Arkansas Money & Politics December 2023 by AY Magazine

DECEMBER 2023/armoneyandpolitics.com

HOG WILD FOR THE BROYLES AWARD COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S NATIONAL BROYLES AWARD BRINGS FOCUS ON FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S Former head Hog Frank Broyles

INSIDE: Power Women | Manufacturing | Energy $5 USD

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FEATURES DECEMBER 2023

14 HIT THAT LINE The national award named for Arkansas’ legendary coach and athletics director, Frank Broyles, works to help caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

22 ROSIE’S ENCORE

GOING NUCLEAR

Since women filled the roles traditionally played by men during World War II that factory floors have seen an increased number of female workers.

The employees at Entergy Arkansas’ Arkansas Nuclear One power plant are proving what a clean — and safe — source of energy nuclear power can be.

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D EC E M B E R 2023

December 2023 PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

8 | Plugged In

LONG-TERM CARE

9 | Publisher’s Letter

120 Help wanted

10 | Viewpoint 136 | Arkansas Visionaries 148 | Digs of the Deal 160 | The Last Word MANUFACTURING

The new factory

Manufacturers are relying more on automation as technology advances and companies continue to have trouble attracting workers.

34 Industry towns

Hot pockets of industry are growing across Arkansas, from steel in Mississippi County to aerospace and lithium in south Arkansas.

BANKING

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Darlene Hebda | darlene@armoneyandpolitics.com

130 Passing the baton

STAFF WRITERS John Callahan | jcallahan@armoneyandpolitics.com Sarah DeClerk | sdeclerk@armoneyandpolitics.com

At Stone Bank, longtime and successful CEO Marnie Oldner is passing the torch to Nick Roach as the bank enters a new era of leadership.

SPORTS

132 He’s back

Bobby Petrino is back in Fayetteville, and his return as Razorback OC has rejuvenated most — most — of the state’s sports fans.

140 Work still to do

Act 278 overhauled existing policy by changing the rate at which excess electrical power can be sold by consumers back to the electric company in the form of bill credits.

Joseph Wood, the new chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, knows the state GOP still has work to do despite the red wave.

142 A poll well conducted The UA’s Janine Parry, founder of the highly respected Arkansas Poll, plans to retire once the spring 2024 semester concludes.

Youth movement 58 How high’s the water? 146 City government in the Delta town

Costs for municipal water have of Earle has undergone a youth been going up, but water may be one of the highest-value purchases movement with the election of Jaylen Smith, just 18 when elected. that anyone can make, said one local official.

63 Making their mark

AMP once again recognizes Arkansas’ Power Women, as voted by readers. These women blaze trails and break glass ceilings.

MANAGING DIGITAL EDITOR Kellie McAnulty | kmcanulty@armoneyandpolitics.com ONLINE WRITER Kilee Hall | khall@armoneyandpolitics.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Bedgood | mbedgood@armoneyandpolitics.com

50 Net metering

POWER WOMEN

SENIOR EDITOR Mark Carter | mcarter@armoneyandpolitics.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sarah Coleman | scoleman@armoneyandpolitics.com Mak Millard | mmillard@armoneyandpolitics.com

POLITICS

Conway Corp., the entity that provides Conway residents with their utilities, water, cable and more, has used a unique model.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dwain Hebda | dwain@armoneyandpolitics.com

The long-term care industry in Arkansas is a well-mixed bag of rampant opportunity and growing demand hamstrung by too few workers to deliver services.

ENERGY

54 Successful model

Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com

SMALL BUSINESS

156 Bird’s eye view The founders of Repurpose Innovations adopted a bird’s eye view with the Squib Bird Cannon, a device that will help separate birds and aircraft.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Lora Puls | lpuls@armoneyandpolitics.com Jenna Kelley | jkelley@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Greg Churan | gchuran@armoneyandpolitics.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mary Funderburg | mary@armoneyandpolitics.com Karen Holderfield | kholderfield@armoneyandpolitics.com Jona Parker | jona@armoneyandpolitics.com Dana Rodriquez | dana@armoneyandpolitics.com Bethany Yeager | bethany@armoneyandpolitics.com EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Jessica Everson | jeverson@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Angela-Maria Jones | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com CIRCULATION circulation@armoneyandpolitics.com ADMINISTRATION billing@armoneyandpolitics.com CEO | Vicki Vowell

TO ADVERTISE call 501-244-9700 email hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com TO SUBSCRIBE armoneyandpolitics.com/subscribe CONTRIBUTORS

Becky Gillette, K.D. Reep, Nichole Singleton, Kenneth Heard, Nate Olson, Ron Standridge, Todd Traub

AMP magazine is published monthly, Volume VI, Issue 8 AMP magazine (ISSN 2162-7754) is published monthly by AY Media Group, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock, AR, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AMP, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Subscription Inquiries: Subscription rate is $28 for one year (12 issues). Single issues are available upon request for $5. For subscriptions, inquiries or address changes, call 501-244-9700. The contents of AMP are copyrighted, and material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Articles in AMP should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised in the magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AMP. Please recycle this magazine.

DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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PLUGGED IN DECEMBER 2023/armoneyandpolitics.com

HOG WILD

ON THE COV E R The name and face of Frank Broyles requires no explanation in the state of Arkansas. Broyles’ legacy lives on through the work of the Broyles Foundation’s work to support caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

INSTAGRAM

Page 14

FOR THE BROYLES AWARD COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S NATIONAL BROYLES AWARD BRINGS FOCUS ON FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S Former head Hog Frank Broyles

INSIDE: Power Women | Manufacturing | Energy $5 USD

FEEDBACK ACHIEVERS IN THEIR FORTIES 2023 SPOTLIGHT • KATHERINE DUDLEY You are such a positive force for our young people. We love you. Sharla Emory PINNACLE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK NEW VISITOR CENTER That’s awesome! Erin Weatherford-Parent SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL BUSINESS: S-C SEASONING CO. My favorite seasoning, I put it on all my meats. Carol Leonard NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: PROJECT ZERO Thank you so much for shining a light on children and teens in foster care waiting to be adopted! Project Zero

Gilberto Garcia has been named as the new CEO and president of Garcia Wealth Management.

PLEASANT VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB LANDS PRESTIGIOUS PGA SENIOR EVENT I think this is awesome. The club looks beautiful! What an honor to have this in LR. Susan Bryant ARKANSAS VISIONARY — WALT COLEMAN A wonderful man from a wonderful family. Buddy Coleman was a friend of my father. David Hamilton ACHIEVERS IN THEIR FORTIES 2023 SPOTLIGHT • JUSTIN MINTON Congratulations!!! Well deserved! Haley Barton

TOP ONLINE ARTICLES Nov. 3 - Dec. 6 1 H20: Groundwater Levels in Arkansas Reaching Critical Stage 2 Arkansas Visionary — Walt Coleman 3 Pleasant Valley Country Club Lands Prestigious PGA Senior Event 4 Spotlight on Small Business: Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning 5 Pinnacle Mountain State Park to Open New Visitor Center 6 Peyton Manning Talks Career, Burlsworth and More to LR Touchdown Club 7 Brandon Burlsworth Movie

Black Apple Hard Cider, a cidery located in Springdale, was recently named in the Top 10 Cideries at the ninth annual U.S. Open Cider Championship.

8 Franchise Owners Share What Makes Arkansas Good for Business 9 Wet? Dry? Sunday Sales? A Look at Arkansas’ Disparate Alcohol Laws 10 Baptist Health, United Healthcare Struggle to Reach Agreement DEC E M BER 2 02 3

@AMPPOB ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

By Mark Carter

STUCK SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE FLINTSTONES AND THE JETSONS

Readers of a certain age will have no trouble remembering The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera’s animated stoneage take on The Honeymooners, or the space-age alternative that came later, The Jetsons. Each animated sitcom had original runs in the 1960s but lived on in the American consciousness through syndication, specials and TV movies. Some readers may even recall watching each show during the original runs. Fred Flintstone, especially, endures as one of the great American cartoon caricatures. Not far behind, though, is George Jetson of The Jetsons George Jetson, who, like Fred, was pitted two days a week. Robots and machines did against the calamities of everyday life, only all the heavy lifting in the Jetsons’ world, with the flying cars and robots of Orbit City yet George and his colleagues still found instead of the pet dinosaurs and podiatrictime to complain. powered transmissions of Bedrock. Putting together this month’s AMP, George, of course, worked at Spacely which features manufacturing, reminded Sprockets (I’m guessing a sprocket is simime of The Jetsons. These days, factory floors lar to a widget), and his work week consistare becoming more automated. It was only ed of two hours a week — one hour a day,

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

a matter of time. Despite above-average pay and benefits offered at most factories, companies still have trouble finding and keeping workers. Plus, the efficiency offered by a machine that can do the work of two people, and in less time delivers an alluring return on investment. And then there’s AI… yikes. We’re a far cry from the average work week being boiled down to two hours, from flying cars or human-AI romance as depicted in Spike Jonze’s Her. Everyone in Orbit City, though, seemed to have a job or function, despite the advanced automation. Ah, the advantages of fiction. Science fiction is so good in part because it gets so much right. I should go back and read Asimov, Dick or Heinlein, but I think I’ll go grab a cold one — soon to be delivered to my door via drone — and stream episodes of The Jetsons while AI cranks out the January issue. By Heather Baker

AT CHRISTMAS, I’M ONE OF ‘THOSE’ PEOPLE This is the season I look forward to more than any other every single year. My friends and family will tell you I am one of “those” people who has her Christmas decorations completed the day after Halloween passes (and sometimes before). It’s festive. It’s faithful. It’s familial, and we love it. Christmas means more to me each year, more than any Heather Baker other holiday. On a personal level, I have been through a lot the last few years, more than at any time in recent memory. But through it all, I am here. I am healthy, my family is healthy, and this season, we are celebrating. I am most grateful this year for the little things that make me the happiest. Life is a fragile thing that we should not take for granted. If I could put a Christmas tree on the cover of AMP each December, I would. This year, though, as you no doubt have seen, we go one better — The Coach himself, Frank Broyles. The legendary Razorback coach and athletics director has left a legacy that likely will never be matched in Arkansas sports. Inside, we feature the national college football award that bears his name ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

and annually honors the top assistant coach at the highest level of college football. The Broyles Award ceremony is moving to Hot Springs, and there are more big plans, as well. Read our feature on the history of the award and the philanthropic nature of the Broyles Foundation inside. Our December issue also features the 2023 Power Women, always one of my favorite special sections. These women have worked hard and overcome obstacles to get where they are, which is at the top of their respective industries, and we’re proud to feature them in AMP. Plus, we have packages devoted to manufacturing and energy; consider new trends in elder care; visit with B.J. Sams, a true “Arkansas Visionary;” and look back at the glory days of Dogpatch and what’s next in “Digs of the Deal.” More than anything this month, may we all find a few moments to reflect on what the season is really all about — friends, family and faith. It’s not about us; it’s about Him. As always, thanks for reading. Hit me up with questions, comments or story ideas at HBaker@ARMoneyandPolitics.com. 9

D EC E M B E R 2023

VIEWPOINT

SCOUTING REFLECTS THE SKILLS DESIRED IN LEADERS

By Shanna Richardson

hink about all the skills you want to see in our state leaders. Adaptable. Empathetic. Problem solvers. Resilient. Regardless of industry type, geographic location or political affiliation, the entire state benefits when those in charge possess these and other positive personality traits. We gravitate toward and reach our fullest potential when working with lifelong learners who lead selflessly and understand the importance of fairness and honesty. These skills are ones I’ve seen consistently honed in Scouts during my 23-year career with Boy Scouts of America. Since moving to Arkansas, it has been no surprise for me to see former Scouts regularly featured in Arkansas Money & Politics. U.S. Rep. French Hill, Arkansas Treasurer Larry Walther, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Rex Nelson and an endless who’s who of the state’s best and brightest consistently reflect the Scout Law they learned in their youth. The Boy Scout Law, adopted in 1908, requires adherents to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous and brave, among other admirable attributes that inform ethical leadership. These are the characteristics of the leaders who help set the course of our businesses, communities and state every day. As one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations, BSA provides programs for young people that build character, train them in the responsibilities of participating in citizenship and help them develop healthy personal-fitness habits. For more than 100 years, BSA has helped build future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. Scouting is an opportunity for our youth to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These skills are invaluable in the business, policy and nonprofit worlds, where leaders must showcase sound judgment and resiliency under pressure. From the young scout who is reminded of the importance of planning and preparation after forgetting to bring a sleeping bag to an overnight campout to a future Eagle Scout presenting a transformational community garden project to the Eagle board for review, I have witnessed firsthand the power Scouting has to shape young minds into exceptional leaders. Today, I serve as CEO of the Natural State Council of BSA. The newly formed council merged the Quapaw Area Council (central Arkansas) and Westark Council (northwest Arkansas). Effective Dec. 1, the merger allowed our team to influence the lives of 6,000 youth more cohesively and effectively across 56 of Arkansas’ 75 counties. It’s an honor to serve so many kids across the state, something I never imagined when my Scouting career began in Utah as a “Scoutreach” paraprofessional. Looking for a way to make extra money as a college student in Utah, I applied for a part-time, entry-level job with the Boy Scouts of America. I was excited to know the job would allow me the flexibility

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to complete my college career. As a bonus, I figured it just might pay for me, an avid outdoors enthusiast, to organize a group camping trip or two. Those group camping trips never materialized for me, but I quickly leaned into the administrative side of scouting and honed my skills as a district executive, then as a field director and later as an assistant Scout executive. Today, I serve as one of only five female BSA CEOs in the U.S., and as the Shanna Richardson mother of three daughters, I’m thrilled to see the lifetime leadership lessons of BSA imparted to all children across our state. More than 25 percent of Boy Scouts in Arkansas are female, considerable growth since BSA opened up to all children in 2019. Inclusivity in Boy Scouts is guaranteed to further grow our state through the growth of its future leaders, including my daughters, Cash, Paulina and Erin. Long before BSA became more inclusive, girls were participating in Scouting activities. Cub Scouts, open to ages 5 to 10, has always been a family-based program where siblings could learn alongside each other and their parents. These days, boys and girls can earn badges as they seek high adventure and hone their leadership abilities. Having Eagle Scout on your resume, whether part of a college or job application, makes people take notice. It illustrates drive, commitment to the community and the ability to lean into and thrive with hard work. When hiring a scout or serving alongside one, you can be confident you are engaging with someone who has learned to explore new ideas, take risks and learn from successes and failures. These lessons foster an entrepreneurial spirit and a mindset of innovation, essential qualities for leaders who want to drive growth and create new opportunities. Through the newly formed Natural State Council, Scouting’s legacy of leadership development and social responsibility will continue to produce men and women who positively impact Arkansas for generations. Shanna Richardson is CEO of the newly formed Natural State Council of Boy Scouts of America. She arrived in the state 11 months ago as chief executive of the Quapaw Area Council. One of only five female BSA CEOs in the U.S., Richardson oversees operations in 56 counties previously included in either the Quapaw Area Council or the Westark Area Council. Before working in Arkansas, Richardson served as the assistant Scout executive at the Gulf Stream Council in Palm Beach, Fla., and held multiple positions with BSA in Utah. Richardson and her husband have three daughters, all of whom are Boy Scouts. 10

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VIEWPOINT

A PROTECTIVE FIREWALL: CYBER INSURANCE By Christopher Wright

ndividuals are inundated daily with advertisements for protective policies related to their vehicles, health care, travel reservations, pets and even their cyber risks. For companies, the limited-time offers from insurance carriers can begin to feel endless. While wading through the mountains of marketing materials, particularly for complex issues such as data breaches, they may wonder, “Do we really need to invest in a policy without an immediate or tangible risk?” When it comes to cyber insurance, the short answer is yes. Businesses may mistakenly believe they’re safe from potential cybercrimes due to various factors, such as limited physical footprints, customer bases or geographic locations, but there’s no sugarcoating it; every company that uses technology to operate faces some cyber risk. With the rising threat of breaches and attacks on entities of all sizes, organizations can no longer afford to view cyber insurance as a negotiable budgetary item. Instead, they should consider these policies a necessary operating expense. Consider a mid-size manufacturer as a prime example. If a breach occurs, the company may have to pause operations, leaving it unable to produce parts. As a result, its clients don’t have the components needed to make their own products. Rather than waiting days or weeks for the issue to be resolved, the customer may pivot to another provider. The initial manufacturer may never get that business back. Prospective clients may hesitate or choose not to work with them. This could lead to a ripple effect of revenue losses, layoffs or even a permanent plant closure. Enter cyber insurance. As the Federal Trade Commission states and the above example illustrates, “recovering from a cyberattack can be costly,” not only to businesses’ finances but also to their reputations. Cyber insurance lessens the impact. While not foolproof, these policies help cover or offset the costs commonly associated with cybercrimes, such as lost income or repairs to damaged systems. In addition, they help businesses be more resilient in the face of cyber incidents, mitigating the adverse effects on customers, employees and the public. Companies often fall into the trap of thinking they can selfinsure, but this can leave them spinning their wheels. At the height of a crisis, they may need help reaching someone who can field questions or offer detailed guidance on necessary next steps. Cyber insurance bridges the gap by providing companies with an on-call apparatus for incident response. For businesses of all sizes, but especially small and mid-size ones, these policies offer much-needed technical expertise and support businesses might not have access to otherwise. Insurance carriers often deploy breach coaches to mobilize the forces needed to help resolve incidents swiftly and effectively when breaches or attacks occur. This on-call team assesses the

ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

situation and connects impacted policyholders with the appropriate resources. This may entail services such as helping businesses navigate the legal response, coordinating public affairs outreach or offering technical forensic support. For entities with internal cybersecurity teams or third-party firms, these professionals can serve as liaisons or technical translators, coordinating directly with breach coaches to ensure effective imChristopher Wright plementation. Cyber insurance, while beneficial, is not foolproof. Companies need to recognize that these policies are responsive, not protective. They are designed to minimize losses rather than provide a get-out-of-jail-free card. As Forbes notes, obtaining cyber insurance should be seen as an “approach for maturing security program practices within [an] organization.” When filling out application forms, carriers will ask entities about their existing cybersecurity practices, but these are generally basic, one-size-fits-all measures. Companies should follow smart cyber hygiene by determining their possible areas of risk and sourcing or selecting various controls, outlined in the voluntary National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, to fully address and reduce their vulnerabilities. Businesses are advised to work with a licensed insurance agent and a trusted information technology and cybersecurity firm to determine what type of coverage they may need. These professionals will help ensure entities are adequately prepared for potential cybercrimes and the wide-ranging impacts that may fall under the purview of different policies. For example, an agent may also advise a manufacturer to consider purchasing a crime policy if they are concerned that future phishing attacks could affect their accounts payable department. Again, it’s critical to note that cyber insurance won’t protect companies against breaches or attacks, but these policies are another component of a strategic toolkit businesses can — and should — use to enhance their overall cybersecurity posture. With proper coverage selection and implementation, entities can become more resilient against future cybercrimes.

Christopher Wright is co-founder and partner at Sullivan Wright Technologies, an Arkansas-based firm that provides tailored cybersecurity, IT and security compliance services. For more information, visit SWTechPartners.com. 11

D EC E M B E R 2023

SPONSORED CONTENT

“What do you call an adequate manufacturing plant?”

ost people never stop to think about the complex processes that weave together to create something as simple as, say, a pencil: the sourcing of wood and paint; the logistics of shipping graphite and rubber; the intricate machines that bring elements together; and the marketing genius that chose that now-iconic shade of yellow. It is really amazing when you think about it, an alchemy that would be unthinkable just a few centuries ago. You have already heard me talk about tracking the value of your company. You also know by now that I am prone to preaching the importance of an exit strategy and a contingency plan if something should happen to you or a partner. As I constantly tell my clients, you have to get off the factory floor and into the glass office in order to work “on” your business instead of just “in” it. Of course, this advice can seem a little funny when you have an actual factory floor and, hopefully, a glass office to go with it. There are a few concerns unique to those in manufacturing, not least of which is intellectual property. Whether it be patents, trademarks or other forms of legal protection, you need to take steps to limit the theft of your designs. Oftentimes, you can make it harder for the knock-offs to compete while you establish your own market share. While you cannot hold them off forever, you do not have to let that damage your business. Put the necessary energy into protecting your designs, but also put effort into new products and innovations. Historically, the best manufacturers evolve their facilities and create new items that the public might not even know that they want yet, all while keeping themselves one step ahead of any copycat competition. On the other hand, there is the entirely different situation of manufacturing products based on the designs of your customers. Since that other company is out of your control, you are at the mercy of someone else’s ability to generate economic demand. My advice to this kind of business owner would be to become an expert in the field of the company you depend on. You do not want to be surprised to find out that they are about to pivot away from the thing you produce or the way you produce it. Your relaARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Victor Werley

tionship with, and research into, that customer could be the only way that you avoid being caught flat-footed when they no longer need your services. While you likely will not be able to influence their decision-making about the product itself, you can position yourself to pivot with them or to a similar product, and from a valuation perspective, the less dependent you are on a single product or single customer, the better off you are. I have seen numerous manufacturers who take a lot of pride in making a product that is on the shelves of every Walmart in America. They are certainly right to be proud of that accomplishment, but the moment Walmart stops carrying that single product can be a devastating one if they are not prepared. Products and demand will change, and you have to be ready to change with them or be left behind. As the leader of your business, you have to focus on what the future will look like while trusting your people to make the present operation run smoothly. If you can do all that, you will finally answer the age old question: “What do you call an adequate manufacturing plant?” “A satis-factory.” You’re welcome. Victor Werley, CFP, ChFC, CDFA, CVA, MAFF, CFE, CEPA, is a financial consultant in Little Rock and the founder of Pinnacle Advisors. Werley has been practicing for more than 20 years and has managed hundreds of business transitions for himself and his clients. He has spoken to numerous groups in the business and legal fields about business valuation, how to structure good business deals and many other topics. He is passionate about small businesses and helping the economy of Arkansas.

