Arkansas Money & Politics August 2024 by AY Magazine

Hello to healing.

THE STEPHENS TEAM! GOOD LUCK TO

Stephens is proud to partner with our LPGA Brand Ambassadors Brooke, Stacy, Gaby, Maria and Lilly. As we reflect on nearly a century of our company's success, we are honored to align ourselves with these outstanding Brand Ambassadors who exemplify dedication, perseverance, and excellence. Each of them makes golf an indispensable contributor to the quality of our state and our country. Good luck to each of you at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

FEATURES

TOUCHDOWN, LITTLE ROCK

Where, a college football fan might ask, is the nation’s best local touchdown club located? Many a national media member would answer, “Little Rock.”

SWEET SPOT

Randy Zook of the Arkansas State Chamber said the state is seeing new sectors emerging and a high level of interest from outside companies looking to relocate.

Care navigation programs like the one at OrthoArkansas are one facet of a larger push for more

August 2024

For large chambers of commerce, work often extends beyond the borders of the city into neighboring areas from which they draw workers.

Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to recognize Champions of Health Care in Arkansas once again. These talented professionals were chosen by AMP readers.

Small towns in Arkansas are leaning on their chambers of commerce to bring in a steady stream of visitors and revenue.

Arkansas has steadily grown in infrastructure and economic security thanks to these hardworking companies as selected by AMP readers.

Lyon College is giving Arkansas something to smile about. In 2025, the Batesville school will open the state’s first school of dental medicine.

The physician-run and awardwinning Arkansas Surgical Hospital enjoys its status as an independent health care provider and excels because of it.

At most any company, the corner office often comes with higher levels of responsibility and higher levels of pay. It also comes with higher levels of stress.

Local communities should have the right to choose whether they will be wet or dry when it comes to alcohol sales. Such a hodgepodge can cause confusion, though.

The Hogs open the 2024 campaign on Aug. 29, and expectations are cautious following a dysfunctional ’23 season. Help has arrived on the Hill, however.

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com

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Dwain Hebda | dwain@armoneyandpolitics.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

Becky Gillette, KD Reep, Barbara Sugg, Casey Covington, Jeremy Harper, Kenneth Heard, Paul Sage, Sam Selig, Todd Traub, Steve Wilcox

ON THE COVER

The Little Rock Touchdown Club celebrates 20 years this fall. The brainchild of former Hog David Bazzel with some help from Rex Nelson, the club has become one of the most respected of its kind in the nation.

Photos by DeWaine Duncan.

See story on page 12.

FEEDBACK

AMP TOP TEN: DIANE ZOOK, TEACH THE CHILD

She is awesome! One of the kindest and wisest people I know!

Judith Woodward Goodson

SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL BUSINESS: OARK GENERAL STORE

Love the pies!

Randa Higgs Hawkins

AMP TOP TEN: DIANE ZOOK, TEACH THE CHILD

She made a difference in my life when she was with NLRSD and I will be forever grateful.

Michele Ballentine-Linch

FILM ALLEY COMING TO BRECKENRIDGE VILLAGE THEATRE IN EARLY 2025

Fantastic! Will be there to support it! So happy to have a movie theatre back at Breckenridge. It was always the easiest location to get to in the city for movies.

Jeff Hanks

AMP TRAILBLAZING WOMEN: CATHY TUGGLE

Cathy is the sweetest Legend I know! Love that she was honored by AMP!

Carolyn Bazzel Branch

WHAT IT IS, IS FOOTBALL

Football season is not just on the horizon; it’s actually right around the corner. For those of us who haven’t watched an entire MLB game in years, it’s about time.

In honor of the approaching dawn of the best three months of the year, here are excerpts from Andy Griffith’s famous monologue, “What It Was, Was Football,” which became a national best-selling record in 1953.

In it, Griffith takes on the persona of a rural revivalist who accidentally discovers college football as his group arrives in town to set up for a tent service the next day.

… What I seen was this whole raft of people a-sittin’ on these two banks and a-lookin’ at one another across this pretty little green cow pasture. Well, they was.

Somebody had took and drawed white lines all over it and drove posts in it and I don’t know what all, and I looked down there, and I seen five or six convicts a-running up and down and ablowing whistles. They was. And then I looked down there, I seen these pretty girls wearin’ these little bitty short dresses and a-dancing around, and so I sit down and thought I’d see what it was that was a-going to happen, I did. …

Then a convict come over to where they was a-standin’, and he took out a quarter, and they commenced to odd man right there, they did. After a while, I seen what it was they was odd-manning for. It was that both bunches-full of them men wanted this funny-lookin’ little punkin’ to play with, they did.

I seen that them men had got in two little bitty bunches down there real close together, and they voted, they did. They voted and elected one man apiece, and them two men come out in the middle of that cow pasture and shook hands like they hadn’t seen one another in a long time.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

And I know, friends, that they couldn’t eat it because they kicked it the whole evenin’ and it never busted.

But, anyhow, what I was telling was both bunches-full wanted that thing. One bunch got it, and it made the other bunch just as mad as they could be. Friends, I seen that evenin’ the awfulest fight that I have ever seen in all my life, I did! They would run at one another and kick one another and throw one another down and stomp on one another and grind their feet in one another and I don’t know what all, and just as fast as one of ‘em would get hurt, they’d tote him off and run another one on. ...

I don’t know, friends, to this day what it was that they was a-doin’ down there, but I have studied about it. I think it was that it’s some kindly of a contest where they see which bunch-full of them men can take that punkin’ and run from one end of that cow pasture to the other without gettin’ knocked down or steppin’ in somethin’.

Across the state, hundreds of cow pastures are being prettied up for the annual fight for the “punkin’.” Here’s hoping the home boys win ‘em all.

By Heather Baker

LITTLE ROCK TOUCHDOWN CLUB KEEPS ON SCORING

As the cover reveals, the August issue of Arkansas Money & Politics shines a spotlight on the Little Rock Touchdown Club, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. AMP is proud to be the club’s media sponsor again this year. With more than 500 members, the LRTDC is one of the largest clubs of its kind in the country, and according to many of the highprofile speakers it brings in — think Peyton Manning, Terry Bradshaw, Jon Gruden — it is one of the best, as well.

While the Touchdown Club is on the cover, economic development and health care are the industry focuses of the August issue. Chambers of commerce are the pistons that fuel the economic engine in Arkansas. In our look at the overall state of economic development in Arkansas, our writers visit with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Arkansas Council, and chamber executives in Natural State cities

and towns from El Dorado to Bentonville.

Our look at health care will include a look at Lyon College’s plans to open a dental school in Little Rock, the state’s first; the potentially revolutionary care navigator program at OrthoArkansas; the successful model at Arkansas Surgical Hospital; and how the stress of being a CEO can take its toll.

Plus, AMP readers once again picked their Champions of Health Care.

Elsewhere in this month’s issue, we’ll look at the state’s wet/dry laws related to alcohol sales, feature the unique James + James Furniture in Springdale and, it being August, preview the upcoming Razorback football season.

I love summer but am ready to trade this August heat in for some good old-fashioned football weather. Maybe by November, we’ll get some.

Thanks for reading, as always. Hit me up with any comments or suggestions at HBaker@armoneyandpolitics.com.

Heather Baker and David Bazzel

NEW SOLAR PROJECT WILL HELP RURAL HOSPITALS

By Sam Selig

Arkansas’ rural hospitals need all the help they can get right now. According to a recent study by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, 73 percent of rural hospitals in the state have cut back on services in recent years due to budget issues. The study also found that more than 50 percent of rural hospitals in Arkansas are in danger of shutting their doors, and 29 percent are at what researchers termed “immediate risk of closure.”

For the hundreds of thousands of Arkansans who rely on rural hospitals for everything from broken bones to chemotherapy, the issue is bigger than dollars and cents, but innovation and technology present a surprising, outside-the-box solution: slashing skyrocketing energy costs through efficiency and renewable power.

This is not just conjecture. A new solar power generation and efficiency project coming together right now for Searcy-based Unity Health proves it. Set to help the health care provider save millions in energy costs over the next decade, the project will also insulate Unity’s budget against future energy price spikes. The project points the way to an important and repeatable strategy for struggling rural hospitals nationwide.

for other types of development, the array will essentially allow Unity Health to purchase up to 35 years of electricity in advance, locking in energy costs. Unity’s electricity budget will not fluctuate as long as the solar array is operational.

Traditional “tracker” solar arrays require extensive structural-steel supports to lift the solar panels 6 to 8 feet off the ground. In addition to making both planning and construction more expensive and time-consuming, the design allows weeds to grow under and between the panels, complicating panel cleaning and site maintenance over large plots of land.

Part of a multiyear energy-as-a-service agreement between Bernhard and Unity Health, the project will have guaranteed savings of $63 million over 20 years. In addition to conserving electricity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the measures will increase cash flow and reduce long-term operating expenses at all Unity Health facilities, including White County Medical Center in Searcy, Unity campuses in Jacksonville and Newport, and a specialty care center in Searcy.

The savings are realized through a two-pronged strategy. First, Bernhard engineers will retrofit all Unity Health facilities for maximum efficiency, including replacing interior and exterior lighting with more efficient LED lighting. Behind-the-scenes work will include new building automation, upgrades to steam systems and air-handling units, and the installation of a 500-ton magnetic-bearing chiller at White County Medical Center. Together, the measures account for about 60 percent of the energy cost savings realized from the project and could be replicated by smaller health care facilities across the state.

The other thrust of the plan is even more groundbreaking: a 3-megawatt “earth mount” solar array. Constructed just north of Morrilton on a parcel of floodplain land that is not suitable

As the name suggests, the earth-mount array features panels that are installed flush with the ground. Nearly invisible to passersby and with no gaps to allow weed growth, the array will require only about one-third as much land as a comparable tracker system. The array is also more hail-resistant and can withstand wind speeds of more than 190 mph. Once online, the solar array is projected to save Unity Health about $700,000 per year in energy cost.

In all, the measures will provide 100 percent backup power generation capability at Unity’s flagship medical center, giving the facility the ability to continue care without interruption during a complete power grid failure or natural disasters.

Just as important in today’s financial climate are the savings and predictability Unity Health will realize through the project. By generating solar power, Unity will stabilize its energy costs for the long term, shielding the provider against utility price increases and financial uncertainty, and substantially reducing their scope 2 GHG emissions.

Rural hospitals are a vital lifeline for Arkansans across the state and provide care close to home for residents on fixed incomes or those who cannot drive long distances. With the help of experienced partners who understand today’s energy markets, however, renewable energy and efficiency projects can help smaller hospitals take control of their finances, saving millions while subtracting energy cost hikes from the equation for decades to come. That is a big, green win for both patients and the future of rural health care in Arkansas.

Sam Selig, a licensed professional engineer based in Little Rock, serves as senior vice president for renewable energy with Bernhard, the largest energy-as-a-service company in the United States.

Sam Selig

BUILDING THE FUTURE

HOW INTERNSHIPS EMPOWER ARKANSAS WOMEN, STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE

By Barbara Sugg

In today’s competitive business environment, the importance of investing in educational opportunities and nurturing the next generation of women leaders cannot be overstated.

In fact, research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that women who participate in internships are more likely to secure full-time employment after graduation. With women still underrepresented in many high-paying, high-growth industries, including science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM — where they make up only 28 percent of the workforce, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project — we must provide these opportunities early to increase the number of women in these critical fields.

Internship programs like the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program created by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas are pivotal in advancing the economic security and prosperity of Arkansas women and girls. These programs help close the gender pay gap because women who have completed internships often earn higher starting salaries than those who have not. By focusing on women in STEM, finance and related fields, we can ensure that more women enter and succeed in these high-paying industries.

Another inspiring example is Kai Wright, who described the program as a crucial resource for jump-starting her professional career. The program’s focus on STEM and its partnerships with companies such as SPP provided her with enriching experiences, valuable networking opportunities and a deep understanding of industry practices. Wright now works in our generator interconnection department, where she continues to apply the skills she learned during her internship and grow in her career.

Southwest Power Pool is thrilled to join the WFA in this work by serving as an employee partner for the Tijuana Byrd Summer Internship Program. Throughout our partnership, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of this program, which has enriched our organization and paved the way for countless young women to thrive in their careers, both at SPP and beyond.

The Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program is not just about gaining work experience. It is about fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment among women entering the workforce. This program immerses interns in a supportive environment where they work alongside industry experts on meaningful projects. They receive personalized mentorship, hands-on training and ample opportunities to build professional networks. These experiences are invaluable in preparing them for future career success.

Throughout our involvement with the program, we have seen many success stories, including PJ Welch, an electrical engineering student from Harding University in Searcy. Welch’s journey through the program began with an internship at Acxiom, where she excelled and caught our attention at SPP. We encouraged her to apply for our internship program the following summer. Welch’s performance was outstanding, and her internship experience led to a full-time engineering associate position that started in June. Her story is a testament to how these internships can open doors and create pathways to longterm career success.

I’m proud of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas for their deep investment in advancing the economic security and prosperity of Arkansas women and girls. Programs like the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program are vital to this mission and the future success of our state’s workforce. By providing young women with high-quality internship opportunities, we can help break down barriers and create a more equitable workforce.

We’re honored to join WFA and the numerous other employer partners in providing interns with a supportive and enriching environment. Our commitment to mentorship and professional development ensures that interns are not just gaining work experience but also building the networks and relationships that will support their long-term career success. Moreover, our engagement with the program aligns with our commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. By investing in the development of future female leaders, we are cultivating a culture of diverse thought and innovation that will further support our organization in leading our industry.

The impact of the Tjuana Byrd Summer Internship Program and similar initiatives is profound. Such programs are shaping the future leaders of our workforce and positively affecting the economic futures of women and girls across Arkansas. As these young women advance in their careers, they bring diverse perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, driving progress and growth within their industries. The ripple effect of their success contributes to a stronger, more inclusive economy for all.

At SPP, we believe that by empowering the next generation of female leaders, we are investing in a brighter, more equitable future for Arkansas. We hope other businesses will recognize the value of these programs and join us in supporting the advancement of women in the workforce. Together, we can create a legacy of opportunity and success for the women and girls of Arkansas, ensuring that they have the resources and support needed to achieve their full potential.

Barbara Sugg is the president and CEO of Southwest Power Pool in Little Rock.

Barbara Sugg

UNDEFEATED

NLittle Rock

Touchdown Club reaches milestone

By Dwain Hebda

Football’s ultimate intimidator, Jon Gruden, the former NFL head coach with the uncanny likeness in appearance and sideline demeanor to the horror slasher Chucky, squirmed.

On a midday in August 2022, Gruden was the guest of a packed house before the Little Rock Touchdown Club. It was his first public appearance after a scandal involving leaked emails containing racist, sexist and homophobic slurs forced him from his second stint as head coach of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

LRTDC founder and emcee David Bazzel sat onstage with the coach, asking a series of questions about his life and career. Gruden relished talk of the glory days but found it hard to sit still, knowing the elephant in the room would eventually be prodded. When it was, he responded in a manner that reverberated throughout the football world.

“I’m not going to say anything but honest things here. I’m ashamed of what’s come about in these emails, and I’ll make no ex-

cuses for it. It’s shameful, but I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church. I’ve been married for 31 years. I’ve got three great boys,” he said, as the emotion crept into his face with each syllable, almost overtaking him as he continued.

“I still love football. I’ve made some mistakes, but I don’t think anyone else in here hasn’t. I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot.”

Gruden’s troubles did not end with his appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, but that does not diminish the fact that of all the media outlets that hounded him for comment, it was a simple gathering of football fans in Arkansas who got the privilege of witnessing his humility. News organizations around the country relayed the exchange, and with it, millions learned of a Little Rock sports institution.

“This was the game changer,” Bazzel said, reflecting back on the history of the

The godfather, David Bazzel (Photos courtesy of LRTDC)

club, which marks its 20th season this fall. “That changed us from a really good touchdown club to the best in the country. When Coach Gruden gave his first public appearance since he’d been fired and all the lawsuits that followed, it went nationwide.”

Such a get would probably have been inconceivable when Bazzel and legendary columnist, football commentator and Arkansas archivist Rex Nelson put together the first season of the club. Back then, the roster was compiled largely of in-state coaches and guests landed through Bazzel’s playing-days connections delivered to a modest audience.

Over the two decades since, the Little Rock Touchdown Club has established itself as one of the very best in the country, boasting an alumni roster of speakers that reads like a football hall of fame.

Former NFL’ers Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning, Terry Bradshaw, Marcus Allen, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell, and Joe Theismann merely scratch the surface of players to grace the stage, along with equally legendary football coaches Mike Ditka, Barry Switzer, Dan Reeves, Lou Holtz and Bobby Bowden, to name a few. More recent years have also carried heavy hitters from the sports media world, a list headlined by Pat Summerall, Kirk Herbstreit, Paul Finebaum and Verne Lundquist.

Yet for all the star power, the event has lost nothing of its soul. Intended as a casual gathering of like-minded football fans discussing the sport they love, the event remains the kind of place blind to societal rank or economic privilege. Here, the bank president breaks bread with the cotton farmer, and the U.S. senator debates the coming Saturday’s matchups with the steelworker.

“It’s kind of a community picnic atmosphere is what I call it,” Nelson said. “I mean, we’re not outside, but it feels almost like a community picnic with these long tables where you sit down, and you could be sitting by anybody. The thing that I really love about the club is that you have that mixture of all social strata in Little Rock who give up part of their Monday to come hear our speakers, and they’re all on the same wavelength.”

Nelson and Bazzel proved kindred spirits in conceiving the club. Both men were aware of similar organizations around the country and felt it was high time central Arkansas had the same.

“In the South, the touchdown clubs, or quarterback clubs as some of them are called, have been around for a long time,” Bazzel said. “As a kid, I had always heard about them. I just felt that there was a void here in central Arkansas for that kind of thing.”

“With my long interest in football and having broadcast football for many years, I realized that we were probably the largest Southern city that didn’t have some kind of football club. It just seemed to be a missing element in Little Rock,” Nelson added. “I invited David to lunch one day, and I can still remember it vividly. As soon as I suggested the idea, David said he had been thinking about the same thing. To give credit where it’s due, he’s the one who really took the ball and ran with it at that point.”

Despite challenging timing — the first organizational meetings began in summer 2004 — the Little Rock Touchdown Club opened its inaugural slate of 10 meetings that fall and played to weekly audiences well below 100 onlookers. Modest though that sounds, the

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden, top, and hall-of-famer Peyton Manning are among the big names who have spoken at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

response was encouraging enough to convince Bazzel that the idea could work and gave him enough ammo to approach a local bank for some modest funding to keep the momentum going.

“I wanted it to be the best. I want to be the best there is in whatever I do, if it’s creating an award or hosting a radio show,” Bazzel said. “I never thought, though, that within a couple of decades, this would be one of the best, if not the best touchdown club in America.”

Over time, the rosters got longer, the crowds got bigger and Bazzel got better at the fine art of booking guests. Two decades have provided enough stories of near misses, averted catastrophes and just-in-time solutions to fill volumes, but both Bazzel and Nelson insist the overwhelming majority of guests have been gracious and well worth the growing memberships’ time.

“You know, sometimes people won’t be exactly like their image, but then again, sometimes they will,” Nelson said. “[Former Florida State coach, the late] Bobby Bowden had always come across as this really friendly, grandfatherly type, and I got to visit with him about 30 minutes before our lunch the day he was there. He was everything I thought he would be, one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. Both Peyton and Eli Manning, you know, those personas are real. They’re not an act. They’re both just genuinely nice people who seemed to enjoy being here, rather than coming here just to collect a speaking check.”

both ways. In addition to Gruden, there have been other moments that have solidified the reputation of the club, as much for the respect shown to speakers by the crowd. Nowhere was that more apparent than when former Razorback Head Coach Bobby Petrino appeared in 2019, the first time he addressed the Razorback faithful since being fired in 2012. Petrino was sent packing in the wake of revelations he was carrying on an affair with staffer Jessica Dorrell, a relationship he did not disclose when she was hired by the university.

“We had a writer down in Louisiana who called us the Oprah of touchdown clubs in America because we were getting all these great emotional interviews and they were going nationwide.”

— David Bazzel

“We’ve just really been fortunate,” Bazzel said. “We really haven’t had anybody that’s been a jerk to deal with. Hey listen, I’ve done this for 20 years and booked probably 250 speakers, and to see that many and hardly any of them are a problem to deal with is pretty amazing.”

The affection between the club and its guests appears to run

In an era when public discourse of any kind, even sports, is typified by vitriol, the crowd’s standing ovation and warmth for the former coach spoke volumes.

“I wanted to be able to come here and apologize to everybody, the fans, the players, and truly tell you how sorry I am for the way it ended, but I also wanted to come here and thank you for what the people in this room and this state did for me and my family. You were great to us,” he said through tears.

Petrino’s appearance also piqued national news all over the country, as did the 2018 mea culpa by Hugh Freeze, former Ole Miss and Arkansas State University coach, who addressed the personal misconduct that started with the school’s investigation into his calls to an escort service that brought him down in 2017.

“July 21, [2017], I professionally hit rock bottom. I paid a heck of a price for it. It’s not been much fun,” Freeze said. “I’ve been spending the last year and a half wondering how do I get back the pure motives for what you do and why you do it?”

Another moment of a more humorous variety that catapulted the club into the national spotlight came courtesy of Ed Orgeron, who had recently been let go as head coach of LSU. A colorful storyteller with a flair for phrase, Orgeron told the crowd of the termination meeting with school officials.

“I’ve got to tell you, we had a meeting. They said, ‘Coach, things are not going well.’ No sh--. Ray Charles could see that, brother,”

Orgeron said in the now-famous clip. “They said, ‘Coach, you got $17.1 million on your contract. We’re going to give it to you.’ I said, ‘What time do you want me to leave, and what door you want me out of, brother?’”

“You know, it got probably 5 or 10 million views on social media, spread everywhere,” Bazzel said. “My favorite was we had a writer down in Louisiana who called us the Oprah of touchdown clubs in America because we were getting all these great emotional interviews and they were going nationwide. Another one of my favorites was a nationally syndicated sports program saying on the air ‘I don’t know who’s booking guests for the Little Rock Touchdown Club, but we need to hire that guy for this show.’”

While nationally known speakers are the LRTDC norm these days, the club has also stuck to a proven formula of honoring the sport of football over the fame or notoriety of any individual guest. For 20 years, a portion of weeks are reserved for football coaches from various Arkansas institutions, and even the club’s name underscores its football agnosticism.

“You know, it’s just a way for people to come together every week and share an activity they love, talk about it, review the previous weekend,” Nelson said. “I felt very strongly, and David felt the same way, that while much of the focus probably would be on the Razorbacks, that this would not be a Razorback club. It would be a football club. I think that’s been another key to our success is that we celebrate the sport and not just one team. We celebrate the history and the traditions, and those have all been keys to giving this market something that it really didn’t have before.”

Today, one need only see the intrigue surrounding the reveal of each year’s closely-guarded slate of speakers — Bazzel is protective to the point of paranoid about early spoilers leaking out — to see how much the LRTDC has ingrained itself among the state’s most-beloved football traditions. As for the future, there is always a new target to go after, someone who

The club generally fills the room on Mondays in the fall.

Touchdown Club 2024 Line-up

Aug. 19: Razorback coach Sam Pittman

Aug. 26: Former Packers QB Brett Favre

Sept. 3: Former Ravens LB Ray Lewis

Sept. 9: Former SMU and Rams RB Eric Dickerson

Sept. 16: Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek

Sept. 23: Former FSU and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher

Sept. 30: Former Alabama QB and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy

Oct. 7: Former MSU and Florida coach and ESPN analyst Dan Mullen

Oct. 14: UCA coach Nathan Brown

Oct. 21: Former Razorbacks D.J. Williams, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams

Oct. 28: ASU coach Butch Jones

Nov. 4: Former Texas QB Colt McCoy

Nov. 11: Former OU and Cowboys coach Barry Switzer; Former Hog coach Ken Hatfield; former Hog QB Freddie Marshall

Nov. 18: SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers

Nov. 25: ESPN analyst David Pollack

has yet to grace the club’s stage for the first time. Heading the list for the foreseeable future are retired Alabama coach Nick Saban and two former New England Patriots, retired quarterback Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, former head coach.

Whatever he has up his sleeve in years to come, Bazzel also perennially chases the specter of his own personal white whale, a legendary football figure that two decades of trying has never allowed him to reel in.

“Well, the guy that I’m most disappointed I haven’t been able to get, and I don’t know why, is [Dallas Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones,” Bazzel said. “You know, I got all the great Cowboys — Roger Staubach, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett and others — but I just have not been able to get Jerry. You’d think he’d be the easiest to get, him being from Arkansas, but I’ve tried year after year, and he’s the one that I’ve missed for 20 years. For me, there really isn’t a bigger whale than that.”

SWEET SPOT

For economic developers, Arkansas represents tantalizing prize

By Mark Carter

Economic development, whether it comes in the form of a local ribbon cutting or the expansion of a major manufacturing plant, represents Job 1 for those tasked with growing, supporting and expanding Arkansas businesses.

Assisting local communities in supporting innovation and job creation and attracting private investment is the mission of economic developers in Arkansas from the Ozarks to the Delta, and the leader of the organization that speaks for the state’s local chambers of commerce said Arkansas finds itself in an “unusual sweet spot” when it comes to economic development.

“There is a very high level of demand with lots of companies relocating [to Arkansas] and new sectors emerging,” said Randy Zook, president and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas. “There is much activity, and Arkansas is in a position to be especially attractive.”

Zook said the state is in a good spot financially and credited the Sarah Huckabee Sanders administration and state legislature with taking consistent steps to lower the corporate tax burden. Local economic developers are “engaged at the community level,” are well prepared and trained, and “know what they’re doing,” he added.

Across the state, economic development is evident in Mississippi County, which has become the nation’s top-producing steel county. Members of the investment group behind U.S. Steel’s multi-billion dollar investment in the area beginning in the 2010s formed a new company, Hybar, which last year announced it had raised $700 million to start up a technologically advanced, environmentally sustainable scrap metal recycling steel rebar mill in Osceola.

Dave Stickler, Hybar’s CEO and the driver behind the $2 billion investment in Big River Steel in 2016 that kickstarted the county’s march to steel hub status, told those in attendance at the Hybar announcement in August 2023 that Arkansas had set itself up to succeed on the economic development front.

“After launching and operating the highly successful Big River Steel, our team is excited about locating another facility in the same area,” he said. “Arkansas is a business-oriented, can-do state, and nowhere is that more evident than in Osceola.”

In south Arkansas, the lithium play promises to deliver boomtown status once again to El Dorado, which saw oil gushers in the early 20th century, and the aero-

Randy Zook

space and defense industry continues to expand in Camden as defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Aerojet, General Dynamics and Raytheon, among others, are further investing in their existing operations at Highland Industrial Park.

Lockheed Martin’s missile and fire-control operations are based at the park. Further southwest, the REDI Arkansas Manufacturing Center, a 1,300-acre megasite, opened in Texarkana in 2022.

Business has been good in central Arkansas, as well. The region is now home to distribution centers for Amazon, Dollar General and Tractor Supply Co., as well as an Amazon fulfillment center and the recently announced Amazon last-mile facility in Hot Springs. Major expansion and new growth have been the norm in recent years at the Port of Little Rock, where international companies such as Trex, W&W | AFCO Steel, and Synthesia Technology announced new projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

In northeast Arkansas, leaders in Mississippi County began working to change the region’s fortunes decades ago. Agriculture was the area’s bread and butter since Europeans arrived and planted roots beginning in the 19th century. As farm technology advanced and required fewer workers, however, the region’s economic prospects began drying up in the 1980s.

Given its access to the Mississippi River, its proximity to Interstate 40, one of the nation’s primary east-west corridors, and strong rail connections, northeast Arkansas was always positioned for something like the steel industry to thrive.

“Over the past 40 years, continued investment from the steel industry has been transformative for Mississippi County,” said Mallory Darby, vice president for Cotton to Steel: Mississippi County Economic Development. “This long-term commitment has brought substantial economic growth, job creation and infrastructure development to the region. The latest announcement of Hybar’s investment signifies ongoing confidence in the area’s potential. This new development is expected to further enhance the economic landscape, providing more opportunities for local businesses and residents. The cumulative impact of these in-

“There is a very high level of demand with lots of companies relocating [to Arkansas] and new sectors emerging. There is much activity, and Arkansas is in a position to be especially attractive.”

— Randy Zook, Arkansas State Chamber

vestments underscores the region’s strategic importance and its bright future.”

While agriculture remains a major factor in the local economy, Darby noted the potential for the region to capitalize on the state’s growing aerospace and defense sector through the Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville, located on the site of the former Eaker Air Force Base.

“The region’s strategic location and robust infrastructure have attracted new businesses and encouraged existing ones to expand,” she said. “The increasing diversity of industries contributes to a more resilient and dynamic local economy, providing a variety of job opportunities and fostering sustainable community development.

The success in Mississippi County would not have been possible without the tireless work of local economic developers. Candice Lawrence, who serves the dual roles of vice president for programs and partnerships at the state chamber and executive director of the nonprofit Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives, said local chambers play a crucial role in driving economic development in their communities.

“They act as the primary advocates for the business community, working to create a favorable business environment through policy advocacy and support services,” she said. “Chambers provide essential resources such as business networking opportunities, professional development and marketing support, which are vital for the success of local businesses. Additionally, they foster a

Dave Stickler

Mallory Darby

sense of community by organizing events and initiatives that stimulate economic activity and bring people together.”

AEDCE programs and events are designed to help local officials do their jobs better. On Oct. 16, the group and its members will recognize National Chamber of Commerce Day, which highlights the impact local chambers have on their communities and the overall economic landscape of Arkansas, Lawrence said.

Meanwhile, northwest Arkansas — home to Fortune 500 companies Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt Transport — continues to thrive as new residents and businesses move in daily. Projections from the U.S. Census Bureau estimate the region will exceed 1 million in population by 2050, overtaking Little Rock as the state’s largest metro. In some ways, NWA has already overtaken central Arkansas. United Soccer League, the organization that runs minor-league soccer, similar to Major League Baseball’s farm system, will open a Triple A-equivalent men’s team in Rogers next year, and a women’s club at the same level will come in 2026. Like their baseball counterparts, players on this level are one step away from Major League Soccer. Double-A baseball has long been a staple of Arkansas sports. There are teams in central and northwest Arkansas, and the popular Little Rock Rangers compete in USL2, soccer’s Double A equivalent.

The Arkansas Travelers, launched as the Little Rock Travelers in 1887, played several seasons in the 1960s in the Triple-A International and Pacific Coast leagues, but USL’s debut in Arkansas will represent the state’s highest-level pro sports team. Local leaders have long contended that the region would have to produce the amenities needed to satiate the thousands of annual transplants to NWA from other, more urban-based parts of the country, and one nonprofit is working to help deliver them.

The Northwest Arkansas Council is a collection of regional leaders committed to promoting economic development, including the growth of infrastructure and cultural attractions. Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the council, said sustaining NWA’s hyper-growth requires thoughtful planning and collaboration across multiple sectors.

“The Northwest Arkansas Council approaches economic development from several angles to ensure continued progress,” he said. “Whether that’s retaining and growing the existing compa-

nies, attracting new companies, or building up the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the council works to ensure there is adequate physical and social infrastructure for companies to thrive.”

Council members include a host of Waltons, Tysons and Hunts plus a wide array of business leaders from prominent private businesses, public companies, health care systems, banks, investment firms and more. NWA growth was long fueled by Walmart’s requirement that its vendors open a physical location in the area, and the influx from that policy continues to be a major component to the region’s growth. The area’s cultural and outdoor recreation opportunities alone are drawing folks in and revealing what Arkansans used to call the state’s hidden treasure.

Now home to one of the nation’s best art museums, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, and one of the country’s top mountain biking hubs, the region is no longer hidden. Peacock said one of the council’s priorities is working to ensure the region produces an adequate skilled workforce from which newly arrived or expanding companies can source talent.

“We do this by strengthening local workforce development programs and through efforts to attract and recruit talent from across the country,” he said, referencing billboard advertising the council has purchased in western states aimed at luring new workers to NWA.

The more the region grows, the harder it will become to maintain the quality of life for which it has become known. Peacock said the council is committed to enhancing opportunities while maintaining what he called the region’s exceptional quality of life.

“We must support the development of new commercial and industrial properties as needed,” he said. “Finally, entrepreneurs building companies in northwest Arkansas need access to venture capital to build and scale their companies. Efforts are underway to create new pathways for northwest Arkansas startups to access early-stage capital.”

Moving forward, Peacock said leaders must harness the region’s inherent strengths in retail, supply chain management and food innovation.

“Alongside cutting-edge research from the University of Arkansas, there is a unique opportunity to create an environment where new, knowledge-based firms can thrive and scale,” he said. “Through access to mentorship, talent and investment, these emerging companies will be

Nelson Peacock

Arlicia Jordan

Candice Lawrence

instrumental in accelerating the economic growth flywheel established by our major corporations over the past generation.”

