Guaranteeing that students can afford to pursue medical, dental and pharmaceutical careers is especially important to Lana Nayles and her husband, Dr. Lee Nayles. It’s why they’re co-chairing this year’s Arkansas Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association’s (AMDPA) scholarship fundraising event, “Holiday Lights & Bites, opening homes for the holiday season while giving back.”
In years past, this event has been a gala, but when the Nayleses (he is a 28-year AMDPA member; she is a member of the AMDPA auxiliary) were asked to co-chair, they decided to shake things up a bit. “My husband wanted to do a home tour, which he and I have both participated in elsewhere, and this was the chance,” said Lana. They then called on some friends and other AMDPA members to open their homes for the tour.
“We have our home, of course, and the homes of T.B and Eva Isby, Dr. Archie and Garbo Hearne, Dr. Alonzo and Susan Williams and Melinda and Jim Markus,” she said.
The event begins at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec.11, with a reception at Nayles Medical Clinic on Main Street. Guests will then board a luxury coach to each of the homes. “The tour will feature a rotational schedule among four homes. These four homes will feature astonishing decorations, live music, wine and a progressive food menu,” said Lana. At the fifth home, the evening will culminate in a full-course meal. “Along with the full-course meal, at the fifth home, the tour will feature live entertainment from Rodney Block & Company and a Christmas tree auction from trees shown on the tour.”
Over the years, AMDPA has given more than 30 scholarships to deserving medical, dental and pharmaceutical students. “Knowing that monies are being raised for scholarships is important to me,” Lana said. “I was fortunate while attending college that finances did not dictate whether I stayed in school or not. But I did witness many classmates not able to return because they didn’t have the money. Many times, it’s not a lot that’s needed, but an extra $3,000-$4,000 can make the difference when trying to achieve a degree and dream,” said Lana.
A native of El Dorado, Lana is the oldest of three children. Her mother, Margerine Williams, was a nurse, and her father, Lonnie Williams, worked for Murphy Oil in the oil fields of south Arkansas and east Texas. In 1976, he was transferred to Longview, where Lana finished high school.
She attended Texas Southern University in Houston on a tennis scholarship, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in banking and finance. “I was also student senate president and Miss Texas Southern University my senior year,” she said. “Fortunately for me, that was the year they didn’t do a pageant, whew!”
After graduation, she worked as an art dealer and gallery owner in Houston, where one of her clients was Dr. Nayles’ college roommate. He introduced the couple, and they have now been married for more than six years.
Although she still does an exhibit and sale once a year in Las Vegas, much of her time these days is spent managing the office of her husband’s practice, Nayles Medical Clinic, volunteering with AMDPA and other organizations and chasing after her 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Kai.
She’s also busy organizing all the last-minute details for Holiday Lights & Bites, which includes working with her committee, and some of the designers: Ashley Henderson of Ashley Ann’s Design, Leroy Womack of Designs On The Move and Joyce Patillo of JPat Consulting. “This event is a new concept,” she said, “but at the end of the day, a good time will be had by all, and money will be raised for scholarships to assist some students in achieving a career in a health profession.
”Holiday Lights & Bites”
5 p.m., Sat., Dec. 11
Nayles Medical Clinic, 1400 Main Street
Tickets are $125 per person; call 265-0156 for more info
About the AMDPA
Organized in Little Rock in 1893, the AMDPA is an organization of medical professionals that pre-dates the formation of the American Medical Association. One of its main goals is to generate scholarship funds for students who might not have the opportunity to participate in the medical, dental or pharmaceutical professions.