LITTLE ROCK • CABOT www.pinnacleadvisor.net | (501) 327-6277 13

D EC E M B E R 2023

COVER

Former Razorback head coach and AD Frank Broyles, for whom the national Broyles Award is named.

TOGETHER, EVERYONE

AC C O M P L I S H E S MORE A Broyles Award supports much wider cause than football By Dwain Hebda Photos provided

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filled-to-capacity ballroom hums with the chatter and excitement of a major awards event. The finalists have finished their mingle and now sit in places of honor while the remainder of the crowd networks and discusses who will be crowned the winner. At the pinnacle moment, Phil Parker, defensive coordinator for the University of Iowa, answers to his name and claims his trophy. The award is a major one, something recognized nationally as a plum resume enhancement, which the five individuals who made the final cut well know. The scene could easily be set in the Plaza Hotel in New York, the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles or one of a dozen posh venues in Las Vegas, but it is not. The 2023 Frank Broyles Award, which denotes the nation’s best assistant coach in college football, is playing out in the heart of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center. The Dec. 5 awards event is in its last year in the capital city before moving to even tonier digs at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort’s hotel in Hot Springs, a testament to the growth in the prestige and attention the award garners. “It’s become such a recognizable deal,” said David Bazzel, longtime media personality, former Razorback football player and founder of the award. “It’s a very polarizing award because there are certain coaches who get very angry when their assistant doesn’t win. Fan bases can’t believe their guy didn’t win. They get mad. That just means the award means something. “I think assistants take pride in being a nominee, even those who aren’t finalists, knowing they did a good enough job that their coach or somebody in the national media nominated them. I think that’s the biggest thing, knowing it is now credible enough that when you think of assistant coaches and top awards, you think of the 14

ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

Frank Broyles Award.” Since its founding in 1996, the Frank Broyles Award was intended to single out the most capable, the most skilled and the most committed assistants in the college game. The same could be said for the organization where the award now resides, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation, which brings these same attributes to bear on a much more serious matter than football. The organization provides resources to caregivers and families dealing with Alzheimer’s while boosting awareness of the disease itself. Created in 2006 by Broyles in the wake of Barbara’s death from the disease, the foundation has supported thousands of families by devoting countless hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of resources and training at no cost. It is an apt legacy by a remarkable family who channeled its own learn-as-you-go experience with caregiving and grief over the loss of loved ones into a conduit for helping others. “My grandparents were such wonderful people. They were just incredible, godly people,” said Molly Harrell, foundation executive director. “What is really special and meaningful to us is we get to wake up every day, and their morals and their convictions and the way that they lived their lives shapes what we do. They’re our North Star for all of the things that we do.” THE NAME In the annals of Arkansas luminaries, few names are as widely recognized as Frank Broyles, the longtime head football coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. The winningest skipper in program history, Broyles racked up 144 victories in 19 seasons as Head Hog — more than twice that of second placer Lou Holtz — in an era that featured such luminary coaches as Paul “Bear” Bryant of Alabama and Darrell Royal of Texas, whose program seeded a particularly bitter rivalry that endures to this day. Broyles was born the day after Christmas of 1924 in Georgia to O.T. and Louise Solms Broyles. An ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

outstanding athlete, he lettered in three sports at Georgia Tech, starring at quarterback for the Yellow Jackets. By the time he graduated in 1947 with a degree in industrial management, he’d led the squad to three bowl appearances and was named the Southeast Conference Player of the Year in 1944. While still in college, he married his high school sweetheart, Barabra Day, in a union that would produce four sons and twin daughters. Betsy Broyles Arnold, founder of the foundation and one of the couple’s daughters, remembered a loving, traditional household growing up, despite the hours her dad’s high-profile job required of him. “Family was the most important. [Dad] loved the Hogs, but family was important,” she said. “He always came home for dinner. Then he would go back to work. He wasn’t home a lot because the job was demanding, but my mother always made us feel like he was home — and Daddy loved us. He treated us always with respect. He was a loving, very caring father.

Clockwise from top left: Broyles, back row, center, playing football at age 13 in his hometown of Decatur, Ga.; newlyweds Barbara and Frank Broyles in 1945; the Broyles Bunch, circa 1958 — Frank and Barbara with sons, from left, Jack, Tommy, Dan and Hank, along with newborn twin girls Linda and Betsy; quarterbacking Georgia Tech, Broyles set an Orange Bowl record in 1944 with 304 yards.

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Clockwise from left: One of Broyles’ first official photos as Arkansas head coach; Broyles is carried off the field in Little Rock after the Hogs’ 1975 Cotton Bowl-clinching win over Texas A&M; Head Hog Broyles at the 1961 Cotton Bowl.

“He was strict on the boys because whatever the rules were for the players were the rules for his sons. They couldn’t have a mustache. They wore a crew cut, which would irritate my brothers from time to time. My sister and I, when we came along, they had mellowed a little bit.” As with all major programs, what fans saw of Broyles on Saturday’s sideline was just a fraction of the time and effort that went into the job during the week. Broyles Arnold said that while her father was notable for not bringing the stressful parts of work home with him, football was never far away. “He never brought work home, which I always thought was pretty amazing,” she said. “He was present with us when he was there. That’s not to say that after he hung with us a little bit, he didn’t pull out his notepad and start doing X’s and O’s. His concentration factor was such that as kids we’d be like, ‘The house is on fire!’ and we’d run out. He never even looked up. “When I was a junior in high school, he turned our dining room into a film room so he could watch film,” she said. “I would sit in there with him, so I probably know more about football than most people because I used to break down

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plays with him and I’d listen to him. I love football.” The preparation and sacrifices played out on the field, yielding seven Southwest Conference titles, 10 bowl bids, 20 AllAmericans and 88 all-Conference players. In 1964, he reached the pinnacle with an undefeated season and a narrow 10-7 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to claim national championship honors awarded by the Football Writers Association of America. Broyles took on the additional role of athletic director in 1973, and it became his sole job three years later. Broyles’ tenure as AD was as successful as his coaching career, with 43 national titles, 57 SWC titles, 48 SEC titles and 22 football bowl games in just shy of 35 years in the role. Along the way, he built or renovated multiple facilities for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, including Bud Walton Arena, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Baum-Walker Stadium at George Cole Field, John McDonnell Field and the Fred W. and Mary B. Smith Razorback Golf Center. His impact continued for six additional years with the Razorback Foundation following his retirement as athletic director. THE AWARD One distinguishing characteristic of Boyles as a head coach was the manner in which he mentored and developed his assistants — and develop

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them he did, with a sharp eye for talent and a fierce loyalty to his staff. “Dad loved his assistant coaches,” Broyles Arnold said. “He would not take raises; he would give his raises to his coaches. He also made commitments to them; he told them if you come here for four years, he would help you get a head coaching job. He was very close with all of his assistant coaches.” So it was that when Bazzel approached Broyles with the idea for an award to honor the nation’s top assistant, the former linebacker found a receptive ear in the legendary coach under whose tutelage rose the likes of Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Johnny Majors and Joe Gibbs. “I don’t know how I stumbled on it, but I stumbled on a media guide listing the assistant coaches that Coach Broyles had,” Bazzel said. “When you’re playing up there, you don’t have time to pay attention to things. Being from Florida, I didn’t know about the history of Coach Broyles, and I didn’t realize how many great assistant coaches were under him. “As I did my research, Bear Bryant was in the conversation, but nobody else could say their assistants had gone on to win four or five Super Bowls and national championships and all those things. I got to thinking, ‘Is there an award for an assistant coach?’ and there wasn’t.” Bazzel remembered getting a grilling from Broyles to ensure he had thought the idea through, but once satisfied, the coach gave his blessing on one condition. “Coach Broyles said, ‘Well David, I like the idea. I know the value of assistant coaches, but here’s the thing: If we do this, you can’t ask for any money from any of the people who give to the Razorback Foundation.’ I said, ‘OK, coach. Whatever.’ “I walked away from that meeting and thought, ‘I’m in big trouble,’ because everybody gave to the foundation. He gave me the blessing to go forward, and I think he knew it was an honor, but it was really, ‘Prove it to us that you can get this done.’” Bazzel had jumped into the deep end with very little time to get the award off the ground. When he wasn’t recruiting national head coaches for nominations or to sit on the judging committee, he was reviewing designs for the iconic trophy and tending to a thousand other details. Knocking on doors for money was a daily exercise in humility given Broyles’ caveat. “I had no money,” Bazzel said. “I went to company CEOs and said, ‘I’m putting together this award called the Broyles Award. Would you be interested in being a sponsor?’ They’d say, ‘David, I could either give $75,000 to you for the Broyles Award or I could give $75,000 to the foundation.’ I said, ‘I gotcha.’”

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The sign that the award was officially embedding itself in the pantheon of college football was when it started to be a benchmark for assistants’ compensation and advancement. After finally locating a banker willing to loan him funds, Bazzel took on $50,000 of debt to get the award started. The first award presentation was a major success, which bought Bazzel another year and an additional $50,000 loan. Despite having $100,000 hanging over his head, Bazzel said he never doubted the award would succeed in becoming an honor with national credentials. “I thought once it starts, once we get past year three, four, five, then you have these guys becoming head coaches who are former Broyles Award winners,” he said. “With that self-perpetuation, I felt deep down in my gut that it would catch on, and that’s what it took. After about four or five years, I could see the traction. I could see people starting to notice.” The sign that the award was officially embedding itself in the pantheon of college football was when it started to be a benchmark for assistants’ compensation and advancement. “What happened after about year 5 or 6 is winners and even finalists were starting to get bonuses or raises,” Bazzel said. “Now agents will put that in contracts; if you win the Broyles Award, you get $10,000, you get $25,000, whatever, which is nice. “The bigger thing is the recognition that you get. If your name is on the finalist list, not only do you get a raise; you’re on the radar of coaches who are hiring assistant coaches. That was sort of a cool thing I always felt good about seeing happen.” As the award grew, so did the venue where the presentation was held. Next year’s move to Oaklawn from the Statehouse Convention Center will be accompanied by different timing, as well, since moving the award to a different month will allow finalists and their head coaches alike to attend, further advancing the event’s cache. “Here’s the deal,” Bazzel said. “Right now, you have a break between the end of the season and bowl games, and that’s when

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Barbara Broyles was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1999; Broyles’ 35-year tenure as AD included 43 national titles, 57 SWC titles, 48 SEC titles and 22 bowl games.

we have the award. Well, once they have the 12-team playoffs, they’re not going to have, most likely, a break. Even if they did a week, no coach whose team is in is going to come, so February becomes more attractive. “I love Little Rock, but my thought was if we can get those coaches to Oaklawn, you’ve got the best horse racing in America, the lakes, the casino — all those things. Plus, Oaklawn really wanted to help. We’ve been doing this for 28 years, and to have someone like Smith, [general manager], at Oaklawn go, ‘Let us be your partner. Let us help you take this to the next level,’ is really huge.”

very, very rare. There’s a few people that they save, but it is a terminal disease. “We were living in Houston, and we moved back to Arkansas because we knew there were things wrong with Mother, and I’d said, ‘If anything ever happens, I’ll move back home, and I’ll take care of her,’ so we did. The first year, I bought a house and got my kids acclimated to Fayetteville. Then a year later, I moved into my parents’ house and lived there the last three years of her life, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” Upon Barbara’s death in 2004, the strategy shifted to creating an outlet by which the family could share what they had learned firsthand about caregiving with other families struggling under the weight of their loved one’s diagnoses. “After my mom passed away, we started mentoring families locally around northwest Arkansas,” she said. “Then one day he said to my sister and I, ‘We should write a book. Go home and write down everything you can remember. I’m going to print 100,000 copies, and I’m going to give them to the people of Arkansas because Arkansas has been so good to me.’” The resulting book, Coach Broyles’ Playbook for Alzheimer’s Caregivers, distributed that initial printing, all of which were given away free of charge through pharmacies statewide. It has since surpassed over 1 million copies sold or donated. “We had no idea, honestly, the popularity of the book,” Broyles Arnold said. “It’s really a well-written book. It helps people understand all aspects of the disease in all three stages: the early, middle or moderate as they call it now, and the end stage.” From there, the foundation has expanded into workshops and support services throughout the state and elsewhere, work for which Coach Boyles himself laid the groundwork with a passion for the cause equaling that which he’d held for the Razorback athletic department and foundation and which was similarly effective. “My grandpa threw himself into it and did a lot of public

THE CAUSE When Barbara Broyles was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1999, only two things were certain in the family ranks. One, when the time came, Broyles Arnold would return to Arkansas to serve as a full-time caregiver for her mother, and two, Frank Broyles would throw himself into the path of the disease like no one ever had. “Once she was finally diagnosed, he took himself out of the center of the circle, and he was always in the center of the circle because my mother kept him there,” Broyles Arnold said. “Men in general, and especially my dad, they’re fixers. He wanted to fix it, and he wanted her to be healed, but with that disease, it’s

“I do think that a lot of people that knew him were very aware, after my grandma passed away, of his mission and passion to help caregivers and do it all at no cost. That was such an important thing.” — Molly Harrell, Broyles Foundation executive director

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speaking and traveling and talking to people and raising money for the playbook,” Harrell said. “In fact, before the foundation started, any Alzheimer’s caregiving group that needed help, he would help raise money for. He advocated in Washington, [D.C.], he did all types of things. I do think that a lot of people that knew him were very aware, after my grandma passed away, of his mission and passion to help caregivers and do it all at no cost. That was such an important thing.” The story of the foundation was never more poignant than when it was learned the state’s leading advocate for Alzheimer’s caregivers was battling the very disease he fought so hard against. As in life, Frank Broyles’s 2017 death from complications of the disease only served as additional motivation for the team to drive the foundation to new places in service to patients and their families. “One of the things that we do that is a critical part of the game plan is we encourage caregivers to take care of themselves,” Harrell said. “Often there’s such guilt involved in that, as your head is barely above water, and it’s hard to even comprehend what all is coming. You’re just in survival mode. We had a caregiver, a woman taking care of her husband, and when he passed away, she ended up in the emergency room with broken heart syndrome. It is all-consuming. “We step back and say, ‘Here are the things that you need to be doing.’ We encourage caregivers to get help from other people. We get on conference calls with the family so they can fully understand what the person that is doing the full-time care is going through to help provide support. When you’re in the middle of caregiving, you don’t think about yourself.” Today, the organization enjoys additional exposure and support thanks to the Broyles Award, which Bazzel gifted to the foundation a few years ago. “When Barbara Broyles died and Coach Broyles started the Broyles Foundation, I watched from afar, but at that time, they were just trying to make the foundation work,” Bazzel said. “I guess it was five, six years ago when I went to Betsy and Molly and said, ‘You guys are still hustling to make an impact with the foundation and folks who are Alzheimer’s caregivers. I’d like to give you the award and let it be used for something bigger and something Coach Broyles would be happy with.’ “It’s been really cool, because now when these coaches come in, it’s not just an award about them; it also has a purpose. Some of them are too young to remember Coach Broyles, but they learn about him, and so they know it’s a great cause because Alzheimer’s affects everybody. It’s really been a good relationship, and I’m thrilled that the foundation has taken over.” “I’m so thankful to David that he gave it to the foundation because it’s just something else of Dad’s. These are Dad’s two legacies: He loved football, and his second legacy and the one in the fourth quarter was he was very passionate about helping families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease,” Broyles Arnold said. “The award is really special to me. I cry every year. It’s emotional, and it changes lives.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Broyles Award founder David Bazzel

FRANK BROYLES AWARD WINNERS Schools and positions of winners listed at time of award. 2023 Phil Parker, defensive coordinator, Iowa 2022 Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator, TCU 2021 Josh Gattis, offensive coordinator/WR, Michigan 2020 Steve Sarkisian, offensive coordinator/QB, Alabama 2019 Joe Brady, passing game coordinator/WR, LSU 2018 Mike Locksley, offensive coordinator, Alabama 2017 Tony Elliott, offensive coordinator/RB, Clemson 2016 Brent Venables, defensive coordinator/LB, Clemson 2015 Lincoln Riley, offensive coordinator/QB, Oklahoma 2014 Tom Herman, offensive coordinator/QB, Ohio State 2013 Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator, Michigan State 2012 Bob Diaco, defensive coordinator, Notre Dame 2011 John Chavis, defensive coordinator/LB, LSU 2010 Gus Malzahn, offensive coordinator/QB, Auburn 2009 Kirby Smart, defensive coordinator, Alabama 2008 Kevin Wilson, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma 2007 Jim Heacock, defensive coordinator/safeties, Ohio State 2006 Bud Foster, defensive coordinator/ILB, Virginia Tech 2005 Greg Davis, offensive coordinator/QB, Texas 2004 Gene Chizik, defensive coordinator/DB, Auburn 2003 Brian VanGorder, defensive coordinator/LB, Georgia 2002 Norm Chow, offensive coordinator, USC 2001 Randy Shannon, defensive coordinator, Miami (FL) 2000 Mark Mangino, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma 1999 Ralph Friedgen, offensive coordinator/QB, Georgia Tech 1998 David Cutcliffe, offensive coordinator, Tennessee 1997 Jim Hermann, defensive coordinator, Michigan 1996 Mickey Andrews, defensive coordinator, Florida State 19

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manufacturing noun

• The act or process of making articles for use; the system of industry which produces manufactured articles. • The action of the verb to manufacture. • The transformation of raw materials into finished products, usually on a large scale.

MANUFACTURING

ROSIE THE RIVETER, ACT 2 Nontraditional careers offer Arkansas women stability, mobility, challenge By K.D. Reep

Women constitute manufacturing’s largest pool of untapped talent in the United States, comprising 27 percent of manufacturing employees, even though women make up 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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anufacturing in the United States experienced a substantial decline in employment for the first decade of this century, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau. Today, hiring in the manufacturing industry is on the upswing, and companies are seeking employees with skills to operate in highly automated environments. This sets the stage for more women to enter work arenas traditionally filled by men, particularly manufacturing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women made up about 47 percent of the American workforce, with 30 percent working in manufacturing, and one out of every four management positions were held by women. Women in manufacturing earned, on average, 16 percent more than the national median annual income for women who are employed. Though men still hold most U.S. manufacturing jobs at almost 68 percent, from 2010 until the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the share of women in manufacturing jobs rose in every working-age category until 2020. According to Deloitte, women constitute manufacturing’s largest pool of untapped talent in the United States, comprising 27 percent of manufacturing employees, even though women make up 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force and hold more than half of all U.S. managerial and professional positions. Rosie the Riveter, Norman Rockwell’s iconic painting, symbolized American women filling the employment holes in this country when men left to fight in World War II. The image may have secured the way for more women to consider and pursue careers in male-dominated industries, but today, American women are seeking, securing and succeeding

in careers they could have only dreamed about a decade ago. These jobs, particularly in Arkansas, allow women the opportunity to use their problem-solving skills while creating a solid foundation for themselves and their families. Take, for instance, Holly Crank. A 29-year-old single mother of two who lives in Jonesboro, Crank is a controls engineering technician at Majestic Steel in Blytheville who has been in maintenance and manufacturing roles since 2017. “I was in the Navy for a little while, not very long,” Crank said. “I did some electrical work there, and when I got out, I pursued it more. My ex-husband was an electrician, and it didn’t look that hard, and he was making good money, so, I got my foot in the door and started doing that myself.” Crank, who is originally from St. Louis, said she was not mechanically inclined as a child, but seeing others working in trades led her to consider attending Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville. She earned her technical degree in steel technologies and eventually began instructing in motor controls at ANC. She has since secured a job at Majestic Steel, where her day-to-day consists of supporting production through troubleshooting, preventative maintenance and maintenance planning on a program level. Majestic Steel USA, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Cleveland, is a privately held and family-owned distributor and processor of flat-rolled steel. Majestic serves its customers in manufacturing, construction and distribution from its network of locations throughout North America, including Majestic Steel Hickman in Blytheville. Crank said what she likes most about her job is its technical aspect. She continually learns and problem solves so she can make processes more efficiently and effective. Her challenges, however, are balancing her commitment to her family while fulfilling her mission at work. “Childcare is always an issue,” she said, “especially when you have a spouse who is working shift work. I can’t always be on site for the downtime calls or emergencies because I’m the only one who can be with my kids. You have to build a support system. That’s the single hardest thing about working and family — balancing when you can be where. The rest of it is nothing compared to that.” Crank said Majestic Steel is “pretty lenient” when it comes to its teams’ family needs. “As long as you come in and do what you need to get done, it’s fine,” she said. “They have a good work-life balance. If you are looking for a solid job, I’d defi-

Women should understand they may not find a role in manufacturing where they are able to come and go as they may need.