Economic development wins come in packages big (think Hybar and Amazon) and small. The Delta Regional Authority was created in 1999 by legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of the Arkansas congressional delegation to help rural counties deliver important small wins. DRA represents a state-federal partnership that administers funds for transportation and infrastructure needs to communities in the lower Mississippi River Valley region. The entire upper and lower Arkansas Delta regions are included in its 252-county footprint that touches parts of eight states.

workforce training expansion and welding space renovation at Black River Technical College in Pocahontas, $464,000 for new drug security and ultrasound replacement equipment at McGehee Hospital, $394,000 for a skills training program in Paragould, $256,000 for expansion of the oncology center at White River Medical Center in Batesville, and $221,000 for a nursing and alliedhealth professions simulation workforce center at ASU-Newport.

“Alongside cutting-edge research from the University of Arkansas, there is a unique opportunity to create an environment where new, knowledge-based firms can thrive and scale.”

— Nelson Peacock, Northwest Arkansas Council

Arlicia Jordan, communications manager at DRA, said the agency has distributed almost $2 million in economic development-related funds in Arkansas this year. Through the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership, $450,000 was awarded for the Arkansas Delta Advance: Emergency Medical Services Training Initiative.

“This will bring together nonprofit, education, health care, economic/workforce development and employers within the emergency medical services sector to meet critical workforce shortages,” she said. “Arkansas State University-Mountain Home was awarded $450,000 to establish an extrusion and injection molding program to promote industry-driven training and workforce development, and Ozarka College [in Melbourne] was awarded more than $437,000 to develop a skilled trades program and expand capacity in its welding program to advance the trades workforce in rural communities in north-central Arkansas.”

She added that North Little Rock’s Shorter College received $440,000 for an entrepreneurial technology center that will offer training for highdemand occupations to both strengthen the local workforce and prepare individuals to earn certifications and degrees to fill needed jobs.

Other recent DRA awards include $509,000 for a vocational training center in Cabot, $507,000 for

Though Arkansas’ big picture looks promising, Zook said the state still has room for improvement. He cited the need for Arkansas employers to offer a more fine-tuned, relevant package of incentives such as built-in childcare; an overall short supply of truly shovel-ready sites for industrial use; and the need to grow the state’s available workforce and equip it with the right skills and training.

“Companies looking to start or relocate here ask, ‘How fast can I get up and running?’” he said. Getting up and running means shovelready sites and appropriately trained workers but also extends to include a community’s quality of life. Zook said community leaders looking to attract new businesses or lure existing ones should ask themselves if they would want to live in their city or town if they were a prospective new business owner.

“If the answer is no, then they need to ask themselves how they can make it one where people want to live,” he said. “It’s not rocket science. Communities have to prepare to take responsibility to make themselves attractive to people and capital.”

Zook said the economic development trick is to keep existing businesses thriving while continuing to attract new business. He added that the state’s focus on improving K-12 education bodes well for future economic development.

“It’s a terrific time to be in the economic development world,” Zook said. “There is so much demand and so many opportunities. We’ve got to continue to make hay while the sun is shining.”

ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS & CHAMBER EXECUTIVES

The Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives was formed in 2016 to bring together the Arkansas Economic Developers and Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives. The two entities merged to create a stronger, more efficient and unified alliance with the ultimate goal of enhancing the professional development of its members and advocating for community and economic development to the benefit of all Arkansans. As a statewide professional association, membership is available to anyone with an interest in economic and community development in Arkansas.

“The AEDCE serves as a vital resource for economic developers and chamber executives throughout the state,” said AEDCE Executive Director Candice Lawrence. “Our mission is to support our members through advocacy, professional development and networking opportunities.”

also contributed to a more favorable business environment, further enhancing local economic development efforts across the state.”

AEDCE plays a crucial role in bolstering those efforts. A cornerstone of the association’s work lies in providing members with a dynamic and supportive community in which to collaborate, hone professional skills, exchange ideas and encourage mutual progress. One prime example is the group’s annual conference, this year called AEDCE on TRACK!, which takes place from Aug. 25 to 27 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs.

It is an exciting time for economic development in the Natural State as more and more communities now recognize the importance of strategic economic planning. Increased interest in initiatives promoting growth have added to the state’s momentum in becoming an attractive spot for both new and existing businesses. A bevy of recently announced projects, as well as new partnerships supporting infrastructure and business, only underscore the active involvement of local leaders as they continue to lay the groundwork for thriving communities.

“AEDCE has observed this positive trend through our interactions with local leaders and the success of our programs designed to equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to do their jobs well,” Lawrence said. “Recent tax reforms and initiatives have

In addition to bringing industry leaders together to share insights and foster connections, the group will also celebrate its achievements by recognizing AEDCE members for their contributions. Julie Murray, PCED, president and CEO of the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce, will receive the Outstanding Chamber Executive Award; Jack Thomas, CEcD, vice president of economic development at the Little Rock Regional Chamber, will be presented with the Outstanding Economic Developer Award; Bryan Huff, president of the Alma Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, will be recognized as Volunteer of the Year; and Del Boyette, founder, president and CEO of consulting firm Boyette Strategic Advisors in Little Rock, will receive the Maria Haley Lifetime Leadership for Economic Development Award.

“By offering comprehensive training and resources, we empower economic developers and chamber executives to effectively drive growth in their communities,” Lawrence said. “AEDCE facilitates collaboration and knowledge-sharing among local leaders, fostering an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship can thrive.”

Every AEDCE member plays an integral part in realizing the association’s vision of a resilient and prosperous Arkansas. Anywhere individuals, businesses and communities come together for the good of their neighbors, AEDCE is sure to be found helping set them up for success.

DEL BOYETTE

MARIA HALEY LIFETIME LEADERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD

JULIE MURRAY, PCED

OUTSTANDING CHAMBER EXECUTIVE AWARD

Del Boyette is founder, president and CEO of Boyette Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm that encompasses economic development strategy and location analytics and impact, which serves clients in more than 20 states. His career includes working with and leading state economic development agencies and consulting services at KPMG and Deloitte, where he started and led the comprehensive incentives management services practice before launching Boyette in Atlanta in 2005. Today, the firm is based in Little Rock.

Prior to joining the consulting business, Del was executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and deputy commissioner for economic development at the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism. Del currently serves as president of the Central Arkansas Library Foundation, as vice chair of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and on the board of the Arkansas Cinema Society. The Centers named him their Hero of Hope in 2023.

JACK THOMAS, CEcD OUTSTANDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPER AWARD

Jack Thomas is vice president of economic development at the Little Rock Regional Chamber, the oldest association in Arkansas and the primary economic development organization for central Arkansas. In this role, Thomas leads a team of economic development professionals tasked with corporate site selection, regional marketing and public relations, employer engagement, workforce development, entrepreneurship, diversity initiatives and economic development policy issues.

Prior to joining the chamber, Thomas served as senior project manager at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. In that role, Thomas worked to recruit new business to Arkansas. During his time at AEDC, Thomas worked with companies that created more than 3,000, jobs and invested nearly $4 billion across 33 Arkansas communities.

A native of Little Rock, Thomas is a summa cum laude graduate of Harding University in Searcy, where he was named the Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration Student of the Year in 2018. Thomas is a graduate of Harding’s graduate school of business and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2019. He is a 2022 graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute and is a certified economic developer through the International Economic Development Council. He serves on the board of the AEDCE and, in 2023, was voted Arkansas state director on the board of the Southern Economic Development Council, North America’s largest regional economic development association.

Julie Murray is the president and CEO of the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce and has extensive experience in strategic planning and community development. Before returning to her hometown of Van Buren in early 2019, Murray served as executive director of the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, Murray worked at the Walmart home office in Bentonville in global communication, strategy and development.

Murray earned her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a Master of Science in leadership from John Brown University in Siloam Springs. In 2018, she graduated from the Community Development Institute in Conway and earned the certification of professional community and economic developer.

Murray currently serves on the boards of the Western Arkansas Planning and Development District, the Fort Smith Regional Alliance and the Community Development Institute Alumni Advisory Board. She also serves as a class director for the Community Development Institute.

BRYAN HUFF VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Bryan Huff, president of the board of directors at the Alma Area Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, has been pivotal in driving economic development in the community. After attending the AEDCE conference in 2017, Huff realized how far behind the chamber was and recognized the urgent need for improvement. That was his turning point. He understood the critical role a strong chamber plays in the community and has since been dedicated to strengthening its efforts.

With a full-time position as branch manager at Citizens Bank & Trust Co., Huff has leveraged his banking expertise to benefit the chamber and the community. He has fortified the chamber’s foundation, spurred growth and advocated for small businesses through strategic initiatives and partnerships. As the chair of the Alma Advertising & Promotion Commission, he has enhanced Alma’s visibility, attracting new opportunities. He also served as the former president of the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Diamond Hills Alma Unit.

Huff’s dedication extends beyond his official roles. He actively volunteers, mentors and contributes to community initiatives. His impact on Alma is profound, fostering unity and positive change.

NO BOUNDARIES

For larger chambers of commerce, impact extends beyond city limits

There is a saying among chambers of commerce: Once you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen one chamber. While they may have similar responsibilities when it comes to recruiting and retaining businesses, ensuring a skilled workforce, and promoting the city, each chamber approaches its work in a different way.

For large chambers, that work often extends beyond the borders of the city into neighboring areas from which it draws its workers. Whether connecting the diverse communities within a city to ensure equal opportunities for all businesses or collaborating with neighboring chambers to grow stronger as a region, it is clear that large chambers are a vital part of the economic landscape.

By Sarah DeClerk and Sarah Coleman

Little Rock

Bentonville

Jonesboro

Conway

Fayetteville

North Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK

With more than 2,000 members, the Little Rock Regional Chamber is just as robust as the city it serves, and with a reach that extends far beyond the capital city, Jay Chesshir, president and CEO, said the size of the growing central Arkansas metro allows chamber to tout a workforce of not just the 200,000-plus who live in Little Rock but the more than 1 million population of central Arkansas when attracting companies on a global stage.

“It helps us get outside of just Little Rock proper while being the state’s capital city, while being the state’s largest city and having its own attributes unto itself,” he said. “It gives us the opportunity to market not just those but also the attributes of places around this region, from Searcy to Pine Bluff, from Morrilton to Malvern. All of those places, literally, are part of our marketing, and it gives us the opportunity to help them grow while we, together, grow.”

While big wins such as the addition of Norwegian food packaging company Elopak to the Port of Little Rock and the expansion of Dassault Falcon Jet’s Little Rock operations might make headlines, Chesshir said the bulk of the chamber’s work is with small and minority-owned businesses, as well as technology enterprises of all sizes.

The Small Business Impact Awards are one example of the chamber’s work to champion small businesses. The chamber also supports its members through events such as a monthly human resources luncheon and recently launched a regional survey to provide members with information about wages and benefits in various sectors.

The chamber’s workforce development initiatives have become even more important as businesses struggle to find workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, he added. Programs such as the Academies of Central Arkansas help young people become workforce ready by exposing them to potential career paths in high school, and the chamber also worked to attract talent through the Love, Little Rock campaign.

“It’s about branding Little Rock and the opportunities that are available here, which was part of the Love Connection campaign to show people around the country and around the world that amazing opportunities exist here and are available here, maybe at a pace of life and a quality of life and a cost of living that’s far better than wherever they are,” he said. “That’s why we’re out doing social media mining, trying to find these folks in specific areas and specific skill sets to show them

that there are amazing opportunities here to either give them a reason to come for the first time or, in many cases, to come back home.”

The chamber also took an active role in the development of the Little Rock Technology Park, as well as the new Downtown Little Rock Master Plan, which Chesshir said came about while planning for the Interstate 30 corridor expansion.

With so many commuters to the city, “miles to minutes” is key, and the chamber works to advocate for enhanced transportation infrastructure on a regional level, Chesshir said. The project enabled the creation of new greenspace downtown, and that kind of quality-of-life improvement translates to economic development by making Little Rock an even better place for employees to live and work, he added.

“We talk about business, and it seems to be this big nameless, faceless thing when in reality, business is nothing more than individuals coming together, trying to provide a product or service that will be helpful and will give them the opportunity to grow in this community, and so when it’s all said and done, it really comes down to being about people,” he said. “Folks want a great place to live that’s safe, that has wonderful education opportunities, that has wonderful outdoor and indoor amenities, a place where people would choose to live regardless of whether or not the job was here.”

Little Rock city and port officials at the Elopak groundbreaking.

Jay Chesshir Chesshir and Westrock Coffee’s Scott Ford (Photos provided)

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

To Derrell Hartwick, president and CEO of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, creating a thriving business community is all about building relationships. Becoming part of the community is critical to the success of the chamber’s nearly 1,300 members, he said.

“You used to have it where the company had 100 employees to choose from, and now the employee has 100 companies to choose from,” he said, “so when you see a company that’s investing in its community, it’s investing in its employees, that’s where people want to go and work, and they want to stay there.”

The chamber hosts weekly networking events to facilitate business retention by connecting business leaders with other business leaders, and Hartwick said he personally goes on retention calls to ensure local businesses are satisfied with the city.

“If it’s something as small as a pothole in front of your business that obstructs your customers from getting there, these individuals have a business to run, and we need to make sure that we can help them with that,” he said. “That may be connecting them with the city, and I always tell our businesses, ‘You need to call your chamber of commerce first because we work for you.’”

Quality employees bring not only household names such as Dollar General and Amazon to the city but also smaller companies such as Federal Metal, which Hartwick said are equally important to the city’s economic development.

The chamber also supports the city in times of economic distress, such as last year’s Tyson Food plant closure. Hartwick said the chamber organized a job fair that included about 40 companies and helped the majority of the more than 300 former Tyson employees find work.

He added that the chamber is especially active when it comes to supporting minority-owned businesses and recently brought on Jorge González as director of business inclusion to facilitate service to Hispanic-owned businesses. Year over year, the chamber grew its minority sector by 10 percent, Hartwick said.

The North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce spearheaded the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame and recently created the Arkansas Latino Hall of Fame, which will host its first induction ceremony Oct. 24.

Although the chamber is located in the Argenta Arts District, which is often the recipient of a well-deserved spotlight, Hartwick stressed that his is not a downtown chamber and seeks to represent all areas of the vast city, from Park Hill and Lakewood to Rose City and Levi.

“When we have a business move in or we have an event, it’s going to affect all of us, so let’s make sure that everyone knows that they’re heard, everyone knows that they’re a part of this and it’s for the greater good,” he said. “A rising tide raises all ships,

and so what’s good for Argenta is good for Levi. What’s good for Rose City is good for McCain.”

FAYETTEVILLE

Considering the continued growth of Springdale, the up-and-coming hipster vibes of Rogers, and the arts and culture behemoth that Bentonville has become, one might forgive Fayetteville for being jealous of its neighbors, but to hear Steve Clark, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, preach the gospel of northwest Arkansas is to know that the region’s largest city is not jilted but elated.

“I view my role as simply a part of the team,” he said. “We tease each other. You know, Friday night, I’ve got on [Fayetteville High School Bulldog] purple. I’ve got the shoes. I’ve got the pants. I’ve got the shirt. I’ve got the jacket. I’ve got the hat. I’ve got the blanket. It’s all purple. I don’t have a purple car. I don’t have a purple car. I have a red car. You can see I’m very loyal to our Razorbacks, but I will tell you

Derrell Hartwick

Steve Clark

Fayetteville’s Fab Lab

The North Little Rock chamber hosts the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame banquet.

that my job is to be a collaborator. My job is to be an instigator, my job is to be an innovator, but my overarching job is to be a collaborator.”

That was not always the case, however, and Clark said the road to regionalism was as long and winding as the Pig Trail. While he was growing up in Leachville, a small city in northeast Arkansas, hometown pride was everything, he said, but times have changed.

“Now the world is our home,” he said. “The world is our home, and we didn’t necessarily ask for that. Neither did any other region of our state, but for us, where we’re located, we recognized that Benton, Washington and Madison counties in the furthest northwest corner, we are closer to Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, [Missouri], or at least as close as we were to Little Rock. We can drive to Chicago as fast as we can drive to Lake Village. We can easily drive to Dallas faster than we can drive to Memphis, and so you begin to see that we’re in a region, and it took us a while to see that, honestly.”

Clark said he is part of a group of chamber leaders in the region’s five largest cities: Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, Rogers and Siloam Springs. United by the mantra, “Life works here,” the group collaborates on regional projects such as the development of the Northwest Arkansas National Airport while maintaining the individuality of each city.

Bentonville offers world-class retail and art, he said. Rogers is all about vendors, Springdale is known for manufacturing and protein, and Siloam Springs is a modern-day Mayberry, he added.

“I tell people Fayetteville’s about eds,” he said. “That’s the university and our public schools and all of our charter schools. We can teach you anything you want to know from your first breath to your last. We’re about eds. We’re about meds. Washington Regional is the largest public hospital in northwest Arkansas, a little over 400-plus beds, second-largest employer in the city of Fayetteville.”

Clark can go down the list of major employers, from the city’s top employer, the University of Arkansas, to its third-largest employer, the local school district, and on. None are the size of Walmart, J.B. Hunt or Tyson, he said, but they have just as much impact regionally.

“I think our whole strength in everything we’ve done is we walk, talk and act, dance, sing, smile like a region,” he said.

With about 1,400 members, the chamber works to prepare the employees of tomorrow, including

those growing up in small towns outside the city who will likely work and go to college in Fayetteville. The chamber provides those students with training through the Heartland Advanced Medical Manufacturing Regional Cluster, or HAMMRC, and Clark said he believes his is the only chamber in the U.S. that offers robotics certifications through its Fab Lab.

He said Fayetteville’s history of innovation stretches back to Reconstruction, when the then-unknown city was one of only two in Arkansas to apply for a land-grant college.

“Now we’re sitting here saying, ‘You know what? We’re those same folks. We’re exactly those same folks,’” he said. “We’re going to bet on tomorrow, and we do that by using all the resources of the region.”

BENTONVILLE

Bentonville’s growth over the past 10 years has attracted national attention. The Benton County seat and northern anchor of the northwest Arkansas metropolitan area, Bentonville saw 53 percent growth between 2010 and 2020 — U.S. Census Bureau counts of 35,301 to 54,164 — and its growth has shown no signs of slowing in the current decade. The estimated 2023 population came in at 59,471.

From 1990 to 2010, the city grew by roughly 77 percent. Such growth can bring hardships, but Brandom Gengelbach, president and CEO of the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, said he welcomes the challenges associated with growing the economy of a fast-growing city.

“The biggest challenges are often opportunities in disguise,” he said. “We aim to unite locals and newcomers to address the growth issues we face. Our theme this year is ‘Every Step of the Way,’ which is designed to bring these groups together. A united front is often the missing ingredient in high-growth communities, and the chamber is well-positioned to foster this unity.”

The Walton museum in downtown Bentonville

Brandom Gengelbach

As the city continues to grow and welcome new residents from across the country, Gengelbach said the city is prioritizing thoughtful growth for the next 20 years.

“We’re involved in Plan Bentonville, a community conversation about future growth,” he said. “Our community is addressing key questions. What character do we want to cultivate? How should our streets feel and function? Where should we encourage growth, and where should we preserve what we love about Bentonville? Through Plan Bentonville, we’re part of a collective effort to create a comprehensive plan and update zoning codes to align with our community’s aspirations.

“Additionally, we’re advocating for critical infrastructure investments, especially in water and sewer systems. Our upcoming Build Bentonville luncheon, themed ‘Below the Surface,’ will highlight the importance of this infrastructure to local business leaders.”

The Bentonville chamber’s service area includes the surrounding towns of Centerton, Bella Vista and Pea Ridge, and its membership stands at roughly 1,000 businesses.

“We work seamlessly across these cities to create a cohesive and vibrant community. The same collaborative approach extends to our northwest Arkansas region,” Gengelbach said. “Our chamber’s primary focus is growing and developing the greater Bentonville economy and creating prosperity for all. We recently conducted a series of focus groups to understand the needs of current, past and prospective members. We are now revamping our member-benefits offerings based on these conversations to ensure we remain relevant to those we serve.”

In high-growth communities like Bentonville, Gengelbach said established businesses and leaders can sometimes be overlooked. The chamber’s role, he added, is to support both new companies and those that have helped shape Bentonville.

“When new folks arrive, they face a range of needs, from finding talent and navigating real estate to understanding educational options and exploring business incentives,” he said. “We provide personalized assistance to help them settle in. Our chamber offers resources, connects them with local experts and ensures they feel a part of the community from day one. Whether it’s introducing them to key community members or helping them understand the local business landscape, we’re here to make their transition as smooth as possible.”

Gengalbach took over as CEO of the Bentonville chamber in October 2023. He previously served as president and CEO of the Fort Worth Chamber in Texas. As a relative newcomer, Gengelbach said he has noticed a perception that isolates northwest Arkansas from the rest of the state.

“For any community to succeed, we must rely on the resources and strengths of the entire state,” he said. “Building relationships with state business and community leaders and learning from peers in other cities,

like Conway, is crucial for the Bentonville area. Across Arkansas, we have tremendous opportunities to grow individually and collectively, and I want to do more to ensure we are all working together for the good of Arkansas.”

CONWAY

Brad Lacy, president and CEO of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, said there is another saying among the chamber crowd: Chambers do the things that people think just happened.

“It is very true,” he said. “If you were to look back at the history of our organization, we were created to recruit the colleges here. In 1891, the chamber was created to raise money to recruit Hendrix [College], and they did. Then they did it two more times to get the other two schools. The chamber also built the first sewer system in the city in 1911 through an improvement district of property owners. The chamber rechartered the first bank in Conway after the Depression. What I think often gets lost on people is that the chamber is not our staff. We are paid to implement a vision of the business community, and the power of the chamber rests solely in the fact that it is a group of businesses that unite to grow their particular community.”

Brad Lacy

Conway is known for its roundabouts.

Lacy said there has been a long history of realizing visions through the chamber in Conway.

“Our members expect us to deliver big results,” he said, “whether that’s reimagining the interstate corridor or reimagining downtown. The reality of any of those projects is that it comes down to small, in some cases, block-by-block, transformations of the place — and we certainly play a part in some of that.”

Conway’s chamber is one of the largest in the state for total members. Lacy said it takes great participation from Conway’s diverse business community for the chamber to realize its vision.

“In some cases, those businesses are a single person, from home-based businesses to your traditional mom-and-pop, Main Street-type businesses to the largest employers in our community,” he said. “All of them have very different needs, I think, but I do believe that it’s fairly easy to find common ground in the things that are important to people here.”

Much common ground was made available through Conway 2035, the city’s strategic vision for growth, which was created with significant public input.

“People want this to be a really nice place to live because if we’re a really nice place to live, then that means more people want to move here, and the more that people want to move here, businesses grow,” Lacy said. “I mean, it’s not rocket science, it’s how it works. I think you’re seeing the results of some pretty laser-focused initiatives between the public and private sector that are paying pretty big dividends.”

Conway residents identified more public art as a priority, and the chamber is partnering with the University of Central Arkansas and Conway Regional Health System to purchase art for display at three new roundabouts on Donaghey Avenue. Another priority is the reimagining of the Interstate 40 corridor.

“Unfortunately, [the I-40 corridor] is not always the most attractive view of Conway, and so we got very serious about re-imagining what that corridor looked like,” Lacy said. “We hired landscape architects to come up with a master plan for the corridor that included a standard new bridge design because we knew that in the near future, we would be building some new bridges as a community, so we put those plans in place, and the city council adopted those. When you drive up and down that corridor today, you see three new bridges that look

completely different than anything you see really anywhere else in Arkansas. That’s a longer-term project that will probably take another 20 years until you get the whole thing looking the same way, but you have to start somewhere.”

JONESBORO

Since Mark Young took over as president and CEO of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce 18 years ago, one thing has remained constant, he said.

“In that time, multiple challenges have occurred for our members, from pandemics to recessions,” he said. “What has remained constant is Jonesboro’s sense of community, the desire to help our neighbors and to work together to ensure a positive business environment. The chamber has focused on providing resources for our members and helping navigate through the variety of challenges.”

Young said the 1,100-member chamber is focused on meeting its mission to enhance the quality of life through leadership, service and economic development, and it partners with the nonprofit Jonesboro Unlimited on projects to help grow the local economy. That team focus encourages the next generation of leaders and increases the chamber’s reach to share what a wonderful place Jonesboro is to live and work, he added.

Young and his team work to help newcomers become settled. The chamber cohosts the Get to Know Jonesboro program as a way to plug key new workers into the community, Young said.

“We also utilize various publications to communicate with individuals that are moving to Jonesboro to provide resources to them, and Jonesboro Unlimited has recently started a new initiative, ‘Always Jonesboro,’ that provides great information to both current residents and future residents about all of the quality-of-life amenities, great jobs and other advantages we offer,” Young said.

Mark Young

Jonesboro chamber officials cut another ribbon.

MARKETING MAIN STREET

Mid-sized chambers rely on networking, technology to stand out

By Lance Brownfield

What sets prosperous towns apart from others? How can cities attract new residents, companies and tourists? Mid-sized towns in Arkansas are leaning on their economic development alliances and chambers of commerce to bring in a steady stream of visitors and revenue, relying on unique and storied histories, as well as the most up-to-date technology, to achieve bright visions for the future.

BATESVILLE

There is no municipality in the state with more actual history than Batesville, which holds the designation of being the oldest city in the state still functioning. It has been known by three names since its founding — Napoleon, Poke Creek and, finally, Batesville, named after Judge James Woodson Bates, the first territorial delegate to Congress. The area around Batesville was ceded to the United States government in an 1808 treaty with the Osage tribe.

With a population of more than 11,000, the town has steadily grown since breaking the 10,000 threshold in 2010.

Crystal Johnson, president and CEO of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, said tourism is an unexpected but major economic driver for the city, which is situated on the White River and is fairly close to outdoor recreation attractions such as Greers Ferry Lake.

“By generating additional income that supports our local hotels, restaurants and retail partners, this growth leads to job creation and economic stability,” she said. “Because of the large role tourism plays in our community, tourism is a major component in our countywide strategic plan, IMPACT Independence.”

Infrastructure development is a plan priority. Johnson said by improving infrastructure, local residents benefit, as well as tourists. Last August, close to 80 percent of voters approved a bond refinance measure to invest more than $20 million in a new Riverside Park redevelopment plan. The project is expected to break ground in August.

Crystal Johnson

“Our secret sauce in building community support is through community engagement and empowerment,” Johnson said. “Tourism provides opportunities for local community members to participate in decision making and provides increased ownership of the process and outcomes. It can truly foster a sense of pride and ownership among residents, leading to strong com-

munity cohesion. In addition to developing unique attractions and investing in infrastructure, marketing and promotion strategies are deployed daily.”

Johnson’s team uses social media and its website to connect, working with influencers to reach a broader audience.

“All strategies are driven by data and information,” she said. “I would encourage all communities to invest in tools that provide information and facts instead of operating from anecdotal information, which is the way we operated for years until investing in data and information.”

Modern technology has revolutionized the way chambers interact with their communities, providing more insight into how well their tactics are working.

The chamber provides its roughly 500 members access to business connections, events, programs, and increased visibility and credibility, but Johnson said the greatest benefit is the “power of collective action and having a united voice.”

“There is undeniable strength in numbers, giving us greater influence and effectiveness as a group rather than individually,” Johnson said. “By pooling our social capital, offering mutual support, sharing in risk taking and collaborating, we have proven success in driving change toward our common goals more quickly and efficiently with our business community at the core.”

Certainly a city on the move, Batesville’s chamber is tasked with staying ahead of the curve as trends and perceptions change almost daily in the information age.

“Relevancy is the No. 1 challenge facing chambers of commerce,” Johnson said. “With generational shifts and rapidly changing communities, it’s crucial that chambers evolve and adapt to the needs of their communities in order to remain relevant.”

EL DORADO

The El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce hosts events that focus on traditional family fun. CEO Bill Luther’s team uses digital tools to promote the town’s activities and economic opportunities.

Luther credits the chamber’s revamped website for helping boost tourism, noting its Facebook page has 7,500 followers. During events, the chamber team uses a service that counts the number of cell phones in an area mapped out by the user. Luther said there were more than 10,000 phones pinged at last year’s Christmas parade, which he estimated means as many as 15,000 people could have attended the event, including children and those without phones.

“This year, it’s going to be a knockout,” he said of the 2024 parade, which will feature Charlie Brown and Lucy from the Peanuts gang, as well as the renowned Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the famed Budweiser Clydesdales.

Luther said El Dorado’s Mystic Creek Golf Course, ranked the No. 1 golf course in the state for the last three years and 34th in the nation by Golfweek, is a “super drawing card to El Dorado.” The

chamber puts on an annual golf tournament at the course.

“We are cheerleaders for what is going on here — it’s just fantastic — between the Murphy Arts District, the South Arkansas Arts Center, Mystic Creek,” he said. “We also have a symphony and a historical preservation society.”

Luther said the chamber is proud of the Christmas parade and the golf tournament but is looking to add more annual events and noted a very specific type of gathering he hopes to attract.

Luther

“When you talk about a strategy, one of the things that we’re doing is trying to host state commissions,” Luther said. “It’s absolutely amazing how many people don’t know what’s going on south of the Arkansas River.”

The El Dorado Conference Center hosted the 2023 Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism, and the city has hosted meetings for the Arkansas Highway Commission, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

“When you talk about a strategy, one of the things that we’re doing is trying to host state commissions. It’s absolutely amazing how many people don’t know what’s going on south of the Arkansas River.”

— BILL LUTHER

EL DORADO-UNION COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Luther said such meetings help provide attendees with a new understanding of what El Dorado has to offer. Sometimes conference-goers will return on their own for a weekend getaway, he added.

BENTON AND BRYANT

Saline County on Little Rock’s southwest flank is the fifth most populous county in the state by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 count and boasts the second-highest median income. Together, the adjacent cities of Benton and Bryant drive a Saline County population of nearly 129,600. By itself, the county seat of Benton has more than 36,500 residents, making it the 12th

Bill

largest city in Arkansas by population. Though Benton and Bryant are notorious rivals on the gridiron, the cities work together to keep Saline County moving in the right direction. The Benton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Bryant Chamber of Commerce are both members of the Saline County Economic Development Corp.

“It’s amazing. Most people have no idea what a chamber does,” said Gary James, president and CEO of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Over the past decade, the Benton chamber grew from the 17th largest in the state at 598 members and about $440,000 in yearly revenue to 11th place at 907 members and $852,000.

“We’re definitely a smaller chamber,” James said. “What we realized is you can’t really help your community if you aren’t financially strong.”

James, who said most people probably are not aware of what chambers actually do, started in Benton in 2011 after a 30-year career at the Coca-Cola plant in Little Rock. He grew the chamber staff from two to seven, and all are still in place.

He said his goal for the chamber is to support not just its members but the entire city and area and credited the resources supplied by groups like the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The key to operating a small chamber is learning from such bigger groups, he added.

“All the information they give us, we disseminate that to all of our different members and try to help them,” James said. “We take information from all those folks, and we make sure we’ll pick the things that will help our community, and we send it out to them.”

James said building relationships is key. The Benton chamber hosts popular fundraising events that include bingo four times a year. Proceeds have funded projects such as the city’s new mountain bike park and Benton’s annual fireworks display celebrating the Fourth of July.

James cited his working relationships with Lamont Cornwell, executive director of the Saline County Economic Development Corp., and Benton Mayor Tom Farmer as important to the chamber’s success.

“The three of us, we’re out in the public all the time, trying to share our story,” James said.

The Greater Bryant Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, celebrates 50 years on Aug. 22. Shane Knight, president and CEO, said the chamber will undergo a rebranding campaign that includes a new mission statement focused on commerce and community.

Knight took on the role just three months ago, but he has hit the ground running with a focus on growing membership in the industrial sector. He said new industry members have improved networking among members, which allows startups and newer businesses to learn from the experience of the more

established companies.

Knight is no stranger to commerce, having spent several years as a deputy director at the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District, which encompasses 10 counties and partners with organizations across the border in Louisiana and across the river in Mississippi.

“[We were] working with different chambers there and [observing] how they can expand — expand their membership, expand their opportunities,” Knight said.

He said the chamber has seen a “significant uptick” in membership since he started with a membership count of roughly 600.

Knight said he has noticed a widening age gap among local business owners but added that chamber networking opportunities improve communication between generations. Future chamber plans include more C-3 zone commercial properties and bringing in some “apex projects.”

“What we’ve done here is we’ve identified who and what we are as a community, and we’re going to play to that strength,” Knight said. “These particular projects play to that strength. It will enhance commerce, it will enhance community, and that’s what we’re about here at the Bryant Chamber of Commerce. It provides the overall atmosphere and lifestyle that we’re looking for here in the city of Bryant.”

As the Interstate 30 corridor through Saline County continues to develop, Benton and Bryant stand to benefit. James said Saline County is in the ideal spot for growth because it is strategically located between Little Rock and Hot Springs and Dallas and Memphis.

“Our main street is really I-30,” he said.

CABOT

It can be hard to strike a balance between having a quaint, peaceful Main Street and being labeled another bedroom community. Another suburb of Little Rock is stepping out of the shadow of the capital city while retaining its intimate charm. As the city of Cabot’s motto states: “It’s all here.”

