and Consumer Lending School and management program of the Arkansas Bankers Association.
From 1992 to 2004, Ms. Slayton worked in numerous capacities at Southern Financial Partners. From 1997 to 2003, she served as its Executive Director, managing a loan portfolio of $14 million. In this position Ms. Slayton has been a champion of small businesses, rural communities and the underprivileged in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta and has worked tirelessly in these efforts.