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MANUFACTURING nitely recommend working in manufacturing, but be prepared. It can be one of the hardest things you ever do, but if you come out on the other side, you’re not going to regret it.” Women should understand they may not find a role in manufacturing where they are able to come and go as they may need, Crank added. “You’re going to find somebody that wants you there either on rotating shifts or overnights and days, and they’re going to want you there at 5 a.m., so if you don’t have family to help, you’re going to pay a lot for babysitters or you’re going to miss a lot of work. The consensus of the trade groups I’m in agree you have to have a good support system and a really thick skin. If you keep your nose down and learn your trade, no one can take away your skills. Don’t worry about anything besides that.” Crank’s goals for her career include completing her electrical engineering degree while raising her 7-yearold daughter and 4-year-old son. “It’s hard,” she said, “but it’s worth it.” Although Crank may not have been mechanically inclined as a child, Amanda Lewis was taking apart her toys and figuring out how to put them back together while playing with her brother and male cousins. Originally from Poyen, Lewis is a process engineer with Trex Co. in Little Rock. Trex is a manufacturer of wood-alternative composite decking, railing and other outdoor items made from recycled materials. Headquartered in Winchester, Va., Trex is the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing, and its composite products are made of 95 percent recycled materials such as plastic shopping bags. “Trex takes the plastic sacks you see at Walmart and recycles those into pellets,” Lewis said. “We call that reprocessing or poly operations. We mix that flexible film

pellet with reclaimed wood, and we manufacture composite deck boards from that. It’s a super cool process, and sustainable, which is one of the things that drew me to Trex.” Lewis said there are two processes involved in creating this composite deck board, and she works with the recycling portion of the poly operation. “I oversee the efficiencies of the manufacturing process, which includes improving safety, reducing waste, increasing uptime through process improvements, stabilizing quality of the product and troubleshooting problems found in the process,” she said. The complexity and challenges of manufacturing are what drew Lewis to become an engineer. “It’s always piqued my interest to learn how things are made and how they work,” she said. “The first step in my career was focused on closed-loop plastic recycling, and it opened my eyes to how much plastic is utilized in the world. There are companies out here taking, basically, trash and producing it into a usable product.” Lewis said her first boss encouraged her to discover her potential as an engineer. “I started my college career as a studio art major. After a year of art classes, it seemed like a tough career to make successful. I had some encouragement from people like my first boss, who said, ‘You’re good at math and science and art, so you should try out engineering.’ I looked into it and went into [the University of Arkansas at Little Rock].” When asked what challenges she has faced in a predominantly male field, Lewis said she hasn’t had too many. “I grew up as a tomboy, and I’m always going to be a tomboy, so I kind of fit in as one of the boys,” she said. “I could see if you’re maybe a little more feminine, you might get some awkward judgment, and I have had some challenges with some individuals. I would go out on the production floor and start turning wrenches and help run the line, learning what they do in their day-to-day operations. That helped the guys come to respect me. You have to be confident, especially in engineering. Engineering is very factbased, so if I’ve done the research and I show you the process and prove it works, it gives the team on the line a level of comfort.” Lewis has already made an impact on how Trex can save time, money and other resources while it establishes its Little Rock locations. “We convey pellets in aluminum pipe. Whenever you convey pellets, you want to have the fewest 90-degree bends in the line,” she said. “If you have too many 90-degree bends in the line, the pellets will deform a little bit. I was going through the drawings and noticed how many bends we had, and I worked

“We are gearing towards attracting more women to the manufacturing world and explaining to them that they can succeed in this environment.”

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Ashley Kroll is the environmental coordinator and management system representative for Nucor Steel in Blytheville. (Photos provided)

to reroute it. It increases speed as well as efficiency because you’re not destroying the pellets you’ve already made. You’re not having to do triple the work to get the same amount of pellets. That’s been exciting to be a part of this, and our project engineers have done a great job with the initial layouts.” This is her third manufacturing job, and she has been with Trex for a little more than a year. Lewis said she has learned that confidence in herself and her team is what counts most when pursuing her career. “You have to know yourself and your self-worth,” she said. “I know a lot of women struggle with how others may view them, but you have to love yourself and be confident in what you’re doing. You have to work hard to deserve the advances in your career, and you can’t expect anything to be handed to you. I really love Trex. They’re really doing the right things as far as showing people respect and making their voices heard. They have the right type of leadership and care about people, which motivates people the team. Here, it is OK to be yourself. I think it is important to go for what you’re passionate about. It’s OK to be different, be who you are and not let anybody talk you out of who you are.” Believing in yourself is vital, but sometimes it takes someone from the outside looking in to guide a person toward his or her destiny. This is true for Ashley Kroll, the environmental coordinator and management system representative for Nucor Steel in Blytheville. She was introduced to Nucor during high school physics class in Manila. “A Nucor analyst spoke to our class about a STEM project she was doing,” Kroll said. “Afterward, she talked about what Nucor did and that they were recruiting. I had a wonderful counselor at the time, and she really encouraged me to consider working there. She said, ‘Hey, this is a great job. I don’t know if you know much about Nucor, but it’s a great paying job, and you would love it up there,’ so she kind of put me in that direction.” Kroll signed up for a two-year steel industry technology internship with ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Arkansas Northeastern and earned her associate’s degree while working part-time for Nucor. “That’s what got my foot in the door,” she said. Nucor is the largest steel producer in the U.S., as well as the largest recycler of any type of material in North America, recycling more than 20 million tons of ferrous scrap annually to produce new steel that is 100 percent recyclable. In Arkansas, it has provided 2,300 jobs that have a median annual pay of $125,000 or more for all Nucor teammates nationwide over the last three years, excluding executives. Every Nucor teammate and their dependents are eligible to receive a $4,000-per-year scholarship to college or vocational school, and more than $115 million has been awarded to almost 25,000 children nationwide since the program’s inception in 1974. D EC E M B E R 2023

The share of women in manufacturing jobs rose in every working-age category until 2020.

Kroll, who has been with Nucor for more than 12 years, maintains the company’s International Organization for Standardization 14001 certification by grading and reporting documents. She also teaches new hires and current employees about how their jobs impact the environment and all the ways Nucor works to mitigate those impacts. She said that during her internship with the company, she was able to work in production on different crews, which afforded her the possibility of moving around the country to work for Nucor. “One of the supervisors offered me a full-time job,” she said. “I soon found myself moving every two years, changing jobs within our company. I was able to relocate to Texas for a little while working on a corporate IT project, and then I came back, and I got into purchasing doing contracts and insurance right before this environmental position came open. When I first started out here 12 years ago, I was one of the only females in the production environment. You had probably two other women — a crane operator and an inspector. Other than that, you really didn’t see any, but I can tell you now that it’s a lot different. We are gearing towards attracting more women to the manufacturing world and explaining to them that they can succeed in this envi-

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ronment. There are opportunities out here for women and with Nucor’s culture, they embrace that.” Kroll said she would absolutely recommend manufacturing to women as a career, particularly within Nucor. “I have two little girls myself,” she said. “I like to think about if I would allow them to work in this type of environment. I am not familiar with other steel companies, and I would probably be scared to let them work in that environment, but knowing Nucor’s culture and how we are safety oriented and how I have experience with a team looking out for me as I kind of grew up within Nucor, I definitely would recommend them getting jobs out here. The pay is great. The culture is awesome, and I know that they’re going to look out for their safety.” Like Crank, Kroll said her employer has a solid work-life balance. “Nucor is very family oriented,” she said. “Our leadership knows we need to be involved in our community, so there’s a lot of teammates you’ll find who are also soccer coaches, or they’re part of their church’s activities, so, Nucor absolutely understands that, and they encourage it. Our in-office culture has changed too. Before, we’ve never worked from home, but now they’re offering working from home situations where if somebody needs to work from home, they’re allowing it.” Kroll said she sees herself staying with Nucor because they have unlimited opportunities for her career. “I have been fortunate enough to have experience in different departments and different locations, and the great thing about Nucor is the sky’s the limit. If you are willing to work and move, they are willing to work with you. We have engi-

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neering positions open right now as well as supervisory ones. There are environmental manager positions open. It might be at Nucor Steel in Florida or Memphis, but if there’s a need to relocate or if I’m open to a position somewhere else, I know that opportunity’s there.” Kroll said women considering manufacturing or other career in traditionally male-dominated industries should remain open minded, maintain a positive attitude and move with integrity. “Truly, the sky is the limit if you do that,” she said. “I was once given feedback after an interview that I was too aggressive, and I had to reflect on that because I never saw myself like that. I always saw myself as getting things done. After talking to teammates and realizing their perception of me and how I could see that within myself, I learned how to tailor that back some in conversations and in navigating people. However, I know when to use that as my strength to get stuff done for projects. I’ve heard other women say the same thing, but I think we were very passionate and have to learn how to use that when and where it’s needed.” Shelley Gager has been in male-dominated careers since her first job as an underground coal miner in western Pennsylvania. “I went to school at West Virginia University, where I studied mining engineering,” she said. “I got my bachelor’s degree in mining, and I love the industry, the hands-on aspect of it, the concept of using the engineering methodical brain for solving problems.” Gager’s introduction to manufacturing came through an unlikely path — sales. She became a sales engineer for Rockwell Automation, which was acquired by Fort Smith’s Baldor, now ABB. She spent 13 years in field sales, helping her clients solve problems, then moved to product management in 2014. “The real focus around manufacturing for me was understanding the pain point of end customers, the people having to utilize the equipment and just realizing there’s a way to solve their pain points,” she said, “and I felt like both my personality and my desire to help people really fit well into staying in this industry. Currently, I’m the director of the integrated motor drive team, which is a newly created team to again help take those fundamental components that ABB is well known for motors and drives and combine them into one common solution.” This new department Gager leads has six team members, and she said she is looking to grow it to about 20 people by mid-2024. “When you look at our new business team, ABB is investing to solve a problem in an industry that is having a really mega shift. We are really focusing on people, time and money because if you don’t do all three, you’re missing part of the goal to get to where you really need to be,” she said. “Our department will clear roadblocks and invest capital into partnerships as well as internal manufacturing. Our intention here is to look at a global solution

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in our market.” Gager said both she and her husband are engineers, and while the personality of engineers is generally one of introversion, she sees herself as more of an ambivert, having traits of both extroverts and introverts. This quality helped her as one of only a handful of women in her mining engineering classes and when she became a sales leader. “I had great mentors in every aspect of my career,” she said. “I never felt like some crazy unicorn working in the coal mine. Every single person there looked at me as someone they could train and teach. Many of them referred to me as their daughter or their granddaughter, and they pulled me along with them. It was pretty fun.” Gager said people she knows outside of the manufacturing industry look at her and say, “Don’t you feel like you’re being the token female here?” She said she never feels that way. “After moving and changing positions within the company 11 different times, I always felt I walked that fine line between what’s right for the company, what’s right for the customer and what is right for my family,” she said. “Being able to create the business team is by far my biggest success. I think we have big challenges ahead of us, and building a team from scratch is something that is has been very exciting. It’s a very high risk, high reward job, and we go after it. “One of the questions I always get is, ‘What does it feel like to be a female in this industry?’ and I challenge that it doesn’t feel any different. We’re all people,” she added. “I would love to encourage the next generation to challenge themselves to think outside the box and do things differently. It may be that some people don’t value it, but there are a whole lot of people who value it more than you think. I’ve run into people in the past who have said I’m too aggressive, I’m too loud, I’m too funny, and I can’t let that bring me down. I mean, this is who I am, and this is what you’ve got signing up for. I’m signing up to make a difference.”

D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING

More manufacturers considering automation By Mark Carter

n Arkansas and across the United States, more manufacturers are turning to automation for help in replacing the experience of retiring workers — experience that’s not being replaced by the rising workforce — and for the potential return on investment. Justin Majors, director of existing business for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said Arkansas manufacturers have been moving toward more automation for several years. “We saw a trend of companies moving towards automation, really, before the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “The pandemic sped it up a bit. Manpower has always been an issue. Companies can’t find the right or enough people.” Majors noted that companies also are looking to automation for the ROI it provides. “Companies think, ‘If I can get a robot to do the job of two people, that will allow me to maintain production schedules,’” he said. “Companies that would never think about it are doing it now.” One of those companies is Vista Outdoor’s Remington Ammunition in Lonoke, which produces the company’s wide array of ammunition. Adam White, director of operations, said there are several reasons why automation proves beneficial in his plant. “We are investing in robotic technology that helps assist our employees in eliminating the ergonomically stressful or manual manipulation portions of their job,” he said. “We’ve partnered with other Arkansas companies to help automatically transfer components immediately after the assembly line that helps eliminate handling, improves the quality for our customers and allows

us to improve output on the line. Another robot arriving will assist our team members by helping orient and stage products for quicker placement into final packaging.” White said Remington workers direct the robots and ensure that quality checks take place but now aren’t required to carry the weight that is packaged each day at the Jeff Butler Justin Majors Adam White plant. “By adapting to new technology, we provide our team new tools and ensure that kind of a niche challenge,” he said. “The trend is toward busiour processes are modernized to give our customers the right nesses training existing employees. Businesses prefer to hire quality at the right cost for years to come,” he said. off the street, but if they can’t buy the talent that way, they’ll White said the longevity of Remington’s workforce over the train their people to do it. Many are considering it.” years “has been a blessing,” but it hurts when experienced work“Five years ago, many companies were saying, ‘No way.’ Now, ers retire or leave. they think, ‘Maybe this is for us.’ It’s a generational change as “Our challenge is getting new employees who are excited much as a production change.” about helping us solve problems and improve their process on a Existing employees are a known commodity, limiting the daily basis,” he said. “Those employees certainly exist but attractvariables, Majors said. There are also costs associated with ing and investing in them to make them successful and helping bringing in new employees and training them grow with the company throughout them, especially if they leave six weeks their careers is a never-ending challenge later. that we’re glad to take on. We want to creMajors said more Arkansas manufacate an environment where people want to The new automation turers are contemplating the costs associwork and have the ability to grow with us will replace three ated with bringing in new employees and as they expand their skill sets.” of the worst jobs in training them just to have them leave six At the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. plant weeks later. Training internally is catchin Texarkana, company officials are in the the factory in terms ing on, and employees already on board middle of an automation expansion plan. of ergonomics and who have good soft skills and the poten“We’ve spent more than $100 million in injuries to employees. tial to learn are a valued commodity, he the past three years on automation,” said added. We’ve set out to take Jeff Butler, operations manager. “Our look Much of the automation available on forward has us doing that much again in out the worst jobs in the market is state-of-the-art, White said. the next three years.” the factory. At Remington, that includes metal formCooper is adding automated tire-making ing, loading and packing technology. Remachines and an automated sort-and-regardless of how strong an ROI that autotrieval system that entails robots taking tires mation can deliver, factories will always need human workers, and storing them until they are ready for the curing process. The he said. new automation is designed for efficiency and ergonomic gains, “Our industry, like many others, is differentiated by the and the company, acquired by Goodyear in 2021, will continue to knowledge and ability to problem solve when any issues arise,” expand on both technologies, Butler said. White said. “Technology without the experience or under“The new automation will replace three of the worst jobs in standing on what our products are supposed to do and how to the factory in terms of ergonomics and injuries to employees,” ensure the consistency and quality that our customers demand he said. “We’ve set out to take out the worst jobs in the factory.” is critical to our success. Having enough experience to know New, higher-paying jobs will become available as the new which technology will have the desired impact and withstand tech is put in place, Butler added. the heavy demands in this industry is important. We want to inThe plant has struggled with attrition, but Butler attributes vest in technology that allows us to improve quality or drive the it to many employees hitting their 30-year retirement mark at cost improvements that we can pass along to our customers.” roughly the same time. Still, automation represents a tantalizing temptation for Arkansas manufacturers have seen an uptick in people lookmanufacturers looking to increase efficiency. ing for work, Majors said, but he added that more often, compa“Companies are looking at it that way,” Majors said. “They nies need fewer and more highly skilled people. are starting to think that spending half a million for an auto“Finding the right people to maintain and set up and tear mated milling machine is maybe a good investment.” down these kinds of automated machines and to troubleshoot is

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D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING

COTTAGE INDUSTRY

Small-scale manufacturers can make communities By Sarah DeClerk and Kenneth Heard

During a time when mass production is standard and imports are a given, it can be easy to overlook local small-scale manufacturers but such businesses are nonetheless important. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, small businesses accounted for nearly 63 percent of net new jobs between 1995 and 2021, and small businesses provide more than 54 percent of jobs in rural areas. The following businesses illustrate how manufacturers who keep it small and set up shop close to home play a vital role in their communities.

OSCEOLA MACHINE WORKS AND MANUFACTURING, OSCEOLA

ituated within spitting distance of the Mississippi River in northeast Arkansas, the residents of Osceola find plenty of uses for water-control structures, both commercially when controlling field irrigation and recreationally when flooding land to attract ducks for hunting. However, Osceola Machine Works and Manufacturing’s reach extends beyond its hometown to ship water-control structures, duck pits and more to communities across the United States. “We have had calls from other countries, but of course, shipping’s crazy, so you don’t see much happening in that, but the only place I don’t service too, too often is the Washington to Wyoming area, those five states up there,” said Andrew Scott, office manager. “Every other state sees pretty consistent orders. You’ll get a few New York orders, a few Maine throughout the year. You never go without. Our biggest area’s probably from Arkansas to North and South Carolina. All the states in that little circle get serviced the most.” Established more than 70 years ago, the business is owned by Dusty Smith, who took the reins of the company in 2018, after his father-in-law retired. Smith builds all the products with help from two workers and, occasionally, his sons, Scott said, adding that his own role is to handle customer requests. He takes customer orders, including the specifications for the structure they need, and then sends the order to DEC E M BER 2 02 3

the manufacturing team for approval. “Usually, we’ll have a lot of the boxes, the frames, already built and made, so they’ll do all the grinding,” he said. “They’ll do the cutting of the metal and any other bending and then put it all together.” The business can handle about a dozen two-, three- and fourfoot structures a week, but larger structures take longer to build, he added. “We do it on a que system,” he said. “We don’t like to put people who have an easy order in front of someone who has a hard

One of Osceola Machine’s more popular products is the duck pit, shown being installed, left, and during assembly on the factory floor. (Photos provided)

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order, so it could be one week we’re only getting out about five because they’re so big, [and] the next week, we’re getting out 30, 40 of them.” He added that Smith takes an active role in the business and handles the skids, pits and flat gates, in addition to helping the other employees. “He does almost anything,” Scott said. “He’ll jump at anything. If we’re a little behind, he’ll jump in and help them. If he thinks he can get somebody’s order out fast, he’ll do it himself, you know. He’s a very hands-on kind of boss.” That attitude is the key to the business’ success, he said, adding that having an owner who is close but firm with his employees and never hesitates to lend a hand is what drives the business. “If he was just in here directing and telling us what to do, it wouldn’t function as good as it does now,” Scott said. “He picks up the slack. He motivates everybody to follow how fast he’s moving and the building he does, and all around, his attitude toward business and getting the customers what they need really bones up everything.” Scott estimated that there were only one or two other manufacturers making similar products in the United States, including the larger Agri Drain Corp. While some customers turn to general fabricators for their needs, most find that structures made by specialty manufacturers suit them best, he said. “I can’t tell you how many times I have customers saying, ‘Hey, it will cost more.’ They don’t work as good as someone like Agri Drain or us because it’s just not someone’s specialty,” he said. “You have to have so many perfect measurements and stuff like that to work fully, and that’s kind of why they come to us. [A general fabricator] could do it, but it’s going to cost more, it’s going to take more time, and it might not work out.” That said, small-scale manufacturing is not without its challenges, time being one of them. “We’re not a big manufacturer,” Scott said. “We don’t have everything in stock, so when the time comes when people order

the day they need it, the week they need it, usually it’s all about time is what we run into.” He added that the volatility of material pricing is unique to the metal industry. “Prices fluctuate like nothing else I’ve seen,” he said. “They go up. They go down. You might be paying 30 cents per pound one day; the next day, you’re paying 75 cents to a dollar. It’s something you’ve got to be a pro at and watch constantly.” Despite that, Osceola Machine has only had one price increase in the past five years, he said. “If prices go low, our prices are already decent, from my understanding from customers I’ve talked to, so we keep them the same. If the price of metal goes high, skyrockets, we’re kind of just sitting there. We’re making our money, even, and our customers know, ‘Hey, it’s not going to change.’” Like other parts of Arkansas, farming is essential to life in Osceola, Scott said. “I would say it’s the main focus,” he said. “We’re surrounded by fields, so I would say it’s very important. A lot of notable figures are farmers or come from that kind of family work, so you’re not going anywhere and not running into somebody like that.” Duck season is the busiest time of year, he added. Like most everyone in Osceola, farming and hunting are a part of Scott’s life just like they are a part of his customers’. “Everybody around here grows up with a few years of hunting, at least, before they move on to their own thing,” he said. “I used to go with my grandfather. He passed away, and it just kind of dwindled from there. We own farmland in my family.” He added that telling others about local businesses is one of the best ways to support small manufacturers such as Osceola Machine and help them attract more business. “I think that’s really the biggest kind of help because one person who’s not in the industry could turn around and tell their friend, who tells their friend, who tells the owner of the plant, who tells the people in that little circle,” Scott said. “It all just goes from one person’s word of mouth, goes up from there.”