“Cabot has a small-town feel but really has all you need right here with a very welcoming community,” said Gina Jones, president and CEO of the Cabot Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has a business membership of 571 and offers several networking and showcasing opportunities throughout the year.

“We focus on promotion of our businesses and do a lot of events that are geared toward networking,” Jones said. “We are very active on our Facebook page, as well, and love to share our member’s posts to help with promotion.”

One way Cabot helps chamber members succeed and attracts new businesses is through its unique incentive program.

“This program was created to encourage commercial development within the city limits and is the only one like it in the state,” said Alicia Payseno, director of economic development

Gary James

at the city of Cabot. “The goal is to attract economic activity by transforming commercial areas into vibrant and attractive mixeduse centers, retail hubs or revitalization opportunities.”

“From supporting local entrepreneurs and business leaders to recruiting national retailers and developers, we are dedicated to enhancing the economic vitality of the city.”

— GINA JONES

CABOT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The program also supports local commerce by offering microgrants to existing businesses. The funds encourage capital improvements to buildings in use to make local businesses more competitive by helping improve access and signage and to assist in the beautification of the community.

“From supporting local entrepreneurs and business leaders to recruiting national retailers and developers, we are dedicated to enhancing the economic vitality of the city,” she said.

Payseno said she strives to “foster a pro-growth environment through business expansion, leadership collaboration, job creation, commercial recruitment and community development programs to grow the vision of Cabot,” a formula each chamber in the state can get behind.

Each chamber’s approach looks different. Some of the tools are the same, and some challenges are more common than others, but mid-sized Arkansas chambers use the most advanced technology at their disposal and pair it with the unique histories that make their towns special to boost tourism, industry and economic growth.

that matter most. We advocate for the business matters

Gina Jones

Alicia Payseno

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN ARKANSAS

A

ALMA AREA Chamber of Commerce

ALTUS Chamber of Commerce

ARKADELPHIA Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce

ARKANSAS CITY AREA Chamber of Commerce

ARKANSAS STATE Chamber of Commerce

AUGUSTA AREA Chamber of Commerce

B

BALD KNOB AREA Chamber of Commerce

BATESVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

BEEBE Chamber of Commerce

BELLEVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

BENTON AREA Chamber of Commerce

BRADLEY COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

BRINKLEY Chamber of Commerce

BULL SHOALS LAKE/WHITE RIVER Chamber of Commerce

C

CABOT Chamber of Commerce

CALICO ROCK AREA Chamber of Commerce

CAMDEN AREA Regional Chamber of Commerce

CARLISLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

CAVE CITY Chamber of Commerce

CHARLESTON Chamber of Commerce

CLARENDON Chamber of Commerce

CLARKSVILLE-JOHNSON COUNTY REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

CLINTON Chamber of Commerce

CONWAY AREA Chamber of Commerce

CORNING AREA Chamber of Commerce

COTTER-GASSVILLE Chamber of Commerce

COTTON PLANT AREA Chamber of Commerce

CROSS COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

CROSSETT AREA Chamber of Commerce

D

DARDANELLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

DECATUR Chamber of Commerce

DERMOTT Chamber of Commerce

DES ARC Chamber of Commerce

DEWITT Chamber of Commerce

DIAMOND CITY Chamber of Commerce

DIERKS Chamber of Commerce

DOVER AREA Chamber of Commerce

DUMAS Chamber of Commerce E

EL DORADO-UNION COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

ENGLAND AREA Chamber of Commerce F

FAIRFIELD BAY Chamber of Commerce

FARMINGTON AREA Chamber of Commerce

FAYETTEVILLE Chamber of Commerce

FLIPPIN Chamber of Commerce

FORDYCE Chamber of Commerce

FORREST CITY AREA Chamber of Commerce

FORT SMITH REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

G

GENTRY Chamber of Commerce

GLENWOOD Chamber of Commerce

GRANT COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

GREATER BENTONVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

GREATER BERRYVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

GREATER BLYTHEVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

GREATER BRYANT Chamber of Commerce

GREATER EUREKA SPRINGS Chamber of Commerce

GREATER GRAVETTE Chamber of Commerce

GREATER HOT SPRINGS Chamber of Commerce

GREATER SEARCY COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

GREEN FOREST Chamber of Commerce

GREENBRIER Chamber of Commerce

GREENWOOD Chamber of Commerce

GREERS FERRY AREA Chamber of Commerce

GURDON Chamber of Commerce

HHAMBURG AREA Chamber of Commerce

HARRISBURG Chamber of Commerce

HARRISON REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

HAZEN Chamber of Commerce

HEBER SPRINGS AREA Chamber of Commerce

HOLIDAY ISLAND Chamber of Commerce

HOPE-HEMPSTEAD COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

HORSESHOE BEND AREA Chamber of Commerce

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE Area Chamber of Commerce

HUNTSVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

J

JACKSONVILLE Chamber of Commerce

JONESBORO REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

LLAFAYETTE COUNTY Chamber and Economic Development Council

LAKE VILLAGE Chamber of Commerce

LAVACA AREA Chamber of Commerce

LAWRENCE COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

LINCOLN AREA Chamber of Commerce

LITTLE RIVER Chamber of Commerce

LITTLE ROCK REGIONAL Chamber

LONOKE AREA Chamber of Commerce

M

MAGNOLIA-COLUMBIA COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

MALVERN/HOT SPRING COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

MARIANNA REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

MARION Chamber of Commerce

MARKED TREE Chamber of Commerce

MAUMELLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

MAYFLOWER AREA Chamber of Commerce

MCCRORY Chamber of Commerce

MCGEHEE AREA Chamber of Commerce

MENA/POLK COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

MONTICELLO/DREW COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

MORRILTON AREA Chamber of Commerce

MOUNT IDA AREA Chamber of Commerce

MOUNTAIN HOME Chamber of Commerce

MOUNTAIN VIEW AREA Chamber of Commerce

MURFREESBORO Chamber of Commerce

J

NASHVILLE Chamber of Commerce

NEWARK Chamber of Commerce

NEWPORT AREA Chamber of Commerce

NEWTON COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

NORFORK LAKE Chamber of Commerce

NORTH LITTLE ROCK Chamber of Commerce

O

OSCEOLA/SOUTH MISSISSIPPI COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

OZARK AREA Chamber of Commerce

PARAGOULD REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

PARIS AREA Chamber of Commerce

PERRY COUNTY Arkansas Chamber of Commerce

PHILLIPS COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

PIGGOTT Chamber of Commerce

PINE BLUFF REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

PRAIRIE GROVE Chamber of Commerce

PRESCOTT-NEVADA COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

RANDOLPH COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

RECTOR AREA Chamber of Commerce

REDFIELD Chamber of Commerce

ROGERS LOWELL Chamber of Commerce

RUSSELLVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

SALEM Chamber of Commerce

SEARCY REGIONAL Chamber of Commerce

SEVIER COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

SHERWOOD Chamber of Commerce

SILOAM SPRINGS Chamber of Commerce

SMACKOVER Chamber of Commerce

SOUTH LOGAN COUNTY Chamber of Commerce

SPRING RIVER AREA Chamber of Commerce

SPRINGDALE Chamber of Commerce

STAR CITY AREA Chamber of Commerce

STEPHENS Chamber of Commerce

STUTTGART Chamber of Commerce

TEXARKANA Chamber of Commerce

TRUMANN AREA Chamber of Commerce

VAN BUREN Chamber of Commerce

VILONIA AREA Chamber of Commerce

WALDRON AREA Chamber of Commerce

WARD Chamber of Commerce

WEINER AREA Chamber of Commerce

WEST MEMPHIS Chamber of Commerce

WHITE HALL Chamber of Commerce

YELLVILLE AREA Chamber of Commerce

Source: AEDC

Smile!

LYON COLLEGE HOPES NEW SCHOOL KEEPS DENTISTS AT HOME

By Lance Brownfield

Lyon College is giving Arkansas something to smile about. In 2025, the Batesville school will open the state’s first school of dental medicine. The Lyon College School of Oral Health and Dental Medicine will be located in Riverfront Plaza in Little Rock’s Riverdale district, taking up six floors in building No. 5, which was previously occupied by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Lyon originally had intended to locate its dental school, along with a new school of veterinary medicine, at the Heifer International campus downtown, but school officials said the dental school’s new location will be strategically located near existing medical institutions in the capital city. The veterinary school, meanwhile, will be built about 20 miles away in Cabot.

Burke Soffe, founding dean of the dental school, said it has been more than 20 years since initial efforts began to bring the dental school to Arkansas. Many practicing dentists in Arkansas received their training and degrees from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in nearby Memphis, as UT has offered in-state tuition to Arkansas residents. Now, aspiring dentists in the Natural State will finally have the option of staying home, and Soffe is ready for them.

“

He said research shows approximately 80 percent of graduates of professional health care programs end up practicing within two hours of where they were educated.

College of Dental Medicine in Nevada. He was a full-time faculty member there, as well as director of curriculum, director of clinical education and clinical practice team leader. He has experience in private practice, for the past decade in Utah and for five years in Virginia, before he joined the faculty at Roseman.

The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine will offer a DMD degree, and the college is pursuing accreditation with the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. The admissions portal is already open for the dental school, which aims for an initial class size of 80 students. Tuition and fees will be $34,000 per trimester or $102,000 per year. The program will take three continuous years to complete, making up nine trimesters, as opposed to the traditional four-year curriculum at other schools.

We are extremely excited to finally bring the first dental school to Arkansas to provide an option for Arkansans to pursue their dental education in Little Rock and to stay in the state.

“Soon, this dream to have a dental school in the state will be a reality,” he said. “Currently, every dentist practicing in Arkansas receives their dental education out of state. Historically, a large percentage of Arkansans that leave the state for their dental education do not return. We are extremely excited to finally bring the first dental school to Arkansas to provide an option for Arkansans to pursue their dental education in Little Rock and to stay in the state.”

— Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean

Soffe earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine, his Master of Education in curriculum design from Western Governors University in Utah and a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Virginia University.

He previously served as assistant dean for faculty development and curriculum at Roseman University of Health Sciences

“The DMD and perhaps more commonly recognized [Doctor of Dental Surgery] degree are the same degree with the same curriculum and education,” Soffe said.

“With a DMD degree upon graduation and necessary state licensure, our graduates will be ready to practice dentistry.”

The idea has been met with mixed feelings by those who practice dentistry and orthodontics in central Arkansas.

“I think a dental school in Arkansas is long overdue,” said Carmella Knoernschild, who runs her own orthodontic clinic in Russellville. “We have been leading the country in the dental and dental specialty industries for years, and now we need to be able to educate and train our brilliant students in our own state.”

Knoernschild went to dental school at Nashville’s Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry before moving on to the orthodontic program at Boston University School of Graduate Dentistry. After graduating from BU, she returned to Arkansas and started a practice in Hot Springs. She has had a practice in Russellville since 2000 and sold the Hot Springs practice in 2009.

Knoernschild envisions quick growth for the Lyon dental school.

Dr. Carmella Knoernschild

“I think an office building can be used for a dental school, at least to get it started,” she said. “Once revenue is generated, we can plan on building a state-of-the-art dental school.”

On the other hand, Little Rock dentist Monty Heathman was skeptical of the proposed Lyon dental school at first. After doing some research and talking to members of the school’s board of directors, he said he is in favor of the idea but still has reservations.

Heathman said he feels secure about the school’s future, for the most part, with the Commission on Dental Accreditation preparing to meet with the school’s leadership. The governing body makes sure everything is in order for the school to become and stay accredited.

“I think Arkansas could use a dental school because there isn’t one,” Heathman said. “That way, you can grow your own homegrown talent, so to speak.”

He said the difference between the three-year scheme that Lyon College is implementing and the traditional four-year approach is negligible because the school will not have summer breaks. His father studied in the same fashion at UT before the school switched to a four-year semester schedule.

“We’re all in favor of this, thinking that it will be good for the state of Arkansas so people don’t have to go out of state, which is a plus,” Heathman said. “Everybody seems to be on board with it, and I’m on board with it now that I’ve done a little bit of research on this.”

Heathman said one factor he is worried about is the influence of corporate dentistry. He does not want to see the school become a “pharmaclub” for big name entities, which he said have sometimes used other schools to funnel students exclusively into their companies while taking advantage of their naivety of the industry.

“As it is now, I’ve looked for associates in the past, and I can’t even get into University of Tennessee because there is that corporate influence,” he said. “They won’t even let me talk to the students. However, they do recruit through Tennessee. It all boils down to the dollar.

“To me, corporate dentistry does have its place, but I don’t want them to control or have a controlling interest in the students when they get out,” he said.

Knoenschild said she sees the shadow program that will be part of the curriculum as an opportunity to get students educated and stressed the potential for campus growth. She wants to teach the dental school students about some of the best practices, management techniques and methods needed to become more efficient and productive in their practices.

“By having a dental school in Arkansas, that may just be my opportunity to do so,” she said.

Students of the new dental school who wish to pursue orthodontics will still have to leave the state to find a program.

“Our curriculum is designed to prepare graduates to be practice ready as general dentists,” Soffe said. “Students will receive training on orthodontics within the scope of a general dentist. We will not have an orthodontics residency, so if our graduates want to become orthodontists after graduation, they would need to pursue a residency in orthodontics.”

While the school will not train students to become orthodontists, there will be instruction about treating patients who may need a little more care.

“Our curriculum has several courses and clinical rotations focused on delivering care to patients with special needs,” Soffe said. “A focus of our program is addressing the oral health needs of the underserved. Oral health care options for individuals with special health care needs is a tremendous need in Arkansas. We plan to construct specialized patient-care spaces to assist individuals with special health care needs with their oral health.”

Arkansas students are already signing up for the program set to begin in summer 2025.

“The data indicates that professionals many times will choose to remain in or near the communities in which they train,” said Melissa Taverner, president of Lyon College. “By providing home-state options, we hope to retain these young professional Arkansans so that they can live and practice in the communities that need them.”

Taverner said the renovated space in Riverdale the college will occupy provides space for a much more expansive dental clinic that will serve a wide range of patients and allow more “on-site calibration of instruction.”

“When entering into an ambitious project, one logically expects that there will be changes to the original plans as we learn more about how to optimize our curriculum, adapt to challenges and, ultimately, stay true to the project and institutional missions,” she said. “Our original site had challenges that, ultimately, were not able to be overcome, so in keeping with our mission, we sought and secured alternative locations that presented unanticipated advantages.”

Dr. Monty Heathman

ARKANSAS HOSPITALS

THE WAY FORWARD

ORTHOARKANSAS CARE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM PRESENTS A BETTER APPROACH TO CARE

Care navigation programs are one facet of a larger push for more holistic, patient-centered care, though they are certainly nothing new. Tamara Cull, DHA, MSW, has been all over the country in the past 30 years, developing these very types of programs. She was also around during the development of the Affordable Care Act, which brought with it an emphasis on valuebased care.

“In the early days of these models, we went around the country setting up what we would then call population health teams,” Cull said. “They were similar teams to what we’re using today

By Mak Millard Tamara Cull

where you have nurses and social workers who are partnering with physicians and developing protocols to help patients through some sort of journey in health care.”

Value-based care, at its core, prioritizes quality, individualized care based on a patient’s goals. Coordinating the many aspects of a patient’s health care picture — and taking into account both medical and nonmedical needs — is meant to enhance the overall patient experience. Research indicates the effectiveness of these models at improving patient outcomes,

Cull said, and many of them sprang up around orthopedics and oncology in particular due to the heightened complexity of the journeys those patients face.

“That concept of us being partners with patients really started in the population health models,” Cull said. “Now we’re really taking that to the next level, and patients feel that.”

One such group building on the success of these programs is OrthoArkansas. Cull joined OrthoArkansas in December 2023 and leads the company’s care navigation team. She has been instrumental in revising the OrthoArkansas program and placing it at the forefront of innovations in patient care.

“Most of the value-based care models are no longer in place. Teams started to look at what they should do next,” Cull said. “OrthoArkansas physicians are very focused on their patients and their patient’s outcomes being the best they can be, so they absolutely were committed to expanding this program.”

Surgeries such as joint replacements or back procedures can be a major source of uncertainty for patients, let alone those with economic or social stressors that will factor into their recovery. From questions about the operation itself to help with transportation and other practical concerns, the OrthoArkansas care navigator team works with patients at every stage to give them the greatest chance of success.

“We wanted to have a care navigator program that walked the patient through the entire journey, from pre-op questions and education all the way through recovery and beyond,” said Traci Byrd, director of marketing and sports medicine at OrthoArkansas. “It’s a comprehensive program that we’re really proud of. We’ve been doing care navigation for a long time, but we’re taking it up another level in what we’re doing for our patients here.”

The OrthoArkansas care navigator team consists of five clinicians. Most of the team members have at least 20 years of experience in the field, making them highly qualified to answer the myriad questions surgical patients might have.

“It’s really for peace of mind for our patients. We want them to have the best experience possible all the way through recovery, not just a couple of weeks after surgery,” Byrd said. “You can call us three months after surgery and ask additional questions. Some people will call back and say, ‘I twisted my knee. Do you think I damaged my replacement hardware?’ We’re able to talk through it, guide them in the right direction, and alleviate some of that anxiety.”

This program is also unique because of its combined approach. Before moving to the navigation program, Cull said, outreach was 100 percent telephonic, meaning that much of the

team’s success hinged on patients actually answering the phone. The shift to a more comprehensive approach that provides more opportunities for connection and multiple avenues of communication, has afforded patients a heightened level of access to the navigation team and, by extension, their providers.

“We also are able to offer education classes online, so patients don’t have to drive here to attend a surgical class,” Byrd said. “You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to get an educational class about your joint replacement or spine surgery. All the little things are just making it easier and easier for the patient to get information.”

Patients can also communicate via a HIPAA-secure texting platform. Engagement over text consists of everything from helpful pre- and post-op reminders to updates and photos from patients. The messages are saved in their chart, giving the physician team helpful insights into the patient’s journey that might

“It’s a comprehensive program that we’re really proud of. We’ve been doing care navigation for a long time, but we’re taking it up another level in what we’re doing for our patients here.”

— TRACI BYRD, ORTHOARKANSAS

not come up during regular follow-up appointments. Whether a patient is asking a question about their recent joint replacement or letting the team know that they reached one of their recovery goals, the texting option has opened up an entirely new medium for relationship building.

“We are a texting society now, no matter your age, so it’s really expanded our reach,” Cull said. “We’re doing thousands of text messages back and forth a month via that platform … and it’s given us a lot of good connections with the patients.”

Concurrent with expansion in communication and outreach is a widening of the program to include more types of surgeries. Previous iterations focused mainly on hip and knee replacements, Cull said. The goal, however, is to give more patients access to the benefit of a care navigation team, so she has spent a lot of time working on ways to grow their reach. Each quarter sees more surgery groups added to the program, and the aim for this year is to add all of the available joint replacements.

“Joint-replacement patients have a longer journey, and it’s more complex, so that program looks different for my navigation team. As we expand into other types of surgery, you still could benefit from having a navigator, but you don’t need that depth of intervention,” Cull said. “The real magic in it is to figure out exactly

what each patient needs and then developing a program based on what kind of surgery they’re having and what kind of intervention they need.”

The OrthoArkansas program is built upon the motif of a journey where patients can initial their “passport” at every stage. The care navigator assigned to a patient is called a co-pilot, and they make sure that the rest of the medical team, such as surgeons and physical therapists, know the ultimate “destination” of the patient. For some, that may mean being able to play with their grandkids or take morning walks again. Others may be working towards a long-awaited trip and want to recover in time to enjoy it fully.

“Everybody has their own thing they are wanting to get back to, and the good thing about this care navigation journey is that our entire staff here at OrthoArkansas is all-in on the process of it,” Byrd said. “If you do therapy here, your therapist knows what you’re working to get back to. Your nurse knows, your doctor knows, your care navigator knows. We work together.”

The care navigation team’s benefits go beyond the procedure and recovery. As part of this comprehensive approach, care navigators are also equipped to support patients through the social and emotional aspects of surgery by connecting them with various programs and resources. Those who live alone, for example, might be hesitant to have a much-needed replacement or other procedure if they do not have anyone around to take care of them afterwards. Others might lack access to essentials such as food and water, which presents obvious obstacles to one’s recovery and overall well-being.

“Arkansas has a lot of high-risk health patients, whether that’s having a major surgery or cancer or multiple chronic diseases. Navigators attaching to these patient groups will be critical for us to make progress in the state of Arkansas.”

— TAMARA CULL, ORTHOARKANSAS

about until they actually happen, but this team can walk you through situations like that.”

“We don’t want any barriers to prevent people from getting out of pain or from electing to get these surgeries,” Byrd said. “We can help you figure out those barriers through the care navigation program. We can ensure that you have the systems and processes in place at home or at a recovery center. We try to make sure that you can be living your best life at the end of this.”

True to the tenets of value-based care, the shape of a particular patient’s navigation experience depends on their individual needs. First-time patients, or those with more anxiety, might require more attention, while others with previous surgical experience or strong family support might prefer fewer check-ins. Part of the utility of the program is that, no matter the nuances of one’s situation — or how sudden the circumstances — the team is ready to assist in numerous ways.

“The care navigation team is not here to just support the patient. They’re also here to support the family of the patient,” Byrd said. “Let’s say a parent has to have an unexpected surgery, and now they’re in a wheelchair. Your house might not be handicapped accessible. Now what? Those are things you don’t think

Though still in its early days, the breadth and depth of this reimagined program give OrthoArkansas a unique offering for patients. As time goes on, the group has a chance to set the example for other providers and affect broader change in the Arkansas health care landscape.

“This is my home state. Although I’ve done this all over the country, I’ve always lived in Arkansas,” Cull said.

“Arkansas has a lot of high-risk health patients, whether that’s having a major surgery or cancer or multiple chronic diseases. Navigators attaching to these patient groups will be critical for us to make progress in the state of Arkansas.”

As the team expands to touch more types of surgical patients, Byrd said, OrthoArkansas is continuously collecting feedback and making adjustments. Being nimble and adaptable to changes in health care, communications and technology will be essential for making sure the program continues to make a difference in the lives of patients.

“What I’m hoping is that this will become the gold standard of care navigation,” she said.

The care navigator program puts patients at the forefront of their treatment programs. (Photo provided)

LARGEST MEDICAL/SURGICAL HOSPITALS IN

ARKANSAS

PHYSICIAN OWNED, PATIENT FOCUSED

By Dwain Hebda

Approaching 20 years, ASH thrives on independence

Look up “baptism by fire” and chances are it will offer Brian Fowler’s photo as Exhibit A. Joining Arkansas Surgical Hospital eight years ago as chief financial officer, he was tapped the next chief operating in North Little Rock officer in 2019, taking over the job in 2020. Three months later, COVID-19 reached Arkansas, bringing with it the biggest health care challenge of a generation.

For Fowler, it was a crucible for leadership, both his own and the staff that surrounded him at Arkansas Surgical Hospital.

“I joke that my predecessor had incredible insight because she walked out the door and retired on Dec. 31, 2019. I became a first-time CEO, and 75 days later we have a pandemic,” he

said. “It was not ideal, obviously, but there were lessons learned. It was a time period when our team and our leadership group gelled in a way that we probably couldn’t have otherwise in that short amount of time.

“I tell a lot of people, I would never want it again, right, but I wouldn’t trade what it helped us learn about trusting in each other, relying on each other and working together in a way that might’ve taken three or four years to figure out otherwise.”

Throughout its history, which marks 20 years of existence next spring, Arkansas Surgical Hospital has always thrived on the strength of teamwork and mutual faith in a mission of redefining quality in health care. Founded at a time when physicianowned private hospitals were a relative anomaly, Arkansas Surgical Hospital has grown to 300 employees and become one of the most decorated entities of its kind in the state.

“We were founded by a group of physicians here in central Arkansas who all felt like there was a better delivery model for care,” Fowler said. “They were top of their field, and yet they wanted to start something else. They wanted a different experience for their patients. Those guys took a massive risk, quite honestly, but they did it because they thought they could deliver care in a better way.”

This drive to revolutionize the industry, marked by highly qualified care delivered in a personalized, intensely compassionate manner, has been the hospital’s calling card ever since. Now boasting 41 private patient suites and 13 state-of-the-art operating rooms, Arkansas Surgical Hospital has executed its mission impressively. The company has a sub-0.3 precent infection rate, well below the national average of 3 percent.

Throughout its history, which marks 20 years of existence next spring, Arkansas Surgical Hospital has always thrived on the strength of teamwork and mutual faith in a mission of redefining quality in health care.

Performance such as this has earned the hospital numerous industry kudos, including a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services five-star rating; Blue Distinction Center designation for hip, knee and spine; accreditation by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality; and a 2023 HX Guardian of Excellence Award presented by Press Ganey.

These awards look good in the trophy case, but as Fowler points out, the performance that underlies the accolades is equally present and twice as important.

“I talk to patients, and they tell me, ‘I’ve never been in a hospital like this,’” he said. “That’s the proof, when you actually talk to our customers. We grew out of an entrepreneurial spirit, to be honest. Our founders, as I said, are in private practice, and they

Brian Fowler (Photo provided)

understood the biggest referral source is a satisfied patient.

“Our physicians believe people recover and rest better at home than in a hospital, so we work to provide some sense of home. Our facility does not have a cold, sterile, hospital feel. We turn down the lights in the evening. We bring you chocolate chip cookies. We do a lot of things that make you feel like you’re not in a hospital. It’s been that way since we started, and that’s how we’re still here.”

Health care is nothing if not sophisticated, especially in the modern operating suite, but Fowler said the most impactful things that the staff delivers every day are often the simplest.

“When you walk into our building, it just looks different. It feels different, and the way that we want our employees to speak to people is different,” he said. “I mean, showing smiles and kindness sound like ridiculous things that would set us apart, but people call that out over and over again. That tells me that’s not found everywhere in the health care marketplace.”

The organization was founded on orthopedic and spine procedures, and those areas still represent the vast majority of what is performed. As time has gone on, ASH has taken on breast oncology and, in the last 12 months, also expanded to include urology and pain management.

Having long ago proven the benefits of the private, physician-owned hospital model has not insulated Arkansas Surgical Hospital from the same challenges facing health care en masse across the state. Fowler said recruiting and maintaining staff, attracting additional providers, and dealing with issues in reimbursement represent the major challenges of the future.

“If you look at any business publication in Arkansas, you see a lot of hospital administrators saying that, as a state, we’re in the bottom percentile in the country in reimbursement. That’s a real problem in our state,” he said. “It’s interesting because as low as a reimbursement state

Arkansas is, at Arkansas Surgical Hospital, we’re reimbursed even lower than most, yet we do more total joint replacements than anybody else in the state of Arkansas by a wide margin. No 2 is half of what we do. It’s an interesting industry that we’re in where our providers do more, do it better, but still get paid less.”

Fowler nonetheless expressed optimism for the future, noting Arkansas Surgical Hospital has expanded his facilities with an eye on future growth. He said even in the challenging financial environment of today, he is confident ASH’s patient-forward reputation will continue to make the hospital a leading provider of surgical care in Arkansas.

“We’re an independent, solo hospital. We’re not a large system, so we have to earn our business in a little different way,” he

“ Our physicians believe people recover and rest better at home than in a hospital, so we work to provide some sense of home. ... We do a lot of things that make you feel like you’re not in a hospital. It’s been that way since we started, and that’s how we’re still here.

— Brian Fowler; CEO

said. “I think what appeals to our employees is we give them a unique place to provide care, giving them the tools that they need and providing a different kind of experience for our patients. If we keep sight of that, I really do think that we’re set up in a position business-wise for some foreseeable growth.”

Brian Fowler, CEO Health Care Administrator

Dr. William Hefley Allied Health Care Provider

Small Hospital Arkansas Surgical Hospital

Dr. Dana Abraham Physician

SHOP TALK

Arkansas hospital administrators talk industry challenges, more

By AMP Staff

Hospital administrators may not be in the emergency rooms or intensive care units of the facilities they lead, but they are on the front line of health care’s ongoing battle with access to care, reimbursement and workforce shortages.

Arkansas Money & Politics reached out to the men and women who lead some of the state’s most prominent hospitals and health systems to ask about how they would rate the state of the industry in Arkansas, how they work to alleviate the stress associated with the industry, the biggest challenges they face and more.

Chad Aduddell, market president, CHI St. Vincent, Little Rock

How would you rate the current state of health care in Arkansas overall?

The state of health care in Arkansas is in a challenging position. On one hand, I would rate highly the great hospitals, clinics, physicians, nurses, technical providers, first responders and support staff across the state. On the other hand, I would rate our future as unsustainable. The financial challenges stemming from inflation in wages, supplies and drug costs has significantly outpaced reimbursement increases from government and private payers. The impact is that access to care is being reduced, and quality and safety outcomes are negatively impacted.

Scott Bailey, CEO, National Park Medical Center, Hot Springs

What more could be done to alleviate the high stress and burnout of the industry?

As we face the challenge of recruitment and retention, we are focusing on culture management — making NPMC an even greater place to work. In addition, we are also looking at ideas to improve work-life balance and child-support concepts. Making these improvements will help alleviate high stress and burnout.

Jeff Carrier, President, Western Region, Baptist Health-Fort Smith

What small and maybe unseen aspect of your job provides the most satisfaction?

One thing that might seem small from an outside perspective but gives a hospital CEO immense satisfaction is seeing the positive impact that even the smallest acts of kindness and compassion can have on patients and their families.

Whether it’s a nurse taking the time to sit and listen to a patient’s concerns, a doctor going above and beyond to ensure a patient receives the best care possible, or a housekeeping staff member going out of their way to make a patient’s room feel more comfortable, these small gestures can make a big difference in a patient’s experience.

Marcy Doderer, President and CEO, Arkansas Children's, Little Rock

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

Financial sustainability, workforce challenges and addressing the children’s mental health crisis. We face rising costs of delivering care due to inflation and new therapies while facing flat or declining reimbursement for clinical services. The shrinking workforce is further challenged by provider burnout, generational shifts in expectations and increasing workplace-violence issues.

Brian Fowler, President and CEO, Arkansas Surgical Hospital, North Little Rock

What more could be done to alleviate the high stress and burnout of the industry?

The business of health care is always going to be stressful. You’re dealing with people, their health, loved ones, etc.

It’s critical that we provide our teams with the right tools and support so they can adequately do the jobs they love. We make sure to reinforce the intangibles like encouragement and recognition, all while preserving a culture of accountability and human kindness.

John Heard, CEO, Chicot Memorial Medical Center, Lake Village

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

Health care worker shortages will continue to be a challenge until we engage our high schools and give students the ability to take coursework that interests them. Health care workers are a part of a community. It takes a very special person to take care of someone who does not feel well. In many cases, you are not just treating the patient; you are treating the family.

LaDonna Johnston, President and CEO, Unity Health - White County Medical Center, Searcy

In Arkansas, which areas of the industry face the most critical shortage of workers?

Entry-level positions such as food and nutrition, housekeeping, office personnel and other areas see a higher turnover rate due to economic demands. Additionally, we as health care systems continue to face a nursing shortage. The current recruitment need is for bedside nurses.

Michelle W. Krause, M.D., CEO, UAMS Medical Center, Little Rock, Senior Vice Chancellor, UAMS Health

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

One of the biggest challenges in health care right now continues to be financial constraints with escalating costs of labor and supply chain with relatively fixed reimbursement rates. For larger tertiary hospitals, inpatient capacity constraints prevent the ability to accept patients in transfer who need subspecialty care or higher levels of care that their referring hospital may not offer.

Rick Naegler, CEO, Northwest Medical Center, Springdale, Market CEO, Northwest Health

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

Workforce shortages, cybersecurity, inflation, access to health services, an aging population that will require more complex care for more complex conditions — there are plenty of challenges to tackle, but that also means we have opportunities to create positive change for the future.

Mike Perkins, President, Baptist Health Medical Center, Little Rock

What are some of the unseen ways that health care workers positively impact patients?

When you consider the impact health care workers have on their patients, the first thought may go to the medical care provided or performed. The reality is that we have well-trained health care workers who provide high-level quality care. As good as it is, it is often not the thing patients remember. It is not uncommon for our employees to pray with a patient before a procedure or even to step outside of the hospital to make sure a patient who transitioned home or to a post-acute setting is settled in and has what they need for success.

Larry Shackelford, President and CEO, Washington Regional Medical System, Fayetteville

How would you rate the current state of health care in Arkansas overall?

I would rate the current state of health care in Arkansas as the most critical that I have seen in the last 30 years. Health care workers are still feeling the effects of the [COVID-19] pandemic, and many are struggling to achieve balance in their personal and professional lives. Health care systems are also facing rising costs and inflation, which are growing at a faster rate than reimbursement. Arkansas hospitals do not compare favorably from a reimbursement standpoint, ranking dead last with the lowest reimbursement rates compared to other states.

Danna Wagnon Taylor, President, South Arkansas Regional Hospital, El Dorado

What more could be done to address the shortage of health care workers, especially primary care physicians, in rural Arkansas?

