SOMERVILLE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 20, 2026--
Matlen Silver is pleased to announce the promotion of Rebecca Ventura to Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. Ventura will oversee national operations, delivery strategy, and organizational execution while continuing to advance operational excellence and client experience.
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Ventura most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Operations, where she played an instrumental role in scaling teams, strengthening client partnerships, and driving operational performance. Her collaborative leadership style and ability to align teams around shared goals have helped foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and growth.
Since joining Matlen Silver in 2021 as Regional Director of Sales and Business Operations, Ventura has been promoted four times, advancing to Vice President, Senior Vice President, and now Chief Operating Officer. Throughout her tenure, she helped strengthen the company’s enterprise sales organization, drive growth across multiple U.S. markets, enhance operational processes, and support Matlen Silver’s IGNITE junior hiring program.
"Rebecca has been an incredible leader for Matlen Silver and someone our teams genuinely trust and respect," said Kirk Ferrier, Chief Revenue Officer of Matlen Silver. "Her ability to lead with authenticity, build exceptional teams, and execute on our vision has made a lasting impact. She is the right leader to guide our operations as we continue investing in our people, our clients, and our future."
"My journey through recruiting, sales, national account management, and executive leadership has given me a front-row seat to how every piece of the business fits together. I have a deep appreciation for the dedication it takes to deliver for our clients every day," said Rebecca Ventura, Chief Operating Officer of Matlen Silver. "Stepping into the COO role allows me to bridge our field success with the core operations that power it. My focus is on refining the engines that support our teams so we can continue scaling efficiently while keeping our culture at the center."
About Matlen Silver
For more than 45 years, Matlen Silver has delivered solutions for complex talent and technology needs to Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders. Consistently named as one of the largest staffing firms and IT staffing firms in the US by Staffing Industry Analysts, Matlen Silver provides full-service, customized end-to-end IT solutions that allow organizations to grow and innovate.
Visit matlensilver.com to learn more.
Rebecca Ventura, Chief Operating Officer, Matlen Silver
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — 2025 record: 2-10
New coach Ryan Silverfield arrived at Arkansas in November to coach a team that has finished with either one or zero Southeastern Conference wins in five of the last nine seasons. Almost no one is expecting the Razorbacks to make a bowl much less contend in the rugged SEC.
What the Arkansas faithful would like to see is competitiveness. The team has produced just one winning season in conference play since 2011. Silverfield is their fifth coach since that season, Bobby Petrino’s last. Even Petrino has already returned and left again, exiting in the offseason after serving as offensive coordinator then interim coach for much of 2025 when Sam Pittman was fired Sept. 25.
Given the difficulty of the schedule, a .500 season in league play would be considered an excellent accomplishment. Beating the likes of Vanderbilt, Auburn and South Carolina should be the realistic focus, not trying to upset Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M and LSU.
Another winless year in the SEC might cost jobs higher up the chain than head coach, as athletic director Hunter Yurachek is a divisive figure to some of the fan base.
The Razorbacks were granted a gift when defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. decided to return for his senior year. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder recorded eight sacks and 15 1/2 tackles-for-loss, the highest totals for an Arkansas player since 2016 and 2014, respectively.
And while he’s the lone returning player on the defensive line penned in as starter, Arkansas has experience with returnees David Oke and Charlie Collins rotating in, plus Kentucky transfer Steven Soles Jr. and Virginia transfer Hunter Osborne expected to bolster the unit.
Offensively, whoever wins the quarterback job has options at wideout: Chris Marshall is a former five-star recruit who transferred from Boise State. Jamari Hawkins knows Silverfield’s system having played with him at Memphis. And CJ Brown is the leading returning wide receiver. All three caught about 30 passes at their respective schools last year.
It depends how the two-deep roster shakes out, but likely fewer than eight players in the group of 44 played for the Razorbacks last year. That isn’t totally unexpected given the coaching change combined with the Razorbacks’ lack of success, but it makes for a lot of open competition.
Quarterback KJ Jackson is likely to win the job after impressing in two late-season games last year, but as of mid-August, Silverfield hadn’t announced a starter.
The interior part of Arkansas’ offensive line appears set, but both tackle positions remain in flux. Every linebacker after No. 1 Bradley Shaw is up in the air. Miguel Mitchell and Caleb Wooden are the only returners in the secondary. .
WR Chris Marshall (transfer from Boise State), CB Joker Johnson (transfer from Tulane), LB Ja’Quavion Smith (transfer from Howard), OT Bryant Williams (transfer from Louisiana), QB AJ Hill (transfer from Memphis).
QB Taylen Green (NFL), RB Mike Washington Jr. (NFL), LB Xavian Sorey Jr. (NFL), WR O’Mega Blake (exhausted eligibility), OG Fernando Carmona (NFL).
At Utah (Sept. 12), vs. Tennessee (Oct. 10), vs. Missouri (Oct. 31).
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FILE - Arkansas defenders Quincy Rhodes Jr. (97) and Phillip Lee (1) celebrate after a big defensive stop against Arkansas State during an NCAA football game, Sept. 6, 2025, in Little Rock, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