XPRESS BOATS, HOT SPRINGS, AND VERANDA LUXURY PONTOONS, MALVERN

good idea led to an innovation that grew Xpress Boats in Hot Springs and Veranda Luxury Pontoons in Malvern into the manufacturers they are today. “Our founder, Kermit Bryant, knew there had to be a better way to construct aluminum boats, rather than with rivets,” said Clay Conner, vice president of marketing. “Mr. Bryant pioneered taking inert gas, and by all-welding his boats, he created a superior unibody construction. Still to this day, his innovation has paved the way, as everyone in the industry has followed.” Founded in 1966, Xpress boats manufactures all-welded, high-performance aluminum boats ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

An aerial view of the Xpress Boats factory in Hot Springs.

D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING for bass, bay, crappie and catfish fishing, as well as hunting. Veranda Xpress boats are assembled, right, and finished inside the company’s main facility. Luxury Pontoons provides luxury pontoon boats that feature an allaluminum, all-welded interlocking deck system. “In a sea of competition where most use plywood to deck their boats, which leads to predetermined obsolescence, Veranda offers a foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment coupled with a nowood-no-rot guarantee — truly innovative and focused on a carefree boating experience for the greatest “Xpress Boats changed the paradigm at the highest level of return on our customer’s investment,” Conner said. competitive fishing,” he added. “Four victories on the BassmasThere are 375 employees between both companies, which ter Elite Series, one of those being in the Bassmaster Classic, serve more than 175 national and international dealers across have proven there is no need to spend $100,000 or more when the country and around the world, he said. He added that the the top anglers can compete and win at the highest level. We company seeks to build lean muscle with measured and calcucontinue to reevaluate our engineering practices and work tirelated growth to ensure the business neither outpaces its capalessly to refine production efficiencies while ensuring our vision bilities nor underperforms. is clear, based upon a focus of being innovative.” “There is no doubt that our business has changed over the As a family-owned and -operated business, the owners are past 10 years, with more competitors entering the marketplace,” intimately involved in day-to-day operations and have built a he said. “[The COVID-19 pandemic] has had an enormous imculture that focuses on the company’s greatest asset — the empact on our business positively and negatively. Our focus has ployees, Conner said. remained steadfast in producing the finest carefree product for “We truly do not see ourselves as a small manufacturer as our customers regardless of the season we are in at that time. we are one of the largest employers in Hot Springs,” he said. The economy may change, the demand may wane, but our com“Our company provides so much to our community, with jobs, mitment will never vary.” tax revenue, national exposure and a destination for an amazAs a leader in boat manufacturing, Xpress was the first to ing career opportunity for one of the finest employers in this make all-welded aluminum boats and the first to employ lonpart of the country. If other companies embraced similar valgitudinal rib construction, and the boats are constructed using ues and developed a like culture, our country’s manufacturing expandable foam in order to exceed Coast Guard standards, would be unstoppable.” he said.

WINCHOICE USA, MOUNTAIN PINE

organ Wiles saw the tough times in Mountain Pine when Weyerhaeuser Co. closed its mill in the Garland County town in 2006. Wiles’ father worked there for 32 years, and Wiles, who had just returned from duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq, recalls the strain of the closure. “My dad would put a positive light to it, but it really was a devastating time,” Wiles said. About 300 lost their jobs when the plant closed on Nov. 30, 2006, the first time in more than 80 years the town of 700 was without a sawmill. It took some time, but Wiles, who but for a two-year tour in Iraq has lived in Mountain Pine all his life, is helping his hometown. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

He and his childhood friend and business partner, Shaun Keefe, moved their window manufacturing company from Hot Springs to Mountain Pine in 2016. WinChoice USA, which makes and sells its own windows locally, employs 100 people. He said he hopes to increase the number of workers and expand the size of the factory shortly. Plans call for hiring up to 350 people in Mountain Pine and opening other window retail stores in nine states. Wiles, 39, was born and raised in Mountain Pine. He graduated from Mountain Pine High School in 2002. His best friend since age 4, Keefe, graduated two years later, and the two went into the window manufacturing business together in 2006, after Wiles served in the Army. For two years, Wiles worked in network communication while in Iraq, earning both an education 32

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in life and a realization that Mountain Pine was his home. “I’ve been all over the world [because of the service],” he said, “but when I came back, I realized I was home.” He and Keefe opened Morfe Manufacturing in Hot Springs about nine miles from Wiles’ home in 2006. WinChoice was the retailing branch of the operation. The two thought first of establishing their business in Bryant, but the lure of their hometown brought them back to Garland County. They worked in a 10,000-square foot building then, shipping windows all over the country. In 2016, Wiles and Keefe saw an opportunity to return home. Weyerhaeuser’s 389-acre site — vacant for a decade — was for sale. The asking price was $2.2 million but the two were able to negotiate the cost down to $550,000. After a year and a half of construction and remodeling, WinChoice opened its 50,000-square foot facility. Since then, business has been booming, Wiles said. “We felt like we could do something incredibly special in this realm,” he said. “We took all the good we learned in business and left out the bad.” While other window manufacturers sell their products to vendors, WinChoice makes its windows and then sells them directly to customers. Wiles applies a lesson his father taught him at an early age. “It was the Golden Rule,” Wiles said, adding that his father often said, “Treat others as you’d want to be treated yourself.” He said one of his main goals was to increase repair time for customers. If a customer’s window broke, Wiles said, they did not want to wait six months for any repairs. “We wanted the maximum service time to be 30 days,” he said. “Our goal is to get there within 14 days. If you have a leaking window, you want a technician on site as soon as possible. “We want to set high standards.” Even the name Wiles and Keefe chose for their business reflects their customers and features a double meaning. On first glance, “WinChoice,” of course, refers to the choice windows the two offer, but the pair also hope the name makes customers feel like they win when buying from WinChoice. “We want them to win,” Wiles said. “Winning is a choice. It also means having a choice to do the right thing and bettering yourself. Our customers win when they have a choice.” Wiles also chose to run for mayor of Mountain Pine and in November 2018, he won the majority of the vote in a four-way race. “When the mill shut down, the town began spiraling down,” he said. “I didn’t see what was all going when I first returned [to Mountain Pine], but I was finding out. I thought if nobody else was going to fix it, I was going to have to.” He first focused on restoring a strong police department. After Weyerhaeuser closed down, city revenue declined and the town had to reduce its police force. “I wanted to better our community policing,” he said. “It worked. The community got behind it and on our side, and we got the bad elements out.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

The WinChoice factory in Mountain Pine produces fusion double-welded window frames, left. Once finished, warm-edge spacer technology, below, designed to reduce energy loss is applied.

Wiles also saw the benefits of increasing job opportunities in the area and touted development of a large industrial park but, in part because of his perfectionist and fast-paced entrepreneurial ways, the stress of the job began getting to him, he said. “I had that spirit,” he said. “I wanted to move massively fast, and I think the town wanted to move slower.” He said he was at a contentious city council meeting one evening while his son was playing soccer. He missed the game, a point that moved him to tender his resignation in March 2021. “I realized I could be more of a value to my family and business,” he said. “I would have tried moving Mountain Pine too fast.” Now, Wiles and Keefe focus on moving things at WinChoice rapidly. Plans call for another 10,000-square-foot expansion and the hiring of more workers. The business partners also want to open more outlets in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas and to expand other services such as roofing repair. “We’ve learned through trials and tribulations,” Wiles said. “Most businesses are only about profit, and what’s lost is the customer. If you treat them right and take care of the customers like they want to do, the profit will come.” 33

D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING

SMALL STATE, By John Callahan

BIG

INDUSTRY

Arkansas home to emerging hot spots

The first manufacturers came to the county in the 1950s, making up for farm jobs lost to mechanized agriculture. Nucor Corp., currently the largest steel producer in the country, opened its first steel mill on the Mississippi River in 1988. There was an agricultural downturn at the time, and workers who were experienced in being around and maintaining agricultural machines provided an excellent workforce for the new plant. Nucor found the county so ideal that it opened a second steel mill roughly a decade later. At the same time, however, there were major problems. The county’s first manufacturer, a textile-producer CromptonShenandoah, left in 1985 after some 30 years in the area, and the Eaker Air Force Base shut down in 1991. Between those and other closures, roughly 16,500 jobs were lost in a county of about 60,000 people. Many were forced to find work elsewhere.

rkansas is an emerging hot spot for major industry, and communities across the state are taking advantage, such as the oil and soon-to-be lithium wells of El Dorado, the steel mills of Mississippi County, the aerospace hub in East Camden and the growth at the Port of Little Rock.

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY he Great River Economic Development Foundation bears the slogan “Cotton to Steel,” an apt description of Mississippi County’s industrial history. “Mississippi County was at one time, in 1938, the secondmost populous county in Arkansas behind Pulaski,” said Clif Chitwood, president. “It had 88,000 people, and it probably had 60,000 mules because that’s what it took to make a crop here. This county was originally a giant hardwood forest, like most of the Delta from here to New Orleans. “First came the pioneers, like [Robert E. Lee] Wilson in the late 1800s, who at one point owned 80,000 acres in the county. He cleared the timber and put in dozens of sawmills, and then they would float the timber down to Memphis or have tugboats pull it up the river to St. Louis and Chicago. When all the trees were cut, they brought in enough dynamite to fight a respectable war and started blowing stumps.” Once the land had been properly cleared, thousands of workers were brought in under the sharecropping system, which raised Mississippi County to that status as the second most populous State, local and company officials broke ground on the first Big River Steel mill. (Photos provided) county in Arkansas.

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“Let’s have one recruiter, one recruitment agency, and spread before the industries as large a buffet as we can.” Clif Chitwood, right, president of hte Great River Economic Development Foundation,said county officials worked together to attract companies like U.S. Steel.

“Osceola and Blytheville are both county seats, and that had led to a kind of Friday night football rivalry, which at times got more serious than that,” Chitwood said. “It came to the point where, if one town was recruiting a factory, the people in the other town would rather see it go to another state entirely. In ‘97, the leadership of both communities, as well as the towns of Manila and Wilson, brought together the Great River Economic Development Foundation. They said, ‘Let’s have one recruiter, one recruitment agency, and spread before the industries as large a buffet as we can.’” Since then, GREDF has expended more than $77 million in county funds, matched by more than $300 million in state funds through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, with a payoff of $7 billion-plus worth of private investment, 7,000 jobs and the impressive distinction of being the second-highest steel producing county in the United States. With U.S. Steel’s new $3.2 billion project currently under construction, Mississippi County is set to become America’s No. 1 steel-producing county. GREDF has not limited its recruitment efforts to steel alone. Factories brought in by its efforts produce items that include margarine, air conditioners, cars, soft drinks and plastics. The county is also home to aviation repair technologies at the former air base and strives to support and expand local small businesses. When advertising the county to industries, the most obvious quality Chitwood highlights is its position on the Mississippi River, one of the country’s most important shipping routes. As crucial as that feature is, however, it’s hardly a unique one, so the county has made numerous efforts to make itself more appealing as a place to do business. In recent years, there has been a shift from simply trying to get more jobs to making Mississippi County a better place to live. One such effort is the “Work Here, Live Here” program. “We go to the companies that we have helped with investment needs, and we ask them to consider a contribution to the Grow Mississippi County Foundation, which offsets up to 10 percent of the price of a new house for their employee if that employee stays with the company for four years,” Chitwood said. Education, likewise, is vital for both businesses and quality of life, and Mississippi County works closely with its educational ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

institutions to improve scores and opportunities for students. Notably, the county is home to Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, which has the highest average graduating salaries of any school in the state, including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. However, attracting new industries takes more than just an attractive spot. It takes an active, well-prepared recruitment agency to get the word out. GREDF advertises in magazines for professional site selectors, visits trade shows and works alongside AEDC to find recruitment opportunities. “When the state advertises, we try to be a good partner with them,” Chitwood said. “They’ll ask us to send a request for information, which can be anywhere from a single page to 15 pages, wanting everything from the water pressure to the gas pressure to how quick your firemen can be there. A site selector’s primary job isn’t to pick a site; it’s to eliminate sites, so if they asked for the RFI on Friday and they want it by Monday, they’re eliminating people who don’t already have the information or are not willing to work all weekend to get it — and I will say, in the early years, we worked a lot of weekends, but now we have the information, and we keep up with it. We can respond to almost any request within 48 hours, and we made a promise that we would never not respond to a RFI from the state, a site consultant or company.” CAMDEN-EAST CAMDEN major but often overlooked industry in Arkansas is aerospace and defense, which represents the state’s No. 1 export by value, ahead of agriculture. Though aerospace is spread across the state, Camden and East Camden represent the undisputed center of Arkansas’ defense industry. “[The place] where the aerospace and defense industry is located was originally built in 1945 by the U.S. government as the Shumaker Naval Ammunition Depot, just across the Ouachita County line from Camden and primarily in Calhoun County,” said James Lee Silliman, executive director of the Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development. “It was built for the war effort to be the leading rocket manufacturing complex for the U.S. Navy.” The Shumaker Naval Depot continued operations until 1959,

D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING

“It’s a mindset, a culture and an industrial base that our area is used to.” when it was declared government surplus and then auctioned off in 1961. Most of the manufacturing assets were purchased by what is now Highland Industrial Park. The property has since developed into the largest industrial park in a five-state area and retained its original purpose as a defense hub. The park is home to some of the most important names in the defense industry, including Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and the German-based Rheinmetall. It’s this history that Silliman credits as the most important factor in drawing businesses to Camden. “It’s a culture that we’ve had since 1945,” Silliman said. “It’s a mindset, a culture and an industrial base that our area is used to. Because of that, we have the storage capacity and a trained, quality workforce, and that attracts other com- Lockheed Martin, shown above from the inside and James Lee Silliman out, anchors the largest industrial park in a fivepanies to look at investment in the area.” Most of the industry growth for Camden state area. comes not from new businesses coming to the which stands for ‘payment in lieu of taxes,’ where you can area, but from the expansion of existing industries, which structure a financing package at a reduced property tax rate for OPED works closely with the state to promote and support. these companies.” The past five years have seen significant growth in the aerospace and defense industries, with recent expansions and new EL DORADO investments by several of the companies in the park. Given hen the founder of El Dorado, Matthew Rainey, named current geopolitical realities, these companies are very active the new settlement after the fabled city of gold, he likely in terms of new contracts. had no idea how close he was to being right: the town was sitting “Whenever a company is looking to expand its operations, on top of a massive reserve of black gold and would become the there’s various incentive programs that the state will make availcenter of Arkansas’s 1920s oil boom. able, and it’s all tied to the amount of investment and job creEver since, El Dorado has had a thriving industry extracting ation,” Silliman said. “We obviously don’t have the resources the region’s extensive mineral wealth. that the state of Arkansas does to use locally, but we pattern a “It was in 1921 when [the first oil well] came in,” said Bill Lulot of our local incentives along similar lines of jobs created and ther, president and CEO of the El Dorado-Union County Chamamount of investment. ber of Commerce. “In the first months, the size of El Dorado “We try to work with the local two-year college, Southern doubled. Interestingly, in the ‘20s, there were also a lot of geologArkansas University Tech, to develop workforce programs, and ical surveys being done by the government, and they identified the college does very well at sitting down and working with that the brine coming out of these oil fields had high concentraarea industries on their needs for workforce training and curtions of bromine and concentrations of lithium.” riculum. We can also do a property-tax abatement depending In the 1950s, the oil industry was joined by the Great Lakes on the amount of investment. The acronym for it is PILOT,

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of multiple contractors, suppliers and vendors for all our business needs without having to reach into larger cities,” said Levi Winfrey, plant manager. “Arkansas also has a great process for training grants, and we have utilized these multiple times for leadership and maintenance training at our facility.” The biggest industry news in Arkansas currently relates to developments in the lithium industry. ExxonMobil announced its intention to begin drilling new wells in southern Arkansas, while Standard Lithium will have its job made substantially easier by working with LANXESS, because all of the necessary infrastructure is already in place, brine wells included. Once lithium extraction begins, the county will also make an excellent location for small lithium-ion battery plants, having both a stable electrical grid and sustainable water pipeline to keep such operations running. Another draw the chamber touts to industry recruits is its education system, especially the El Dorado Promise. Established by the Murphy Oil Corp. in 2006, the Promise provides graduates of the El Dorado school system with a five-year scholarship based on the highest tuition of an Arkansas public institution. Some 3,000 students have been assisted by the scholarship so far. “We have South Arkansas Community College, which is very open to providing whatever industry training is needed,” Luther said. “High school students can concurrently take classes from South Arkansas College beginning in their junior year, spend an additional six months upon high school graduation and earn a process technology certificate. Those graduates start at $85,000 a year.” German chemical company LANXESS is partnering with Standard Like Mississippi County, El Dorado has Lithium to extract lithium in south Arkansas. (Photos provided) worked hard to improve its standard of living — Solutions plant, which began extracting bromine from the brine. That plant was later purchased by LANXESS, a Germanbased chemical company that is now partnering with Standard Lithium on its direct lithium extract plant, which is expected to begin operations in 2026. These extraction efforts are complemented by Union County’s extensive chemical-processing industry. LSB Industries produces various industrial and agricultural products such as ammonium nitrate for fertilizer and concentrated acids. Continental Carbonic Products has built a facility to capture carbon dioxide from LSB’s facility to compress into dry ice. In addition, El Dorado is home to a major hazardous waste incineration plant which has undergone numerous expansions in the past two decades, the most recent of which doubled the plant’s capacity. “The longevity of employees here, I would have to say, was definitely a deciding point for LANXESS to purchase [the plant]. We have guys who’ve been here for 30, 35, 40 years, and we have one guy that’s been here for 50 years,” said Mark Day, public relations and land manager at LANXESS. “That’s a lot of knowledge. You want people to be invested in a company and not have a lot of high turnover. People are here, they’re here to stay, and they enjoy what they do and the people they do it with.” In addition, the Roseburg El Dorado Medium Density Fiberboard Mill produces wood products. “El Dorado is an industrial town. This gives us the advantage

“El Dorado is an industrial town. This gives us the advantage of multiple contractors, suppliers and vendors for all our business needs without having to reach into larger cities.”

Bill Luther ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

D EC E M B E R 2023

MANUFACTURING century ago. In 1927, a major flood in which the Arkansas, Mississippi and White rivers converged led Congress to exert better control over the nation’s inland river system. “My father told me about growing up in downtown Little Rock, and the river would dry up in the summer,” said Bryan Day, executive director of the Little Rock Port Authority. “They’d go down in the river and hunt for mussels and crawdads. Then in the spring and the fall, it would flood out of the banks and flooded neighborhoods over North Little Rock, so the Army Corps of Engineers came up with this plan to put 18 locks and dams on the river from the Mississippi to Tulsa, [Okla.], to keep it like this, so there’s always water in the river to be able to load a barge to nine feet below the water surface.” While that was underway, Little Rock and other cities along the river decided to create Downtown El Dorado has flourished as industry brings new residents. ports, with the Port of Little Rock being established on paper in 1959. It was not until 1971, however, that a proper dock was completed and the first business, AFCO Steel, came to the port. Today, the and been successful in doing so. port is home to 52 businesses from six countries that employ “It’s one of those places where, when new people come, they more than 10,000 people from 45 counties across Arkansas. are absolutely amazed at what’s going on,” Luther said. “We have “Some of those companies you’ve probably heard of — eva vibrant downtown square. Our Main Street group has received ery jar of Skippy peanut butter sold in America and Canada is all kinds of awards. We have the Murphy Arts District, which made here at the Port of Little Rock,” Day said. “TY Garments, has the First Financial Music Hall and a huge outdoor stage with a Chinese company maksomething going on almost weekly.” ing Adidas sportswear for The chamber is active in recruiting new industries, frequenta German brand; Lexicon, ly sending out letters and making contacts with companies that which is local; and AFCO might be suited to the area. Luther recounted a story from 2020, Steel, which did a lot of in which he noticed that an individual from Whataburger had work for the Dallas Cowlooked at his LinkedIn profile. He called the phone number on boys stadium and the San the man’s profile to let him know that El Dorado would love to Francisco Giants stadium. have a Whataburger in town and invited him to come visit for a Amazon has a 4 milliontour. The man responded that the company might be interested after the COVID-19 pandemic had passed. A year later, Luther was contacted by Whataburger and connected the company with a local property owner, and the city is now home to its very own Whataburger location. PORT OF LITTLE ROCK he success of the Port of Little Rock can in many ways be seen as proof of the old adage: “location, location, location.” As a hub of logistics, there is little about it that could be more ideal. Not only are river barges one of the cheapest forms of transport, but the port is located conveniently in the center of the state, next to its largest center of business and seat of government, with easy interstate access for trucks and to the nearby Clinton National Airport for air cargo needs. That said, this location, however advantageous, is only half of the success story. The Arkansas River is a different beast from what it was a

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square-foot distribution center here, which at one time was the latest and greatest in terms of technology and logistical movement. The Trex Co. has a half-billion-dollar manufacturing facility under construction here, and there’s half a dozen other great stories, but those 50-plus businesses are what makes us thrive.” All of the businesses are located on a sprawling 5,000-acre site that has been steadily growing over the past decade. There are currently several open plots available that range in size from 6.7 acres to 150 acres. The Port Authority is working to create a 1,000-acre megasite to help entice a multi-billion dollar project to the area, much like the BlueOval Ford plant in Tennessee. Such a massive project would bring dozens of supporting companies with it, many of which would reside not just at the port, but across central Arkansas, benefitting the entire region. “We looked at many ports in the southern region before making the final investment decision, but Little Rock has the accessibility of river navigation and Class 1 railroad connection, which is unmatched,” said Mihir Desai, supply chain executive at port tenant Welspun Tubular, an Indian conglomerate that produces

“We have several other plant locations, and without a shadow of a doubt, our Port of Little Rock location offers more amenities, better logistics and easier commutes than any of our other locations.” pipes, textiles, steel and more. “The port offers enormous infrastructure to handle our requirements in both unloading barges and rail car shipment. Also, the port provides the flexibility of working extra days or hours based on business needs, which helps in project execution.” The Little Rock Port Authority receives no public funding. Instead, it pays the bills solely through fees, the buying and selling of land, loading and unloading barges and rail cars, and other services. Any revenue earned beyond expenditures is reinvested back into the port, whether it be buying new land, improving the port’s infrastructure or getting the word out to potential industry recruits. The Port Authority frequents trade shows and closely collaborates with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, state agencies and private businesses, and those connections can be extremely impactful. The Amazon distribution center, for example, did not come to Little Rock because the Port Authority reached out to them, but because Amazon contacted a local real-estate agent to ask about available plots of land. “When a prospect finally calls and says, ‘We’re interested in Little Rock. Can we come visit?’ then we pull out all the stops,” Day said. We get all the utilities at the table, we get the mayor at the table, we get the chamber, and we have a really candid conversation: Here’s what we can offer, here’s what sets us apart. We’re business-friendly, we’re relationship-driven, and we’re going to continue to support you if you choose to locate here.” Lexicon CEO Patrick Schueck said in addition to the obvious benefits of proximity to interstates, rail and barge, the port offers a valuable community relationship with other businesses and the Port Authority. “We have never had a request to the Port Authority that went unanswered, and we have forged close ties with many of our fellow port businesses,” he said. “The location also allows for easier commutes for those coming in from outside the county. We have several other plant locations, and without a shadow of a doubt, our Port of Little Rock location offers more amenities, better logistics and easier commutes than any of our other locations.”