For health care workers and primary care physicians to choose to work in rural Arkansas after their training is complete, I feel that it is imperative for them to have some exposure to rural practice during their training. Practicing in a rural location is much different than in a more urban setting. Resources, equipment and subspecialty support will vary from place to place. Allowing medical students or residents the opportunity to complete a rural practice rotation would help them to make a more informed decision.

Matt Troup, President and CEO, Conway Regional Health System

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

The biggest challenge in health care is the sheer number of challenges. While I would describe myself as an eternal optimist, I am hard pressed to identify a segment of our industry that isn’t under attack — labor availability and cost, drug costs, supplies, and managed care contracting all represent significant challenges. Perhaps the bigger challenge overriding all this is community perception and understanding of just how fragile the state of health care is in Arkansas. We all lament, as one example, maternal care in our state, but nobody wants to address the fact that Arkansas has the lowest payment rates for health care of any state in the country.

Cody Walker, President, Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock

What are the biggest challenges faced by the industry as a whole right now?

Two that initially come to mind are workforce and access. Addressing workforce insufficiencies continues to be the majority of our focus. I’m proud of how our facility has increased physician residency training to more than 100 spots. I’m also encouraged by our recent partnership with the North Little Rock School District to highlight the rewarding and exciting careers available in health care. Another challenge is access to care. Boomers have begun to drive the demand for health care beyond its current capacity, while the current reimbursement often does not cover costs.

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FOR CEOS, STRESS COMES WITH THE TITLE

MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING NOW CLOSER TO MUST-HAVE THAN OPTION

By Steve Wilcox

The CEO of any company knows the job brings with it stress from virtually every direction: marketing, sales, personnel, customer relations — almost everything. There are answers, however, to mitigate, if not wholly remove, anxiety from the day-to-day work of a busy CEO, and no one way works for everyone.

“I just went to a cardiologist yesterday and spent three hours at his office, and I’m going back for a stress test next week, so stress just kind of comes with the job,” said Garland E. “Butch” Rice III, CEO of Stallion Transportation Group in Beebe. “Stress is something that I’ve always said, ‘If I’m not stressing, then I’ve got a problem.’ It’s like a batter going up to the plate. Every one of those guys is nervous, but they’d never say it. They try to hide it, and that’s the same thing we do. I try to hide my stress, but I’m thinking about everything that could go wrong rather than what I think could go right.”

ting go of watching every load we haul, making sure every load is picked up and delivered on time. That day-to-day grind is the one thing that’s consumed a lot of my time.”

HELP IS ON THE WAY

Enter Glenn McCracken, principal and licensed professional counselor at Tov Wellness in North Little Rock.

Rice said that he has worked to delegate more to people, including son Garland IV, company president, and other members of his leadership team in the past 10 years, but delegation alone does not always remove all of the stressors from business life.

“My philosophy is, ‘You can’t soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by buzzards,’” Rice said. “You’ve got to have the right people in the right places. I believe we’ve got about the best team right now that we’ve had since I started the company. I know that letting go is the big thing — let-

Butch Rice

“When it comes to decompression strategies, a lot of CEOs come to me after they’ve tried other things to address their stress. Most of the time, they’ve found their way to me because after trying different stress techniques, they’ve run out of options,” McCracken said. “Many times, I see people who’ve had some kind of emotional intelligence training, some form of mindfulness training, so I’m going to start evaluating that person on the skills they already have and build from there.”

As a general rule, stress is something about which everyone needs to be proactive, but the CEO position, by its nature as the central hub of an organization, is a particular catch-all for issues that happen in the belly of the company and end up bubbling to the top.

McCracken noted how theologians and philosophers of the East refer to tension and personal difficulties as suffering, while counterparts in the West reference the same issues as stress. However, a tree simply calls it wind, he said.

“We’re going to come up against these things,” he added, “so what can we do to not only protect ourselves but also be ready to engage the stressors?”

The counselor pointed out correlations between heart health

and general stress. To manage cardiac health, people get their heart rate up and then work to get it back down. The process is beneficial. When the body is under a specific load, tension needs to be managed. In the end, watching heart rates go up and down is no different than having to navigate 10 things at the same time — organize, prioritize and manage the situation.

Back in the transportation business, Rice knows downtime is important to his mental and physical health, so he has learned to make provisions for getting away from the office.

“I like to fish. I like to play golf,” he said. “I used to carry my cell phone, and I still do, but I make sure to put it on silent. Your brain just can’t work 24/7. Hey, we’ve got a great place to work. It’s a family atmosphere, but you’ve got to get some downtime where you completely shut it off.”

There are many avenues to address stress — medical intervention models, use of supplements, behavioral intervention models and conflict-resolution strategies — but oftentimes, a counselor is a key option, if not the best option.

“When a CEO walks in my door for the first time, typically they’ve sent an email describing their issues and what it is they want to achieve,” McCracken said. “Usually, they’re getting someone like me in their life because they want someone to be accountable to. They’re coming in for help with stress management, so let’s see what they’re most ready to change right now.”

That might mean picking up an exercise routine, getting off work earlier or creating a better time management system, he added.

“The CEOs I’m working with are really trying hard to build a culture surrounded by company values that basically stop people from engaging in petty, toxic behaviors that lead to big stressors, but some nuances of human interaction, you can’t avoid,” McCracken said.

He noted that in his experience, CEOs who are still operating in some realm of human resources tend to be more stressed, while CEOs who have HR teams at the C-suite level are in a better position to manage a good, mature culture, which, coincidentally, results in better organization leadership. It goes back to delegation, but McCracken is quick to point out: “You still have to check in with those structures.”

EAT RIGHT, WATCH THE NEGATIVES

Layered on top of conventional leadership stressors on the job is the matter of diet. In Arkansas, the temptation to eat fried food or barbecue much of the time is great, but leaders across the country have come around to thinking about what they eat as part of their daily call to action, not unlike senior team meetings and discussions with vendors or customers.

“I try to watch what I eat,” Rice said. “I try to be careful, but I’m just not a solid nutrition guy. I’ve noticed in my older days that I eat a lot less, and I don’t eat a whole lot of sweets. The sugar content is way down compared to what it used to be, and all that helps. We have a fitness center here at our office.”

Delegation, getting some sleep and watching what one eats

all play small roles in the overall big picture of CEO mental health and wellness. McCracken said there is another facet — avoiding negativity.

“The first thing that I hear from a majority of CEOs is usually going to be negative symptoms like anger outbursts or not being able to experience pleasure,” McCracken said. “Ideally, you want to experience [pleasure] inside of work, as well, but specifically when you go home. You don’t want the intensity of your day following you and be unable to separate from that. Your thought-management strategies start to go out the window, and your thoughts follow you to bed. You start losing sleep. I would say that’s probably the No. 1 thing that I see across all of my CEOs is that at times, recovery of their bodies and their minds, it stops.”

When the thought process becomes one of continuous motion without the ability to compartmentalize, that is another sign that mental health is going to start waning.

“If you ask someone what they do for fun, and they just say ‘drink,’ even in jest, that’s a pretty good sign that their mental health is deteriorating or they’re looking to mind-numbing activities,” McCracken said. “Gambling is another high-risk activity that gets overlooked a lot, sports betting.”

Back in the C-suite, Rice knows it is not just him in the hot seat all the time. Stress trickles down.

“Our logistics department is very stressful. We just had a big meeting the other day about that, their level of stress. Especially right now, when shippers aren’t shipping at 100 percent, it puts stress on everybody, and our logistics department feels that,” Rice said. “I had a meeting with them to reinforce that this is just a time that’s going to pass, and we’ll be back on par. I think it’s one of the worst times in trucking since the ‘90s, and so everybody’s feeling it.”

Shared pain does not relieve stress. Self-help programs are there, online resources exist, and counselors like McCracken are available, but smart CEOs still know that some of the best help is the kind you find for yourself. Rice has added watching his grandchildren to the de-stress list.

“I think the biggest thing for me is to get away with my family, my grandkids, my wife,” he said. “I think when I’m with them, I can just get into a different zone. My oldest son, his two boys play junior golf. I love watching them play, and I can just forget everything watching them, and I have a granddaughter who shows quarter horses, and we go to shows, and I’m just in a different world. I have another grandson who plays football and baseball, and when I get into those zones, there’s nothing more important to me than to relax and watch them.”

Glenn McCracken

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OF HEALTH CARE CHAMPIONS 2024

This year, Arkansas Money & Politics readers selected almost 100 healthcare professionals and institutions across multiple health care categories to be recognized as Champions of Health Care for 2024. Champions of Health Care can be anyone in the industry, from surgeons and physician assistants to nurse practitioners and volunteers and they can work for large health systems or small clinics. As they continue to work the front line to help keep us all safe, AMP salutes these true Champions of Health Care.

ALLIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

AMANDA BLEDSOE

Bledsoe Chiropractic

WILLIAM F. HEFLEY, M.D.

Arkansas Surgical Hospital

CANCER CENTERS

CARTI

HIGHLANDS ONCOLOGY

JEFFERSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Arkansas Surgical Hospital was founded in 2005 by surgeons seeking a more direct and rewarding experience for their patients. The hospital continues to be physician-owned, meaning surgeons are the decision-makers.

Champion William F. Hefley Jr., an orthopedic surgeon and physician owner, specializes in minimally invasive surgeries of the knee, hip and shoulder, including arthroscopic and jointreplacement procedures. Hefley has led clinical research trials and served on design teams that help develop new implants for hip and knee replacements.

Since 1976, Little Rock-based CARTI has delivered the world’s most advanced forms of cancer care in a compassionate, patient-centered environment. An independent, notfor-profit cancer care provider, CARTI treats more than 35,000 patients each year from every county in Arkansas and across the country. CARTI offers hematology and oncology services, radiation therapy treatment, and diagnostic radiology at multiple locations across the state.

GENESIS CANCER AND BLOOD INSTITUTE

SARAH HAYS

PROTON CENTER OF ARKANSAS

Arkansas’ first and only proton radiation center has treated 100 patients since opening in September 2023. A collaboration of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health and Proton International, the Proton Center of Arkansas is the 43rd center of its kind built in the United States. It is located on the campus of UAMS in Little Rock.

HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATORS

KEVIN BURTON

MELISSA HOLLAND

Advanced Physical Therapy

Little Rock Chiropractic & Acupuncture

FAAOMPT

DEREK LAGEMANN, PT, DPT,

Physical Therapy Institute

For 30 years, Genesis Cancer and Blood Institute has provided care to thousands of patients in Hot Springs and the surrounding communities. The center continues to focus on all aspects of treatment. The physicians at Genesis Cancer and Blood Institute offer the latest treatment options, clinical trials and provide patient education. The clinic is involved in numerous national and international clinical trials, closely following results and accessing research material nationwide.

Unity Health - Jacksonville Kevin Burton serves as administrator at Unity Health–Jacksonville, where he leads with integrity and shares his expertise, experience and encouragement. Burton has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harding University in Searcy. Burton is a thoughtful leader with a passion for serving the Jacksonville community and providing the best in health care.

Dr. Dominic Maggio

The Next Neuro-Genius

By Kenneth Heard

When the humble and affable Dominic Maggio talks about the steps he took to become a neurosurgeon, he makes it sound simple.

There was the undergraduate schooling, the years at various medical schools, the 36-hour shifts during his residencies, and the scores of surgeries and procedures he conducted. It was a lengthy journey, one that took 13 years to accomplish, but Maggio downplays the difficulties.

After a while, a listener may end up believing it was easy. It’s not brain surgery, after all.

Oh, wait. It is brain surgery.

After years of dedication to his calling, Maggio is one of the leading neurosurgeons in the country. He made paralyzed mice walk while in college, has completed more than 4,000 operations on spines and brains and — one of the key reasons he has for doing this — has restored hope to people who were in pain.

And he is doing it at Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists in Little Rock.

“I fell in love with the city,” Maggio said. “I was at the airport, and everyone was so friendly. It felt right here.”

With his credentials, Maggio could have gone anywhere. There is a need for qualified neurosurgeons most everywhere, but Maggio said he chose Legacy Spine because of the intimate nature of the business.

Patients can go to the center at 8201 Cantrell Rd. and not get caught up in a complex medical system like larger hospitals. The center has its own MRI equipment and surgical suites of its own.

“It’s a seamless process,” he said. “You don’t have to go

to a giant medical center and get lost.”

“We have control over things at Legacy and can avoid the bureaucracy,” he added. “That can really enhance the patient’s experience.”

The seed for becoming a neurosurgeon was planted early for Maggio. When he was 4 years old, he accompanied his father, a physician, on hospital rounds in Miami.

“I’d follow him around when he went to see his patients,” Maggio said. “I’d see how they’d like to spend time with my dad and how glad they were to see him. I’d see how my dad was

happy to see them better. He was a good person. He cared about people.

“Even at that early age, I saw how rewarding it was to help people. That’s what I wanted to do.”

He went to the University of Miami and, at an age where most youngsters are debating about the best song of the time or where the next party was, Maggio was deciding to major in neurobiology with a minor in chemistry.

“I developed an interest in the brain,” he said. “It’s such a mysterious organ.”

When he was 19, he would hop on Miami’s Metrorail and ride from his university in Coral Gables, Florida, to the Miller School of Medicine in downtown Miami two or three times a week to work in the laboratory. He worked with a professor to restore mobility to mice that were paralyzed.

As a sophomore, researched at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, which ensured the direction he wanted to follow.

He went on to the University of Virginia for his neurological residency and was chosen by the National Institutes of Health for another residency. In all, Maggio went through seven years of residency there.

“I loved it,” he said. “I did a bunch of cases, and I got better.”

He was far from finished. He also received a fellowship at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and if that was not enough, he also earned a master’s degree in business administration. He said he wanted to learn business practices that could help him if and when he opened his own clinic.

“I think that [business] degree was important to patient care,” he said. “You could make the most important invention in the world, but if you didn’t know how to promote it and get it into hospitals, it won’t help anyone.”

It was not all books, studying and lab work while in college, though. Maggio met his wife, Bruna, while at the University of Miami. She was also in the neurobiology program there.

“It was love at first sight,” he said.

The two married 10 years ago and now have three children. She works at Legacy, where she runs the center’s operations and doing all its promotions work.

He credited his wife for helping him get through the long journey it took to become a neurosurgeon, saying she understood the devotion it took.

“There were a lot of sleepless nights,” he said. “I’d be on call for 36 straight hours. We were challenged academically and underwent difficult research. Bruna was so supportive of that. She’s the main reason I made it through.”

Maggio was recruited in 2021 by Scott Schlesinger, who opened the Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists center.

“I could tell he was passionate about caring for others and what he was building,” Maggio said.

“I’m very lucky to have found this,” Maggio said of his career in neurology. “I love this environment. It’s a big privilege to be able to care for people. I felt there was a need here in Little Rock for that.”

During his three years at Legacy, Maggio has completed

about 1,500 surgical procedures. He has been able to perform first-in-Arkansas surgical techniques such as sacroiliac joint fusions and artificial disc replacements in the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine.

“We are seeing really good outcomes,” he said of the use of artificial discs. “There’s really a huge difference.”

He said their use improves a patient’s flexibility over disc fusion. Deteriorated discs can collapse and cause tightening of the nerve tunnels, which can cause debilitating pain.

“It’s not as invasive,” he said of the procedure. “It can preserve the range of motion, and it can help other discs from deteriorating.”

He said he is interested in “pain mimicking,” an issue that occurs when a doctor may think pain is caused by something other than what the actual pain source is.

He added that SI joint problems are not recognized as much as they should be. Physicians may focus their treatment on other areas.

“It’s a lot more common than you think,” Maggio said.

At first, his work with SI joint treatment was too new in Arkansas to be recognized by major insurance companies. Maggio said he contacted Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to discuss the medical issue and was successful in getting the insurer to cover the procedure. Other insurance companies followed suit, making treatment more affordable to patients.

Maggio looks very young. He has a vague likeness to the actor Alan Ruck during his role as Cameron in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Maggio’s youthful looks are a “double-edged sword,” he said.

“Some think I look younger than I am,” he said. “They think I’m a medical student. They’ll ask me how many of these surgeries have I done before, but they also know I care about them, and their hearts are in the right place.”

After more than 4,000 surgeries, Maggio still remembers special people he treated.

One patient had seen a host of doctors for a lumbar spinal problem. The man was mostly confined to a wheelchair, Maggio said. The patient could get out of the chair, but he could not walk due to the pain.

“I knew what it was,” Maggio said. “We ended up treating both sides of his spine, and now he’s walking normal. That’s the best feeling of this, helping others. Relieving pain and restoring patients — that’s the best thing.”

When he is not working, Maggio enjoys fishing and exploring new places with his family. He also enjoys playing chess and snowboarding, and, after stints at Miami and Ohio State — two meccas of college football — it is a given that he loves that sport.

Maggio said he may bring his children with him when he makes rounds and checks on patients so they can see the same rewards that he saw with his father more than three decades ago.

MARCY DODERER

Arkansas Children’s

CHAMPIONS OF HEALTHCARE 2024

Marcy Doderer, FACHE, is president and chief executive officer at Arkansas Children’s, where she leads the state’s only pediatric health system, serving the 700,000 children in Arkansas.

Under Doderer’s leadership, Arkansas Children’s transformed from one hospital into a health system with two hospitals, a research institute, a philanthropic foundation, regional clinics and alliances, telemedicine, and statewide outreach programs.

REBEKAH FINCHER

Conway Regional Health System

HEALTH CARE ADVOCATES

RACHEL BUNCH

Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Komansky Children’s Hospital in New York.

Arkansas Health Care Association

DAMONA FISHER

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

As chief administrative officer, Rebekah Fincher is responsible for strategy, growth and business development at Conway Regional Health System. In her role, Fincher provides executive oversight of the organization’s physician enterprise, including clinic sites, medical staff affairs, physician relations and recruitment, corporate health services, and marketing and public relations. Fincher received her undergraduate degrees in political science and public relations from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and has a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas atLittle Rock.

Damona Fisher is the manager for advertising, public relations and marketing support at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an Independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and the largest health insurer in Arkansas. She has worked for Arkansas Blue Cross for roughly 30 years and is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.

ERICA FULLER, RN

Conway Regional Health System

BRIAN FOWLER

Arkansas Surgical Hospital

Behavioral Healthcare brings hope and healing to children and adolescents by providing compassionate care to positively impact their emotional and behavioral health. Champion Courtney Bishop, CEO, upholds the organization’s values of high expectations for employees, patients and families to ensure patients’ needs are met.

LADONNA JOHNSTON

Unity Health

LaDonna Johnston, president and CEO of Searcy-based Unity Health, is an Arkansas native with a Master of Nursing Science from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Harding University in Searcy. She has decades of experience in health care leadership and more than 30 years of experience within the organization. Johnston has held several leadership positions within the organization, including administrator of Unity Health-Newport, vice president of patient services and vice president of nursing services.

GARY PAXSON, FACHE, RN, BSN, MS White River Health

Erica Fuller, RN, is the manager for clinical care coordinators at Conway Regional Health System. She is responsible for managing a team of care coordinators and overseeing Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services matters, Medicare advantage, primary care first, Patient Centered Medical Home and other quality programs in the Conway Regional system. She received her nursing degrees and training from the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and Baptist Health College in Little Rock.

KRISTIN MERLO

Delta Dental

BO RYALL,

Arkansas Hospital Association

Arkansas Surgical Hospital CEO Brian Fowler champions health care by ensuring staff and physicians are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to address the unique needs of patients and their families. Fowler, along with the hospital’s surgeons and the leadership team, is focused on providing Arkansans with state-of-theart orthopedic and spine procedures in a caring and compassionate environment. Under Fowler’s leadership, ASH continues to rank in the top 95th percentile for patient experience.

Gary Paxson is president and CEO of White River Health in Batesville. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the boards of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and the Arkansas Hospital Association. He is also a member of the Lyon College Board of Visitors, where he serves as chair of the finance committee. He also sits on the Arkansas Health Executives Forum board.

BRIAN THOMAS

CAM PATTERSON

MATT TROUP

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, leads Arkansas’ only health-sciences university, which has a mission to educate health care professionals, perform research that translates to new treatments and deliver exceptional patient care across the Natural State. Patterson, an accomplished cardiologist and health care administrator, has been chancellor of UAMS since 2018. He was previously the senior vice president and chief operating officer at New York-

Bo Ryall is president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospital Association. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Ryall also served as the chief lobbyist on the state level for Arkansas hospitals and was previously executive director of the HomeCare Association of Arkansas. He is a board member of Home for Healing in Little Rock and an Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency advisory member.

HEALTH CARE CEOS

SCOTT BAILEY

Jefferson Regional Medical Center

Conway Regional Health System

National Park Medical Center

Matt Troup has served as president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System for more than eight years. Conway Regional has achieved the “best place to work” designation for seven continuous years in Arkansas and six continuous years nationally since Troup joined the organization. Troup views health care as a faith-driven calling, a sentiment reflected in how he interacts with his team daily.

COURTNEY BISHOP

HEALTH CARE CLINICS

Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare

Located in Little Rock, Pinnacle Pointe

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

WEST LITTLE ROCK CLINIC

Arkansas Children’s Hospital West Little Rock Clinic provides primary care and preventive medicine services, as well as periodic immunizations and physical

When your family needs medical care, you can trust Conway Regional to provide you with the comprehensive care you deserve when you need it most.

Conway Regional Health System is honored to once again be recognized as a Champion of Healthcare. From primary care to specialty care, we offer a seamless referral process, ensuring you get the care you need. Call our patient navigation center at 501-506-CRHS to make an appointment with any provider.

Northwest Arkansas’ Premiere Independent Living Community

•

Blue & You Foundation

True Blue

By Todd Traub

The first step toward improving a community’s overall health is listening.

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Blue & You Foundation for Healthier Arkansas has been helping the state’s towns and cities improve their health outcomes for 23 years. Through grant programs and partnerships, the foundation helps localities obtain the means to fund and implement community-based solutions to challenges affecting a community’s overall health.

A charitable foundation funded by Arkansas Blue Cross, the Blue & You Foundation has provided more than $64 million to fund projects that improve the health of Arkansans since it was launched in 2001.

“The Blue & You Foundation is committed to helping fund evidence-based programs that are helping create healthier communities and bringing organizations together to create change,” said Blue & You Foundation President Rebecca Pittillo. “Like never before, we’re seeing organizations that are addressing mental health, maternal and pediatric health and the social determinants of health teaming up to improve the well-being of our state. It’s inspiring to see.”

The foundation has found success not by dictating ready-made, blanket solutions but by listening to the creative people in each community and helping to put their

ideas to work. It is more about collaboration and sharing best practices than any sort of top-down direction, said Max Greenwood, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield vice president of government and media relations.

“We really look at community-based solutions and try to foster collaboration and innovation within our communities across the state,” she said.

The foundation will lend its expertise and experience when helpful, Greenwood added, but

even then, it is more interested in getting like-minded people together.

“I think we really leave it to the local folks,” Greenwood said. “Obviously, after 23 years, we have seen elements of programs that will lead to successful outcomes, so I do think that there is a lot of interaction with regard to sharing best practices. If we’ve seen something that has worked in the community and there is another community that is trying to replicate that, we would, of course, share that information and probably put them in touch with other entities that have done the same thing.”

The Blue and You Foundation has helped more than 600 community partners with grants ranging from $5,000 to $200,000. The foundation has helped secure grants for a diverse group of more than 650 partners and recipients that includes the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, state foodbanks, women’s shelters, Our House, the Ozark Mission Project, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana, and the United Way.

There are also mini-grants of $1,000 to $2,000 that support food pantries, nonprofits, schools, colleges and universities.

“Every community is unique,” Greenwood said, “so we need to look at the community health leadership for their perceptions and their knowledge of what is most needed in the community for us to improve resources that will actually have a positive impact.”

Some of the foundation’s partners are obvious — like the Centers, which provides trauma-informed emotional and behavioral health services for youth, or the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance — while others might be somewhat surprising.

The Blue & You Foundation has worked with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in Little Rock on a behavioral health program that provided musical engagement opportunities to more than 600 kids at Arkansas Children’s, as well as nursing home residents. Live music experiences have been proven to positively affect people’s moods and can enhance an overall hospital or nursing home experience, Greenwood said.

Currently, the Blue & You Foundation’s work is based on three “buckets,” Greenwood said: maternal health, mental health and whole-person health investment.

Thus, there is a funded program with the Harmony Health Clinic in Little Rock to expand services by providing more comprehensive health and behavioral care to central Arkansas’ uninsured, underserved and homeless residents. The Acute and Basic Pediatric Care Simulation at South Arkansas College in El Dorado provides students with hands-on experience in pediatric care through the use of a simulation mannequin.

The Family Medicine Parent Partnership at the Uni-

“

We are focused on improving the health status of all Arkansans whether they are an Arkansas Blue Cross member or not.

versity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock is an intervention to support mothers and mitigate the negative effects of maternal depression on child development.

More recent programs include the Youth Empowerment Project through the Wolfe Street Foundation in Little Rock, a pregnancy clinic expansion at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro and GoVision AR, a project of the UAMS Department of Ophthalmology that offers a mobile vision clinic program for underserved children in the state.

Such programs are only the iceberg’s tip. The Blue & You Foundation has helped fund programs that assist veterans and people with disabilities, fight hunger, battle illiteracy, improve minority representation in the medical field, assist those with Alzheimer’s or dementia, address nursing shortages, provide non-native language speaking resources, and much more.

“[The foundation helps] if you have people who don’t have the ability to get groceries or they don’t have the ability to get transportation to appointments or there’s no safe haven for folks who are victims of domestic abuse,” Greenwood said. “I mean, every community probably has a need.”

Greenwood added that the grant process is extensive and in-depth.

“I do know that it is a very deep-dive process that our folks take to make sure that not only are we allocating dollars wisely but that we’re allocating dollars to entities that will actually be able to implement the programs they’re proposing to implement,” she said.

The social determinants of health grants focus on factors that influence health outcomes, and grants are awarded that address economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhoods and safe housing, and social and community context. Each grant cycle has its own cycle and deadline. More information is available at BlueandYouFoundation.org.

“I would just say look at our foundation,” Greenwood said. “Take the time to fill out a proposal for a grant because we are here to try to make your community better.”

ARKANSAS UROLOGY

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

examinations. The clinic also treats patients from ACH specialty clinics that treat endocrinology, diabetes, genetic disorders, obesity and orthopedics.

Established in 1921, Conway Regional Health System provides complete health care services to the growing communities of north central Arkansas. In addition to the award-winning Conway Regional Medical Center, the network operates a medical center in Dardanelle. Conway Regional also operates more than 40 clinics, therapy centers, imaging centers and emergency care facilities throughout the region.

local residents who give their time and talents to help Unity Health’s patients and their family members, guests and associates. Auxiliary members donate thousands of hours of service to the hospital every year by providing assistance to various departments and information desks throughout the hospital, among other important projects and duties.

HOSPITAL SYSTEMS

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

HARRISBURG FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER

LITTLE ROCK FAMILY PRACTICE

HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER/ PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS

ALS IN WONDERLAND

Arkansas Children’s is the only health care system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas’ more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health.

BAPTIST HEALTH

CHI ST. VINCENT

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION

The fundraising arm of the Arkansas Children’s network of pediatric hospitals (in Little Rock and Springdale), clinics and other resources, Arkansas Children’s Foundation exists to make sure no Arkansas child is ever turned away from Arkansas Children’s. The foundation helps ensure gifts to Arkansas Children’s provide the resources and equipment necessary to meet the needs of every family that walks through the door.

from routine appointments to robotic surgery. The mission of the system is to improve the quality of health and well-being for the communities it serves through compassionate care.

INNOVATION IN HEALTH CARE

ARKANSAS COLLEGES OF HEALTH EDUCATION

ARKANSAS SHARE

ELDER INDEPENDENCE HOME CARE

HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY OF ARKANSAS

Veronica Love

Veronica Love is the CEO of Little Rock’s Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas. Love’s strong business sense and entrepreneurial spirit has always guided her. Her love of people and experience caring for her elderly family members supplied the inspiration for the Little Rock native to establish Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas.

SUPERIOR SENIOR CARE

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES

CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network based in Little Rock and serving central and southwest Arkansas. It has served the people of these communities since 1888 and has a history of many firsts. The CHI St. Vincent networks include primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers. With more than 4,500 employees, 1,000 medical staff members and 500 volunteers, it consistently receives praise for advancements in care.

BLUE & YOU FOUNDATION

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock champions health care innovation in Arkansas. In June, UAMS opened the Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital, which brings together orthopedic, spine and painmanagement experts under one roof to transform how musculoskeletal health care is provided in Arkansas — and beyond. A month later, UAMS opened a new radiation oncology center with expanded capabilities, including the state’s first proton center, to provide advanced radiation treatments for children and adults with cancer.

The Blue & You Foundation for Healthier Arkansas was created by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to help create a state of better health for all Arkansans by investing in community-based organizations and grantee partners who are committed to improving the lives of the people they serve. By strategically focusing its grant funding on community-based solutions, the foundation hopes to nurture community health leadership, foster collaboration and innovation, and leverage financial, human and community resources to produce a measurable, positive impact.

UNITY HEALTH

JEFFERSON REGIONAL FOUNDATION

LARGE HOSPITALS (100 BEDS OR MORE)

ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

UNITY HEALTH AUXILIARY

As the system’s volunteer program, the Unity Health Auxiliary includes

With four hospitals, 28 clinics and specialties, and one trusted team, Unity Health is proud to serve a region of more than 300,000 people across Arkansas’ heartland. With hospital facilities in Searcy, Newport and Jacksonville and clinics throughout a 10-county service area, the system provides patients with expert care,

Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a pediatric hospital in Little Rock with a Level I trauma center. It is among the largest pediatric hospitals in the United States and serves children from birth to age 21. ACH is affiliated with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and is a teaching hospital with the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. ACH staff consists of more than 500 physicians, 200 residents and 4,400 support staff.

Thank you for honoring us as Champions of Mental Health Facilities

Restoring Hope for Tomorrow, Recovering Lives Today

Springwoods Behavioral Health offers specialized treatment for adolescents, adults, and women through a full continuum of care, including outpatient services. Operated by a team of mental health professionals, we’re a go-to source for behavioral health services in Fayetteville, AR.

Our staff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to calls or walk-in inquiries. Our clinicians are all licensed or masters level. For information about admission, call 888-521-6014.

479-973-6000 | 1955 Truckers Drive, Fayetteville

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to White River Medical Center, our ﬂagship facility, for being recognized as a Champion of Healthcare.

UAMS Proudly Celebrates our Champions of Health Care

Harding University congratulates Searcy's Champions of Health Care!

Tara Bruner, PA-C, One Life Direct Care Unity Health — White County Medical Center

We are thankful for our local health care partners who not only keep the Harding and Searcy communities healthy but also serve as mentors to our students through clinical rotations and internships, inspiring and equipping the next generation of medical professionals.

Courtney Bishop CEO

Congratulations

Courtney Bishop and Pinnacle Pointe Hospital for being voted one of Arkansas’ Champions of Healthcare

Providing compassionate behavioral health care to children and teens ages 5 to17.

Dr. Lewis Porter

Weight Lifter

By Dwain Hebda

Every day, Dr. Lewis Porter reports to work armed to battle an epidemic. The native Texan is approaching 20 years at Saline Memorial Hospital, where he serves as co-director of trauma services at the hospital and splits his time as a bariatric surgeon at the attendant weight loss clinic. During that time, the only thing that has grown faster than the prevalence of his patients’ condition — obesity — is the depth of his resolve to help them reclaim their lives.

“Weight loss is often not as simple as, ‘You shouldn’t have that dessert,’ and things of that sort. There’s a lot to it,” he said. “There are socioeconomic factors, education, so many different factors that have led to this epidemic in this country. That’s why we take an overall approach to each patient. It gives people the best chance at success.”

Porter’s use of the word “epidemic” is both intentional and accurate. Modern medicine in the United States has accomplished amazing things, including negating diseases that used to ravage society in waves. Many conditions have even been eliminated — or nearly so — from the medical landscape in America. Obesity is not one of them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the prevalence of obesity, having a body mass index over 30, in the U.S. is now at 42 percent. Severe obesity, defined as having a BMI of more than 40, affects over 9 percent of

the population. In Arkansas, between 35 percent and 39 percent of the population falls into the obese category.

Statistics also show the depth of the problem in how it has permeated through generations. The CDC reported obesity rates among U.S. children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 was 19.7 percent, affecting about 14.7 million individuals.

The consequences of unchecked obesity are severe, having been linked to a number of the most common and deadly health conditions in society today. Heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer all list obesity as a strong risk factor. The bulk of Porter’s patients, in fact, enlist his help as part of an overall medical battle plan being waged on multiple fronts.

“The majority of patients who come to see me do have at least one weight-related comorbidity,” he said. “Most of the time, they have more than one.”

The complexity of obesity as a condition combined with

the often-attendant health issues patients are facing has led Porter and his team to bring a comprehensive approach to their work.

“The [bariatric] surgery itself is really a minor part of it. It really has to be a multifaceted approach,” he said. “Before patients have surgery, we require that they see the bariatric nutritionist. They’ll see a psychologist. There’s a lot of people involved. If people have to have some therapy or address changes of behaviors that require a professional counselor, we will have them do that before they can have this surgery.”

Porter said there are also new drugs on the market that can assist patients in reaching their goals, but even those treatments are only as effective as the care and expertise of the physician behind them.

“We spend a tremendous amount of time discussing these new medications with patients,” he said. “There’s always a risk-benefit ratio, and that’s what we need to look at anytime we start them on any kind of treatment. We try to make sure patients understand a couple of things: One, there are side effects to any medication, including Tylenol, and two, we don’t have long-term studies yet, so we don’t know exactly how long people can be on these or what are some of the long-term effects of being on these.

“I want every patient to understand that while some of these medications have been quite helpful, especially for patients with diabetes, there is no miracle for weight loss. No matter what medicine you get on, you still have to adhere to solid nutritional principles if you are looking at having a durable solution to obesity. That’s the basic discussion that I have with my patients.”

Despite the obvious passion he shows for his life’s work, Porter’s path to bariatric surgery was a circuitous one. In high school, he envisioned a career as a researcher before his biology teacher suggested he consider medicine. He first became a nursing assistant to get a taste of the health care field, then entered medical school at Howard University in Washington, D.C., with the idea of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. While there, fate once again intervened.

“At Howard, I told the chief of orthopedics I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon,” Porter said. “He said, ‘Well, you will know what your specialty is. Keep an open mind because you will find something that, even if they don’t pay you, you love it so much that’s what you want to do.’

“That was general surgery. I tried to love other stuff because other stuff has a lot better hours, but I love general surgery. This was it. I tell people, ‘God made me a surgeon.’”

By the time he landed in Benton, Porter was well established in his reputation as a bariatric surgeon, a category of surgical procedure that modifies the digestive system for the purpose of helping the patient lose weight. Today, he is one the state’s foremost surgeons in the growing field.

He said while the joys of his practice are substantial, particularly at a small hospital where he relishes getting

We know, in general, that we are living longer, and when you look at society as a whole, our rate of being overweight or morbidly obese has increased. That has definitely had an impact on the number of people we see.

“

to know his patients and their families, the frustrations are too. Much of that, he said, comes from dealing with a health care ecosystem that makes it difficult for people to get surgery due to lack of resources.

“A lot of this is, unfortunately, insurance-driven,” he said. “It is not enough for most insurance companies to cover someone who has a BMI of greater than 40. Most insurance companies want to see a BMI of greater than 40 with some weight-related comorbidities, which is unfortunate. The ideal would be to take a patient with a BMI of 40 or greater and do their operation before the weight-related comorbidities take place. We are not able to make that happen for many patients because insurance won’t allow it.

“There’s also a significant amount of data out there to show that morbid obesity and weight-related diseases are much higher in patients in lower socioeconomic classes who, again, cannot afford the operations. We see that across the country.”

Nevertheless, Porter is encouraged by what he sees through his practice, from the emergence of new treatments to shifts in thinking among the public to seek out help for weight issues. He also praised Saline Memorial’s continued commitment to providing comprehensive weight-management care tailored to meet the needs of each individual patient.

“As medicine progresses, we are seeing more and more patients seek weight loss management,” he said. “We know, in general, that we are living longer, and when you look at society as a whole, our rate of being overweight or morbidly obese has increased. That has definitely had an impact on the number of people we see.

“Because we’re a well-rounded organization, we can offer different treatments for patients. Some people come to pursue counseling for management of their weight. More people are looking at pursuing medical versus surgical management of their weight. Honestly, I think the future of weight loss treatment is probably going to be a combination of approaches and, in that sense, we’re on the cutting edge.”

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

CHAMPIONS

term rehabilitation that helps patients return home by providing nursing and therapy in a comfortable atmosphere.

GRAND VILLAGE AT CLEAR CREEK

JEFFERSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

UNITY HEALTH

WHITE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER

Fayetteville’s Grand Village at Clear Creek is a luxury retirement community with meticulously designed residences and upscale amenities that specialize in a lavish lifestyle. Residents enjoy elegant dining experiences, engaging social activities and beautifully landscaped surroundings that promote relaxation and rejuvenation. Dedicated staff are available around the clock.

PARKWAY VILLAGE

PRESBYTERIAN VILLAGE

Services uses a holistic approach to care for its patients through inpatient and outpatient services. With a team of licensed psychiatrists, licensed mental health counselors, psychiatric nurses and other specialists, patients are provided with medication management, counseling and therapy services, as well as psychological testing for all age groups. Unity Health Behavioral Health Services consists of outpatient counseling and inpatient treatment for ages 4 and older, featuring an adolescent unit, adult unit and geriatric unit.

NURSE PRACTITIONERS

Unity Health-White County Medical Center in Searcy is the largest health care provider in an eight-county area. The 245-bed hospital includes a full array of medical services and provides patients with outstanding, compassionate care. Since 1967, the hospital has consistently expanded and remains the largest employer in the area. With expert physicians and stateof-the-art equipment and procedures, Unity Health-White County Medical Center provides world-class care locally and includes Unity Health Graduate Medical Education.

For more than 50 years, Little Rock’s Presbyterian Village has provided comprehensive continuing care for older adults that promotes health, comfort, security and spiritual well-being in a living environment that fosters personal dignity and independence. From independent living to skilled nursing and rehabilitation and everything in between, Presbyterian Village strives to offer a healthy, secure and joyful environment for all residents.

RHONDA FINNIE, APRN

Baptist Health

KIMBERLY HILL, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Diversity Family Health

KRISTA SCOTT, APRN

Washington Regional Medical System

MICHEL VILLIGER, APRN

Baxter Health

REBEKAH YOUNG

OrthoArkansas

WHITE RIVER MEDICAL CENTER

MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES

Located in Batesville, White River Medical Center is a 224-bed regional referral center and the flagship facility of White River Health. WRMC’s growth over the years has included the addition of a multi-story women’s center in 2005, a four-story tower in 2012 and, in 2023, the beginning of an expansion of the White River Health Oncology and Infusion Center to enhance the healing environment. WRMC is a participating hospital of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock’s Institute of Digital Health & Innovation Stroke Program and is a part of Arkansas’ Trauma System, for which it has a Level III designation.

CONWAY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH HOSPITAL

FRESHLY RENEWED TRANSITIONAL TREATMENT

PINNACLE POINTE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE

Rebekah Young is an advanced practice registered nurse at OrthoArkansas in Little Rock. She previously worked as a registered nurse at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock and Central Arkansas Pediatric Clinic in Bryant, and she was a clinical instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing science from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, respectively.

A champion of mental health care, Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare in Little Rock provides psychiatric care to individuals ages 5 to 17 who are experiencing emotional and behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression, mood swings, grief and high-risk behaviors. The facility offers individualized mental health treatment in a secure and nurturing environment.

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

TARA BRUNER, PA-C

PrimeCARE Medical Clinic

LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

SPRINGWOODS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

FOX RIDGE LUXURY SENIOR LIVING

NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER AT GOOD SHEPHERD

A champion of long-term care, the Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at Good Shepherd in Little Rock provides residents with private and semi-private accommodations, as well as full-time transportation to and from medical appointments, a calendar of activities, nutritious meals, and free wireless internet. The facility also offers short-

Springwoods Behavioral Health in Fayetteville can be found in one of northwest Arkansas’ most peaceful areas. The six-acre campus is adjacent to a 123-acre Audubon wildlife and bird sanctuary, which is held in perpetuity and cannot be developed from its natural state. The 80-bed hospital accommodates both adolescents and adults, and its interior includes a two-story patient wing with expansive windows to let in natural light.

UNITY HEALTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

Tara Bruner serves as manager for clinical education and physician associate at PrimeCARE Medical Clinic in Searcy. She is a former clinical education manager and clinical educator at Thermo Fisher Scientific. She also worked as a physician assistant at Unity Health, which is based in Searcy, and as an adjunct professor of physician assistant studies at Harding University in Searcy.

Unity Health Behavioral Health

KATE ROSS CAMERON, PA-C

Arkansas Diabetes and Endocrinology Center

WES HALL, M.S., PA-C, Baptist Health

Health Care Clinics: ACH West Little Rock Clinic

Health Care

Volunteer Organizations: Arkansas Children’s Foundation

Health Care Administrators: Marcy Doderer

Hospital System: Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Registered Nurses: Jennifer Sellers and Megan Hightower Wilson

Large Hospitals: Arkansas Children’s Hospital

TO BE CHAMPIONS OF HEALTHCARE

Hospital System: Unity Health

Mental Health Facilities: Unity Health - Behavioral Health

Health Care Administrator: Kevin Burton, Unity Health - Jacksonville

Large Hopitals (100 beds or more): Unity Health - White County Medical Center

Health Care Volunteer Organizations: Unity Health - Volunteer Services

HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY OF ARKANSAS

There is a quote by former first lady Rosalynn Carter describing the four kinds of people in the world — ”those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.”

Aging is an inevitable part of family life, making the care of older family members a topic to discuss often and early among loved ones. While most everyone would love to have infinite time, resources and energy to care for an aging loved one, it is hard to provide the kind of round-the-clock, responsive support that is often required as time goes on. That is where professional caregivers step in, relieving families and helping more seniors stay in the comfort of their own homes as they age.

Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas, founded by Little Rock native Veronica Love alongside administrator and business partner Constance R. Jarrett, registered nurse, exists to provide central Arkansans with compassionate, professional, nonmedical care. Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas offers support for the elderly and disabled adults 21 and over. Love and her team carefully select caregivers based on experience and compassion, and background checks are done on every employee. With customized care designed to meet an individual’s specific needs, Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas sets the standard for in-home health care while treating every client like family.

WHY OPT FOR IN-HOME CARE?

Arranging to have in-home care allows aging seniors to stay in the comfort of their own home longer and saves them the stress and uncertainty of moving into a nursing facility. Additionally, it helps families avoid the exorbitant costs associated with such facilities.

For those who have spent years — even decades — building up their home and current life, the emotional benefits of being able to live at home cannot be overstated. Retaining much of their independence while feeling confident that they will have the help they need can give both seniors and their families peace of mind. Caregivers consult one on one with each family to create a schedule that is flexible and tailored to each individual’s needs and lifestyle.

Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas is committed to keeping seniors comfortable in their homes for as long as possible by providing a variety of non-medical support services.

PERSONAL CARE

Personal care assistance with tasks such as using the bathroom or getting dressed allows seniors to maintain their sense of dignity, especially for those situations where help from family members would be awkward or uncomfortable. Short-term care can also provide relief for family members after their loved one has an emergency surgery or other procedure. Personal care services include tasks such as bathing, toileting, incontinence care, personal hygiene, dressing and grooming.

TRANSPORTATION

Arranging for transportation after a loved one is unable to drive can be stressful for busy families. What is more, there are many activities that younger or able-bodied individuals might take for granted, such as going to the barbershop, attending church or seeing friends outside of the house. Caregivers provide more than just shuttle services; they help seniors prepare for the trip, accompany them and provide any necessary assistance once at the destination.

MEALS

Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial at any age, but it can get harder to cook for oneself as the years go on. Rather than having to rely on more convenient but unhealthy foods, Home Health Care Agency caregivers can ensure seniors maintain a nutritious and well-balanced diet, from grocery shopping and recipe research to meal preparation and table setting.

COMPANIONSHIP

The risk of feeling isolated as one ages is real, even with caring family members doing their best to provide support. Home Health Care Agency caregivers can help bridge the gap by being a trusted, compassionate presence for seniors, as well as promoting physical and cognitive health through consistent interaction.

Conversation, games, gardening and other activities can keep an aging loved one from feeling alone.

THE HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY OF ARKANSAS DIFFERENCE

Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas stands apart for its high standards of quality and dedication to constantly improving the care it provides. Love and her team work hard to make sure that every caregiver hired by the agency is vetted, qualified, and, most of all, passionate about caring for their aging and disabled neighbors. The company provides the tools and resources caregivers need to do their job well, and that guidance can also help family members as they care for their own loved ones.

The team at Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas understands just how vital their work is for supporting individuals and bringing peace of mind to their families. Quality of life is the staff’s No. 1 priority, and the agency customizes its services to provide the right care at the right time, even as circumstances and needs change. Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas is a true partner to families in caring for loved ones and providing the flexibility, personalized attention and dedication clients need to live and thrive at home.

10310 W. Markham St., Suite 197, Little Rock

502 N. Missouri St., West Memphis

501- 553-1953

hhcaoa.net

hhc@homehealthcareagencyark.com Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas, LLC

Veronica Love

COURTNEY MOSLEY, PA-C

Highlands Oncology

MATT REYNOLDS, PA-C

Arkansas Dermatology

CHAMPIONS OF HEALTHCARE

PHYSICIANS

REGISTERED NURSES

PAIGE KELLY, BSN, RN

Wright Plastic Surgery

JENNIFER SELLERS, RN

Arkansas Children’s Hospital

DANA ABRAHAM, M.D., FACS

Abraham Breast Clinic

Dana Abraham is the owner of Abraham Breast Clinic in Little Rock, which she founded in 2007. A Little Rock native, she graduated from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire in 1989 before completing a general surgery residency and breast fellowship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. She then returned to Little Rock in 1995 to establish a private practice in surgical breast oncology. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Society of Breast Disease and a member of the Association of Women Surgeons.

Jennifer Sellers is a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. The diabetes clinic at ACH deals with newly diagnosed and followup diabetes patients and offers an extensive multidisciplinary approach to diabetes management.

BETH STRACK, APRN

Conway Regional Health System

more joint replacement procedures than any other hospital in the state while maintaining a lower-than-average infection rate.

AMANDA DEEL, D.O.

Beth Strack practices at the Conway Regional Endocrinology and Diabetes Center. She is board-certified in advanced diabetes management as is certified by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine-Arkansas

Arkansas Children’s

MEGAN HIGHTOWER WILSON, RN

BAPTIST HEALTH-VAN BUREN

CHI ST. VINCENT NORTH

CHI St. Vincent North in Sherwood, home of the CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, was recently awarded the prestigious Stroke Care Performance Diamond Award by the Arkansas Department of Health. The award recognizes excellence in stroke patient care in the category of stroke band documentation for medium-sized hospitals. Earlier this year, the hospital also received the American Heart Association’s Gold Plus Get with the Guidelines Stroke Quality Achievement and Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy Award.

LEVI HOSPITAL

SURGEONS

TROY BIRK, M.D.

Jefferson Regional Medical Center

Amanda Deel is a founding faculty member of the state’s first osteopathic medical school and is passionate about training physician leaders. A native of New Edinburg in Cleveland County, Deel joined the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2015. She serves as associate dean of academic affairs and is a practicing family physician. Deal has played a key role in helping grow graduate medical education in Arkansas and in helping every NYITCOM graduate earn residency placement.

With two hospitals, a pediatric research institute and a foundation, along with clinics, education programs and outreach programs, Arkansas Children’s is a driving force for pediatric care in Arkansas. For more than a century, the hospital system has grown to meet the needs of children in Arkansas and beyond. Megan Hightower Wilson, RN, is one of the champions who cares for patients at Arkansas Children’s.

RURAL HOSPITALS

ASHLEY COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER

DEWITT HOSPITAL

ALI KRISHT, M.D., FACS

CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Neuroscience Institute

JOEL LINK, M.D.

MERCY HOSPITAL BOONEVILLE

Ali Krisht is the director and lead neurosurgeon at the CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Neuroscience Institute. He is the 2019 recipient of the international Herbert Olivecrona Award for contributions to the field of neurosurgery and is rated among the top 1 percent of all neurosurgeons in the United States by the rating firm Castle Connolly. He is also editor of the journal Contemporary Neurosurgery Krisht has delivered more than 170 presentations and lectures around the world.

Jefferson Regional Medical Center

GINA MCNEW, M.D.

NEA BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Conway Regional Health System

NORTH ARKANSAS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Gina McNew is a highly experienced internal medicine physician at Conway Regional Medical Clinic-Vilonia. She graduated from medical school and completed her residency training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. She has served as a preceptor for nurse practitioner and physician assistant students from various programs. She currently accepts patients as the outpatient internal medical residency program assistant director at Conway Regional.

SMALL HOSPITALS (50 BEDS OR MORE)

ARKANSAS HEART HOSPITAL

DOMINIC MAGGIO, M.D.

Legacy Spine & Neurological Specialists

LEWIS PORTER

Saline Memorial Hospital

SCOTT SMITH

Conway Regional Health System

ARKANSAS SURGICAL HOSPITAL

JOSH MORRISON, M.D.

St. Bernards Healthcare

Arkansas Surgical Hospital is one of the only five-star hospitals in the state and ranks in the top 5 percent in the nation for patient experience. The hospital features 41 private patient suites and 13 state-of-the-art operating rooms. The surgeons’ specialties range from orthopedic and spine treatments to breast oncology and interventional pain management. The physicians at Arkansas Surgical Hospital perform

Scott Smith is an orthopedic surgeon in practice at Conway Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center. As part of his practice, he performs Mako robotic arm assisted joint replacement procedures. He attended medical school and graduated with honors from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. He completed his residency at Campbell Clinic in Memphis. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in his field.

For more than 100 years, Conway Regional has provided high-quality, compassionate health care to the communities we serve. We are proud of our team members who are being recognized as CHAMPIONS IN HEALTHCARE. At Conway Regional, we are bold, exceptional, and called to help others. Thank you to our patients for continuing to trust Conway Regional for your health care needs.

HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATOR

HEALTH CARE CEO SURGEON

Matt Troup Chief Executive Ofﬁcer

PHYSICIAN

Gina McNew, MD

Conway Regional

Hendrix Medical Clinic

Rebekah Fincher Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer

HEALTHCARE ADVOCATE

Scott Smith, MD Orthopedic Surgery

REGISTERED NURSE

Erica Fuller Clinical Care Coordinator Manager

Beth Strack, APRN Endocrinology

LARGE HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL SYSTEM, AND HEALTH CARE CLINICS

Conway Regional Health System

Conway Regional Health System has been recognized as a champion in health care. At Conway Regional, our world-class providers are here to take care of you and your health care needs. From primary care to specialty care, we offer a seamless referral process, ensuring you get the care you need. Call our patient navigation center at 501-506-CRHS to make an appointment with any provider.

www.ConwayRegional.org

Arkansas is a state that knows how to do business. Whether the subject is Fortune 500 mainstays or hometown businesses that fuel local economies, Arkansas is pro-business.

In this month’s issue, Arkansas Money & Politics highlights a special sales section dedicated to some of the state’s most distinguished businesses, our 2024 Companies of Distinction.

AARP ARKANSAS

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” said AARP Arkansas State Director Ashley McBride. “AARP is the organization that people 18 to 50 don’t know they need — but they do.”

While many might believe that the organization focuses exclusively on retirees, the reality is that AARP membership is open to anyone 18 and older. In many ways, when it comes to enjoying the benefits of AARP membership, the sooner the better.

“If you think about it, AARP cares about the issues that we must start thinking about before retirement,” said Associate State Director of Advocacy and Outreach Chris McCoy.

AARP Arkansas serves all Arkansans 50-plus and their families. The organization’s mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. AARP does that through programming, advocacy and education, specifically on the topics of caregiving, financial security and age discrimination. The organization also promotes age-friendly communities, focusing on disaster preparedness, fair and affordable housing, and increasing digital connections.

“This year, we have had hundreds of opportunities to be present in communities across the state, be that a brain health program or a tabling event that allowed our volunteers to share about AARP and listen to concerns about aging,” said Associate State Director

of Community Outreach and Engagement Patricia Fry.

Earlier this year, members, volunteers and guests from across the Delta and central Arkansas traveled to the State Capitol to interact with legislators, attend committee meetings and promote their shared mission.

“At Red Shirt Day at the State Capitol, more than 100 of our volunteers and community partners rallied around the importance of voter education, fraud prevention, protecting Social Security, and helping our veterans,” McCoy said.

The group received a gubernatorial proclamation and two legislative resolutions recognizing the work and positive impact of AARP Arkansas.

“These are issues that matter to Arkansans. We are here to ensure our lawmakers know the concerns of our constituents,” McBride said.

AARP Arkansas is a Company of Distinction for many reasons, but its work to make Arkansas stronger and safer for people 50-plus and their families is certainly at the top of the list.

Volunteer opportunities are available for people of all ages, including students, businesses, churches and organizations. AARP Arkansas welcomes all to join in serving communities statewide.

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

ARKANSAS INDUSTRIAL ROOFING

Arkansas Industrial Roofing was founded in 1977 by the late Corbett Sanders III. His wife, Cathy Smith, now carries on the company’s tradition of excellence alongside general manager and lead roofing consultant Matthew Nicolo. Nicolo has been with the company since 2004, and he takes great pride in being able to continue giving customers the level of service and dedication they have come to expect over the decades.

“Our customers and prospective customers can call me directly on my cell phone anytime,” Nicolo said. “They know we answer quickly and respond rapidly to their needs.”

From servicing repairs to production work and prudent consulting, Arkansas Industrial Roofing takes its responsibility to its customers throughout Little Rock and Hot Springs seriously. The full-service roofing contractor is known for quality workmanship. Mistakes, though rare, are always rectified because Nicolo and the rest of the Arkansas Industrial Roofing team believe in doing right by every project, no matter what.

Nicolo also relishes the opportunity to serve his home state. The company makes it a point to give back to the community by supporting nonprofits and offering roofing services at value-oriented prices to organizations on tight budgets.

“If you don’t go to bed every night and wake up every day thinking about your company, your customers and your community, then you are failing in those areas,” Nicolo said. “I don’t do this for recognition. I do this for the pride I feel when we have done a job right.”

501.373.8239 • 7123 Interstate 30, Suite 6, Little Rock

CAPITOL GLASS CO.

Capitol Glass Co. is a Little Rock institution that has seen three generations of the Grimes family at the helm over the years. Owner Glenn Grimes grew up watching his father, Jack Grimes, as he helped found and later became sole owner of the business. Glenn joined the company full time in 1972 and became owner upon Jack’s retirement in 1990. Glenn’s son, Aaron, now runs the company’s day-today operations. Over the course of seven decades, Capitol Glass has cultivated a reputation for quality and service that is hard to find anywhere else.

“When you call our shop, you are going to talk to an actual person who is experienced and extremely knowledgeable about auto glass,” Aaron said. “We do all the auto glass work for every luxury car dealership in Little Rock, and there is a reason for that.”

The introduction of advanced driver assistance systems has changed the automotive glass industry significantly. Various safety features have brought with them a bevy of new sensors, cameras and systems that have to be carefully recalibrated when replacing a windshield. That causes complications on both the repair and the insurance sides, but Capitol Glass has worked tirelessly to adapt while never compromising its high standards.

“The strength of our company is our experience, knowledge and commitment to quality work and customer service,” Aaron said. “Since our biggest competitors are large global chains, our biggest challenge is being able to keep up with and invest in the newest technologies that keep us on the cutting edge of the rapidly changing automotive industry.”

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

With more than 100 years of experience serving central Arkansas, Conway Regional Health System has been the go-to name in health care for generations of Arkansas families. The health system’s approach involves more than just treating patients; Conway Regional employees are friends, neighbors and engaged members of the communities they serve.

Today, Conway Regional is the largest employer in Conway and serves seven counties in north central Arkansas through a network that includes more than 220 physicians and 30 medical residents. The organization’s leadership cultivates a vibrant, supportive and inclusive culture that empowers clinical staff and promotes exceptional service at every level. Frameworks such as the Shared Governance Council and the Accountable Clinical Management Model encourage staff participation and place employees in leadership roles, fostering a collaborative, purpose-driven environment.

The Conway Regional team serves patients through a set of values known as iCARE — integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence. Those core priorities shape every interaction, whether it is between physicians and patients or among colleagues and coworkers. Uncompromising standards of honesty, safety and empathy ensure that the health system is able to deliver the highest level of care every day.

Conway Regional is also committed to addressing challenges in the health care landscape head-on. From engaging with insurance

providers to improve reimbursement rates to expanding telehealth and rural outreach, Conway Regional works constantly to stay ahead of the needs of its physicians, staff and patients. The organization continually expands its specialty services, and specialty providers regularly visit primary care clinics throughout central Arkansas and the River Valley to bring care closer to home for patients.

Conway Regional promotes health and wellness in the wider community, as well. A comprehensive athletic training program provides care to local high school athletes during games and practices. Athletic trainers administered over 2,700 physicals across 12 school districts in 2024 alone. Conway Regional also sponsors local 5K and 10K runs, co-sponsors the annual Biketoberfest event with the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, and partners with initiatives such as Kids Run Arkansas and Get Moving Arkansas.

For Conway Regional, being a true company of distinction means more than just providing high-quality, compassionate health care. It involves cultivating an outstanding organizational culture, building strong community relationships and upholding the highest standards of integrity in everything it does. Prioritizing employee satisfaction, deep community involvement and operational excellence — all while consistently honoring its commitments and staying true to its core values — have been the cornerstones of more than a century of success at Conway Regional Health System.

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

BENTONVILLE 479-464-4995

EUREKA SPRINGS 479-253-5080

HARRISON 870-204-6890

FAYETTEVILLE 479-695-6100

FORT SMITH 479-783-7793

DANVILLE 479-495-2281

HARRISON 870-391-8012

JASPER 870-446-2244

ARKADELPHIA 870-246-2821

MOUNTAIN HOME 870-425-2264

MARSHALL 870-448-5450

GREERS FERRY 501-825-6800

GREENBRIER 501-679-0600

HEBER SPRINGS 501-365-1260

CONWAY 501-327-6723 501-932-2828

BENTON 501-315-5900

MALVERN 501-332-5767

CABOT 501-259-9003

NLR / SHERWOOD 501-819-0212

LITTLE ROCK 501-221-0101

BRYANT 501-943-5260

SHERIDAN 870-942-8084

El Dorado 870-8636053

DORADO

STUTTGART 870-455-1083

DEWITT 870-455-1081

OUR SERVICES

• Residential Closing Services • Commercial Closing Services • Escrow Services

• Title Insurance

• 1031 & Reverse 1031 Transactions

• Abstracting

• Witness Closings

FIRST NATIONAL TITLE CO.

To the casual observer, title companies are a less visible part of the real estate ecosystem. The role they play in facilitating transactions, however, could not be more crucial. Since prospective buyers often come to the process with little or no previous experience, a Realtor or bank usually recommends their preferred company to conduct a title search and provide title insurance. That decision is not taken lightly, since problems in the closing stage have the potential to cause all manner of financial and legal headaches for buyer, lender and seller alike. With reputations on the line, real estate professionals seek out title companies for their experience, expertise and track record of trustworthiness.

Having served clients since 1997, First National Title Co. is recognized for its commitment to closing deals, no matter how much work is involved. What is more, the company is helmed by attorneys Jim Pender and David Harrison. Their legal expertise allows them to handle even the most complex real estate transactions, including 1031s and reverse 1031s, and to catch potential issues that other companies might miss. The unparalleled breadth and depth of the company’s abilities has led First National Title to be sought out by clients, even in counties where the company does not have an office, as well as by out-of-state clients purchasing property in Arkansas.

“We’re in-house attorneys who deal with title issues all day every day, so we we’ve sort of seen it all,” Pender said. “It really helps us provide a good service in getting deals closed in a timely manner.”

First National Title is Arkansas’ largest independent title company, boasting 25 locations around the state and counting. That

wide footprint has not been simply for growth’s sake, however. By acquiring offices in rural areas that might otherwise have closed due to financial burdens, for example, First National Title ensures that the people in those counties continue to have access to local experts and quality services. A broad network of title plants, largely maintained by the company itself, also gives First National Title an edge when it comes to the accuracy and thoroughness of its research.

“A Realtor’s livelihood depends on us doing a good job, and 50 percent of the Realtor’s business comes from repeat business,” Pender said. “If they referred their customer to a title company that didn’t do a good job, that customer probably won’t come back to that Realtor again. We get a lot of repeat business from Realtors because we do our job as we’re supposed to do for a fair price.”

While the company sets itself apart largely by operating as an “old-fashioned title company,” Pender said, First National Title also stays abreast of industry trends and challenges. In particular, the company has worked hard to bolster its fraud-protection measures and to educate Realtors and buyers about potential scams. As the title company of choice for countless Realtors, lenders and even other title companies, First National Title provides Arkansas with a level of comprehensive service that is unmatched anywhere else.

“We have been successful in growing our business, and we feel like we have the most experienced people in the industry, and that allows us to provide a great service to our clients at a reasonable price,” Pender said. “We can take care of any of their needs.”

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

Harrell, Chief Growth Officer, and Jon Harrell, CEO and Chairman of the Board

GENERATIONS BANK

With options aplenty, it can be hard for a bank to distinguish itself from the competition. Not so for Generations Bank, which has made its name on being a reliable, community-focused institution since 1907. Unlike larger banks, Generations Bank’s local branches have the autonomy to make decisions that directly benefit their neighbors. Many banks claim personalized approaches, but few can offer tailored banking solutions like Generations Bank.

“Establishing a banking relationship with a local community bank allows for a lifelong connection with a dedicated banker who will provide personalized service from your first checking account to your retirement account and every financial need in between,” said Jon Harrell, Generations Bank CEO and Chairman of the Board. “This unique aspect truly sets community banking apart, offering a level of commitment and support beyond traditional banking services.”

Generations Bank team members realize their shared vision of service through the bank’s core values of accountability, relationships, communication and stewardship. As a strongly faith-based organization, the bank also prioritizes faith, family and work — in that order. Dedication to employee well-being and deep local roots allow Generations Bank to better address the unique needs of each customer.

“As community bankers, we approach every situation with compassion and a servant’s heart,” Harrell said. “This mindset drives us to go beyond just financial transactions and to actively seek ways to uplift and contribute to the well-being of the people and businesses we serve.” COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

Multiple locations around Arkansas • mygenerations.bank

Generations Bank @mygenerations.bank

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

SOUTHERN INTERIORS

Brian Hagewood, owner of Southern Interiors in Sherwood, started his career in high school at a flooring warehouse. That first taste of the industry was enough to keep him interested, and he moved to outside sales in his early 20s. It was a leap of faith to open his own company at just 24 years old but well worth it for Hagewood, who is now celebrating his 25th year in business.

Southern Interiors is a one-stop shop for all things home improvement, from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. As a part of Flooring America, the store has access to a wide range of resources while retaining all the benefits of being a locally owned operation. With Southern Interiors, homeowners have access to the highest quality materials available at competitive and affordable prices. That combination also allows Hagewood and his experienced team to offer customers the variety of options they want without sacrificing the personalized attention to detail they deserve.

For those planning a home renovation project, Southern Interiors is the ideal local contractor. The entire process is completed in-house, from design and fabrication to delivery and installation. Professional and friendly customer service matches with aesthetic expertise to make any project shine, whether that is replacing flooring, upgrading a bathroom or a much-needed kitchen makeover.

“I love having the tools and resources to take any project and make it into something amazing,” Hagewood said. “I still love to reflect on the before and after photos of all the amazing renovations we have been lucky enough to work on.”

Southern Interiors @southerninteriorsar

Max

HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY OF ARKANSAS

Based in Little Rock, Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas offers support for the elderly and disabled adults 21 and older. Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas distinguishes itself from other in-home care options by its ability and motivation to go above and beyond for its clients. Founder Veronica Love has a lifelong passion for helping others, and her guiding principle for the agency is simple: “Caring for your family like our family.”

There are several benefits to in-home care. Moving into a nursing facility can be an uncomfortable — not to mention, expensive — process, and many seniors might be reluctant to move out of the space where they have spent years or even decades building up their life and routines. Arranging for caregivers on a regular basis, on the other hand, can help seniors retain their sense of independence while still giving families the assurance their aging loved ones will have the help they need when they need it. Temporary care can also relieve busy family members as their loved one recovers from emergency surgery or other procedures. Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas is committed to keeping seniors comfortable in their homes with a variety of nonmedical support services including personal care, transportation, meals and companionship. Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas currently has 75 caregivers throughout the state, in addition to opening an office in West Memphis. Like many in the health care fields, however, Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas has faced staffing shortages. It can be difficult to find quality paraprofessionals, especially those who meet the agency’s high standards and unwavering commitment to quality care. For those

thoroughly vetted individuals who do make the cut, Love and her leadership team work hard to cultivate a positive work environment. The agency emphasizes both individual and team morale, making sure staff members feel engaged and providing various opportunities for learning and professional development. The company provides the tools and resources caregivers need to do their jobs well, and that guidance can also help family members as they care for their own loved ones. In the wider community, Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas also supports causes and organizations that serve the interests of seniors and disabled adults.

Love and her team expect the very best from their caregivers because anything less is a disservice to the families they serve throughout central Arkansas. With Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas, clients have come to expect an unparalleled level of respect, trustworthiness and fair treatment. The agency’s hands-on, personalized approach means that no two care plans are the same. Caregivers work with each family to create a schedule that best suits the family’s needs and goals, in addition to providing assistance with connecting to health insurance and other resources. Every caregiver is given a background check and is selected for essential traits such as patience, empathy, communication skills and emotional intelligence.

As a partner in the journeys of its aging neighbors, exceptional care is par for the course at Home Health Care Agency of Arkansas. The agency’s work brings families peace of mind while ensuring seniors keep a high quality of life at home for as long as possible.