The Port of Little Rock offers advantageous rail, river and highway connections.

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D EC E M B E R 2023

ARKANSAS’ LARGEST Tyson Chicken

Poultry Processing; Other Animal Food Manufacturing; Tortilla Manufacturing; Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing; Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing; Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books)

Hope, Springdale, Fayetteville, Russellville, Paris, Grannis, Van Buren, Scranton, Texarkana, Dardanelle, Greenforest, Pine Bluff, Nashville, Waldron, Rogers, North Little Rock, Clarksville, Bergman, Berryville,

Simmons Foods, Inc.

Poultry Processing; Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing; Other Animal Food Manufacturing

Van Buren, Siloam Springs, Decatur

Georgia Pacific Woodproducts LLC

Softwood Veneer and Plywood Manufacturing; Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing; Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing; Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing; Paper Mills; Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing

Crossett, Fordyce, Gurdon, Fort Smith

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing

Fayetteville, Russellville

Georges Farms, Inc.

Poultry Processing

Springdale

Peco Foods, Inc.

Poultry Processing

Batesville, Pocahontas

Baldor Electric Company

Motor and Generator Manufacturing

Fort Smith, Ozark, Clarksville

Cooper Tire And Rubber Co

Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading)

Texarkana

Anthony Forest Products Co

Sawmills; Engineered Wood Member Manufacturing; Other Millwork (including Flooring); Wood Preservation

El Dorado, Sheridan, Magnolia, Bearden, Mount Holly, Beirne, Malvern. Hope

Hytrol Conveyor Co., Inc.

Conveyor and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing

Jonesboro

Ozark Mountain Poultry, Inc.

Poultry Processing

Rogers, Warren

Butterball

Poultry Processing

Jonesboro, Ozark, Huntsville

Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing

Stuttgart

Mckee Foods Corporation

Commercial Bakeries

Gentry

Westrock Services LLC

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing; Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing

Crossett, Harrison, Fort Smith, Rogers, Conway

Dassault Falcon Jet Corp

Aircraft Manufacturing

Little Rock

Pilgrim Pride Corporation

Poultry Processing; Other Animal Food Manufacturing

De Queen, Nashville

Ok Foods, Inc.

Poultry Processing

Fort Smith

Rockline, Inc.

Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing

Springdale, Lowell, Russellville, Booneville

Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing

Marion

Rice Milling; Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing

Jonesboro, Stuttgart, Waldenburg

Poultry Processing; Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering

Springdale, Fayetteville

Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing

Paragould

Conagra Foods Packaged Foods

Lennox Industries

Hino Motors Mfg Usa, Inc. Riceland Foods, Inc. Cargill Meat Solutions Corp Driv Automotive, Inc.

Source: Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, 4th Quarter 2022 Employ. Codes: A. 600-1,249, B. 1,250-1,499, C. 1,500-1,749, D. 1,750-1,999, E. 2,000-2,999, F. 3,000-4,999, G. 5,000+ DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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MANUFACTURERS Nucor-Yamato Steel Company

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing

Armorel

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holding, Inc.

Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing

Camden

Lanxess Corporation

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing; Rubber Product Manufacturing for Mechanical Use

El Dorado, Little Rock

Baxter Health Care Corp

Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing

Mountain Home

Lockheed Martin Corp

Ammunition (except Small Arms) Manufacturing

Camden, Fort smith, Maumelle

Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing

Lonoke

Nucor Steel

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing

Blytheville

Frito-Lay, Inc.

Other Snack Food Manufacturing

Jonesboro

Bad Boy, Inc.

Lawn and Garden Tractor and Home Lawn and Garden Equipment Manufacturing

Batesville

Truck Trailer Manufacturing

Paragould

Anchor Packaging LLC

Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing

Paragould, Mamaduke, Jonesboro

Albemarle Corporation

Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing; All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing

Magnolia

Evergreen Packaging, Inc.

Paperboard Mills

Pine Bluff

Plumbing Fixture Fitting and Trim Manufacturing

Sheridan

Bekaert Corporation

Rope, Cordage, Twine, Tire Cord, and Tire Fabric Mills

Rogers, Van Buren

Oldcastle Apg, Inc.

Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing; Hardware Manufacturing; Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins; Fertilizer (Mixing Only) Manufacturing

Springdale, Proctor, Little Rock, Hope

Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet (except Packaging) Manufacturing

Rogers

Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing

Osceola

Boat Building

Flippin

Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing

Jonesboro

Twin Rivers Foods, Inc.

Poultry Processing

Fort Smith, Atkins

The Gates Corporation

Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing

Siloam Springs

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing

Fort Smith, Russellville, Conway

Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing

Paragould, Marmaduke

Poultry Processing

Danville

Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing

Little Rock

Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing

Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Rogers, Harrison

Remington Arms Company LLC

Utility Trailer Mfg Company

Kohler Co.

Glad Manufacturing Company Big River Steel LLC Ranger Boats Nestle Usa Prepared Food Div

International Paper Greenbrier Central LLC Wayne Farms LLC Lexicon, Inc. Apac Central Inc

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D EC E M B E R 2023

ARKANSAS EXPORTS

ARKANSAS’ TOP EXPORT PARTNERS TOTAL EXPORT VALUE IN USD

PERCENT SHARE

PERCENT CHANGE 2022/2021

Aircraft, Spacecraft, and Parts Thereof

89.2 million

15.2%

0.2%

Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery And Mechanical Appliances; Parts Thereof

514.2 million

8.8%

2.1%

Plastics And Articles Thereof

417.8 million

7.1%

9.9%

Meat And Edible Meat Offal

349.5 million

34.9%

Cotton, Including Yarns And Woven Fabrics Thereof

343.7 million

5.9%

168.3%

Electrical Machinery And Equipment And Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders And Reproducers, Television Recorders And Reproducers, Parts And Accessories

294.8 million

5.0%

4.9%

Cereals

281.9 million

4.8%

2.9%

Paper And Paperboard; Articles Of Paper Pulp, Paper Or Paperboard

223.4 million

3.8%

16.4%

Iron And Steel

$247,917,096

4.41%

109.53%

Dairy Produce; Birds’ Eggs; Natural Honey; Edible Products Of Animal Origin

$197,291,820

3.51%

15.78%

Vehicles, Other Than Railway Or Tramway Rolling Stock, And Parts And Accessories thereof

$176,698,165

3.15%

14.83%

Organic Chemicals

$170,939,487

3.04%

16.68%

Articles Of Iron Or Steel

$164,175,449

2.92%

64.04%

Rubber And Articles Thereof

$121,237,026

2.16%

12.28%

Residues And Waste From The Food Industries; Prepared Animal Feed

$88,118,353

1.57%

29.60%

Miscellaneous Chemical Products

$87,046,420

1.55%

16.60%

Aluminum And Articles Thereof

$76,472,979

1.36%

96.70%

Optical, Photographic, Cinematographic, Measuring, Checking, Precision, Medical Or Surgical Instruments And Apparatus; Parts And Accessories Thereof

$75,274,825

1.34%

40.33%

Pulp Of Wood Or Other Fibrous Cellulosic Material; Recovered (Waste And Scrap) Paper And Paperboard

$74,631,700

1.33%

-69.01%

Essential Oils And Resinoids; Perfumery, Cosmetic Or Toilet Preparations

$70,570,485

1.26%

3.63%

Miscellaneous Edible Preparations

$68,315,810

1.22%

-3.59%

Inorganic Chemicals; Organic Or Inorganic Compounds Of Precious Metals, Of Rare-Earth Metals, Of Radioactive Elements Or Of Isotopes

$67,466,153

1.20%

12.47%

Edible Preparations Of Meat, Of Fish, Of Crustaceans, Mollusks Or Other Aquatic Invertebrates, Or Of Insects

$66,310,265

1.18%

30.22%

Tools, Implements, Cutlery, Spoons And Forks, Of Base Metal; Parts Thereof Of Base Metal

$62,895,585

1.12%

24.71%

EXPORT PRODUCT

Source: AEDC

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ARKANSAS EXPORTS BY COUNTRY 2022 TRADE PARTNER

US DOLLARS

% SHARE

PCT CHANGE, 2022/2021

World

5.2 billion

100.00

4.89

1 Canada

1.4 billion

24.54

13.70

2 Mexico

1.02 billion

17.50

4.67

3 China

375.3 million

6.38

42.78

4 United Kingdom

245.6 million

4.18

-32.08

5 Netherlands

232.7 million

3.58

58.20

6 France

184.8 million

3.14

-15.20

7 Japan

161.4 million

2.75

-52.96

8 South Korea

141.3 million

2.40

25.96

9 Australia

124.4 million

2.12

62.53

10 Vietnam

108.9 million

1.85

18.70

11 Saudi Arabia

89.8 million

1.53

-30.16

12 Turkey

89.1 million

1.52

353.66

13 Haiti

88.5 million

1.51

10.11

14 Taiwan

82.7 million

1.41

9.67

15 Belgium

76.9 million

1.31

-3.97

16 Germany

72.2 million

1.23

-44.13

17 Hong Kong

71.6 million

1.22

317.83

18 Switzerland

70.8 million

1.20

1,108.33

19 Brazil

61.2 million

1.04

-22.55

20 United Arab Emirates

60.9 million

1.04

-29.75

21 Chile

60.5 million

1.03

97.09

22 Sweden

52.1 million

0.89

87.42

23 El Salvador

51.8 million

0.88

55.18

24 India

49.9 million

0.85

-33.18

25 Bangladesh

47.3 million

0.81

269.21 Source: AEDC

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D EC E M B E R 2023

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

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GAS

ELECTRIC

NUCLEAR

SOLAR

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D EC E M B E R 2023

ENERGY

The Nuclear Option How Entergy’s Arkansas Nuclear One is meeting the highest standards By John Callahan

hen it comes to hot-button topics, energy is near the top of most lists, and energy in Arkansas is no exception. Buzzwords such as coal, oil, solar, hydroelectric, wind, renewable, green, lithium, sustainable and plenty more are the subjects of constant economic and political debate. Amidst all of this, there has been a silent workhorse: nuclear. Entergy Arkansas’ Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville is the state’s sole nuclear power plant. The facility is home to two pressurized water reactors and is one of only two nuclear plants in the United States with dissimilar units, meaning the reactors are of different makes. The first reactor began operation in 1974 and the other in 1980. Each has a maximum dependable capacity of 836 megawatts and 988 megawatts, respectively. “Arkansas Nuclear One has anywhere from 1,850 megawatts and 1,900 megawatts of electricity that we can generate of baseload power [the minimum amount of power that is needed over a given period]. It’s clean, it’s efficient, and it’s available 24/7 with the exception of our fueling outages,” said Brad Wertz, ANO plant manager. Together, the two reactors are capable of producing a staggering amount of electricity, enough to meet about 56 percent of the needs of Entergy Arkansas’ 700,000 customers. Moreover, the plant produces roughly 70 percent of the state’s clean power. Even one megawatt-hour is enough to power hundreds of homes, but those numbers alone don’t give the full story. No power plant runs at full capacity 100 percent of the time. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average capacity factor of coal plants — how much power the plant actually produces on average compared to its maximum capacity — across the country varies over the year from about 60 percent during the winter and summer months to less than 50 percent during spring and fall. Solar power plants tend to operate at a 25 percent capacity factor. Nuclear power plants, however, operated at an average annual capacity factor of 92.7 percent in 2022. Not only do they produce an immense amount of electricity, but they can do so far more consistently than most other forms of power generation. ANO has refueling outages every 18 months to swap in a new fuel bundle but otherwise operates 24/7 year-round. “There’s a lot of advantages [to nuclear],” Wertz said. “Fossil fuels may be able to generate a large amount of base load power, but there’s greenhouse gas emissions with it. You go into solar, and while it has clean power with no greenhouse emissions, it doesn’t have that 24/7 capability. At this point in time, it’s really not comparable to the amount of power we can produce for our customers.” A question that always comes up in discussions of nuclear power, and rightly so, is that of safety. Since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, fear of similar disasters has often impeded the construction of new nuclear plants or led to the closure of existing stations. The potential risks of a catastrophic failure at a nuclear power plant are much greater than with other forms of energy. Similarly, an

Arkansas Nuclear One produces roughly 70 percent of the state’s clean power.

The cooling tower at Arkansas Nuclear One makes for a striking addition to the local landscape. (Photos provided)

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D EC E M B E R 2023

airplane crash is more likely to be fatal than a car crash, but traveling by plane is actually far safer than driving. Because flying and nuclear power inherently come with much greater risks than their alternatives, they are subject to extremely stringent safety regulations. “One of the [safety features] that you can look at is off-site reliability,” said Doug Pehrson, site vice president at ANO. “We’re required by law to have multiple redundant offsite power sources for the station that we’re only allowed to take out of service for certain periods of time. In addition to that, we have other non-dedicated power sources that come into the station, as we’ve learned throughout the years that those redundanWorkers at Entergy Arkansas’ ANO plant are diligently trained and tested. cies can be built into the current systems to ensure that we always have power at the site. nuclear power, after all, no news is certainly good “We go through engineering analysis and rigorous news. An average day might include going through tests to make sure that the systems here function the a checklist of required surveillance activities, testway we expect them to, but the biggest asset we have ing various safety systems and performing prevenat our station is people. Both Brad and I both not only tive maintenance. Some sort of training is almost have a college degree, but we’ve been licensed operators always taking place, whether it be initial training before, and I’ll tell you that the amount of training I’ve programs for new hires or requalification for those gone through is probably in excess of whatever I got for who fail their regular examinations. my college degree. To get a non-licensed operator job at Inevitably, some pieces of equipment break from the station, you go through a couple years of training. time to time, so the plant has a “fix-it-now team” To become a licensed operator, you go through a couple that can be called in for any priority maintenance more years of training and even more years to be a sethat needs to be done quickly. nior reactor operator.” “Then there’s meetings and looking ahead,” Even when workers attain the rank of senior reactor Wertz said. “How do we plan and prepare for our operator, they aren’t allowed to rest on their laurels. Emwork weeks, for our outages and for long-term ployees at the station are tested every five weeks on any equipment reliability? How are we going to concombination of things they might need to know on the tinue to get better? What are some of the things job. Should they fail the examination, they are not althat are biting us now that we need to go attack lowed to return to the station until they have completed and accomplish?” remedial training. When anything goes wrong at another While the basic purpose of ANO is to provide afnuclear power plant, the staff at ANO studies the situfordable and clean power to Entergy customers, the ation to learn what they can about the issue and enact plant’s presence in Russellville provides far more to modifications to prevent similar problems. That constant the community than just electricity. One of its bigvigilance has paid off. Earlier this year, ANO accepted an gest contributions is as Pope County’s third-largest award in Atlanta for two consecutive INPO 1 ratings from employer. the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, indicating that “We’ve got a little bit over a thousand full-time the facility is operating to exemplary standards. employees at the station right now,” Pehrson said. Wertz joked that at ANO, workers strive to make sure “We’ve got any number of people that do roles from day-to-day operations are boring. When it comes to managerial to operating the reactors to performing DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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“One of the big partnerships that we have is with Arkansas Tech University here in town. About 30 percent of our staff who have college degrees came from ATU, which has a great engineering program.” An average day for ANO employees might include testing various safety systems and performing preventive maintenance.

staff is ahead of the curve. Both of the plant’s reactors are on their second license extensions, with Unit 1 licensed to operate until May of 2034 and Unit 2 until 2038. The staff aims to complete yet another extension for both, to continue the units’ service life for additional 20 years on top of their current licenses. To do so, a great deal of investment has been made to ensure that the plants remain reliable and safe well into the future. “We have to take into account aging components here at the station, so we upgrade them on a routine basis — new designs, new equipment, making sure that the equipment here has the margins that are necessary to be able to continue operating,” Pehrson said, “and when we don’t have those margins, we go reclaim them and/or replace those systems to make sure they’re operating reliably. Our goal is really to look forward to another 20-year license, and it would not surprise me if you see an addition to that in the future.” Not content merely to keep things running at their current level, the ANO staff is constantly seeking ways to improve the plant further. Though the station is licensed to have up to three reactors, installing new reactors is an extremely expensive process. Georgia’s Vogtle 3 and 4, a pair of reactors currently under construction by Georgia Power, will have an estimated cost of $30 billion. There have been recent developments in small, modular reactors, which are intended to be more affordable than traditional reactors, yet such new technology will inevitably have hiccups that can prove expensive to work out. As such, there are currently no plans for a new reactor at ANO, but the plant is often upgraded by adding new components such as more efficient turbines that help increase the megawattage the station can produce. “You’ll see a number of stations that are sitting at 40 to 50 years, but one of the things about the nuclear industry is that it’s performing at some of the highest levels that it ever has,” Wertz said. “The companies that run these plants, Entergy included, continue to provide the necessary funds for us to continue to better ourselves and better our plant and to continue to drive our performance.”

maintenance to the engineering work associated with the reactors. We also have a variety of bargaining-unit positions that are supported by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. IBEW 647 is the union that our workers predominantly come from. “When you live in a smaller town like we do here in Russellville, it’s pretty hard to go out to Walmart or a football game and not see somebody you know who either works at or has retired from the plant. Making sure we’re leaving the right impression here in the River Valley and making sure that Entergy is looked favorably upon in the community is an important value for us.” As such, the ANO team frequently volunteers for local nonprofits, and each, year the station awards grants totaling more than $100,000 to organizations such as River Valley United Way and Disabled American Veterans. The plant also celebrates International Nuclear Science Week in the third week of October to teach students across the state about what staff members do, either by visiting classrooms or by giving tours of the facility and its simulators and even giving students a chance to dress in anti-contamination gear. Pehrson noted that the cooling tower, which students often call the “cloud generator,” can look ominous, so it’s good to explain to them how safe nuclear power is. “One of the big partnerships that we have is with Arkansas Tech University here in town,” Pehrson said. “About 30 percent of our staff who have college degrees came from ATU, which has a great engineering program. We’ve hired a lot of engineers from there, a lot of our management team all the way throughout our organization, so we couldn’t do without local school support from the area.” ANO will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, and if that age sounds concerning, rest assured that the ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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Working on ENERGY

By Dwain Hebda

Sunshine

Utilities win victory in net metering, but will it hurt solar industry?