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

LEAFGUARD OF ARKANSAS

As a product, LeafGuard has the distinction of being the only one-piece covered gutter system available on the market. As a company, LeafGuard of Arkansas has brought the innovative gutter solution to homes in the Natural State since 2001, giving homeowners the highest quality service to match that of its namesake system.

LeafGuard of Arkansas is a local, family-owned business and the exclusive authorized dealer of the LeafGuard gutter system. The company’s experienced team of experts has an average tenure of more than a decade. LeafGuard professionals are happy to visit a customer’s home to conduct a thorough evaluation of their gutter system and provide free, no-obligation estimates.

LeafGuard of Arkansas uses only employee installers that have been trained on the LeafGuard gutter system to ensure the best install for every home. From estimator to installer, each member of the LeafGuard team has a deep understanding of the needs of Arkansas homeowners and the benefits of the LeafGuard system.

“Our mission is to help homeowners protect their homes,” said Bradley Wright, president of LeafGuard of Arkansas. “We do that by providing the best one-piece covered gutter system available in the market and using trained and experienced employees to assure the best installation for the home.”

Gutters are a necessity for any homeowner, lest water collect around the house and wreak havoc on the foundation. A clogged gutter cannot perform this crucial function effectively, but climbing up to clean out leaves, sticks and other debris comes with its own challenges. LeafGuard is the ideal way to keep leaves and other debris out of gutters and eliminate the hassle and dangers of do-ityourself gutter cleaning options.

LeafGuard’s patented one-piece aluminum system allows water to flow easily into the gutter while simultaneously shielding gutters from leaves overhead. The innovative design means no seams to create potential problems down the road, as well. The gutters are also 20 percent thicker than conventional gutters. What is more, the gutters are custom-made onsite for each home, taking into account the unique needs of the structure when it comes to capacity and the amount — and location — of downspouts.

To top things off, the ScratchGuard paint finish protects the LeafGuard system from chips, peels or cracks. Paired with a lifetime clog-free warranty and excellent service, customers know that a LeafGuard system will protect their home for years to come, even and especially through the notoriously capricious Arkansas weather. Come changing seasons and all manner of storms, LeafGuard of Arkansas guarantees the satisfaction of a clog-free gutter.

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

STALLION TRANSPORTATION GROUP

When Garland E. “Butch” Rice III began Stallion Transportation Group in 1992, he set out to create a business that would have a positive impact on his community and the entire state of Arkansas. Under his leadership, the company has garnered a reputation for its dedication, passion and loyalty. Stallion is committed to success in every respect — for its employees, for its customers and for the wider community it serves.

Culture is everything when it comes to the sustainability of a business. As a faith-based organization, Stallion Transportation is guided by strong Christian values. The company prioritizes not only the growth of individuals in their potential, but also encourages a supportive, friendly and collaborative team atmosphere. The Stallion leadership team also strives to cultivate an organization of employees who can think outside the box. They are always looking for exceptional people who can employ fresh ideas in pursuit of the company’s goals. Stallion is a rewarding and positive workplace, and that feeling shines through into every interaction.

Stallion is also widely recognized for its dedicated support to several charitable organizations and causes across Arkansas.

The company has been an ardent advocate for Special Olympics Arkansas, Wreaths Across America, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas Foodbank, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Arkansas State University-Beebe, Harding University in Searcy, local and state law enforcement agencies, and many local schools and events.

Even as the trucking industry faces widespread economic challenges, Stallion has focused on remaining flexible in the midst of such obstacles. To deal with increased costs of everything from equipment and fuel to insurance, the company has been strategic about finding ways to reduce inefficiency. Thankfully, one of Stallion’s biggest strengths lies in knowing exactly what it costs to run the business, which allows the executive leadership team to deftly guide the company through both turbulent and prosperous times.

True to its founding principles, Stallion Transportation has made a difference in the lives of Arkansans for more than three decades. The company has reached milestone after milestone, celebrating its accomplishments and persevering through difficulties, and all while staying true to a vision of customer service and professionalism.

COMPANIES OF DISTINCTION

SUPERIOR SENIOR CARE

As the first licensed and nationally accredited caregiver referral service in the state, Superior Senior Care has spent nearly four decades building one of Arkansas’ most trusted elder care operations from the ground up. The company’s unwavering commitment to providing the best possible care now extends to 27 locations that connect thousands of care seekers with professional caregivers every day.

At Superior Senior Care, excellence starts from the inside out, and the company prides itself on cultivating a positive work environment where individuals feel supported and valued. Additionally, Superior Senior Care’s unique Charity Choice program empowers each employee

to choose an organization for the company to donate to on their behalf. While there is always a need to recruit more quality caregivers, team members must meet high standards for ethics, compassion, trustworthiness and professionalism.

Superior Senior Care has worked to fulfill the promise of its name by providing truly superior service. Success can be measured, in part, by the fact that there is no other home care company in Arkansas with more experience or a longer safety record. Most important of all, however, is the peace of mind the company has been able to bring to scores of families across the state since 1985.

TODAY’S POWER, INC.

Since 2014, Today’s Power has stood apart thanks to its track record of not only setting high standards but exceeding them. As a trusted partner in the renewable energy industry, Today’s Power prioritizes the needs of the communities it serves, ensuring that projects provide tangible benefits to residents and businesses alike. The company’s commitment to sustainability and innovation helps it deliver cutting-edge renewable energy solutions that are tailored to each location’s specific needs. Initially created to support the 17 electric cooperatives in Arkansas, Today’s Power has grown into a multistate footprint and expanded service offerings. Even as the renewable energy industry faces regulatory headwinds, market competition and technological advancements, Today’s Power continues to excel and stay at the forefront of changing trends. The company’s expertise in delivering community and utility-scale solutions makes it a sought-after name in renewable energy, and the company looks forward to growing its portfolio of partners to make an even greater impact.

Today’s Power cultivates a culture of inclusivity, innovation and continuous improvement both internally and externally. The cooperative’s leadership encourages professional growth and a positive, collaborative work environment. Today’s Power also supports educational institutions and organizations through various contributions, sponsorships and scholarships, which reflects a deep dedication to fostering educational opportunities and enhancing community development.

Integrity, innovation and community focus are the cornerstone qualities of the company’s work, and clients trust Today’s Power for its transparency and deep understanding of each client’s goals. Both now and in the future, Today’s Power is committed to delivering reliable and sustainable energy solutions that positively impact communities and the environment.

Charles Coleman TOP TEN

Law it Is

By KD Reep

Charles T. “Charlie” Coleman has accomplished much in his life, but he said it is his wife, Patti, who is the celebrity in their family.

“She taught kindergarten for 30 years, and anywhere we go, she’ll be recognized by a former student or parent,” he said. “She has influenced a lot of lives.”

Coleman has done his share of influencing Arkansans’ lives. As a partner at the Little Rock firm of Wright Lindsey Jennings, where he specializes in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, as well as commercial litigation and contract disputes, Coleman helps both creditors and debtors find ways to come to reasonable terms for delinquent and default loans. Admitted into practice in Arkansas in 1980, he practices in U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western districts of Arkansas, Bankruptcy Court, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Born and raised in Little Rock, Coleman attended Little Rock Central High School before going to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He said it was there his fate was decided to become an attorney.

“My brother Walt and I made a deal that one of us would become an attorney so we could help with the family business,” he said. “Turns out, it was me.”

The family business was Coleman Dairy, now Hiland Dairy, which is the oldest continuously operating dairy west of the Mississippi River. Coleman earned his bachelor’s degree with honors, then went on to earn his juris doctorate from the UA. He said two years into law school, he decided he better find some lawyers who were good at what they did who could teach him how to practice law.

“I had a summer clerkship here at Wright Lindsey Jennings,” Coleman said. “They made me an offer to work full time, and before they could change their minds, I accepted, and I’ve been here 44 years. I wanted to represent small businesses, and my first few days on the job, Isaac Scott, who was a senior lawyer at the time, started getting me involved in some of his work, representing lenders, banks and financial institutions on what we call the bad side of the bank, which is the side of the bank that collects loans rather than making loans. I started working with him on some of those types of files, and it just kind of stuck. We represented both the lenders and the borrowers on many occasions, small businesses, individuals who needed some financial restructures.”

During four decades at WLJ, Coleman has accomplished many achievements, including election to the American College of Bankruptcy Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 term, as well as serv-

ing as a fellow of the college. He is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Arkansas Bar Foundation and a member of the American Bar Association (business law section), Arkansas Bar Association, Pulaski County Bar Association (president, 20042005), Debtor-Creditor Bar Association of Central Arkansas (president, 2004), American Bankruptcy Institute and Judge William R. Overton American Inn of Court. He served on the advisory committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Arkansas from 2003 to 2007.

Coleman also has been named to The Best Lawyers in America since 1995 in the categories of bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/ insolvency and reorganization law, bet-the-company litigation, and litigation-bankruptcy; Chambers USA “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” from 2009 to 2021; and Mid-South Super Lawyers for business litigation and bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights from 2006 to 2021. Coleman regularly serves as a seminar speaker on various aspects of bankruptcy practice within the state and regionally. He coauthored “Bankruptcy 101 – Starting Over,” in The Arkansas Lawyer, Volume 40, No. 4, fall 2005.

He also served as associate editor of the Arkansas Law Review from 1979 to 1980.

Coleman’s accomplishments are not limited to law. A member of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, he coaches three basketball teams made up of students in grades seven through 10. He also has continued his family’s legacy of supporting the Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp in Ferndale. As a member of the Downtown Kiwanis Club since 1986, Coleman serves as chair of the Pfeifer Camp, which builds young lives through innovative education, outdoor recreation and family involvement through the alternative classroom experience, summer camp and the counselor-in-training programs. The camp is free to those who attend.

Coleman and his wife also have five grandchildren who keep them on their toes and bring immeasurable joy to their lives. He said he does not have plans to retire any time soon, and he remains content as part of a power couple.

“Patti really is a superstar in town,” he said. “It’s like a class reunion every time we go out.”

Robert Coon

Settled In

By Sarah Coleman

Robert Coon, managing partner at Impact Management Group in Little Rock, is a registered lobbyist who represents clients before the Arkansas General Assembly, executive branch and state agencies.

Coon is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, but has been a proud Arkansan since 2005, the year he joined IMG.

“I love Arkansas. I think the state has so much to offer, from outdoor activities such as mountain biking and trails to some really cool cities,” Coon said. “I personally love Little Rock, and I think it has great restaurants and lots of fun things to do. People are super nice, and Arkansas is a great place to be.”

At IMG, his career has been shaped by the development of strategic communications campaigns that include grassroots, media and digital outreach for the organization’s public policy and issue advocacy clients.

Coon graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, with bachelor’s degrees in business administration and political science. After graduating from college, he found himself working in political affairs, an area that has helped him tremendously in his current role.

As Coon puts it, no two days look the same in his line of work, and he wears a lot of hats. In his current capacity, Coon has advised clients from several different sectors, including energy, health care, technology, telecommunications, financial services, labor and agriculture.

“Sometimes a normal day might involve something on the lobbying front. Some days, it might involve spearheading a polling project, and some days, it involves dealing with a political campaign. Most days, it deals with a little bit of all of those things,” Coon said.

Overall, IMG’s practices are divided underneath the overarching theme of strategic communication.

“Government relations is communicating client needs to members of the legislature and the executive branch. Polling is about how to communicate to large audiences, political campaigns and how to help candidates communicate,” Coon said.

When the legislature is not in session, a lot of Coon’s government relations responsibilities hit the forefront of his focus. This requires Coon to help clients in navigating things that are related to state government, more so than changing a law or preventing one from being changed.

Prior to joining IMG, Coon was an account manager at DCI Group, a full-service public affairs firm located in Washington, D.C.

“Early on in my career, I was blessed to work at a company in Washington, D.C., that was really on the forefront of public affairs, and I feel like I learned a tremendous amount from the people that were further along in their careers,” Coon said. “There were certainly people there that taught me the ropes, and for my first job out of college, there’s a lot to learn in transitioning into the workforce, especially because I consider the field that we work in to be pretty high stakes.”

Upon joining IMG, Coon said he was blessed to learn from the firm’s founding partners, Richard Bearden and Terry Benham. Bearden, Benham and Coon are all partners of IMG today.

“Lobbying requires understanding of policy and the understanding of the law, but it also requires relationships. I would say that Richard and Terry were really impactful in helping me grow relationships just from being able to see how they operated, from learning the process to becoming an effective lobbyist and developing that portion of my skills that I didn’t really have at the time,” Coon said.

Outside of work, Coon, his wife, Lindsay, and their children are members of the Midtown Campus of Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, where they are all heavily involved. In the past, Coon was appointed to serve on various state and local boards and commissions, including the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission, which he was appointed to in 2011 by then-Mayor Mark Stodola. From 2014 to 2016, Coon was chairman of the commission and served as a liaison to Hanam, South Korea.

In 2016, then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Coon to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on National Service and Volunteerism, the state advisory board overseeing Arkansas-based national service programs. Additionally, Coon was also appointed to consecutive terms as a member of the Arkansas District Export Council, most recently in 2020 as an appointee of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

Becky Cranford

Family Tradition

By Lance Brownfield

Carrying on the family business can be tough. It can be even tougher when the family business is exterminating roaches, ants and other pests.

Becky Cranford joined The Bug Man in 1991, when her dad asked her to come aboard. More than 30 years later, she continues to uphold his faithful legacy as general manager of the family business, which includes locations in Little Rock and Searcy.

Cranford had worked in the banking industry for 12 years when her dad, company founder Bill McCauley, called her home. Cranford said she is glad she made the switch and has enjoyed being a part of the family business. She credited her dad with being central to her success and, more importantly, helping instill in her a winning business formula.

“Our tagline is, ‘Your satisfaction is our only contract,’” she said. “We don’t want unhappy customers and will try our best to remedy any problems with our services. If the problem cannot be rectified, we will happily refund any money paid for our services. I think our trained technicians set us apart from other companies. We train before placing a technician on a route, continue with monthly classroom training, and each technician must complete a Purdue certification.”

Cranford’s sister and brother-in-law, Beth and Rob Davis, have owned and operated The Bug Man’s Searcy location since 1985. Between the two locations, The Bug Man is able to service many areas of the state.

McCauley started The Bug Man in 1976. He worked for a firm in Mississippi but returned to Arkansas to carve his own path with his own company after he was told by upper management to “perform unethical actions,” Cranford said.

“Needless to say, that company he previously worked for did not last long and is no longer in business,” she said. “He started this company with faith, stating that God would always be the owner, but Dad would just manage it. I carry this same philosophy and know we are blessed by this statement.”

While Arkansas is full of handymen who know a thing or two

about solving problems and getting rid of critters, Cranford stressed the importance of hiring a professional team to get the job done right.

“Some may enjoy servicing their own home for pest management,” Cranford said, “but if you are not successful, please call The Bug Man. We would love to be your pest management company.”

The company offers management services for bed bugs, which have become a much larger problem in Little Rock, and monthly mosquito services, among other pest control measures. Mosquito services are offered monthly from April through October, and Cranford said that is an area in which the company has been very successful.

In addition to monthly pest management for commercial and residential properties, The Bug Man offers wildlife management services, crawl space encapsulation, commercial pest management and termite management. Other popular services include clearance letters for real estate sales and closings and Sealeze brushes for entry points with gaps.

Cranford and her team cover a 50-mile radius around Little Rock. For her, business comes down to one simple thing.

“We take great pride in helping customers protect their families, homes and businesses,” she said.

Ryan Flynn

Longtimer

By Becky Gillette

Ryan Flynn, CEO of Network Services Group, started working for the company by cleaning offices as his first job while in high school.

“Network Services Group has been my primary place of employment my entire life,” said Flynn, whose father, Gary Flynn, and his business partner, Richard Beard, founded NSG. “I have worked in the technology field since I graduated from high school in 1998. Computers and other technology have always been interesting to me and a major part of my professional career.

“In 1998, I began working here full time. My first full-time position was as a telephone system installer. I quickly transitioned to sales. In sales, I had some very early successes, including being the top sales agent for all of Southwestern Bell in 2000.”

NSG started as a telecommunication consulting company in 1989. Since then, it has evolved numerous times, providing many different products. It transitioned from offering Southwest Bell telephone system services to now providing managed services and cyber security services.

NSG has increased from 11 to 85 employees in the past 11 years. Flynn primarily attributes that growth to the desire to provide a great experience for clients.

“As we have expanded our footprint throughout the state, the additional employees have been vital to providing quick service and experts in the many areas of managed services,” said Flynn, whose company has locations in North Little Rock, Fayetteville and Lake Village. “Most of our staff can telecommute, depending on their roles and responsibilities. Our flexible work policy enables our staff to choose the best location and time for their tasks, as long as they meet the deadlines and quality standards. We believe that this policy enhances the productivity, creativity and well-being of our staff.”

Most of the company’s technical staff have associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in the tech space. They also have vital certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and others, as well as from security vendors. Flynn said he finds technology in general an exciting field to be a part of, especially considering the expansion of artificial intelligence.

“It feels each year, there is always something new and exciting to learn about,” Flynn said. “My favorite part of this job is the people I work with daily. That includes the employees at NSG and the many businesses and individuals who trust us to provide IT services and support. The toughest part of this job is knowing how vital the network and computers are to the people we support. The reality is that people hire us because there will be computer and network-related problems from time to time.

“Our job is to be proactive and minimize those problems and issues,

but it’s impossible to remove those risks completely. That means when problems do arise, it is critical that we provide an immediate response. That fact keeps our leadership team always striving to get better at what we do in regard to our support experience, what cyber security tools we use, and how new technology can help us and our clients.”

Information technology support is essential for ensuring the security and reliability of data and systems, which are critical assets for any business. A breach or downtime can have severe consequences, including financial hits. Flynn said his company’s goal is to restore some dignity to the IT support world.

“We provide the people, processes and technology to manage risk and detect and respond to any threats in better, faster, more scalable and more cost-effective ways,” Flynn said. “Technology is an integral part of most businesses, and we want to be a trusted resource for our clients. We provide our clients a unique IT support experience because we aren’t afraid to be different. We run screaming from technical stereotypes, and our primary focus is developing a strong relationship with each client so we understand their people, their business, their goals and what it takes to make them love their IT support experience. We know how to take care of our clients, not just their computers.”

Businesses are increasingly adopting cloud storage solutions due to cost-effectiveness, scalability and flexibility. Enhanced security and compliance features, such as encryption, backup, disaster recovery and access control, are needed to protect data from cyberattacks and meet regulatory standards. Flynn said there is more integration and interoperability with other cloud services and applications such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics and collaboration tools to enable data-driven insights and innovation.

When Flynn is not helping clients with their IT needs, the Cabot resident said he enjoys his free time. He and his wife, Mizti, and their four children — ages 9 to 19 — spend a lot of time at the lake, attending sporting events and “just hanging out on the back porch.”

Mark Lee TOP TEN x

Common Ground

By Mak Millard

Late last year, Winrock Auto Group invited Mark Lee to be the general manager of MercedesBenz of Little Rock. The offer could not have come a moment too soon. Had things shaken out differently, Lee and his family might have closed the Natural State chapter of their lives altogether, since Lee was contemplating a move out of state after nearly two decades in the Arkansas automotive industry.

“Mercedes-Benz has always kind of been just one of those dream jobs for me,” Lee said. “My wife and I went from preparing to sell our house, move and put the kids in new schools to the next day getting ready to drive just 15 minutes down the road from Benton, where I lived, to begin my tenure at the Mercedes-Benz store.”

It could rightly be called a moment of serendipity, but then again, Lee is no stranger to being in the right place at the right time. He came to Arkansas from upstate New York to attend Harding University in Searcy, in part because of its Church of Christ affiliation and in part because both of his parents are Harding alumni. Although the auto industry was never really on his radar, a friend in college told him he would make a great salesperson, Lee said.

“I think a lot of it has to do with just the way that I make friends. I don’t meet anybody that I can’t be friends with,” Lee said. “I always find some sort of common ground and just kind of run with it. Even in college, I hung out with every possible group across campus.”

Lee had the opportunity to see just how correct his friend was thanks to a chance meeting with automotive magnate Steve Landers in downtown Little Rock. In 2004, at just 21 years old, Lee suddenly found himself with Landers’ phone number and an offer that would kick-start his career.

“I showed up at Landers Toyota on University [Avenue] the next day and interviewed with Steve, Steve Jr. and Scott Landers,” Lee said. “I spent 15 years

with the Landers group. It was an absolutely fantastic 15 years, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

As he moved into the managerial ranks, Lee said the biggest lesson he learned was the importance of consistency. He said he goes to great lengths to be a reliable presence for customers, no matter what time of day or night they might call.

“A lot of my time is spent in front of the client, making sure that they understand that just because they bought a car from us, that’s not where it ends. That’s really where it begins for us,” Lee said.

Behind closed doors, his focus is on cultivating a culture that reflects the caliber of both the store’s product and its clientele. A cornerstone of that aim is setting his employees up for success. Rather than personal awards or accolades, Lee said his biggest reward is seeing former employees go on to leadership positions at other stores and knowing he had some small part in helping them on that journey.

Lee said he also acknowledges the ways in which the car-buying experience has changed in recent years. Gone are the days when clients make a whole day out of visiting the store and mulling their options with an associate. Now, Lee said, people’s time is money, and most people already know what they want when they pull into the lot.

“A lot of our deals are going to start from either a social media aspect or from online traffic,” he said. “Before they show up at the store, there’s usually been several days, weeks and even months of text messages and emails that have gone back and forth.”

That shift has made Lee’s emphasis on relationships even more paramount to the store’s success. The sale is the easy part, he said, while the hard part is making customers for life. He constantly encourages his sales team to be an active presence in the lives of their clients, checking in regularly and deepening those valuable connections.

“We want to be involved with what’s going on with them, and that’s what keeps our clients coming back to us,” Lee said. “I’d be lying if I said it was because we had the best product in the world, and even though we do, that’s not why they come back. They come back because they know that we truly care about them.”

Miguel Lopez TOP TEN x

Banking the Underbanked

By Sarah DeClerk

When Miguel Lopez was 3, his family moved from Mexico to America. When he was in college, the family took another huge leap into the unknown by opening a small business. Now, as market strategy executive at Southern Bancorp, Lopez works to help other Hispanic families achieve financial success.

“I’ve been in banking almost 10 years, and the whole time, I’ve always kept up with Southern,” he said. “I always enjoyed the work they did in the community, and there were a lot of similarities with what my previous two banks and what Southern did. Candidly, I always thought in the back of my head, ‘Man, I should go work for Southern.’”

Although he worked in similar roles at Encore Bank and First Community Bank — helping the banks grow their assets by reaching the Hispanic community while, in turn, providing financial services to the most unbanked and underbanked demographic in the nation — he said Southern Bancorp’s CDFI status allows him to have an even greater impact on the community.

“I guess you could say I manifested it,” he said. “I was always hoping they would call, and one fateful day, I got a LinkedIn message, and I was like, ‘Here we go. Here’s what I’ve been manifesting all along.’”

Lopez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as well as a graduate certificate in nonprofit management.

“I always wanted to give back to my community,” he said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could do that through banking.”

After college, he worked as director of small business at the Little Rock Regional Chamber. One day, he gave the president of First Community Bank a tour in preparation for the bank’s arrival in Little Rock. When Lopez mentioned the opportunity to reach the local Hispanic population and the bank

president asked him how to reach the demographic, Lopez said to hire from the Hispanic community. The bank president offered him a job.

“I’ve really kind of built a niche for myself in helping financial institutions grow their asset size through outreach to the Hispanic community,” he said. “To me, it’s a dream role and a dream career that I’ve carved for myself.”

While there is no silver bullet when it comes to helping banks engage with the Hispanic population, hiring Hispanic staff members is one of the best ways to build cultural competence, he said. Also important is getting the C-suite on board with the idea of intentionally marketing to the Hispanic community.

Since Lopez joined Southern last year, the bank has made great strides in its Hispanic outreach, including translating its website and brochures, creating videos with customer testimonials in Spanish, airing Spanish-language ads on the radio in Lockesburg, and adding its first Latino board member to the bank’s holding company.

He said he hopes to position Southern Bancorp to be the premier bank for the Hispanic community — the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. — and believes the institution has the people, products, marketing and board-level support to do so.

Lopez is also known for his nonprofit work and serves as chairman of Goodwill Industries of Arkansas.

“When my family moved here, we didn’t have two nickels to rub together, and it was by the grace of God that we got into Arkansas, and it really was the biggest break we ever got in my life,” he said. “Every dream I’ve been able to come up with, I’ve been able to realize it right here, and what that did for me is it really kind of created a servant’s heart.”

He was also appointed to the Arkansas Ethics Commission by then-Attorney General Leslie Rutledge in 2022. He has been recognized by lists such as Arkansas Money & Politics’ “Future 50” and by organizations such as the Independent Community Bankers of America and Junior Achievement.

Motivated by the experience of his own family, which started a business with $3,000 worth of credit on a credit card before getting bank loans, he said he hopes to bridge the gap for a population that is underserved financially but also outperforms all other demographics from an entrepreneurial standpoint.

“I asked my mom one day, ‘Was it scary when we started that business?’ because we signed a lease. We made some pretty significant investments,” he said. “She said, ‘Scary? I moved my whole family to a country that I didn’t speak the language. That was scary. Starting a business was just the next part of the American Dream.’”

TEN

Rex Nelson

The In-Between Type

By Sarah DeClerk

Fans of Rex Nelson, senior editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, are likely familiar with his description of Arkansas as “a unique place in between.”

“We’re mostly Southern but not wholly Southern,” he said. “We’re a tad Southwestern. We’re a tad Midwestern. We just kind of sit in between.”

Nelson himself is a bit of an in-betweener — a consummate sports writer and proven political journalist who now writes about all things Arkansas and, for much of his career, did not write full time at all.

Growing up with a love of all things media, Nelson’s first foray into journalism was at age 13, when he and his friend hosted a radio program at Henderson State University in Nelson’s hometown of Arkadelphia. A feature story about their work made the news in Little Rock, then spread nationwide when it was picked up by the Associated Press.

“As a kid, it taught you the importance of preparation,” he said. “Anything that sounds easy is not easy in radio, [You learn to] prepare in advance and then to adjust on the fly because there are certainly things that can still go wrong. I still love to dabble in radio.”

The son of an athletic equipment salesman, sports was equally a part of Nelson’s makeup, and he worked as the sports editor of Arkadelphia’s Siftings Herald while studying communications at Ouachita Baptist University.

He also covered sports for the Democrat-Gazette and then moved into a political niche, working as the newspaper’s correspondent in Washington, D.C. From there, he took a more direct role in politics as director of policy and communications for former Gov. Mike Huckabee and being appointed to the Delta Regional Authority during the George W. Bush presidential administration.

He served as president of Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities for four years, then

joined Simmons First National Corp. as director of corporate community relations, for which he built the bank’s communication’s department from the ground up.

“Any corporation is best served by very clear, direct, good communication not only to its customers but also, if you’re a public company like we were at Simmons, to your shareholders and, of course, to your employees,” he said. “and we had several thousand employees scattered across multiple states.”

In 2017, after 21 years out of the business, he returned to the Democrat-Gazette, where he now writes a column that publishes three times a week, as well as a monthly op-ed feature. In addition to his columns, he also publishes his blog, Rex Nelson’s Southern Fried, and hosts a podcast of the same name. During football season, he hosts a statewide high school scoreboard radio show.

“Journalists, you have to be interested about all things, I think, endlessly curious,” he said. “That was great preparation for the other things I have done throughout my career.”

From writing the Democrat-Gazette’s lead story after Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992 to covering Super Bowls and PGA championships, Nelson’s career has led him to some interesting places.

“Those are the kinds of things a guy from small-town Arkansas wouldn’t have gotten to do unless he took a certain route in his career, which I was lucky enough to do and experience,” he said.

He added that he is happy to be a part of one of the few remaining statewide newspapers in the country, and with his 65th birthday on the horizon this year, he hopes to spend his later years doing what he loves: traveling the state and telling the stories of the place he calls home.

“As long as my health’s good, gosh, I’d like to keep writing as long as I could,” he said. “Sitting here at a keyboard’s not exactly physically demanding. We’ve got air conditioning that works, free water. I’m in pretty good shape. It’s pretty easy, so even though I’m about to turn 65, I certainly have no plans to retire anytime soon. This is what I’d be doing if I was retired, so again, I might as well keep getting paid for it.”

Shirley Washington

Here Comes the Mayor

By Kenneth Heard

After 38 years in education, both as a teacher and an administrator, Shirley Washington of Pine Bluff could have retired and rested on her career’s laurels.

Instead, she decided she wanted to run her Jefferson County town and campaigned to be its mayor in 2016.

On Jan. 1, 2017, Washington became the first Black woman to hold Pine Bluff’s highest office. While there, she oversaw the cleanup of ramshackle buildings that were falling into the downtown streets, helped secure industry in the area and negotiated the arrival of Saracen Casino Resort, an 80,000-square foot gaming area in southeast Pine Bluff.

Washington lost her bid for her third term as mayor this spring. State Rep. Vivian Flowers edged Washington by 432 votes during an April runoff election.

Now, after spending nearly a decade in public service, Washington is not yet ready to take it easy. Her next goal is to construct housing developments with her son, who owns a modular housing construction company.

“The city will still be in good hands,” Washington said, “and I’ll still be here to help. Reflecting back, everyone who lost an election walks away. They disconnect from the city. As long as I live here, I cannot walk away.”

Washington was born on a small cotton farm in Gethsemane in Jefferson County. She said her parents, Willie and Blanchie Moorehead, stressed to her the importance of an education to avoid having to labor in the fields.

Washington graduated from Wabbaseka High School in 1966, earned a degree in elementary education at what was then Arkansas AM&N College in Pine Bluff, and earned a master’s degree in education at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

She returned to Wabbaseka in 1972 and taught in the elementary school there for six years, working with students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Washington then taught in Pine Bluff for 16 years before being named an elementary school principal.

While in education, Washington had a taste for politics.

“I volunteered at the mayor’s office,” she said. “I would go to city council meetings. Running for mayor was a divine calling. I didn’t want to do it, but I felt led to. It was the toughest thing I ever did.”

Washington said she and her son ran a "two-person campaign" her first time out. She won that race and, four years later, earned 76 percent of the vote in her reelection.

Her proudest accomplishments, she said, involved working with various agencies in “bringing unity and resources all together.”

Early on, she dealt with old, dilapidated buildings that were crumbling onto Main Street, creating both an eyesore and an unsafe area. She created a multiphase cleanup program. Phase 1 focused on Fourth Street. Phase 2 is now in the works and involves cleaning an area between Fourth and Eighth streets downtown.

The hardest dilemma, she said, was working with the Quapaw Nation and the Downstream Development Authority to bring the Saracen Casino Resort to town.

Arkansas voters approved Amendment 100 to expand gambling in Pope and Jefferson counties in 2018. The Arkansas State Racing Commission unanimously approved a gaming license for the Quapaw Nation for Saracen on June 19, 2019.

“I was so naive,” Washington said. “[Representatives of] the Quapaw called, looking for a place for an investment. I didn’t know what their business was. When they said ‘gaming,’ I pushed my chair back and almost left. I thought, ‘I cannot bring gambling into this community.’”

Washington stayed and listened, however. She went to Oklahoma to see casinos in action and came away impressed with the economy they created.

“I tell you, I saw those [casinos] in Oklahoma after nine years of operation,” she said. “Everybody had jobs there. I saw the benefits were good. I realized I was being selfish opposing the casino here, but we needed the jobs.”

Saracen now employs more than 1,000 people and has more jobs on the way once the resort’s hotel-centered Phase 2 is completed.

Washington said she wanted the city to garner tax benefits from the casino’s operations and asked for 25 percent of its tax revenues. Casino officials agreed to give the city 19 percent.

“The jobs were critical in getting me to support it,” she said. “The tax revenues are good. A majority of people who go there don’t live here. We’re getting tax money from out of town and out of county. The city is reaping the benefits.”

TEN x

Ashley Kemp Wimberley

LeadingCharge the

The Arkansas Press Association was founded in 1873, making it the oldest professional association in the state. The organization has supported member news outlets by providing information and training opportunities for more than 150 years, and its work includes advocacy, education and fundraising for the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation.

An accomplished organization like APA is only as effective as its leadership, so it stands to reason that with Ashley Kemp Wimberley at the helm, the organization is quite effective. She joined the organization as director of marketing in 2005 and was named executive director in 2018. She had previously served as public relations group manager at Little Rock advertising firm CJRW.

Wimberley said the move to APA from an agency was seamless.

“Public notice and government transparency have been pillars of the association since its earliest days,” she said. “We have to move quickly and nimbly to work with legislators, as well as advocates who join us from all over the state, on both sides of the aisle to protect public notice and freedom of information in Arkansas.”

Since her arrival at APA, the organization has fought to defend against radical changes to the state’s Freedom of Information Act, which is considered one of the strongest in the country. During legislative sessions, it is all hands on deck for Wimberley and her team, and she spends a lot of time at the Capitol building.