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oming out of the last legislative session, net metering of electricity was not something that was likely to knock the LEARNS Act or prison reform from headlines above the fold. However, for consumer and commercial owners of solar generating systems — and those still on the fence about it — the legislation was reason to sit up and take notice. Act 278, supported by utility company Entergy Arkansas, overhauled existing policy by changing the rate at which excess electrical power can be sold by consumers back to the electric company in the form of bill credits. Today, owners of photovoltaic systems generate the power for their home or business, and the excess goes back on the grid at, basically, an accepted retail rate. The new law changes that rate, essentially, to wholesale. Entergy contends the new law is about fairness since power generators are increasing demands on infrastructure without bearing a share of the cost of maintaining such systems. “Whether they’re using power coming from the utility to them or whether they’re in a situation where they’re putting power back to us, they’re still using all of that system at all times,” said John Bethel, Entergy Arkansas’ director of public affairs. “As net metering continues to grow under that rate structure, the cost shifting and the unfair treatment for all other customers gets larger.” Opponents of the new law, which included existing PV system owners and alternative energy interests, say the electricity being generated is actually assisting the utility by providing power during the most critical

times of the year, thereby reducing strain on the grid. What is more, said Lauren Waldrip, executive director of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, there was already a mechanism in place in the old law that allowed for PV system owners to bear their share of infrastructure costs without completely overhauling the rate system. “A metric was already in place that would have allowed solar customers to pay for fixed costs via what’s called a grid charge,” she said. “The Public Service Commission would have accepted data from the utilities to show and to prove a cost shift. This was all in the previous law, so the utilities had the ability to come to the Public Service Commission to prove and show that there was a material cost shift, and that would have merited a grid charge for solar customers.” Waldrip said a comparable example would be the driver of an electric vehicle enjoying the same benefit of roads as combustion-engine-driven vehicles but without paying the gas tax charged at the pump to maintain said roads. “If I drive a Tesla, I pay a flat fee of $200 a year to pay my fair share to drive on the roads,” she said. “It’s similar for solar customers; there was already a placeholder for a grid charge in place where the Public Service Commission would have looked at that data, they would have determined that flat fee, and we could have handled things that way that would have not required a change in law.” In Entergy’s view, that mechanism wasn’t enough to satisfy the second issue, that being a disparity in what the utility was paying one energy source over another when, in their view, both satisfy the same definition as an energy wholesaler. “What normally would happen, and the way we buy power to serve our customers, we either generate power using our own facilities, or we buy power in the wholesale market. In the wholesale market, we pay the wholesale market price,” Bethel said. “The fact is the utility is buying power from that customer at a premium. We’re buying it at the retail price. Nobody would

“Solar is helping to shave that peak because it’s putting power on the grid. One co-op in particular, because they got into solar a few years ago, filed a rate decrease for their consumers because they were able to utilize solar to help them shave their peak demand and, ultimately, their cost for all of their consumers.”

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think that’s fair because, essentially, I’m paying the customer to use my facilities instead of the other way around. It’s a fair cost recovery issue.” Waldrip countered by saying the new law could have a dampening effect on adoption of solar and other alternative energy, which would not only hurt the industry but ultimately affect everyone because fewer systems means less excess electricity being generated to ease pressure during peak-use periods. “Solar is helping to shave that peak because it’s putting power on the grid,” she said. “One co-op in particular, because they got into solar a few years ago, filed a rate decrease for their consumers because they were able to utilize solar to help them shave their peak demand and, ultimately, their cost for all of their consumers. There is a way that we can all work in tandem and everyone can win from this situation. “I’m here to tell you, solar is not the end-allbe-all. It’s not a good solution for everyone. It’s not going to solve all our problems. We shouldn’t move all of our power to it, but it does play a unique role in diversifying our energy sources in our portfolio and, ultimately, increasing our national security.” To blunt the impact on the industry, the bill allows for grandfathering of current and future systems up to Sept. 30 of next year. Those systems will continue to be paid at the retail rate until June 1, 2040. Rep. Lanny Fite of Benton sponsored the legislation in the Arkansas House of Representatives and said he felt the grandfathering clause was a good compromise for owners of current PV systems and those weighing their options. “We amended the bill five times trying to make sure that no one was damaged,” Fite said. “Right now, if you get [a system] under contract, and you’ve got your contract signed by September of ’24, you will be grandfathered in, and you will be able to sell at retail costs, but [for systems] after that date, it will be avoided costs or wholesale costs.” Ventrell Thompson, Entergy Arkansas’ vice president of customer service, said the utility agreed with the grandfather clause, saying it was in the best interest of the consumer. “It was about the pricing, but it was also

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about making sure that customers had time to digest all of the information they were getting from all sides,” he said. “We pushed the timeline out so that no customers would feel rushed or feel like they were under a crunch to make a decision. This was a negotiated position, and I think all parties ended up with a good result because of that.” Fite said he saw potential damages to all ratepayers under the old system, necessitating the creation and passage of Act 278 sooner rather than later. “One of the things that’s been said is you’re killing solar in the state of Arkansas,” he said. “Well, 96 percent of the solar that’s sold in Arkansas on the grid is not net metering. It’s sold at avoided, or wholesale, costs. Only 4 percent is at net metering, but that 4 percent represents close to a $20 million a year impact right now.” Waldrip said with a clearly defined deadline of next September before it, the industry is on message to prospective and existing customers to outline their options, enabling customers to maximize their investment before the law shifts next fall. “Our primary concern right now is trying to educate consumers who would like to elect to produce their own power,” she said. “[The association] works for some solar developers, but to me, it’s really about the farmers and the school districts and the churches and the cities and the counties that are able to save their taxpayer and ratepayer dollars and to reallocate that to do other things, like give teachers pay raises. “With farmers, for so long, they’ve been forced to accept so much volatility with market prices, with weather, with trade wars and trade markets; this is one input that they can control. That is something that they’ve never been afforded before. Those are really the advantages that we are trying to communicate to Arkansans.”

John Bethel

Rep. Lanny Fite

Ventrell Thompson

Lauren Waldrip

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(Corp.) Values Conway Corporation keeping eye on the future By Todd Traub

Conway Corp. is one of 15 municipally owned utility providers in Arkansas. (Photos provided) DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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t may be a corporation in name, but city in the U.S. and the fifth in North America to offer the Conway Corporation is not some farhigh-speed service. flung, far-reaching business entity. It’s The broadband achievement speaks to the value of about as local as a company gets. having a locally owned and operated utility provider, That’s what makes it successful. which shortens lines of communication and streamlines “The value is that we’re municipally decision making to accelerate progress. owned, so everybody who lives in Con“The beauty of it and entities like it is that you have way is a stakeholder in what we do,” local control,” said Brad Lacy, president and CEO of the CEO Bret Carroll said. “Because we’re a Conway Area Chamber of Commerce. “In the mid- to nonprofit, we don’t have a profit incenlate 1990s, when the board of Conway Corp. decided it tive. Our value proposition is to provide was beneficial and feasible to roll out broadband to evessential services.” ery home, that was a decision that was made here — and Incorporated in 1929, Conway Corp. there are still places in America that are waiting to get operates the city-owned utilities, imbroadband. I don’t know how you put a price on that.” proving infrastrucConway Corp. ture and providing added voice service electric, wastewain 2008 — a plus for “I think that one of the things ter, cable, internet, local businesses that that sets us apart is our corporate digital telephone still require landlines and security ser— home security and culture. It has existed for a long vices to the local automation in 2016, community. and community-wide time, but we recently put those From solar powtwo-gigabit broadband values down on paper.” er to broadband inservice in 2002. ternet and even the “I think that one of local water supply, the things that sets us Conway Corp. tries to not just meet the apart is our corporate culture,” Carroll said. “It has excurrent needs of its residents, but to anisted for a long time, but we recently put those values ticipate what the needs will be five to 10 down on paper.” years down the road. Caroll, in fact, recently ad“I think, in my words, our No. 1 priordressed a college class to disity is serving our customers. If we don’t cuss the Conway Corp. culture, do that well, then very little else matters,” which he said revolves around Carroll said. customer satisfaction, innovaConway Corp. is one of 15 municipally tion, reliability, safety, responowned utility providers in Arkansas, and sibility and community. a straight line connects it to its early days. Carroll was Conway Corp.’s Carroll, for example, is only the sixth chief financial officer for 19 CEO in Conway Corp.’s history, and some years and has been CEO the employees have been there for 30 to 40 past six. He reports to an indeyears, Carroll said. pendent, seven-person board “There are people who worked here of directors that meets once a Bret Carroll who came before us that entrusted in us month the members of which a certain standard, a certain work ethic, come from the local communia certain way of serving our community, ty and volunteer their services and we can never forget that,” Carroll said. to assist with management of Conway Corp. was only responsible policies and goals and to review for electric service when it was incorfinances and performance. porated. It added water and wastewater Conway Corp. has regular treatment in 1930, wastewater collection meetings with the Conway in 1957 and cable TV in 1981. chamber (Carroll is on the In 1997, Conway Corp. added broadchamber’s economic developband internet, making Conway the third ment board), the city governBrad Lacy

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ENERGY

ment and the Conway Development Corpothat helps facilitate that success,” he said. ration to provide progress reports and learn A pro-business, pro-development entity like the Conway what some of the community’s needs and Area Chamber doesn’t necessarily tell Conway Corp. what it priorities are. wants to see done in terms of community infrastructure im“The decision makers are in this commuprovements, Lacy said. He noted that as a utilities provider, nity. Whether it’s water, Conway Corp. has to think wastewater, fiber or elec“The decision-makers are in this big picture in terms of tric issues, you’re going to street networks and entire community. Whether it’s water, get an answer from someneighborhoods, although one here that you know,” things like two-gig interwastewater, fiber or electric issues, net and solar power might Lacy said. Carroll said Conway you’re going to get an answer from send a welcoming message Corp. also partners with to companies thinking of someone here that you know.” and communicates with locating in Conway. economic linchpins like “I think what we’re lookthe local hospitals, teching at is extremely specific, nology companies and the city’s higher and they have to look at a broader picture than we would look learning institutions: the University of Cenat,” Lacy said. tral Arkansas, Hendrix College and Central The cutting-edge services that contribute to Conway’s livBaptist College. ability also contribute to the occasional national recognition, “In terms of partners, to the extent that we such as when The Wall Street Journal this year rated Conway have any success, I think it’s this community the fourth-best city for remote workers in a top 10 featuring places such as Springfield, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. Every three to five years, Conway Corp. and its board devise a strategic plan that lays out goals, projects to be addressed and timetables. The current plan runs through 2025. Areas of emphasis for the coming year include customerexperience goals; infrastructure goals that include long-term water-source agreements, electric vehicle transition, a focus on aging water and wastewater systems, and developing a plan to transition from existing cable to fiber; enterprise and risk management goals; team goals that include recruitment, retention and training; and technology goals that include a technology road map, information technology service management and implementing a data governance program. Recent high-profile projects include the 135-megawatt Conway

Workers install panels at Conway Corp.’s solar project in White County.

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Work being performed at the Lake Brewer intake.

Solar at Happy project in White County. Developed and operated by Lightsource bp, the completed project saw a capital investment of $125 million that created 300 jobs and provides clean energy to 121,000 homes. The solar farm is the kind of project that comes with press releases and ribbon cuttings, but it is the regular essential services and infrastructure work that is just as important and requires just as much of Conway Corp.’s attention. “That’s not what people want to talk about very much, but the city has a very aggressive street-improvement program and, of course, under those roads are water and sewer infrastructure,” Carroll said. “We’re trying to replace them as quick as the city is working on roads.” Such infrastructure concerns are affecting communities across the U.S., Carroll said, and no one really wants the added disruption of cutting a new road. Therefore, when existing ones are improved, Conway Corp. upgrades the infrastructure below. “[That] has really been taking a lot of our time the past year, and the past three years really,” Carroll said. Whether replacing water and sewer lines or embracing clean energy, nothing Conway Corp. does can be accomplished without a plan and some long-term thinking, he said. Conway Corp. has an engineering and planning department that has a “main job to look ahead,” Carroll said. Currently, what everyone is seeing is the need to shore up Conway’s long-term water supply, which is likely to be Conway Corp.’s “No. 1 issue” the next few years, he added. “Without water, you can’t grow,” Carroll said. Conway’s water source is 28,900-acre Brewer Lake near Plumerville. The lake water is treated at the Roger Q. Mills Water Treatment Plant, which has a daily capacity of 24 million gallons. “[It] is a great watershed, but Conway is one of the fastest-

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growing cities in the region and one of the things you have to have is adequate water,” Carroll said. Carroll said the plan will likely involve increasing Conway’s current water allocation from Greers Ferry Lake at Heber Springs and then finding a way to get the water from there to the community. “It’s not something you can decide to do in a couple years,” Carroll said. “That’s a project that’s 10 or 15 years on the horizon, so you have to start it now.” As Carroll noted, Conway has experienced rapid growth and, in 2022, was the state’s fastest-growing city, boasting a population increase of 2.5 percent to more than 67,000. That’s a rate almost on par with the burgeoning northwest Arkansas metro and one that puts demands on utilities and services, wherever one calls home. Thanks to long-term employees who understand their community, local ownership, and neighborly cooperation among city leadership and economic development entities, Conway Corp. continues to project what the city’s future infrastructure needs will be and devise long-term plans to meet those needs, Carroll said. “If Conway Corp. is not thinking about it, no one is,” he said.

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THE

PRICE OF WATER M

ost people turn on the tap with little thought to the fact that few things are more valuable than clean, adequate supplies of water, especially in these times when drought has become increasingly common. Costs for municipal water have been going up for a number of reasons, but water may be one of the highest value purchases that anyone can make, said Doug Shackelford, public relations officer for Central Arkansas Water, the metropolitan water system based in Little Rock that serves about 450,000 people. “Right now, treated water coming out of the faucet costs about a half cent a gallon,” Shackelford said. “We have done a rate study that estimated that in 10 years, it is going to be a penny a gallon. At the store, it costs $1 for a small bottle of water, yet a gallon at the tap costs only a half cent. Plus, you get the convenience of having water available 24/7 for 365 days a year. To be sure water flows for the next decade, a penny a gallon is a pretty good value.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the costs of supplies for treating water and transporting it went up. There were supply chain disruptions linked to people being unable to work in factories. Now, post-pandemic, there are still long lead times on products such as water pipes. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

“We have an eight-to-10-month lead time on pipes we used to be able to get sooner,” Shackelford said. “Then, of course, the costs went up because the supply was low. Everybody was trying to buy the same pipes. There are other materials we have had trouble ordering.” Another big factor across Arkansas is the age of water treatment plants and distribution systems. Shackelford said CAW is investing now in the infrastructure to make sure the systems last for decades rather than trying to make repairs when things break down. “Generally, most of the news stories about bad things happening in the water systems across the country have more to do with aging infrastructure than anything else,” he said. “Systems are failing because of not making the proper investment in treatment plants, pump stations, elevated water towers and the pipes it takes to get water to the house.” CAW is investing $150 million into the system’s largest water treatment plant, the Jack H. Wilson Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock’s Pleasant Valley neighborhood that treats water from Lake Maumelle. The plant, built in the 1950s, is showing its age. “When it is done, it will be one of the most modern water 58

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The Jack H. Wilson Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock. (Photo provided)

Infrastructure upgrades, government regulation making potable H2O more expensive By Becky Gillette

treatment plants in the country,” Shackelford said. “We also previously put $32 million into the Ozark Point Water Treatment Plant in Hillcrest. It was built in the 1930s and is now one of the most modern water treatment plants in the U.S. We are also replacing old, two-inch galvanized pipes.” CAW did a rate study in 2022 and decided to spread out the additional costs over 10 years instead implementing one large increase. The average residential customer will see their bill increase about $2 per month each year for the next 10 years, he said. “I think that for the long-term future of clean drinking water in central Arkansas, most people were willing to make that investment,” Shackelford said. “We held public meetings over the third and fourth quarters of 2022, and the feedback from the public was that spreading out the rate increase was the best strategy.” In 2022, CAW had the third lowest water rates among large cities in the country. Even after the rate increases, CAW is expected to still produce some of the most affordable water in the country. Shackelford said one of reasons CAW’s water quality is so high is the work done at Lake Maumelle and Lake Winona, the ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

The Jack H. Wilson Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock. (Photo provided)

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“Generally, most of the news stories about bad things happening in the water systems across the country have more to do with aging infrastructure than anything else.” two water sources for the district, to protect water quality. Those lakes were built specifically to provide drinking water. “That is why people can’t swim in those lakes,” he said. “We do allow boating and fishing and depend on our stakeholders who are boating and fishing to keep an eye on the lake for us. They help alert us to issues. We are recognized nationally for the work we do protecting our watershed.” CAW was proactive to eliminate an invasive hydrilla plant in a portion of Lake Maumelle by drawing down water in the winter to expose the roots to cold and using herbicides in the summer. When allowed to grow profusely, hydrilla negatively impacts water quality. While some areas of the country face drinking water shortages, Shackelford said CAW’s water source is expected to be adequate for at least another 75 years. “We are in good shape water wise and will be for decades,” he said. The Beaver Water District in Lowell is another

Lake Winona, at top, another water source for CAW; Ozark Point Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock; the Beaver Lake water intake in Benton County; updates being done at the Beaver Lake intake. (Photos provided)

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of the largest water suppliers in the state serving about 370,000 people in the fast-growing northwest Arkansas region. BWD is a wholesale provider to customer cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, each of which adds charges for pumping stations, water towers and distribution lines. Rates went up from $1.46 per 1,000 gallons to $1.54 per thousand gallons Oct. 1, said Lane Crider, district CEO. “We compare very favorably to other wholesale water suppliers in northwest Arkansas based in part on a recent Madison County Record article that said the Madison County Regional Water District’s wholesale rate was $1.57 per 1,000 gallons and is planned to increase to $2.77 in 2024,” Crider said. “Benton-Washington Regional Public Water Authority’s current rate is $2.80 and is planned to increase to $3.20 in 2024 and $3.45 in 2025. “BWD maintains a 15-year long-range financial plan that is updated every year. Our current plan includes annual rate increases for the next five years averaging approximately 6.5 percent per year, with a projected rate of $1.98 by 2028.” Crider said the difficulty in comparing wholesale rates, however, is understanding the nuanced differences among water providers. BWD is the largest and oldest of the area water utilities and therefore benefits somewhat by economy of scale. BWD does not have any transmission or distribution systems to maintain, as its customer cities do. Crider cautioned care in comparing rates, whether wholesale or retail. He encouraged Arkansans who think their water bill is too high to consider how much they are paying per month for cable television, internet or cell phones. “Unfortunately, clean, safe and abundant drinking water is often taken for granted, and water providers are under a great deal of pressure to keep water rates low while also being required to meet increasingly stringent federal and state water-

quality standards,” Crider said. Arkansas Rural Water Association CEO Dennis Sternberg said people need to realize that rates are going to go up. His trade organization provides training and technical assistance to 680 public water systems in the state. Most have aging systems that were put in before the 1950s. “Everyone has been trying to run systems and break even,” Sternberg Doug Shackelford said, “but just like a car, these water systems don’t last forever. They have to be maintained. Too many water systems have tried to operate on bare bones because people complain when rates go up. Now, you are being mandated to plan for the future to prevent many emergencies from happening. Also, we are seeing Lane Crider a declining population in some areas of the state like eastern Arkansas, but those areas still have to meet the requirements of the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] for water and wastewater systems.” The EPA lead and copper rule requires an inventory from the water main to the meter and the meter to the house or business to determine if there are any lead service lines. Dennis Sternberg Leaching from lead pipes can cause major health problems, especially for children. Lead pipes are common in older systems put in place in the 1950s. Most newer systems from the 1970s forward use PVC instead of lead and copper. Sternberg said the cost of water is derived from the number of customers as well as the type of treatment, debt payments and operational costs. “All water systems under Act 605 of 2021 passed by the Arkansas Legislature are now required to do rate studies,” he said. “Act 605 requires adequate rates to cover debt and operating costs. There is a minimum requirement of 1.31 debt-service coverage ratio that all must maintain. There is also a requirement that 5 percent of total revenues goes into a replacement and refurbishing account. It is trying to make systems more sustainable so they don’t have emergencies and not enough funds to fix things.” Rates will vary from system to system because of the number of customers, the distance between customers, the amount of debt, costs for financing the debt and costs to cover operations. The systems have to operate as a business. “Water isn’t free,” Sternberg said. “You are paying for pressure and purity.”

“Unfortunately, clean, safe and abundant drinking water is often taken for granted, and water providers are under a great deal of pressure to keep water rates low while also being required to meet increasingly stringent federal and state water-quality standards.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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PUBLIC GAS AND ELECTRIC UTILITIES IN ARKANSAS Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation

Cooperative

Midcontinent Independent System Operator

Nonprofit

Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Mississippi County Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Augusta Light & Power

Municipal

North Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Ashley-Chicot Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

North Little Rock Electric Department

Municipal

Benton Utilities

Municipal

Oklahoma Gas & Electric

Investor owned

Bentonville Light & Water System

Municipal

Osceola Municipal Light & Power

Municipal

City of Paris Utilities

Municipal

Ouachita Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

City of Siloam Springs

Municipal

Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

C&L Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Paragould Light Water & Cable

Municipal

Carroll Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Petit Jean Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Clarksville Light & Water Company

Municipal

Piggott Municipal Light, Water & Sewer

Municipal

Clay County Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Prescott Water & Light Company

Municipal

Conway Corporation

Municipal

Rich Mountain Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Craighead Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Empire District Electric Company

Investor owned

Southwest Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Entergy Arkansas

Investor owned

Southwest Power Pool

Nonprofit

Farmers Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO)

Investor owned

First Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

West Memphis Utility Commission

Municipal

Hope Water & Light Company

Municipal

Woodruff Electric Cooperative

Cooperative

Jonesboro City Water & Light Company

Municipal

Source: APSC

FASTEST INTERNET PROVIDERS IN ARKANSAS As ranked by HighSpeedInternet.com

Provider

Avg download speed

Avg upload speed

Cox Communications

199.21 Mbps

22.81 Mbps

XFINITY

168.98 Mbps

23.82 Mbps

Spectrum

161.83 Mbps

24.11 Mbps

South Arkansas Telephone Company

159.84 Mbps

169.14 Mbps

South Central Communications

143.29 Mbps

90.36 Mbps

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ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023 Welcome to the highly anticipated special section of Power Women, where we proudly showcase the extraordinary accomplishments of women redefining success in Arkansas. As we reach the end of another remarkable year, AMP turns its unwavering spotlight on the exceptional women who are making indelible marks in business and politics. Selected from nominations submitted by our readers are the AMP Power Women of 2023—trailblazers, exemplars of outstanding leadership, and catalysts for enhanced company performance. Join us as we honor and celebrate these remarkable Power Women who are shaping the future with their unwavering determination and unwavering strength.

POWER WOMEN 2023

Key Fletcher NEW HOME FOUND By Sarah Coleman // Photos provided

uantia “Key” Fletcher, executive director of Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock, has been making a difference in Arkansas for almost two decades by working to ensure history is preserved and championing the layered past of the Natural State. Originally from New Orleans, Fletcher moved to Arkansas after her hometown was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. While the state was somewhat unfamiliar to Fletcher, her stepfather had family in Blytheville, and after he and her mother moved to the Natural State, Fletcher soon became an Arkansan, as well. After moving to Little Rock, Fletcher began working with the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, which was celebrating the 50year anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. This made for not only a busy year for Fletcher, but as she puts it, an extremely important and humbling one, as well. “Most people wouldn’t guess that I’m not originally from Arkansas because I have found myself so passionate about Arkansas history and culture,” Fletcher said. “Little Rock in particular has so much to celebrate, as it is a diaspora of culture and activity. There is always something to do. There’s amazing food and so many free things to experience, such as the museums.”

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After her time spent at the Central High site, Fletcher fell in love with the dedication and mission of MTCC and began her career with the center before its 2008 opening. She has held several different positions within MTCC and currently serves as the executive director. Prior to holding her current title, Fletcher also served as associate director and education director. However, Fletcher did not always know that she would work in preserving history and, when she was younger, was determined to be a broadcast journalist. After graduating from Northwestern State University in Louisiana with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and experiencing her first internship, Fletcher was no longer convinced a career in media was something she really wanted. The gym, a place where Fletcher has long found solace, was the unexpected place that brought her to the path she’s currently on. “A woman approached me in the gym with a job offer. It was Fletcher has made herself right at home in Arkansas. not something I was expecting, and it was confusing, but she explained that she saw me at the gym every morning, and that “I don’t think most people understand just how many anyone with that kind of consistency and determination would people come through our state and Little Rock. There are so be an amazing hire,” Fletcher said. many people who come here for meetings, conferences and This experience led Fletcher to work in public relations and so much more,” Fletcher said, adding that she is grateful she marketing at the National Park Service in Louisiana, where she can share history with both tourists and locals. ultimately worked for her first During her time with MTCC, Fletcher has historic site, a plantation. I am so blessed to work achieved a lot, both personally and in leading the “It was such a humbling to new heights. Fletcher has continued experience, and I learned so in a field where I get to museum to lead this state and beyond by being a public much about the rich history of Louisiana. It wasn’t just about help tell the stories of speaker, a panelist and an expert in her career. She is the first Arkansan to serve as an American Allithe history of the people who owned the property, but also communities of people ance of Museums commissioner and led MTCC to its national accreditation in 2020, making it part of about the enslaved community that never throughout the 3 percent of museums accredited in the United that once occupied the space,” Fletcher has also been heavily involved in Fletcher said. hundreds of years would States. the planning process for the grand reopening of Because it was her introduction to historic preservation, it have thought there would MTCC, which spanned more than five years until the museum reopened its doors in early December was also an introduction into what would become her life’s be places dedicated to 2023. “I am so blessed to work in a field where I get to passion. Fletcher earned her sharing their history. help tell the stories of communities of people that master’s degree in folk life and never throughout hundreds of years would have southern culture at Northwestthought there would be places dedicated to sharing their ern State University and has continued her efforts of making history,” Fletcher said. “The thing that is most important to history visible since. me is that this work is truly not about me. I’ve been so fortuAs a passionate storyteller of communities past and present, nate and blessed to serve all the people who walk through Fletcher said she considers herself both lucky and blessed to those doors, and it’s humbling to know the work is beyond have been introduced to her current line of work early on in her me. I believe God has chosen me to ensure the preservation career. Although Fletcher is preserving Arkansas and Southern of Arkansas history, and I am going to continue to champion history, she is also determined to share the history not only with Arkansas history.” residents of this state, but with the entire country.

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CONGRATULATIONS

Sarah Flynn, CCR, CVR-M, RVR, CLT

on being named one of ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

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Where we’ve been helping people achieve their dreams of a six-figure career without a college degree for over 18 years. 501-823-9179 | intlrealtime.org DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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CONGRATULATIONS

Amy France ON BEING NAMED

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

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spacityrentals@outlook.com | 501.813.4134 |

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Lara Blume McGee OWNING HER POWER By Ron Standridge // Photo provided

ara Blume McGee likes things to be balanced. “I like things to be in order. I have always been highly organized and very disciplined. It’s just how I am. It’s who I am,” she said. The Little Rock native must be organized and disciplined to keep one successful consulting firm, two nonprofit organizations, one soon-to-launch medical practice and operating at peak day-to-day efficiency while raising four school-age children. “Let’s just say, I wear a lot of hats,” she said. “Hopefully, I look good wearing each of them.” McGee owns her power as a daughter, wife, mother, business leader and philanthropist. “I was raised by parents who taught me that if you see a need and say to yourself, ‘someone should do something,’ then what are you waiting for?” she said. “I am someone; I can do something, so I do.” Emboldened by early modeling successes, McGee approached her parents at the age of 15 to express her desire to pursue a career in the field. After she pitched an elaborate presentation, as close to a business plan as any high school student could develop, to her supportive parents, they agreed to Lara Blume McGee was a professional model before returning home and working with nonprofits.

entertain the idea under one condition — that her plan be disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder endorsed by her principal at Little Rock Central. that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are Armed with her parents’ support and her principal’s responsible for voluntary movement and breathing. encouragement, McGee landed in Miami, where she was Realizing recovery was not a reasonable goal for her signed by Elite Model Management. Living on her own at father’s condition, McGee — who had been living and age 16, McGee found herself hundreds of miles away from working in Newport Beach, Calif. — opted to move home home and completing her high school degree via correto Little Rock in 2012 so that she could help care for spondence courses. her father and make the most of the time he “Looking back now, especially now that I’m had left. a mother myself, I am absolutely aston“There is no known cure, and most ished at the courage it took, not only for patients are given life expectanme but for my parents, to allow me to cies of two to five years following follow my dreams,” she said. “I mean, diagnosis,” said McGee, whose I like things to be to roll the dice on such a gamble?” father died in 2015. “It is a heartAs it turned out, it was a gamble breaking and helpless thing to in order. I have always that paid off. McGee enjoyed a sucwatch someone you love suffer been highly organized cessful modeling career that would through this.” take her from Miami to Los Angeles, Helpless is not a word that sits and very disciplined. New York, London and the Maldives. well with McGee, so she began It’s just how I am. It’s Ready for a new challenge beyond formulating a plan to help her fathe runway, McGee decided to parlay ther and her family take back some who I am. her natural gifts for event planning and degree of control over the disease. doing good for others for her next profesMcGee founded ALS in Wondersional pursuit. land, a nonprofit organization with a simple, McGee found a mentor in Leigh Steinberg, the straight-forward mission statement driven specifisports super agent who served as the inspiration for the cally to create awareness and provide funding to directly title character in the 1996 Academy Award-winning film benefit people living with ALS in Arkansas. Jerry Maguire. “There may be nothing we can do to prevent the physiHaving worked with her on a project, Steinberg reccal toll that ALS takes on patients,” McGee said. “Instead, ognized McGee’s flair for events as well as her interest in we focus on what we can do. We can help patients with the philanthropic endeavors. He thought McGee would be the financial impact the disease can have on their lives. We can right person to help bring an organization to fruition. address the emotional needs of the patient and their famiSteinberg’s hunch paid off not only for his client, but lies and their caregivers.” also for his protege. Since its establishment in 2013, ALS in Wonderland has Based on the success of this initial experience, McGee served about 150 Arkansas ALS patients and awarded fifounded Team Up World in 2007 as a boutique nonprofit nancial assistance grants valued at more than $550,000. consulting firm specializing in celebrity sports manageHaving originally moved home with the intention of rement and philanthropy. To date, Team Up World has sucturning to California, fate had other plans when a chance cessfully assisted more than 50 professional athletes in the encounter at brunch ultimately led to romance with and establishment of their own philanthropic nonprofit orgamarriage to Dr. Brian McGee in 2014. nizations and/or foundations. Today, the McGees are the proud parents of four: a teen“My father was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral scleage daughter and triplets consisting of two girls and a boy. rosis — ALS — in 2009,” McGee said. “At the time, I don’t McGee is currently preparing to take an active role in know that I fully understood what that meant. My father her husband’s soon-to-launch practice — Digestive Care had always been the picture of health. He had never been — and she has just taken on the additional role of execusick, so I remember thinking, well, whatever this is, they tive director of Colorectal Health Advocates & Doctors. will treat it, and then he will be over it.” “You know what they say: if you want something done, McGee and her family soon discovered, however, that give it to a woman,” she said. “A woman will get it done, would not be the case. Formerly known as Lou Gehrig’s and usually better.”

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POWER WOMEN

Cathy Clark Dickinson Chief Human Resources Officer, Baptist Health HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? When I first began looking for career opportunities, I was immediately drawn to Baptist Health’s culture of Christian compassion and its stability within the community. In 1988, I accepted a clerical role with Baptist Health with hopes that I would move up within the organization. Since then, I’ve risen through the organization, first as a staffing director in the nursing department and then to the human resources department. I served as the corporate director of human resources and as vice president of human resources before being promoted to the executive team as the CHRO. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love my career in human resources because it allows me to shape positive workplace cultures, support and develop talented individuals, and contribute to the success of employees and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, it allows me to pursue my interest in mentoring and coaching others as well as promoting employee well-being.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I had several significant life events that prevented me from continuing my education early on in my career, which made it very rewarding to receive my Masters of Business Administration later in my professional journey. It’s never too late to accomplish your goals — learning is a lifelong journey and is valuable at any age. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? I’ve had to overcome some challenging life experiences in my career that impacted me both professionally and personally. These obstacles varied from personal health to family issues and the loss of a loved one. During these unexpected circumstances I found solace and strength through my faith, and God provided comfort, guidance and resilience. I managed to stay focused on my career in a faith-based organization and have continued to focus on my professional growth and development for 35 years at Baptist Health.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? Growing Together: Taking Mentoring beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests by Melissa Kruger. I recently attended a women’s retreat to learn how to mentor women in our church. It is a fulfilling journey for me to grow beyond my professional mentoring journey and expand into the church family and beyond in a different setting. I have also recently entered into a new professional mentoring relationship through the American College of Healthcare Executives, and it has been very enlightening to learn both perspectives on mentoring.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

Charlotte Potts EDUCATION + PASSION = SUCCESS

By K.D. Reep // Photo provided

f the characteristics of a strong woman are independence, pharmaceutical world. I believe if you can be an educator, then self-awareness, honesty, intelligence and passion, Charlotte you can help people fill in the gaps, whether it’s medicine, eduPotts is certainly a power woman. Exuding grace and nurcation, insurance — doesn’t matter.” turing for her fellow human beings, Potts has imbued her It’s the education component Potts believes sets her team apart. State Farm business in North Little Rock with these qualiAfter spending more than a decade as a pharmaceutical representies and as a result, her agency is among the top 5 percent in tative, she was recruited to become an agent for State Farm. Her the country, earning Potts and her team the coveted Chairman’s approach to insurance was the same one she took with the Little Circle Award. Rock School District — education. “There are only 60 agents out of 19,000 “We have a team, and while I am the leadSome people say we er, we work together and educate each other,” who earn that every single year in their career, and my office is one of them,” she said. she said. “My team helps educate people on sell insurance, but I “It means to me that we are forming relationwhat they have as far as insurance coverage, ships and taking care of people, which is alwhere the gaps are, whether they will be redon’t think we sell ways my goal.” sponsible for money out of pocket if somePotts said she always knew she wanted to anything. I think we thing were to happen, etc. We then fill those own her own business. Both her parents led gaps with contracts. Some people say we sell educate people, then insurance, but I don’t think we sell anything. their own companies, her mother as a photographer and her father as an equipment I think we educate people, then they deterthey determine what mine what they want. operator and seller. Her father died in her senior year in high school, and she credits “That’s a very different mindset because they want. her interest in becoming an insurance agent you as the insured can purchase whatever to that. you want,” she said. “As long as I have had a “He didn’t leave any life insurance, and a major factor in me conversation with you about your needs, it doesn’t matter to me going to the University of Central Arkansas [in Conway] was bewhat you have. What matters to me is when you call after having cause they offered me the most scholarships,” Potts said. “Othhad a wreck, you don’t then realize you don’t have the approprierwise, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for college, as we didn’t ate insurance to fully cover you in a time of crisis. I don’t want have the money for it.” my clients to be surprised.” Potts said she pursued a degree in business education so that Potts herself doesn’t like surprises. She witnessed a series if she ever wanted to go into the teaching realm, she would have of layoffs during her pharmaceutical sales career, so she got the opportunity. She taught business classes for two years in the her resume together and was contacted by State Farm through Little Rock School District before being recruited into pharmaLinkedIn. ceutical sales. “I thought, ‘Well, this will be your way to be a difference“I was terrified to leave. I didn’t know if it was for me, but I maker,’” she said. “I want to know somebody feels like I have gave it a try, and I did like it. I started that in 2000,” Potts said. helped them. This is a career path where I can be in front of a “In the meantime, I got a master’s degree in corporate trainlot of people and maybe make a difference.” ing, an educational piece that helped me to be a trainer in the That desire to make a positive impact extends well past her DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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career. During the spring 2023 tornado, Potts was on a plane, returning from Phoenix to Little Rock. She said she watched the tornado on her smartphone as it made its way across the Arkansas landscape. “I called my son and told him to get somewhere safe and stay there,” Potts said. “I then called my team and told them to get our smoker together and go provide meals for the central Arkansas residents who had been impacted.” The agency has a 16-foot smoker trailer that became its tornado-relief cooker. For days, the team cooked burgers and bought supplies from wholesale warehouses, packing collapsible wagons and walking as far into affected Little Rock neighborhoods as possible. Everyone from residents to emergency workers to volunteers received a hot meal. “We were in Walnut Valley first, then in Chenal behind Roller Funeral Home,” Potts said. “Another day, we went to Cammack Village, then the neighborhoods north of Cantrell and Mississippi. We finished up with the areas hit in Sherwood.” That’s not the only way the Charlotte Potts State Farm team helped. Homeowners whose homes were damaged and destroyed in Walnut Valley came to her for assistance in understanding their policies from other insurers. “They were single ladies whose husbands had always taken care of their insurance policies,” Potts said. “They wanted to ask me questions about the coverage they had, as they thought they had enough to rebuild their homes. I walked them through each policy so they knew what they had, where their gaps were and what next steps to take.” When asked what advice she would give to someone considering finding or switching careers, she said to avoid the “golden handcuffs” at all costs. “Definitely don’t take a job just because it pays well,” she said. “I believe you can marry your passion with your career. Find something you would do for free, and let somebody pay you to do it. Just because one career path pays more, it doesn’t mean you’ll be fulfilled. If you don’t love what you do, you’ll go home to bleed all over your family at night because you’ve hated your job all day. Find something you would do for free, and don’t ever be in a golden handcuffs situation.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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ABG is disrupting the status quo for women & girls in Arkansas. And you can too. 7,000 7,000

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Girls in Distributed 1998: 1 in grants STEAM

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75 AR counties served

1998: 1 2023: 8 Programs

Become a Dsiruptor

CONGRATULATIONS

Kelli Heathman ON BEING NAMED

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023

Kelli Heathman knows what it takes to be a leader in more ways than one. In her professional career, she guides a team focused on market access and business development for the oncology pharmaceutical firm BeiGene. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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POWER WOMEN

Karen Trevino President and CEO, North Little Rock Tourism WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Just powering on and learning all the time. I, like many others, have had difficult times, and I just keep moving forward with the goal of making a difference every day of my life. Maybe it’s a small success, but everything counts. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I began working at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism in my late teens. I fell in love with the tourism and hospitality industry while meeting the most amazing people.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Never be content with where you are, who you know and what you know. Meet as many people as possible, and learn from them. Take classes, get certifications, attend webinars, go to conferences — anything where you can advance your knowledge. Everything is worth understanding and knowing, even if you’re not an expert in it all. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? My team at North Little Rock Tourism just won the Tourism Office of the Year from our peers in the Southeast Tourism Society. This year, I was chosen as the chairman of the board for the Southeast Tourism Society and will also be leading Skål International USA as president in 2024. A few years ago, I won the Tourism Person of the Year at the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism and that really meant so much to me.

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? I took the non-traditional route of getting my bachelor’s and Master of Tourism degrees once I was grown, married and raising children. While working on my master’s, I went through breast cancer treatment (chemo, radiation and several surgeries). I was working full time and rarely took sick leave. This was an example of my “powering through.” Life can’t take a backseat just because something else is happening. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I really must thank two women — Jo Luck (former director of the ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism) and Montine McNulty (former president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospitality Association). Both women saw my potential and were instrumental in inspiring my career path to where I am now. They were both women leaders in positions that had always been male-dominated, and they used their smarts to make a difference. Montine especially gave me every opportunity and encouragement to grow into a leader. WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING RIGHT NOW?

My husband and I are just now watching the Mission Impossible movies from [the 2010s], which we didn’t make time for when they originally were released. I read historical novels, particularly the World War II era. 75

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PAMELA SHIELDS PATRIOTISM GUIDES PATH

By Mark Carter // Photos provided

amela Boyd Shields drew on more than two decades of parents. Her upbringing influenced her outlook on life and experience in the U.S. Navy to help transform Pulaski helped lead to her own military career. After earning a bachCounty Republican Women from a elor’s degree from the University of Arkan“lunch group” to one that is highly acsas at Little Rock (and later, a master’s from tive in the community. Arkansas Tech University in Russellville) in A former teacher and commander in the 1979, Shields worked as a teacher at what was U.S. Navy, Shields is president of the group, then Mabelvale Junior High School and at which now at least partially reflects her influHall High School, both in Little Rock. She ence through its volunteer efforts in schools taught American history and was the Little and with veterans. The group of almost 100 Rock School District’s first gifted education members fulfills its traditional responsibilities teacher, but she was soon to find her true such as volunteering as poll watchers and poll calling. workers, knocking on doors during campaign A single mom, Shields wanted to set an season and helping with the Pulaski County example for her young son, Scott, and she Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Day decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Dinner, but the group’s reach expands beyond Her father, Robert Shields, was a navigator the county party. in the U.S. Air Force, and her mother, Retha PCRW assists and honors veterans through Lohr Boyd, was a member of the Women’s the Feed the Vets and Wreaths Across America Air Corps during World War II. programs. Each year, members lay wreaths on “I got in because I was a single mom and gravesites at Little Rock National Cemetery wanted my son to have patriotism in his life,” and deliver Christmas presents to vets at the Shields said. Arkansas State Veterans Home in North Little Plus, the Navy Reserve provided a little exRock. PCRW also sponsors classes for those Pam Shields attained the rank of tra money and she got to travel each month. wanting to serve as poll watchers or poll work- commander in the U.S. Navy. Within a year of signing up for the Reers and volunteers with Partners Against Trafserve, however, Shields was called to active ficking Humans. duty and never returned to teaching — at least, in a traditional In 2018, following the passage of a state law requiring all Arschool setting. kansas public schools to display “In God We Trust,” if materi“[Active duty] paid twice what I was made as a teacher at the als were donated, the PCRW went to work. Shields said some time,” she said. principals met them with gritted teeth, but the group got posters Shields retired from the Navy as a commander, the winner of distributed to all 146 public schools in the county. It was an immultiple citations and awards. She was awarded the prestigious portant project, Shields said. After all, “In God We Trust” frames Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Joint Service Comthe PCRW logo at the top, with “Empower” and “Educate” at the mendation Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation bottom. Medals, a Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Shields grew up in Jacksonville, a child of retired military Corp Achievement Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, DEC E M BER 2 02 3

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a Global War on Terrorism Medal, an Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and for good measure, a Navy Expert Pistol Ribbon. Her Navy service and education entailed anti-terrorism force protection, combating human trafficking, travel regulation, counterterrorism analysis, office leadership training and more. In 1997, she served as assistant director for war-gaming, exercises and simulation for the Commander, Navy Installations Command, at Camp H.M. Smith on the island some Republicans in the Arkansas legislature who seem to vote of Oahu in Hawaii. She was hand-picked to serve as action offiout of self-interest. cer for the flag-level strategic war game, Pacific Horizon, a Joint Shields said she once questioned a GOP legislator about Forces strategic security exercise. why he voted against his constituency on a certain issue. His Her work in directing that exercise earned Shields the Deresponse was that lawmakers’ votes do reflect constituents’ fense Meritorious Service Medal. preferences, sometimes, but “when they don’t know the right Later, at Navy Air Facility Washington just outside the naanswer, then we have to go in and do the right thing.” tion’s capital, Shields served as an assistant reserve programs “The thing I think we contend with now is a lot of state repredirector, an anti-terrorism officer and instructor, a berthing sentatives who have no idea what the party platform is or what officer and a special projects officer. She chaired two policy it means to be a Republican,” she said. boards, coordinated and supervised training activities and coShields noted how PCRW was behind the Pulaski County ordinated the first reserve-wide Navy and Marine Corps interRepublican Committee’s public criticism this past session of net conference. Gov. Sarah Sanders’ bill that would have weakened the state’s Her next stop was the Defense Intelligence Agency in WashFreedom of Information law. Shields testified in committee ington, D.C., where she was an original member of the DIA’s J2 against the proposal (she has also testified at the state Capitol Joint Staff Intelligence Task Force created after 9/11. She worked in defense of gun rights.) in counterterrorism analysis and was mobilized for Operation That lost ideal is antiquated today, she said, noting how so Enduring Freedom (the first stage of American operations in Afmany politicians from both parties seem to grow their bank ghanistan and the larger scale Global War on Terrorism). accounts while in office. In 2005, she was deployed to Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, “I’m really big on term limits,” she said. where she served as senior watch officer for a 24/7 operation tasked with the translation and exploitation of captured electronic media and documentation from Iraq. Her final role for DIA was back in Washington, D.C., where she served as senior staff officer for the Global Intelligence Operations Center. In this role, she worked on a 24/7 situational watch floor monitoring individuals suspected of being terrorists. Obviously, Shields can’t reveal any classified information, but one memory that stuck out involved her arrival in Qatar. “When we first got there, we slept in trailers piled on top of each other in columns,” she said. Shields retired in 2011, moved back to central Arkansas and became active with the Pulaski County Republican Women in 2013. A decade later, Shields said she looks at the political landscape on both sides of the aisle and laments the lost ideal of elected office as Shields, left, with Alma Powell, wife of Colin Powell, former U.S. secretary of noble public service. She added that there are state, national security advisor and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

I got in because I was a single mom and wanted my son to have patriotism in his life.