Outside of her role for the press association, Wimberley sits on the boards of the Arkansas Better Business Bureau, the Arkansas committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Newspaper Association Managers and the Arkansas Scholastic Press Association. She also serves on the Arkansas Foodbank executive committee and currently serves as president of Arkansas Society of Association Executives.

By Lance Brownfield

Wimberley said her advice to anyone starting out in the industry is to remember that success requires passion.

“To be effective, you have to believe in what you are doing,” she said. “I am extremely passionate about freedom of the press, freedom of speech and the public’s right to know, and APA is a leading voice on these issues at the legislature on behalf of both the press and the public at large. The APA staff is very dedicated, and we are going to continue to fight legislatively for government transparency.”

Wimberley said her biggest inspirations are her parents, both of whom are working journalists who met in the newsroom of Russellville’s daily newspaper, then known as the Courier Democrat. They went on to publish several newspapers in north Arkansas and southern Missouri.

“I remember spending long nights in the office on press day as they got the newspaper to bed,” she said. “My brother and I slept on the floor of the newsroom under a desk many times.”

With family being a central part of her life, Wimberley enjoys spending as much time as possible with her two daughters, Anna and Maggie. Her hobbies include kayaking, enjoying the outdoors, travel, Razorback games and going to concerts.

Carrying on the legacy set forth by her parents, Wimberley works tirelessly to protect the causes close to her heart and advocate for newspapers around the state.

“I learned as a small child what it takes to produce a community newspaper, as well as what a newspaper means to a community,” she said. “A good newspaper is an anchor in the community, recording its successes while also holding those in power accountable. As the old saying goes, I got ink in my blood watching their passion for their work and seeing firsthand the importance of journalists to a community.

“While working to maintain democracy and transparency in many ways becomes more challenging each year, it also becomes more rewarding. The work of journalists in Arkansas and around the world has never been more important.”

Bill Yee TOP TEN

Banking Fit the Bill

By Paul Sage

Although he did not realize it at the time, Bill Yee began his training in community banking when he was 5 years old. As the youngest of six children of Chinese immigrants, Yee worked with his family in his father’s grocery store, Yee’s Food Land in Lake Village.

“That store taught me the foundation of banking,”he said. “It taught me how to treat customers. Think about how many people now don’t even have conversations. Whenever I go to Walmart or whatever, if I give them a $10 bill and my groceries are $9.63, most of them don’t know how to count my change back, because they’re just looking at the screen. That [grocery store experience] taught me some valuable lessons — how to count money, how to make change, how to interact with people. I always credit the grocery store as being the catalyst of my career.”

Bill and his wife, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Suzanne Yee, have lived in Little Rock since Suzanne studied at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences there and Bill began his career as an examiner with the Arkansas State Bank Department.

“The State Bank Department gave me such a huge jump in banking because it allowed me to touch base with so many bankers here in the state of Arkansas,” Yee said. “They wouldn’t have known Bill Yee coming out of Lake Village.”

Yee’s role as an examiner gave his banking career a solid foundation, but it required him to spend 90 percent of his time away from home, crisscrossing the state and keeping him away from his family. After seven years with the department, Yee transitioned to Little Rock-based institutions, beginning with First Commercial Bank, which was the largest bank in Arkansas until it was acquired by Regions Bank in 1998. In 2002, Yee began a long tenure with Delta Trust, which was acquired by Simmons Bank in 2014.

Yee joined Citizens Bank in 2022 as the Little Rock city president with a strong desire to play a key role in a community-focused bank.

“After working for 20 years and retiring from a larger bank, I had the honor and privilege of being recruited to Citizens Bank to serve as Little Rock city president,” he said. “The attraction was the privilege to go back and work at a strong, smaller community bank, to be involved in management again, and to work with a group of very talented professionals whom I previously worked with at

another institution.”

Yee said he believes it is very important for everyone to have a personal banking relationship.

“As individuals advance in their careers, their finances become more complex, and a trusted advisor is recommended,” he said.

When discussing the shift of consumer activity from brick-andmortar bank branches to online mobile banking services, Yee said that banks must be experts in the digital arena, as well as in person.

“You still need banking people that you can talk to, that can call you and you have a good relationship with,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s all a people business. I want you to treat me like I treat you — with respect.”

Asked about the status of the banking industry, Yee said the overall state of banking in Arkansas is very safe.

“We are very fortunate to have some of the best banks in the country in the state of Arkansas,” he said, adding that today’s interest rates have put pressure on banks to grow deposits by offering higher-paying CD’s and money market accounts while, at the same time, lenders are coping with the higher cost of funds and dampened loan demand. These two forces can squeeze a bank’s net interest margin, he said.

For Yee, there is nothing as important as family and he also spoke proudly of his small-town Arkansas roots.

“Growing up in Lake Village, I know this sounds kind of corny, but Hillary Clinton talked about [how] ‘it takes a village.’ I had Lake Village. When people would come into the grocery store, my mom would sit on the edge of the counter and give the kids candy. They became more like family instead of just customers. The state of Arkansas has been good to me. No matter whether I was in Lake Village or when I was in Fayetteville, going to college there, or my time in Little Rock, I’ve always had the same feel. I’ve always been so blessed to be surrounded by such good people.”

“My wife, Suzanne, and my family have been extremely supportive of me. You need that support base, no matter what business you’re in,” he said. “That’s a big part of my success.”

THE PUBLIC’S SERVANT ARKANSAS VISIONARY

Dr. Dean Kumpuris never met a challenge he did not like, especially when it served the people of Little Rock

By Dwain Hebda

Dr. Dean Kumpuris (Photo provided)

On a sunny midmorning so clear and idyllic it felt imported from a movie set, Dr. Dean Kumpuris, city director, held down a chair in a downtown Little Rock coffee shop as the bulk of the morning crowd came in for a java detour en route to nearby office spaces. Kumpuris was a vortex for those awaiting their lattes and scones. Wellheeled businessmen and community shakers — including, at one point, the mayor — streamed in from nearby tables, nodding and waving on their way in or out.

His navigation of the 10 steps from the counter to his seat near giant windows was a study in networking and gladhanding. Once there, he could see, aquarium-like, the people gliding by on the street outside.

Kumpuris loves the bustle and longs for more of it in the neighborhood, truth be told. Saturdays are bliss as he watches the throngs headed to the Little Rock Farmers Market, the families enjoying the playground and splash pad, and visitors and locals alike strolling the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden, all of which came to pass, in no small way, thanks to him.

“Dean’s been instrumental in everything that’s happened in the downtown area, from the presidential library to Peabody Park to the sculpture garden to the River Market,” former Little Rock City Manager, the late Bruce Moore, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2010. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed about him over the years and getting to work with him on a lot of projects is that he has a keen ability to get things done, and he really doesn’t worry about who gets the credit for it. His philosophy is, ‘Let’s just get it done, and others can enjoy the publicity.’”

“I truly believe that your downtown is the heart of your city,” Kumpuris said. “Some people say that’s crazy, and what I tell people all the time is that if you want to spend money in a town, you either have a downtown that’s vibrant, that’s making money, that’s putting back in the tax roll, or you have a place where no one’s there, and you’re spending all the time in the world on police protection.”

As a physician, Kumpuris understands the interconnectedness of systems, the equation of the body as an exceptionally resilient whole created of incredibly fragile parts. For decades, he has applied that same understanding to his role as a communitybuilder, both formally as a city director and informally as a disciple of his hometown, especially as it pertains to the city’s core.

“There’s a whole group of people who don’t really care about downtown,” he said. “My thought is if you’re going to bring people into your community, you have to have excellence downtown. I decided I was going to try to make it excellent.”

DR. DEAN KUMPURIS ON COMMUNITY SERVICE

“In order to have a full life, to really fulfill one’s potential, you’ve got to give back. My worry today is there’s not only a lot of young people who want to give back, or they don’t see what giving back gives you. That’s a problem. Giving back gives a person the experience of having things work, and you also learn about dealing with failure. You learn what it’s like to say, ‘I want to do something,’ and someone says, ‘Hell, no.’ That’s part of life. What I would tell young people is you’ve got to step out, you’ve got to take a chance, you’ve got to take a risk, and you’ve got to give back.”

Born the eldest of three in 1948 in Little Rock, Kumpuris graduated from Hall High School. The son of a surgeon and, later, brother to a cardiologist, he attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, followed by medical school at Emory University in Atlanta. He then completed his gastroenterology training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, after which he came home to go into private practice in Little Rock.

“My day job is my real passion,” he said. “I like doing what I do. I like seeing people. I like taking care of people.”

Over time, he applied his desire for physically treating individuals to helping the population of Little Rock in general. He accepted an appointment to fill a vacancy on the city board in January 1995 and, despite what he described as great reluctance to seek elected office, was convinced to run for Position 8 At-Large City Director the following year.

He won and was reelected in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, even serving as vice mayor of Little Rock from January 2011 to December 2012. One would think with a

DR. DEAN KUMPURIS ON AUDACIOUS IDEAS

“I don’t know if this is really a secret. For me, it starts with a question: ‘How can I try and improve the lives of people?’ From there, it’s just problem solving. Being a doctor, you see people all the time who come to you and say, ‘I’ve got this problem.’ My job is not to say ‘I’ve done these tests, and I don’t know. Sorry,’ and that’s it. My job is to figure out, if I don’t have the right answer, then what’s the next answer? What are the next steps?”

record like that, he would be accomplished on the campaign trail. He is bemused at best about being seemingly unbeatable at the polls.

“I am absolutely the worst campaigner,” he said. “I hate campaigning. I mean, if you look at Frank [Scott Jr., mayor] or you look at Bill Clinton, they get energy when they go out and do those things. I’m an introvert; I hate going out and doing it, but I like what I get to do in office.”

What separates Kumpuris from the long line of big dreamers who have come and gone from the work of reimagining downtown is that while anyone can think audaciously, his ideas have a way of coming into existence. Much of what he has achieved in office has been nothing short of transformative for the city, particularly as it pertains to the city’s oldest neighborhood.

While he often downplays his influence in projects, (“My story’s pretty boring,” he said. “I’m really a pretty boring guy.”) those who know him best insist the bookish, mildmannered routine is merely cover for a tenacious spirit that is all in for the cause du jour. Moore described him as “a hard charger who really doesn’t take no for an answer,” an assessment agreed to within Kumpuris’ own household.

or ‘He’s got this crazy idea again,’” he said. “It’s a chronic problem.”

Nearly everything of substance in the downtown corridor, from Riverfront Park to the Clinton Presidential Center to the Ottenheimer Market Hall, Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden and Peabody Park, among others, bears his fingerprints, and each was an idea considered more far-fetched than the last. It is easy to see the city as it is now and recognize the value of downtown amenities, but many, when proposed, were thought to be improbable at best and impossible at worst.

DR. DEAN KUMPURIS ON SELLING

“Most people don’t like to hear the word ‘no,’ but it’s important to not only get comfortable hearing it but to develop ways to overcome rejection when you have something you’re trying to achieve. In the South especially, when the answer’s ‘no’ we tend to be polite. We’re not going to be pushy about things. If you’re going to get something done, though, sometimes ‘no’ has to mean, ‘Tell me more.’ As for me, if it’s something I think needs to be done and I want you to listen to it, I don’t listen to the word ‘no.’ I just don’t.”

“My wife says to me all the time, ‘You walk into a room, and all these people go, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to ask me for money again,’

The Ottenheimer Market Hall, on which he aligned with developer and former fraternity brother Jimmy Moses, was widely seen as a pipe dream, targeting as it did a riverfront section of the city made up largely of crumbling warehouses. Instead, the seed project sprouted into more improvements, now collectively the River Market district, and became the taproot for other landmark developments to come, including the Central Arkansas Library System Main Library and the Clinton Presidential Center, two major anchor points within the neighborhood.

Each completed downtown project towed restaurants, hotels, and commercial and residential development in its wake, investment that now runs in the billions. Even more valuable than that, Kumpuris said, was how many of the initiatives created unifying spaces where all residents could gather, recreate and enjoy.

“I like parks. I like outdoors. I like kids’ activities,” he said. “I like that if you come down here on Saturday or Sunday, you see Caucasians, Hispanics and African Americans all in the same park, all playing together, all using the same thing in Little Rock.”

Beyond the physical structure, Kumpuris has also

been instrumental in providing for the educational future of the city’s residents, especially those from challenging backgrounds, through the nonprofit Arkansas Commitment. The organization helps a cohort of 40 high school achievers annually by “dismantling barriers that hinder access to higher education,” its literature states. It does that via weekly coaching, personalized college counseling, essay writing workshops, ACT prep and application assistance, among other services.

Since 2011, Arkansas Commitment students have earned more than $60 million in college scholarships, and they have a 92 percent college admit rate. More than 500 students have completed the cohort experience, and 100 percent of them enrolled in college. Every year, the group routinely produces National Merit Scholars, class valedictorians, student body presidents, and recipients of millions in scholarships from colleges and universities coast to coast.

“I remember after one of our first meetings, a grandmother, an African American woman, came up to me and said, ‘What’s the catch? Never in my life has anybody, especially a white person, come to me and said, ‘We’re gonna give you something. There’s always a catch,’” Kumpuris said. “I said, ‘There is no catch.’

“To me, this is just another opportunity help somebody who needs it. What’s kept it going for 23 years now is it all comes down to recognizing that these kids are there, helping them maximize their potential and helping them learn how to live in a big world.”

The morning rush concluded, and the coffee shop traffic slowed to a trickle, leaving just a few students tapping on laptops and a retiree or two blowing the steam off their cups. Kumpuris’ docket, however, has never been more full. He’s in demand at City Hall and as a valued mentor serving multiple institutions, including the Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Board and the Clinton School of Public Service Dean’s Advisory Board.

Both the city and the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau’s master plans offer much to be ac-

complished before he hangs it up, from a much-needed facelift for the River Market’s Ottenheimer Market Hall to the prospect of a sprawling new central park space, to name just a couple.

Such things will not just happen, of course. Support

DR. DEAN KUMPURIS ON OPPORTUNITY

“Sometimes I don’t see a lot of people who want to do things, to do something that addresses the problems that we see in our community. I always just looked at these things as opportunities. Some people have asked me, ‘Well, how did you plan all this?’ I didn’t plan anything. Every time an opportunity came up, I just did it. The nice thing about it was since no one wanted to do it, no one cared if I did it, so no one was there to say, ‘Hey, you can’t do that.’ Most of the time, it’s as simple as just saying, ‘I want to do something,’ and then taking the opportunity when it comes up.”

must be rallied and money must be raised, and as has been true for decades, Little Rock’s favorite son will be in the middle of it, officially or unofficially. The late President Harry S. Truman once said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit,” and as summations of Kumpuris’ life go, that comes close to perfection.

“You know, 10 years from now, I really don’t care if they know who Dean Kumpuris is,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done. It’s fun for me to do what I do. I don’t care about a legacy; all I care about is that I took the opportunity to give back.”

DR. DEAN KUMPURIS ON PERSEVERANCE

“The people who are successful most of the time are the ones who are persistent about what they’re doing. If you’re trying to get something done and it doesn’t work this way, you hit this wall, then you go about it another way. Find a little success. Once you’ve found that, then the next idea that you come up with, people tend to say, ‘OK, we’ll give you the chance to try it.’”

future FOCUSED

Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame looks to continue AGFF's momentum

Adiverse, wall-to-wall crowd of 1,600 is expected for the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet slated for Aug. 24 in Little Rock. Hunters, anglers and every other outdoors-loving individual from one end of the state to the other will be on hand to socialize, celebrate the latest inductees, and show support for conservation and protecting Arkansas’ great outdoors.

“This event is something we look forward to all year,” said Deke Whitbeck, president of the sponsoring Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. “For more than a century, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has worked to conserve the state’s wildlife resources, and since 1982, AGFF has actively supported that mission, particularly those engaging children and youth in the outdoors and outdoor activities.

“The Hall of Fame Banquet is the very definition of a good time for a good cause, one that is very near and dear to Arkansans across the state.”

By Dwain Hebda

The event will welcome its 2024 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees, retired Army Ranger Col. Shawn Daniel of Little Rock and Steve Lochmann of Pine Bluff.

Daniel will be recognized for founding Darby’s Warrior Support, a nonprofit organization that provides a lifeline for countless post-9/11 special operations combat veterans dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of their service to the nation. The organization provides all-inclusive Arkansas hunting and fishing opportunities in a safe environment, fulfilling its mission of giving back to those heroes by providing them a place to heal coupled with camaraderie and understanding.

Lochmann, longtime fisheries management and ecology professor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, will be honored for his teaching and research efforts, which have produced many Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Division biologists. Lochmann is also a past winner of the Joe Hogan Award presented by the Arkansas chapter of the American Fisheries Society for outstanding leadership and strong commitment to Arkansas’ fisheries and aquatic resources.

The banquet will also salute the Mayfly Project with the Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award. Established in 2015 by the husband-and-wife duo of Jess and Laura Westbrook, the Mayfly Project has grown into a multistate mission that supports children in foster care through fly-fishing and by providing mentorship, introducing participants to their local water ecosystems and helping participants develop a rewarding lifelong hobby. Utilizing a network of adult mentors, the organization helps foster children have fun, feel supported and develop meaningful connections with the outdoors.

The organization’s Legacy Award will honor the late Andy Simmons, a lifelong outdoor enthusiast who made history when he named the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation in his estate, resulting in one of the largest single gifts ever received by AGFF. The foundation used the property to create the Simmons Family Outdoor Skills Farm, which opened in October 2023, as a way of perpetuating Simmons’ legacy of conservation and outdoor recreation to future generations of Arkansans.

“Every year, we honor those individuals who have shown outstanding commitment and service to the outdoors, dovetailing with the mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” Whitbeck said. “This year is no exception, as we have a tremendous slate of honorees who have spent years in service to others while promoting the great outdoors. The foundation is proud to honor them in this way.”

Andy Simmons, Legacy Award

Steve Lochmann, Hall of Fame

Shawn Daniel, Hall of Fame

“Every year, we honor those individuals who have shown outstanding commitment and service to the outdoors, dovetailing with the mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.”

— Deke Whitbeck, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation

The Hall of Fame Banquet is just one of the events sponsored by the AGFF that highlights the work being done by the organization to reach more conservation-minded individuals and provide a means for them to support the work of the AGFC. Last year, the foundation unveiled its Impact Fund, a vehicle that enables donors to direct their financial contributions to specific outdoor initiatives identified as priorities by the AGFC.

“The Impact Fund empowers donors to support such things as wildlife habitat restoration, enhancing public access, and advancing fish and wildlife research projects,” Whitbeck said. “It gives people a real say in how their contributions are used, according to what they feel most passionate about.

“Another standout feature of the Impact Fund is its ability to leverage donations through matching programs, often achieving ratios as high as 3 to 1. This means each donation can be significantly increased, enabling more comprehensive and effective conservation efforts.”

One example of that multiplication factor surrounds the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program. AGFF contributed $200,000 to the program, an investment that attracted matches that will ultimately provide more than $800,000 of funding.

“The money will go toward expanding coaches’ training seminars and classes, improve access to shooting facilities, as well as fund equipment needs,” Whitbeck said. “Funds supporting youth shooting sports are managed within the AGFF’s MidwayUSA Foundation endowment. Established in 2014, this endowment has grown to over $4.5 million thanks to the generosity of donors and the MidwayUSA Foundation itself.”

According to the AGFF’s annual report, the organization has also made headway in growing its corporate partnerships. The 3-year-old initiative continues to add companies, including Greenway Equipment, Fiocchi Ammunition, PRADCO Outdoor Brands, Simmons First Foundation and Walmart, said Jibbie Tyler, senior director of development and corporate partnerships at AGFF.

“The corporate partnership program is designed to showcase select companies that are dedicating resources to advance key efforts of the AGFC to benefit conservation throughout the state,” she said. “Doing so gives companies a chance to support the commission’s initiatives, allowing them to borrow upon the positive emotional equity Arkansans have in the agency and help brands connect to conservation, education and outdoor recreation.

“Each partner has a tailored conservation sponsorship package that best aligns with their budget and marketing goals. From youth shooting sports to cultivating land programs, the program allows a wide variety of AGFC conservation programs and projects for a partner to consider. Connecting partners to AGFC’s brand affinity and popularity, the long-term goal is to sustain outdoor activities for future generations of outdoor enthusiasts.”

The AGFF Hall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for Aug. 24 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. The night will include dinner, raffles, a silent auction and the induction ceremony. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the reception and silent auction. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, visit agff.org/hof.

For more information on the corporate partnership program, contact Tyler at jibbie@agff.org. For more information about ways to support the foundation’s work, including through planned giving and the impact fund, contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation office at (501) 831-3382 or email agff@agff.org.

Deke Whitbeck (Photos provided)

2024 GOL F S CRAMBLE 2024 GOL F S CRAMBLE

Ronald McDonald House Golf Scramble

Playing Fore! Families

By Dwain Hebda

TToday, Jayce Carter lives the life of a typical, all-American teenager, investing his time and considerable energy with his friends and the eighth-grade football team at Little Rock Christian Academy. The active teenager keeps his parents, John and Erin Carter, on their toes and running from one activity to the next for Jayce and their daughter, Ashley, 15.

It was a life of family bliss that seemed a long way off 13 years ago when, the day after he was born, Jayce was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that required open heart surgery at just one week old. During that time, the family was referred to Ronald McDonald House, which operates right across the street from Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and like so many other families with seriously ill children, they found a home.

“From a parent’s perspective, Ronald McDonald House is incredibly important for the family’s mental and emotional health,” John said. “Candidly, it helps you be able to process and deal with a situation that a very short period of time ago, may have never entered your mind that this could happen or this is the situation that you’d be standing in.”

Operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana, Ronald McDonald House offers lodging for families whose children are undergoing treatment for serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The house offers suite-like accommodations, along with a variety of common areas including a large dining room and laundry facilities for families, some of whom live in the house for months during their child’s treat-

John Carter Tyler Cole Marcy Woods Robinson

ment. Room and board are provided at no charge and while freewill financial contributions are always gratefully accepted, no family is turned away for a lack of means.

The organization has expanded the concept via Ronald McDonald Family Room-UAMS, a scaled-down version located within the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. The organization is actively seeking to build additional family rooms at Baptist Health in Little Rock and St. Francis Medical Center in Shreveport, as well as a three-story, full-service house nearing completion in Shreveport.

Staying at Ronald McDonald House has saved families substantial amounts of money over hotel rooms and buying groceries or takeout during treatment. Even local families, such as the Carter family, realize benefits even though they lived locally.

“Having the ability to talk to a staff that has dealt with this type of situation for as long as they have and being in such close proximity to Children’s, I think, is very helpful to folks who just don’t know how to cope with the situation,” John said. “That, to me, is a very valuable component, outside of just an ability to stay at the house. I think it’s a mental sanity check that is a big blessing.”

Last year alone, the organization provided 1,900 families more than 11,600 nights of rest, served 92,500 meals and saved those families almost $2 million thanks to the work of staff and volunteers who contributed 9,100 hours of service.

Tyler Cole, sales account manager at Tyson Foods, is one of those volunteers, who first got involved three years ago and now sits on the organization’s board.

“Getting to know the staff at the Little Rock house, they’re phenomenal,” he said. “They’re best in class, and I really enjoy going down there, spending time with them and seeing the impact that they have on the community and families in need.

“Then, living in northwest Arkansas, I enjoy being a voice for Ronald McDonald House up here. It’s unfortunate that I think most people’s exposure to [the organization] is when they’re in a situation where they need it. I definitely want to help change that by getting the word out as much as I can.”

Cole said he has seen up close what happens when parents are hit with a serious diagnosis and the isolation many feel as they attempt to sort through the treatment options and various costs associated with it. He cited a friend whose twins were born prematurely and had to be flown to Little Rock, hours away from home.

“It’s difficult for these families. They’re cut off. They’re in

need,” he said. “Ronald McDonald House takes care of them during one of the toughest times that they’re going to go through. Families are just really grateful for that.”

As part of his service to the group, Cole sits on the organizing committee for the annual golf scramble, set for Sept. 9 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. Marcy Woods-Robinson, chair for the event, said the long-running fundraiser provides a good time while supporting a good cause.

“I think this event has remained popular because people can network and have fun,” she said. “It’s a great way to meet new people, and that would be the reason why everybody keeps coming back, besides helping out the house.”

Flights tee off at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are served to participants. Other attractive extras include a hole-inone contest where a lucky shot yields a $90,000 Defender 130 provided by Range Rover of Little Rock. All golf team members also receive a ticket to the following week’s A Night in Vegas event in Little Rock, benefiting the organization.

John Carter, who served on the Ronald McDonald House board and has played in the golf event over the years, said the impact of the organization is so substantial, it becomes part of a family’s culture.

“I was just texting my wife and my kids this morning, ‘Let’s pick a date at some point before summer’s up, and let’s go out and make a meal for the house,’” he said. “I’m not a good cook, but I can boil some spaghetti and my daughter can brown some meat and we can buy a lot of spaghetti sauce and bread and salad and serve it. Just say, ‘Hey, welcome in. Come on and have as much as you want.’

“You know, everybody can do something, and nothing’s too small. Something as simple as providing someone a hot meal, that’s one less thing for a family to worry about for that night. Even in the crazy times we’re in, we’re really not all that different from each other when it comes right down to it.”

For more information about the 2024 Ronald McDonald House Annual Golf Scramble, visit rmhcarkansas.org/event.

The Ronald McDonald House Golf Scramble is scheduled for Sept. 9 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock. (Photos provided.)

The

Real deal

James + James brings Arkansas authenticity

to custom furniture market

By KD Reep

In an Amazon and IKEA world, finding fine, realwood furniture can be a trial. At James + James, the handcrafted furniture brand based in Springdale best known for custom, solid-wood dining tables and beds handmade by master carpenters in Arkansas, heirloom and custom furniture takes time, talent and tenacity.

HOW IT STARTED

Founded in 2011, James + James is an entrepreneurial story that tells the tale of finding one’s fortune in an unexpected place. Founder James Smith’s $40 investment skill saw has delivered a robust return on investment, and within a decade, James+James was in all 50 states, as well as six countries.

“It really is the quintessential entrepreneurial story,” said Jim Pike, CEO of James+James. “It was founded in James Smith’s garage in 2011. He and

his business partner, James Eldridge, had previously worked for a marketing agency and found themselves unemployed. They bought a plan for a coffee table online and decided they could do as well or better in designing and creating pieces like it.

“While neither were skilled carpenters, they were able to start generating an income by building and customizing tables and selling them on Craigslist. Word of mouth turned into regional deliveries outside of northwest Arkansas, and before they knew it, they were making deliveries of solid hardwood furniture throughout the eastern half of the United States. The first retail store opened in 2014, and it wasn’t long before total revenue grew to more than seven figures. Continued growth led to a larger production facility and a fully optimized direct-to-consumer website in March 2020.”

HOW IT’S GOING

Pike was introduced to James Smith in 2022 as the company was riding the wave of COVID-induced online furniture sales.

“The company at that time was struggling to meet current de-

James + James workers are master carpenters. (Photos provided)

mand,” Pike said. “I recognized the markings of a very compelling business opportunity and, alongside several investors, we acquired the company in February 2023.

“Today, we are intent on laying the building blocks of a professionally managed organization, which has the infrastructure to scale significantly in 2025 and beyond.”

In addition to having implemented several key pieces of technology to support a robust manufacturing environment and a system for the leadership team to manage key business initiatives, Pike said the company is launching a new website and interior-design trade program later this summer.

James + James operates a brick-and-mortar retail store and workshop in Springdale. Today, it employs 80 professionals, more than 60 of whom are craftspeople who create furniture made for life. Experts of the craft, the James + James team can offer insight into all things furniture, from decor and design to the technical aspects of hardwood species and stain selection.

“James + James was founded with the desire to put care and hard work into thoughtfully created furniture that would serve families in its beauty and durability,” Pike said. “These heirloom-quality items are made to live up to real life. We want them to patina over the years and add to the heart of the owner’s home and office.”

furniture, James + James is not simply preserving the art of handcrafted furniture; it is championing the craft, intentionally scaling its operations and team while maintaining and growing its commitment to handmade furniture. The northwest Arkansas woodshop produces hundreds of madeto-order pieces each month, and visitors to the Watson showroom on Main Street in Springdale can see the carpenters in action.

REAL WOOD FEATURES FOR HEIRLOOM TREASURES

James + James prides itself on crafting products from real, solid hardwood. Most pieces are made from knotty alder that is responsibly and sustainably harvested from the Pacific Northwest. The team also uses white oak, black walnut and maple and incorporates steel elements to accentuate the wood.

Specializing in dining tables, chairs, desks, beds, outdoor furniture and more, each James + James item is made to order, which creates deeply personal pieces for the owner.

James + James operates a brick-and-mortar retail store and workshop in Springdale. (Photos provided)

“We look for every place in the home where the beauty of solid wood combined with a new traditional design can be a piece that our customers are proud to own,” Pike said. “While aesthetically pleasing, we also know that all of the various products made by our craftspeople will significantly outperform our imported competitors’ products.”

As a result, James + James is one of the fastest-growing furniture companies in America, gracing the Inc. 5000 list.

Dedicated to preserving and growing the craftsmanship of its

“Alongside authentic carpentry, solid hardwood from the United States is what separates us from most of the furniture sold today,” Pike said. “James + James offers most all our furniture pieces in one of three hardwood species: knotty alder, white oak and black walnut. We select these species based on the personality of the respective wood grains, as well as the durability and ability to hold up to everyday life. Roughly 85 percent of our pieces are crafted using knotty al-

James + James products can be found in customer homes throughout the United States.

der, which we source from the Pacific Northwest.”

Pike added that red alder stands out as a top carbon storer due to its unique characteristics.

“It regenerates easily, grows rapidly and accumulates mass faster than most temperate hardwood species,” he said. “White oak is skyrocketing in terms of popularity, and this beautiful species is being incorporated into many home renovations, remodels and furniture. We are working on a strategic partnership, which will allow us to source white oak that is milled and originates right here in Arkansas. As a result, we will be updating our product portfolio to offer many more white oak designs and will be communicating the sustainability advantages of sourcing locally.”

According to StyleBlueprint, many furniture makers say their products are “handmade” in the United States, but the products are still made on giant pieces of machinery and from cheap and lightweight materials — some of which are not even real wood.

During a time where the furniture industry is flooded with copy-and-paste aesthetics, James + James believes in creating articles custom to each household. From choosing overall dimensions and finish color, customers can customize James + James pieces to fit each space. The company’s

customer service team is with their customers each step of the way, from preliminary design consultations to ensuring delivery goes smoothly.

“Imported ‘fast furniture’ may seem like an economic purchase at the time, but it actually ends up costing more when you calculate the number of times you must replace a poor-quality dining table or bedroom set on repeat,” Pike said. “Quality furniture, by contrast, comes at a higher upfront cost but is built to last, making it a better investment for American families.

“From an economic standpoint, fast furniture doesn’t help Americans or our economy, either. China, the leading producer of furniture on an international scale, averages at a $269.5 billion production industry. The United States, by contrast, closed 2023 with $2.297 billion in furniture sales. While we are proud of our solid-wood authentic craftsmanship, we are also humbled by the opportunity to host all of life’s moments at one of our dining tables. In this way, we like to say that James + James furniture is ‘made for life.’”

Pike said there are several advantages to choosing bespoke furniture, including maximizing space, quality, design specificity and uniqueness in style, to name a few. In particular, James + James products can be found in customer homes throughout the United States.

“Since February of this year, we have built furniture for Zach Bryan, Eric Church, Josh Duhamel and Colleen Hoover, the author whose books are being made into Netflix films,” Pike said.

“Additionally, we have several pieces displayed as art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.”

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

Pike said the future for custom furniture in general and James + James is sustainability.

“Our primary motivation is to create a healthy and sustainable business model rooted in compelling work for our teammates, who subscribe to a value system of creating beautiful solid-wood furniture for all of America’s families,” he said. “We are early in our journey but aspire to be another company on the extensive list of Arkansas’ wildly successful entrepreneurial endeavors. Each member of our team is here because of the opportunity to create a great company; one that is built on a passion for high quality products coupled with professional business processes.”

He added that part of what makes James + James unique is its team of authentic customer experience individuals whom customers know by name.

“If you are interested in speaking with someone who can assist in the design of our pieces, our team is highly qualified to assist with your purchase decisions,” Pike said. “Because of our significant offerings of customization options, our pieces are essentially created just for you. Combine these options with the natural character of solid wood, and each order is extremely personalized. In some cases, we may offer more than 3,000 variations of the same basic design.”

The James + James woodshop produces hundreds of made-to-order pieces each month. (Photos provided)

ink Mister:

Robert Berry of LR’s 7th Street Tattoos knows about permanence

By Mak Millard

Career changes are frequently painted as the purview of job-hopping younger generations, but the truth is that a shift in course can be one of the best decisions a person makes at any age. The potential payoff of bringing one’s skills to bear on an entirely new industry — the fresh perspectives, the opportunities and insights that others might have missed — often far outweigh any apprehensions about venturing into uncharted territory.

Still, some moves are more surprising than others. To say Robert Berry had no plans of becoming a tattoo artist is an understatement. In fact, he actively avoided it at first, even though people practically begged him to give it a try.

“The kids at work kept saying I should tattoo, I should tattoo, I should tattoo. I didn’t want to tattoo. I didn’t want anything to do with it. I didn’t like them,” he said.

Work, at that point, was printing shop Peerless Engraving Co. in Little Rock, where Berry was an airbrush artist retouching photos for just about every ad agency in town. Staring down the barrel of the coming Photoshop age, Berry and many of his coworkers were looking for alternatives. Further upending his world around that time was the death of one of his children in a car wreck, though the tragedy would also turn out to be what finally brought him through the doors of a tattoo parlor.

“My wife — I’m not married now — but she wanted a tattoo in honor of our [deceased] son,” Berry said. “I went looking for a place to get her a tattoo for him. I didn’t like them. I tried to talk her out of it. Finally, I was like, ‘Well, who am I to do that?’ so we went, and she got a tattoo, and I asked the guy, ‘How do you do it?’”

Berry found himself directed to the owner of the shop, who ended up giving him a job, and the rest was history. It was not exactly smooth sailing from there, as she fired everyone the next year. Undeterred, Berry took his 401(k) and opened his own place next to A Twisted Gift Shop in downtown Little Rock. This time, the plan stuck. After a few expansions and an eventual move down

the street, 7th Street Tattoos & Piercing is now home to 12 tattoo artists, a permanent makeup artist, piercers and an attached hair salon, as well. What is more, all four of Berry’s surviving children work at 7th Street, a feat that would have been hard to imagine when he was getting started.

Berry credited his time at Peerless, as well as then-owner Sam Bracy III, for giving him the foundations of his approach to business. It was a very particular, customer-oriented company, Berry said, with an emphasis on perfection and client satisfaction. He brought those sensibilities with him into the tattoo parlor at a time when, as he described it, the industry was still seedy.

“It was back when tattoo shops were associated with porn and bikers and drugs and all that stuff. I was not porn, bikers and drugs. I was The Brady Bunch. I was corny,” he said. “I’m just a middle class guy, and then I got thrown into this world of tattooing. I threw myself in out of grief and out of looking for something to do.”

Combining his artistic background with an ingrained penchant for customer service allowed the shop to flourish, Berry said. He was helped by the fact that there were fewer shops around, but there was no denying the uniqueness of his product even back then. Getting into the industry later in life also allowed Berry to attract a range of customers who might otherwise have passed on the idea.

“Most tattoos are usually an 18- to 26-year-old deal. I was an old guy when I started,” he said. “People heard that there was an old guy tattooing, so they would come and be comfortable. At first, it was kind of awkward for 40-year-olds to come in and get tattooed. Both of us were breaking the ice.”

The tattoo industry has come a long way since 7th Street opened its doors in 1998. One aspect has been cultural as more

Mike Machete at work in the studio at 7th Street Tattoos. (Photos provided)

employers and even the military relax rules about body art, meaning professionals of all stripes can now be found sporting ink. A proliferation of artists and shops has turned tattoos into a sizable industry, and the global market is expected to grow to nearly $4 billion by 2030, Forbes states.

One undeniable factor in the mainstream interest of tattoos was the reality TV era. One show, Miami Ink, produced several spin-offs and introduced viewers to now well-known artists such as Kat Von D. Berry, for his part, was actually involved in that culture-shifting moment — as a client rather than an artist. Reluctant as he was to enter the industry in the first place, Berry was even less interested in appearing on TV, so it took a bit of convincing from a friend involved in the production to get him to agree.

have to be super clean with all of that stuff.”

While less social stigma and heightened mainstream interest is certainly good for business, Berry said he also worries that making it easier for “anybody and everybody” to tattoo will have negative effects on the industry as a whole. A flood of unregulated living room and basement operations not only poses health risks but threatens to tarnish a profession that he and other artists have dedicated significant time to mastering.

“It’s the same thing with hair. You can cut your hair in your kitchen at home if you want to, but if you really want good-looking hair, you go to somebody who knows what they’re doing,” he said. “It takes years to learn how to tattoo. It’s the hardest craft to do because the tattoo changes over time with the

“I said, ‘I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but you just have to tell me the truth. What do you want?’” Berry said, “and he goes, ‘Well, they had a $12 million budget for advertising. They spent it all. Kat needs somebody interesting for her first client, and you are interesting, and so would you be her first client?’ I said, ‘Be happy to.’

“The reason it was interesting was because the theme of the show was getting tattoos that mean something. I got a portrait of my deceased son, and that’s what I talked about, and, of course, they put me on the show because I made fun of them from the time I opened the door until the time I left.”

Berry, no stranger to the effects of changing technology, has also seen the evolution of the equipment itself.

“When I got into tattooing, we used coil machines, and the whole machine together weighed about 16 ounces,” he said. “The industry has evolved now to rotary machines, and they weigh 3 or 4 ounces. When I got into it, you had to make your needles. It was a whole craft. Now you can buy everything pre-sterilized, pre-made, pop it in. … That’s why you have such an explosion of people getting into tattooing, because the craft has changed.”

Ironic as it might sound, the business was also helped rather than hindered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tattoo parlors, along with hair salons and medical spas, were some of the first allowed to reopen in Arkansas, following only gyms and dinein restaurant options. The addition of COVID-19 mitigation practices were just another factor to consider in what is already required to be a tightly controlled, hygienic environment.

“Whenever they opened the shops, tattooing was one of the few things you could do, so we were busy,” Berry said. “You just

“Most tattoos are usually an 18- to 26-year-old deal. I was an old guy when I started. People heard that there was an old guy tattooing, so they would come and be comfortable.”

—RobertBerry

skin, and if it’s not done properly, it shows up. It doesn’t show up when you get it. It shows up a year or two later or, in some cases, 14 years later. You can tell if somebody really knows what they’re doing.”

Not everyone can tattoo, Berry said, and that does not just apply to the art, although it is physically demanding in its own right. Running things from a business perspective has posed its own set of challenges over the years. At one time, Berry opened three shops but found that juggling more locations made quality control even more of a hurdle than it would be for a single spot.

“Managing people, keeping the people under you happy and keeping the customers happy has been the hardest thing,” he said. “Because of the business I came from, I’m hardcore on quality. All my people that work for me are into quality.”

Hand in hand with his high standards for quality and clientele satisfaction is a fun, welcoming atmosphere that Berry has cultivated over time, culminating in the shop being voted Best Tattoo Parlor in the 2024 AY About You Best Of reader’s poll. He also attributed some of 7th Street’s longevity to the fact that the shop still takes walk-ins. Saturdays are dedicated to walk-ins, but they are also welcome throughout the week. Customers know they will get whatever they ask for, something that is not always a guarantee at other places. Then again, Berry has never wanted to be exactly like other places.

“I just happened to be a normal guy who got into an abnormal business, and it caught on,” he said. “Happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

WET, DAMP DRY OR

IChanging attitudes keep wet-dry county debate at forefront

By Dwain Hebda

n the ongoing effort by communities to spur economic development and provide for quality of life, the ability to purchase alcohol is in many places a given. A glass of wine with dinner, cocktails with clients or grabbing a six-pack for the tailgate are all things the vast majority of the nation’s citizenry can do without a second thought.

Arkansas, however, makes such ubiquitous activities decidedly more complicated, depending on where one lives. The Natural State leads the nation in dry counties, NCESC reported, but even that is not as cut and dried as it sounds. Most wet counties cannot sell on Sunday, for instance, although that is slowly changing.

“Dry” in Arkansas is even more confusing because it can mean the traditional no-manufacture, no-sale model, or it can mean restricting sales in some forms and not others. Such exceptions range from restaurants being able to sell by the drink but outlawing liquor stores to brewpubs being able to sell the product they manufacture, provided they meet other requirements.

While it can be difficult to know the players without a program on this issue,

one thing is for certain — attitudes are changing and dry to wet status in many counties with it. Recent studies have shown that, for better or worse, acceptance of alcohol is running at or near all-time highs, and communities are becoming more and more nervous about watching that demand troop over the county line.

A short review of Arkansas temperance shows the battle over alcohol is not a new one, nor was it always waged for reasons that were entirely moral. Some instances show governments manipulating laws to affect people of color disproportionately to the white majority. From the earliest European settlers to Prohibition in 1920 to the present day, alcohol was a hot political and social topic. Even as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution proposed to settle the issue, banning alcohol altogether in the U.S., the enforcement of federal law would be uglier and far trickier than expected.

Despite various efforts by law enforcement and local groups — including the Arkansas wing of the Ku Klux Klan, which mobilized stillbusters in south Arkansas, especially Union County, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas states — liquor still flowed freely, distilled in remote mountain hollers and poured in hidden Hot Springs speakeasies. In December 1933, Uncle Sam threw in the bar towel on Prohibition, and the matter of limiting or restricting alcohol fell back to the states.

With Prohibition gone, local advocates in Arkansas had to mobilize referendums to make a county dry, a process that has worked in reverse ever since. Many of these counties have voted to go wet or “damp,” an unofficial term for countries that pass half-measures as a compromise to balance community standards with retaining tax revenues. About the only consistent link to the past has been the near-statewide ban on Sunday sales, although that, too, is starting to fall thanks to recent ballot issues.

In Prohibition-era Kansas City, huckster entrepreneur and political insider Tom Pendergast was asked how he could get away with brazenly flaunting federal law by openly serving alcohol at his saloon. The corrupt bootlegger replied, “The people are thirsty.” What follows are three Arkansas communities that have tackled the wet/dry issue in an effort to slake the palate of the populace.

FAULKNER COUNTY: DRY TO DAMP

Brad Lacy, CEO and president of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, said while the county may not yet have rallied support to allow retail beer, wine and liquor sales, Conway deserves credit for paving the way for other dry counties to break the seal on serving alcohol.

“We were the impetus in getting the state’s liquor law changed as it relates to liquor by the drink,” he said. “We found ourselves alone in that process. There were a lot of people that wished us luck, but they weren’t going to get involved.”

Tired of watching revenue march over to the next county and seeing the cooling effect dry status had on the city’s hospitality industry, the chamber and Conway Development Corp. took their case to state lawmakers in 2003.

“We sponsored legislation that would’ve allowed communities of a certain size the opportunity to vote themselves. I guess damp would be the right word,” Lacy said. “That proved not to be so easy as we left that legislative session with nothing.”

Two years later, proponents took another run at the issue, this time pivoting away from ballot proposals to successfully push for changes in the existing requirements for club licenses in the name of economic development. Lacy said that strategic argument could also be used effectively to move the county from dry to wet entirely, although no formal plans exist for such a campaign today.

“We’re certainly not missing out on it from a hospitality standpoint. We solved that problem with the private club law,” he said. “The difference is you can’t buy alcohol in a grocery store or a package store. There’s an economic loss there. When you have a county with 130,000 people and a substantial number of them are buying it, they’re going somewhere else. I think that’s why I’m hearing more talk now on our dry status than I have in 25 years.

“This idea that the community wouldn’t vote for it, I think, is outdated, but you still have to have somebody who wants to provide leadership and raise the funds to do it. That said, I’m 51, and I’d be shocked if we didn’t go wet by the time I retired.”

HOT SPRING COUNTY: DRY TO WET

The third time was the charm for Hot Spring County changing from dry to wet. Voters approved the measure in 2022, making the county the latest dry domino to fall in the Natural State.

Lance Howell, executive director at the Malvern/ Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce, said the effort was successful thanks to the dedication and organization of the people behind it.

“Historically, there’s been an effort a couple of times in the past that have failed to make the ballot,” he said. “This time, there was a citizen-led group, a hardworking group that were dedicated to giving it one more shot. They worked extremely hard with that and got it on the

ballot, and it ended up winning pretty easily.”

Howell said part of the reason for the win was the success backers had in making an economic case for allowing alcohol sales, forecasts which have come true almost immediately. He said since the election, convenience stores stocked and sold products within days, and four liquor stores that applied for permits are in various stages of opening.

The obvious economic benefit to the community also helps explain the relative lack of opposition the measure received, another big change from previous attempts.

“Traditionally, the opposition came from people who simply didn’t want [alcohol] sold here,” he said. “In the past, there was a lot more organized religious opposition to it, and that was something we didn’t see as much this time. I think that says that over time, folks have realized if people want it, they were going to have it one way or the other. We’re a mobile society, so it’s very easy for folks to travel from neighboring counties here and vice versa, so we may as well capture that here.”

Despite the relatively congenial atmosphere surrounding the ballot issue, the chamber itself stayed neutral in the run up to the election, Howell said.

“There was a split opinion on it among our members, but not enough where we felt like we had to go to bat for the proposal. It never got to that point,” he said. “We basically limited ourselves to sharing information and letting people decide for themselves.”

ROGERS: SABBATH SUDS, SYRAH, SPIRITS

In November 2022, Rogers and Bentonville extended the definition of “wet county” as far as it could go, voting in Sunday alcohol sales. The proposal carried handily in both northwest Arkansas communities.

Clay Kendall, who grew up in Rogers and is a member of the city council, said the positives of Sunday sales far outweighed any perceived negatives.

“Before we had Sunday sales, most restaurants were operating in their normal capacity seven days a week. What you couldn’t do was go to the store and get a bottle of wine or a case of beer,” he said. “What you could do is drive right across the border to Missouri and spend your money there and let them pocket the taxes.

“This keeps tax dollars in our own community. When folks went to Missouri or wherever, they would potentially stop and have lunch somewhere, maybe go into a store and generate other sales tax dollars outside of alcohol, so the whole rationale behind it was to keep our dollars local. It seemed like a no-brainer.”

The ballot issues vividly showed how far public attitudes had shifted in a short period of time. When Springdale approved Sunday sales in 2012, it did so by a nail-biting 52 percent to 48 percent margin. A decade later, the Rogers measure garnered 71 percent support, and nearly 75 percent of voters in Bentonville assented.

All told, about 20 Arkansas communities sell on Sunday, and Fayetteville is actively pursuing the idea. In July, the city council there unanimously approved putting the issue on the November ballot after proponents turned in the requisite number of petition signatures. If passed, Fayetteville would be the tenth community in northwest Arkansas to sell all week long.

Kendall said the combination of surrounding communities selling on Sunday and wider acceptance of alcohol in general were big factors in the measure’s passage.

“I never had anyone reach out to me and say, ‘This is wrong, you shouldn’t do this,’” he said. “Walmart did a poll of local churches, and even there, it was over 50 percent in support. People decided it made sense. They just didn’t believe [voting it down] would change behavior, while voting for it kept sales tax dollars within our community. It was purely taken from the approach of the economic perspective and not really a moral or ethical issue.”

“Dry” in Arkansas is even more confusing because it can mean the traditional nomanufacture, no-sale model, or it can mean restricting sales in some forms and not others.

READY TO FORGET, READY TO BELIEVE

Hog fans eager to put dysfunctional 2023 behind them

By Mark Carter

August has arrived, and that means it’s time for Arkansas fans to stumble up to the bar for another round of college football, beaten down by Battered Hog Syndrome (it’s a thing) and ready to drown some sorrows.

Though last season’s 4-8 disappointment came on the heels of back-to-back bowl wins, the bitter taste of a dysfunctional, disjointed 1-7 mark in SEC play has Hog fans ready for a football version of the Chickenman to swoop in and drop some golden NIL eggs filled with cash onto the roof of the Fred Smith Center.

The college football world has relegated the Razorbacks to the Vanderbilt table in the SEC cafeteria, and while it’s true the path to sustained football success is more challenging for Arkansas than it is for most of its SEC counterparts, it’s been proven the Hogs can compete at the highest level in the sport’s best conference. Bobby Petrino is back on the Hill in Hog gear, this time as offensive coordinator, and while spring and summer reports indicated a more mellowed CBP, fall camp appears to have restored some of the former head Hogs’ bite. That’s a good thing.

Arkansas football indeed has

proven it can compete in the SEC, and the last time it did so consistently was when Petrino was head Hog. There have since been flashes to suggest the Hogs were ready to take the next step — under Bret Bielema and, two years ago under Pittman. Mostly, though, SEC play has been a hard, slow slog. Fortunately, last year’s arranged marriage of KJ Jefferson and OC Dan Enos was annulled, and both are gone. That, in and of itself, might set the Hogs up for a close win or two. Arkansas lost six straight from late September to early November, all but one — the 12-point mostly competitive loss to Texas A&M — by a single score.

By November, despite the program’s first win in Gainesville, the Hogs’ typical top five SEC gauntlet had taken its toll. If Enos was trying to sabotage the offense, as rumors suggest, the offense obliged. In return, the salty but thin defense finally let go of the rope in late home blowouts to Auburn and Missouri.

Before the Petrino hire infused some enthusiasm for 2024 into a moribund fan base, even the Kool-Aid drinkers were prefacing their football-related comments with qualifying statements such as, “I love Sam Pittman, but,” or maybe they just let out an audible sigh followed by a head shake.

Sam Pittman at SEC Media Days in July. (Photos courtesy of Arkansas Athletics)

Landon Jackson is the Hogs’ best bet to land all-star honors.

BHS is a real thing, all right, and the SEC hill didn’t get any less steep with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.

Not much is expected of the Hogs this year. Arkansas came out of SEC media days picked 14th out of 16 league teams. (The SEC is ditching divisions for football starting in 2024.) There are not many ways to pretty up 4-8 and 1-7, even in the SEC, but Vandy bad?

Razorback football indeed has taken on a sheen of mediocrity over the past quarter century. The perception of Arkansas as perennial contender dating back to the 1970s and ‘80s — to which us boomers and Gen Xers cling — has long been replaced by one of losing. Granted, losing in the SEC West is a lot different than losing in the Pac 12 South, or any other division for that matter, but since we gratefully cash the SEC’s ever-growing checks, all there is to do is get better — easier said than done in this age of NIL and the portal. Not impossible, though.

Bringing back Petrino to fix the offense was a move in the right direction. Sources on the Hill are quietly confident in the new additions to the staff and in the leadership gleaned from the portal in players such as quarterback Taylen Green from Boise State, a former Petrino recruit who promises to shine in his offense, and Ja’Quinden Jackson, the fifth-year back out of Utah from whom big things are expected.

A freshman all-American at Boise, Green accounted for 1,752 passing yards, 436 rushing yards and 20 scores in 2023. Green doesn’t provide a Ryan Mallett arm, but he’s mobile, accurate enough to be dangerous and represents the type of QB with which Petrino has done good things — and coaches believe he brings that field-general mentality that was missing a year ago.

At 6-2, 230-plus, Jackson is a classic Petrino power back. Last year, he led the Utes with 787 yards rushing on 161 carries. The first week of fall camp, he split snaps with returning junior Rashod Dubinion, another Petrino bowling ball with burst in the mold of Knile Davis. Dubinion has bided his time in the Razorback backfield with playing time sometimes spotty, but Petrino appears ready to give the third-year Georgia native his shot.

Much has been made of Arkansas’ troubles on the offensive line. Jefferson was the most-sacked QB in the league last year. Granted, he missed some reads, and added bulk didn’t help his escapability, but he was a sitting duck virtually all season. The portal delivered some older players that Pittman and his protege, new OL coach Eric Mateos, are confident will help reverse recent trends in the trenches. One of the biggest portal pickups in the nation was realized when the Hogs signed San Jose State tackle Fernando Carmona, who started his freshman and sophomore seasons for the Spartans.

Returning up front for the Hogs are former Florida Gator Josh Braun, who earned second-team all-SEC honors at right guard last season, and versatile Patrick Kutas, who logged starts at tackle and center in 2023 before missing the last three games with an injury. A healthy Kutas is the projected starter at left guard, alongside Carmona. On Braun’s outside shoulder will be Keyshawn Blackstock, a nice portal pickup from Michigan State. At least on paper, the Hogs added size, depth and leadership on the O-line.

No one receiver stood out in 2023 for the Hogs. It’s possible even Treylon Burks would’ve struggled in Enos’ dysfunctional unit. Some players on the cusp of breaking out are back, however, in Andrew Armstrong, Isaiah Sategna, Isaac TeSlaa and Tyrone Broden. The Hogs’ receiving corps just needs opportunities, and Petrino’s offense should deliver them.

With Petrino, the tight end is back at Arkansas, and the mad scientist has weapons, including last year’s freshman sensation Luke Hasz, who was on his way to a potential freshman allAmerican year before going down for the year against Texas A&M in September. Ty Washington’s season ended early with injury, too, and before going down at Florida, he was starting to represent a consistent weapon. Coaches are also

2024 ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Thurs., Aug. 29 vs. UAPB (LR) 6:30 p.m., ESPNU

Sat., Sept 29 at Oklahoma State 11 a.m., ABC

Sat., Sept. 14 UAB 3:15 p.m., SECN

Sat., Sept. 21 at Auburn* Flex, 2:30-7 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 28 vs. Texas A&M (Arlington)* Afternoon, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 5 Tennessee* Flex, 2:30-7 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 12 OPEN

Sat., Oct. 19 LSU (HC)* Night, 5-7 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 26 at Mississippi State* Early, 11 a.m.-12 noon

Sat., Nov. 2 Ole Miss* Early, 11 a.m.-12 noon

Sat., Nov. 9 OPEN

Sat., Nov. 16 Texas* 11 a.m., ABC/ESPN

Sat., Nov. 23 Louisiana Tech TBA, ESPN+, SECN+

Sat., Nov. 30 at Missouri* Afternoon, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

* SEC game

Schedule notes:

This year marks the last game of the Southwest Classic against Texas A&M in Arlington. The Hogs and Aggies will move their games back to campus beginning in 2025. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC beginning this fall, the league has dropped divisional play. The top two teams in the final regular season standings will meet in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. ESPN bought exclusive rights to SEC games starting in 2024, and all Arkansas games will appear on ABC or one of the ESPN networks. Each league team will have one home game streamed on ESPN+ or SECN+. Games for which a start time has not been determined have been given specific broadcast windows — flex, afternoon, night, afternoon or early.

high on the return of Var’keyes Gumms, the North Texas freshman all-America who was considered one of the biggest portal gets of the offseason in 2023 but did not make an impact his first season in Fayetteville. Heading into fall camp, coaches were raving about his improvement.

That Petrino likes to use the tight end in innovative ways is a great match for Arkansas’ loaded tight end room.

The Auburn and Missouri games not withstanding, the Hogs showed improvement on defense in 2023 under popular first-year defensive coordinator Travis Williams. The numbers don’t necessarily show it, but the Arkansas defense was at times outright salty.

At 6-7 and 280, Landon Jackson looks the part of a preseason all-SEC and all-American selection. He led the Hogs last year with 13.5 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks from his end spot and is the clear leader on the defensive side. Also back is a solid core of experienced defensive linemen in Cam Ball, Eric Gregory, Quincy Rhodes Jr., Nico Davillier and redshirt freshman Ian Geffrard, along with a couple of potentially impactful portal transfers in Anton Juncaj from Albany and Keivie Rose from Louisiana Tech.

The Hogs are thin again at linebacker but benefited greatly with the portal pickup of OLB Xavian Sorey Jr. from Georgia. Promising youngsters Brad Spence and Carson Dean are back to man the middle, and Williams, who coaches linebackers in addition to coordinating the defense, is expected to use their quickness and aggressiveness to try and force offenses into mistakes.

Several veteran players are back in the secondary, including safeties Hudson Clark and Jayden Johnson and corners Jaylon Braxton, Jaheim Singletary and TJ Metcalf. The portal delivered more experience in four DBs expected to compete for starting jobs — Kee’yon Stewart from TCU, Doneiko Slaughter from Tennessee, Marquise Robinson from South Alabama and Anthony Switzer from Utah State.

Sategna is a budding star in the return game — his 88-yard punt return for a score last year again BYU blew the roof off Razorback Stadium and seemingly blew the game open (sigh) — but otherwise special teams might be an adventure in ’24. Devin Bale seems to have the punter spot locked down but, placekicking duties are up for grabs among Hawaii transfer Matthew Shipley, Abilene Christian transfer Kyle Ramsey and Vito Calvaruso, the former kickoff specialist back for his second stint on the Hill.

***

Arkansas football reeled in four commitments for the 2026 class on Aug. 3, a notable 24-hour recruiting win for any program, and saw its class ranking skyrocket to eighth nationally.

Of course, that was good for just fourth place among the traditional old SEC West teams alone in 24/7’s recruiting rankings. Baby steps. Besides, Hog fans have two legit reasons to harbor some optimism for 2024. First, Pittman plans to move to a pure CEO role and let Petrino do most of the game managing. If the Hogs find themselves in as many close games as they did last year, that might represent a net positive of two or three games.

Second, everyone is counting out the Hogs. As all BHS sufferers can attest, that’s when Hogs are most dangerous.

We’ll know a lot about this team after the week 2 trip to Stillwater. Meanwhile, step up to the bar, Hog fans. It’s August — the Kool-Aid is cold, and the schedule does not include “Alabama” for the first time since 1992.

2024 HOGS PROJECTED TWO-DEEP

OFFENSE

QB — 10 Taylen Green, 3 Malachi Singleton

RB — 7 Rashod Dubinion, 22 Ja’Quinden Jackson

WR — 2 Andrew Armstrong, 1 Jaedon Wilson

WR — 5 Tyrone Broden, 17 CJ Brown

Slot — 6 Isaiah Sategna, 4 Isaac TeSlaa

TE — 9 Luke Hasz, 8 Ty Washington

LT — 55 Fernando Carmona, 76 E’Marion Harris

LG — 75 Patrick Kutas, 73 Brooks Edmonson

C — 63 Addison Nichols, 56 Amaury Wiggins

RG — 72 Josh Braun, 50 Kobe Branham

RT — 54 Keyshawn Blackstock, 53 Ty’Kieast Crawford

DEFENSE

DE — 40 Landon Jackson, 97 Quincy Rhodes Jr.

N — 5 Cam Ball, 95 Ian Geffrard

DT — 50 Eric Gregory, 93 Keivie Rose

DE — 0 Nico Davilier, 4 Anton Juncaj

OLB — 10 Xavian Storey Jr., 14 Stephen Dix Jr.

MLB — 22 Brad Spence, 23 Carson Dean

BCB — 11 Jaylon Braxton, 1 Kee’yon Stewart

BS — 8 Jayden Johnson, 27 Ahkhari Johnson

FCB — 15 Jaheim Singletary, 13 Marquise Robinson

FS — 17 Hudson Clark, 18 TJ Metcalf

SPECIAL TEAMS

K — 39 Kyle Ramsey/90 Vito Calvaruso/36 Matthew Shipley

P — 37 Devin Bale

KR — 6 Isaiah Sategna

PR — 6 Isaiah Sategna

THE BENEFITS OF ACTIVE COMMUTING TAKING STEPS FOR A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY

By Casey Covington

Have you considered the benefits of active commuting? Whether biking, walking, scootering or even rollerblading, all can benefit your health and the environment. Active transportation such as walking and biking offers numerous benefits beyond getting from one place to another. It is crucial for enhancing community health, fostering environmental sustainability and improving overall quality of life.

BOOST COMMUNITY HEALTH

According to Dr. Michael Huber, a cardiologist at Arkansas Heart Hospital, engaging in active transportation can help combat health issues such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Regular physical activity, even in the form of daily commutes, can significantly reduce such health risks and improve the overall health of the community. For instance, ditching the car keys to walk or bike to work can help individuals meet their daily exercise requirements without the need for extra gym time, all while improving air quality. Dr. Bruce Murphy, AHH president and CEO, said studies show that active commuters have a lower risk of developing heart disease and experiencing heart attacks compared to those who rely on passive modes of transportation.

Exercise is also great for the mind. Active commuting releases endorphins, the feel-good hormones that can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Starting the day with a dose of physical activity can leave people feeling energized, focused and ready to tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.

REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Active commuting is a great green alternative to normal transportation modes. Unlike driving a car, biking or walking produces zero emissions, helping to reduce air pollution and ground-level ozone, which can cause respiratory issues for at-risk individuals. Plus, commuters can say goodbye to spending money on gas and parking fees.

SOCIAL ADVANTAGES

Active transportation promotes social interaction and community engagement. Walking and biking paths create opportunities for people to meet and connect, fostering a sense of community. Say hi to the neighbors on a walk to a favorite local restaurant because a more connected community is a healthier community all around.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $100 million Climate Pollution Reduction grants to Metroplan, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and the city of Fort Smith to fund projects aimed at reducing emissions. Active transportation initiatives such as paved paths and trails are already a priority for us at Metroplan, and this grant will further our efforts.

The improved connectivity of the greenways will provide a variety of benefits, including improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion and increased opportunities for physical activity. Take advantage of these opportunities in your community.

So what are you waiting for? Lace up your sneakers or strap on your helmet, and start reaping the rewards of active commuting. By making actual footprints instead of carbon ones, you’ll arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and revitalized, and you’ll also be doing your part to create a healthier, happier planet for all.

Casey Covington is the executive director of Metroplan, which oversees Ozone Action Days, a public awareness program designed to inform people about potentially harmful ground-level ozone.

Casey Covington

Connecting Arkansas with Global Markets

Serving the entire global market – over 60 countries, from the U.S. to China, India to Argentina. The Port of Little Rock has everything a manufacturer needs to succeed. From its convenient mid-America location, to its inter-modal transportation system.

◼ Annually, over $500 M in commodities crosses the docks of three full-service river terminals.

◼ Contributed over $3 billion to the local economy in the last three years

◼ Over 50 businesses, employing 10,000-plus people from 43 Central Arkansas counties

◼ 5,000 acre industrial park

◼ Competitive incentive packages

◼ UP and BNSF Railroads serve the Port’s switching railroad – over 30,000 cars yearly

◼ Quick connections to Interstates 40, 30 and 440 – within five miles

◼ Adjacent to Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport

◼ The Port’s Foreign Trade Zone #14 caters to global markets

◼ Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Little Rock #1 of America’s 10 Great Places to Live.

PortofLittleRock.com (501) 490-1468

Our continued growth is guided by strong local leadership and is predicated on continuing to attract investments in the unique Little Rock connection at home and abroad.

Melissa Hendricks Director

Mayor Frank Scott City of Little Rock

Our board-certiﬁed bariatric surgeons have extensive experience performing gastric sleeve surgery. For those seeking a weight-loss alternative, or those dealing with metabolic issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, this surgery can be a safe, long-term solution. Learn more at ConwayRegional.org/Bariatric.

Brock King, MD, FACS, Anthony Manning, MD, FACS, and Josh Dickinson, DO Are you ready to change your life?

Pictured:

Arkansas Money & Politics August 2024

Hello to healing.

THE STEPHENS TEAM! GOOD LUCK TO

FEATURES

August 2024

ON THE COVER

FEEDBACK

TOP ONLINE ARTICLES

July 5 — Aug. 4

CORRECTIONS

WHAT IT IS, IS FOOTBALL

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

LITTLE ROCK TOUCHDOWN CLUB KEEPS ON SCORING

NEW SOLAR PROJECT WILL HELP RURAL HOSPITALS

BUILDING THE FUTURE

HOW INTERNSHIPS EMPOWER ARKANSAS WOMEN, STRENGTHEN WORKFORCE

UNDEFEATED

NLittle Rock

Touchdown Club reaches milestone

Touchdown Club 2024 Line-up

SWEET SPOT

For economic developers, Arkansas represents tantalizing prize

ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS & CHAMBER EXECUTIVES

DEL BOYETTE

MARIA HALEY LIFETIME LEADERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD

JULIE MURRAY, PCED

OUTSTANDING CHAMBER EXECUTIVE AWARD

JACK THOMAS, CEcD OUTSTANDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPER AWARD

BRYAN HUFF VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

NO BOUNDARIES

For larger chambers of commerce, impact extends beyond city limits

LITTLE ROCK

NORTH LITTLE ROCK

FAYETTEVILLE

BENTONVILLE

CONWAY

JONESBORO

MARKETING MAIN STREET

BATESVILLE

EL DORADO

BENTON AND BRYANT

CABOT

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN ARKANSAS

A

B

C

D

G

J

M

J

O

Smile!

LYON COLLEGE HOPES NEW SCHOOL KEEPS DENTISTS AT HOME

ARKANSAS HOSPITALS

THE WAY FORWARD

ORTHOARKANSAS CARE NAVIGATOR PROGRAM PRESENTS A BETTER APPROACH TO CARE

— TAMARA CULL, ORTHOARKANSAS

LARGEST MEDICAL/SURGICAL HOSPITALS IN

ARKANSAS

PHYSICIAN OWNED, PATIENT FOCUSED

Approaching 20 years, ASH thrives on independence

SHOP TALK

Arkansas hospital administrators talk industry challenges, more

building places for healing

When it comes to Commercial Comfort

We’re All In

FOR CEOS, STRESS COMES WITH THE TITLE

MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING NOW CLOSER TO MUST-HAVE THAN OPTION

HELP IS ON THE WAY

EAT RIGHT, WATCH THE NEGATIVES

OF HEALTH CARE CHAMPIONS 2024

ALLIED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

CANCER CENTERS

CARTI

GENESIS CANCER AND BLOOD INSTITUTE

HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATORS

Dr. Dominic Maggio

The Next Neuro-Genius

MARCY DODERER