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POWER WOMEN 2023 A North Little Rock native, Bale obtained a political science degree from Ouachita Baptist University. She was the winner of the first-ever Miss Ouachita Baptist University pageant before going on to win the title of Miss Arkansas 1967.

FAVIOLA ALBA

Senior Vice President, Community Lending Manager Arvest Bank Faviola Alba is a senior vice president and community lending manager for Arvest Bank in Little Rock, where she works with residential construction, smallbusiness lending and consumer lending. A native of Mexico who learned English as a second language, Alba’s family eventually settled in Little Rock, where she graduated from Hall High School. She would go on to earn a business administration and management degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Prior to serving in her current role, Alba served as senior vice president and consumer sales loan manager for Arvest. Before joining the Arvest team in 2015, Alba worked for Bank of America in Little Rock as a branch manager and a personal banker. Alba holds American Bankers Association certifications in lending compliance and digital banking. She serves as a committee member for the Arkansas Fashion School in Little Rock and works as a volunteer for the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock.

TIFFANY BARGER Simmons Bank

ARTINA BLACKMON

People Trust Community Loan Fund

DR. AMANDA BLEDSOE Chiropractor and Owner Bledsoe Chiropractic

When Dr. Amanda Bledsoe, owner of Bledsoe Chiropractic in Conway and North Little Rock, was 14, she was diagnosed with major scoliosis of the spine. At the time, it was recommended that she visit a chiropractor, but she did not end up seeing one until she was 18. After experiencing firsthand how powerful chiropractic care was, coupled with the fact that she always wanted to work in health care, it became the ideal career path for her. Bledsoe attended Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Kan. While there, she honed several different adjustment styles, so she is able to offer patients options that fit their needs, including instrument adjusting for nervous or elderly patients. One of her ultimate goals for patients is to make chiropractic care not only effective for all, but affordable. Bledsoe provides care that is safe for all ages — from the youngest member of a family to the oldest grandparent or great-grandparent. Bledsoe is a board member of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and supports many local organizations, including Bethlehem House, the Harbor Home and Deliver Hope.

ROBYN ALLMENDINGER Rose Law Firm

SHARON EVANS BALE Co-owner Bale Automotive Group

One of the most well-known names in Arkansas philanthropy, Sharon Bale has made it her life’s mission to help others. She has served and supported countless organizations over the years, from Easterseals and CARTI to the Muscular Dystrophy and American Heart associations.

JEAN BLOCK

Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority

Bale continues to express her heart for philanthropic work by remaining heavily involved in various groups and causes throughout the Arkansas community. Bale was honored as Woman of the Year in 2015 by Women & Children First, an organization that offers support services to women and children subjected to family violence. She is also an ambassador and former board member for Our House, which provides services and support to the homeless and near homeless in central Arkansas. The Bale family has been in the automotive business since 1912, and its reputation for generosity in the community has a history that is nearly as long. The Bale family has been deeply involved with Arkansas Children’s for decades. In 2012, the hospital’s Bale Fetal Heart Center was named for Sharon and her husband, John H. Bale Jr. She has also volunteered with the ACH Auxiliary and, in 2009, was elected to serve on the ACH Foundation board. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

SHANNON BOSHEARS

Goodwill Industries of Arkansas

BETH BRUMLEY

Executive Director Main Street El Dorado Beth Brumley was named executive director of Main Street El Dorado in 2017. A dedicated MSE volunteer, a talented marketing professional and a devoted proponent of El Dorado, Beth Brumley found the ideal home for her talents in her position as executive director of Main Street El Dorado. Bringing together her strong knowledge of the Main Street program and her wealth of professional experience, Brumley has taken the helm 78

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CONGRATULATIONS

Kim Clatworthy ON BEING NAMED ONE OF

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023

Ease the responsibilities and care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia with our experienced caregiver teams.

Kim Clatworthy, Owner info@elderindependence.com Online at: ElderIndependence.com Call Elder Independence at (501) 847-6102 today for a complimentary consultation.

POWER WOMEN

Pamela Boyd Shields President, Pulaski County Republican Women Pamela Boyd Shields was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, to Capt. Robert and Retha Boyd. She went to high School in Jacksonville. She was inspired to enter the Armed Forces because of her dad, an Air Force pilot and navigator, and she wanted that sense of patriotism to be carried on. (Her family has fought in service to our county since the American Revolution, and her mom retired as a 2nd lieutenant in the Women’s Air Corps). She was teaching in Little Rock and joined the Navy Reserves on her 35th birthday, only to be asked to go active duty a short time later. Pamela’s first station was at the Spokane Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Readiness Center, where she served as Executive Officer (XO). Her second duty station was the Honolulu Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center, where she again served as XO, until she went to the US Commander in Chief Pacific Command, where she served as the Assistant War Game Director and was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for a war game she directed. Her next duty station was Naval Air Facility Washington D.C., where she served as an Assistant Training Officer and Instructor in their Terrorism Task Force. When she left active duty, she was picked up by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Operating Base National Capitol Region and the Directorate of Measurement and Signature Intelligence. She spent six months in Qatar as a Senior Watch Officer of the Combined Media Processing Center (CMPC-Q), a 24/7 operation that dealt with translation and exploitation of captured electronic media and documentation from Iraq. Before she retired and became active with the Pulaski County Republican Women, Shields reached the rank of commander in the

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U.S. Navy and was an original member of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s J2 Joint Staff Intelligence Task Force created after 9/11. Shields remains active in the community, serving as a commissioner for the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs in addition to her role with the Pulaski County Republican Women. She was also elected the second chair of the 2nd Congressional District of the Arkansas Republican Party.

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WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Perseverance. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. You have to be determined. If you’re not, things often don’t get done.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY OTHER JOB, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Probably none, but writer or president come in close!

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I was a teacher in Little Rock public schools, and I got into the Navy Reserves at age 35 as an officer. Thirty-five is the last year you can sign up. I got in because I was a single mom, I wanted my son to have the same patriotism instilled in him, as was instilled in me, by my Dad, in my life. In the Reserves, I had extra money every month and was sent to several countries. In less than a year, I was called up to active duty, and the pay was twice what I made as a teacher at that time. I started out as a teacher in Little Rock public schools, at Mabelvale Junior High School and Hall High School. I taught American history and was one of the district’s first gifted education teachers.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO STAYING VITAL AND RELEVANT AT ANY AGE? Do something! Join a club, hang out with your girlfriends, cut your worst-case scenario friends (those who throw you under the bus) out of your world. Walk, read, and listen to music. WHAT KIND OF LEGACY DO YOU HOPE TO LEAVE? I want people to know I cared. I want my husband, Timothy, and my son, Scott, to know they meant more to me than anything.

WHAT ROLE DOES FAITH PLAY IN YOUR LIFE? I believe in God, I pray at night and I enjoy community Bible study at Immanuel Baptist [Church in Little Rock]. Bottom line: God has this.

WHAT IS YOUR HIDDEN TALENT? I am a great actress. I was in our high school play and was in the 1986 TV movie Under Siege, filmed in Little Rock with Peter Strauss and Hal Holbrook.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? We changed the Pulaski County Republican Women from a ladies-who-lunch group to a group that goes out and gets things accomplished for our county and our state. We help feed veterans through the organization Feed the Vets, and we work with Wreaths Across America. Every year, we place wreaths at the Little Rock National Cemetery. We also hold classes for poll watchers and poll workers and have worked with PATH — Partners Against Trafficking Humans. After a state law passed in August 2017 that required all public schools in Arkansas to display “In God We Trust,” if they were donated, we put “In God We Trust” posters in every public school in Little Rock.

HEARING WHAT SONG MAKES YOU FEEL 21 AGAIN? “Angie” by the Rolling Stones and “Shambala” by Three Dog Night. BY WHAT SAYING OR SLOGAN ARE YOU KNOWN TO FRIENDS, FAMILY OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES? “Trust, but verify.”

WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Re-reading A Sacred Duty, by Little Rock author Rhona Weaver. Watching NCIS and old movies. Listening to Dan Bongino’s podcast.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Pick something you love, and you’ll never work a day. Never dread going to work.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? There are several, but the two that stand out are, “Be always sure you’re right, then go ahead,” by Davy Crockett, and “Trust, but verify,” from Ronald Reagan.

WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT? My son, Scott Crosthwait, and my husband, Timothy Shields. Receiving the Defense Meritorious Service Medal as a lieutenant at CINCPAC [Commander in Chief Pacific Command] for my direction in a war game and earning the Joint Chiefs of Staff badge at the Pentagon.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD TELL YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF? Get your education before you do anything else.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I’m supposedly retired now, but I’m not really sure I ever retired! Being on active duty, I was on call 24 hours a day. In my work, I was “on” all the time. The Republican Women require a lot of time and work. We now take vacations (just returned from Santa Fe with dear friends), and hope to travel more. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Being a woman. Like the Marines, the Navy tends to be a man’s service. The majority of enlisted personnel are men, and in the officer ranks too, it is mostly male — but that’s changing. As a woman, you have to instill confidence in yourself and in the people you work with and work for. You have to let them know that you know what you are talking about.

WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM WORKING IN YOUR FIELD? I have learned to trust my instincts and call out someone if they are wrong. Sometimes, things need to be changed, and those that say, ‘Because we’ve always done it this way,’ are often wrong. Know your bylaws and rules. Don’t accept a habit.

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Shields as a toddler with her fath er, Robert.

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POWER WOMEN 2023 at Main Street and led the organization in a new direction. Brumley, who served on the MSE Board of Directors from 2008 until 2012, began working with Main Street as a volunteer. She served as Board President in 2012. Steering Main Street El Dorado back to its roots has been part of Brumley’s mission in her role. She has focused her energies on three of the Main Street America program’s four-point approaches, economic gevelopment, organization, and design, while continuing with the fourth point, to promote their annual popular festivals and even introduce some new ones. She was named a 2023 Notable Arkansan, one of 2020 AY’s Intriguing Women and is a three-time nominee for the Arkansas Country Music Awards’Promoter of the Year.

Institute in California and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy in the Washington, D.C. area and in San Diego. After her pediatric residency, Cannon moved to rural South Carolina with the National Health Service Corps and then to the Washington, D.C., area prior to moving to Arkansas. She has found her home in Arkansas and intends to continue the legacy at Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic that has served generations of children in the central Arkansas area since 1975.

RENATA JENKINS BYLER

Cornerstone Clinic for Women

CATHY CAVER

Splash Wine Bar/Chrysalis Day Spa

KAY CHANDLER

Owner, Vice President of Marketing and Facilities Roller Funeral Homes

KIM CLATWORTHY Owner Elder Independence

Renata Jenkins Byler, the third-generation owner of Roller Funeral Homes and an esteemed member of the Roller family, holds an important role as vice president of marketing and facilities for Roller Funeral Homes. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, Byler serves on both the executive team and board of directors, steering the company towards continued success.

Raised in Hot Springs by parents who owned a lake resort they operated with her two older sisters, Kim Clatworthy, owner of Elder Independence Home Care in Bryant, has been in the hospitality industry her entire life. Growing up, Kim had an opportunity to see true care and compassion firsthand. She watched her parents care for her grandmother, who eventually came to live with them so she could age in place and be surrounded by people who loved her. With such life experiences growing up, Clatworthy realized she has a deep connection to older adults, as well as those in need of care. She said her family’s approach to life and legacy of helping those in need is what led her to a passion for caring for others. Looking back on her career decisions, Kim said it was not her Bachelor of Science, attending nursing school, working as a student nursing assistant or even working in surgery that led her to where she is today. Instead, it was a combination of all those career choices, supported by the backdrop of her formative years with her family that led her to become owner of Elder Independence in 2014. Kim is a certified dementia practitioner with the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. She also studied under Teepa Snow to earn her Positive Approach to Care Trainer Certification and Positive Approach to Care Consultant Certification.

Leading the largest death-care provider in Arkansas, Byler oversees an extensive network of 24 funeral homes, nine cemeteries, two crematories and two flower shops under the Roller Funeral Homes brand. Her dedication to maintaining exceptional standards enables families to find solace during their most challenging times. She serves on the Baptist Foundation board, the ASUMountain Home President’s Advisory Board, has held various leadership positions within the Arkansas Funeral Directors Association, is the state’s representative for the National Funeral Directors Association’s Policy Board and actively participates in philanthropic initiatives.

JESSICA CANNON

Physician, Owner Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic Jessica Cannon, D.O., joined the Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic team in 2016 and has owned the clinic since 2022. Originally from Austin, Texas, Cannon obtained her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Cornell University in New York and her medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She completed her internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and finished her residency at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York. Prior to medical school, Cannon conducted biomedical research at the Scripps Research

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CARA CONNORS

Law Offices of Boyd Connors

TAMMIE DAVIS Cadence Bank

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POWER WOMEN

Lauren Skeen

Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Bernhard

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Celebrate the small victories. As a leader, I am committed to fostering a positive and motivated team culture, and a key element of that is celebrating the small victories. Success is not just about achieving grand milestones, but also recognizing and appreciating the steps that collectively propel us toward our larger goals. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? It’s okay to have opinions and voice your ideas. Even if you don’t get it right every time, your eagerness and enthusiasm to contribute are valuable assets. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Being promoted to vice president shortly after returning from maternity leave was a proud moment for me. Balancing the responsibilities of a new leadership role while navigating the demands of early motherhood was a personal and professional triumph.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? As a working mom to a toddler, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a priority for me. I believe in the power of perspective and recognize that I can’t be all things to everyone all the time. I’ve learned to set clear boundaries between my professional and personal life, allowing me to be fully present in each role. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Navigating a predominantly male industry, especially within the technical realm of engineering, presents unique challenges. Beyond the misconception that marketing is solely about aesthetics, I’ve taken great strides to showcase not only the value of my work, but also the broader impact that strategic marketing brings to our business.

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POWER WOMEN 2023 JANET HARRIS Executive Director/CEO

Ķ Culinary team building

Ķ Winthrop Rockefeller leadership experience Ķ Professional development workshops ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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POWER WOMEN

Charlotte Potts

State Farm Agent, Multiple Agency Owner WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I believe that having a servant’s heart and truly caring about meeting people’s needs has blessed me with the success I have found as a State Farm agent, not only with customers but with my team also. My vision is to have a business where someone would want to do business and a place someone would want to work. Customer’s needs and my team are both so very important. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love that my team and I can be present for people on some of their worst days. When the tornado happened, we made ourselves available to help file claims and then put boots on the ground to assist with clean up and serving food for many days after for those affected, volunteers, and workers. Second is the relationships we get to form. We can take care of customers from first to last breath. It’s so rewarding! WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Consistently earning State Farm Chairman’s Circle. Only 60 agents out of 19,000 have earned that achievement every year of their career.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE? If I’m working, I focus on the task at hand. If I’m with my family, I prioritize my time with them. Shane and I have been married for 25 years and we have one son, Landon, who’s a senior. Time flies by. If you’re not present in the moment with family, you miss so much! I have a rule that I never walk in the house on the phone. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? My mom, Kathy Morrison. She has always been my biggest cheerleader and the most encouraging mentor. She was a photographer for 52 years, and I’ve learned so much about the Lord, priorities, being a wife, mom and business leader from her.

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POWER WOMEN

Marcy Doderer President and CEO, Arkansas Children’s WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? There is actually no “secret.” I believe success derives from a combination of humility, hard work, ambition, vision, strong mentors and a good amount of luck.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? As a finance major in college, I took an elective called “Health Care as a Business” and found it fascinating, so I shifted from a career path in banking to hospital management. It provided the opportunity for me to tackle complex business challenges in order to care for people, and that really inspired me.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love that my job is all about kids and, most importantly, the role of advocating for children. I believe that all children should have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, and I am grateful to lead an organization where we can positively influence a child’s life in every aspect of our work. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Rarely say “no” when asked to do more. Be open to the opportunity of doing a variety of things. Your path may not be exactly linear, but those unanticipated experiences are often invaluable in your overall career journey.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Our safety journey at Arkansas Children’s. In pediatrics, the margin for error is very small, and unfortunately, mistakes can happen when systems fail. Our team is committed to building and following high reliability practices across all aspects of the organization, and that has had an incredible impact on the patients and families we serve. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I believe that work-life balance is different for every person. It does not mean allocating equal time and effort to all aspects of your life. There is no perfect equation, and what works best for me has shifted throughout my career, depending on my work responsibilities and the interests and needs of my family.

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WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Like every executive, the list is long. I’ve survived a health system merger, at least one challenging boss and a few missed opportunities. I’ve been forgiven for misdirected frustration, missed deadlines and misguided decisions. Reliance on the success formula I described has helped overcome all of those obstacles. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I’m lucky in that there are quite of few amazing female leaders in the children’s hospital space. I am inspired by their bold and compassionate leadership and the genuine friendship they offer colleagues like me.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

CATHY DICKINSON

Rock Clinic and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic. In addition, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Jonesboro Clinic was renovated to better serve the community’s needs.

As an innovative business leader whose career spans 35 years, Cathy Dickinson is the chief human resources officer at Baptist Health in Little Rock, where she leads all aspects of human resources for the statewide health care network.

KATHERINE ELDRIDGE

Chief Human Resources Officer Baptist Health

Owner Doe’s Eat Place Little Rock

Katherine Eldridge is the owner of Doe’s Eat Place Little Rock, which she took over from her father, George Eldridge, in 2012. Opened in 1988, Doe’s Little Rock maintains the no-frills tradition of the original in Greenville, Miss., and has achieved its own renown as a regional — and even a national — favorite. Doe’s was a favorite of former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, and it became a hangout for Clinton staffers as well as national press covering the Clinton campaign. Famous for its patios, including the dog-friendly back patio, Doe’s still attracts politicians and celebrities while maintaining its down-to-earth atmosphere. Eldridge has continued the Doe’s tradition, and the downtown Little Rock hideout lives on as a prime business lunch spot.

She was immediately drawn to Baptist Health’s culture of Christian compassion and its stability within the community as an employer and accepted a clerical role with the organization in 1988 with the hope of being promoted in the organization. Since joining Baptist Health, she has served in various roles, including director of staffing, director of human resources services and vice president. As the first woman to join the Baptist executive team in the organization’s 100 years, she has strategically led recruitment, workforce development, leadership development, diversity and inclusion and community partnerships. Dickinson has a Bachelor of Science degree in human resource management, Master of Science in Business Administration, the SHRM-Senior Certified Professional certification and the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. She is also a member of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Association and Society for Human Resources.

QUANTIA “KEY” FLETCHER Executive Director Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

A native New Orleanian, Quantia “Key” Fletcher makes it her mission to ensure that the beauty, value and significance of the African American experience in Arkansas is curated and celebrated. She currently serves as the director of the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, a museum of African American history in Little Rock, after serving eight years as deputy director. Key joined MTCC prior to its opening in 2008 and has helped develop the cultural center into the only state-funded Black history museum in Arkansas. She led the effort to achieve national accreditation for the museum in 2020, a distinction held by only 3 percent of museums in the U.S. Her expertise in the preservation of Black experience spans over 19 years in the field of cultural studies and museums, including her work for the U.S. Department of Interior with the National Park Service. In 2022, she and her team hosted the largest Juneteenth celebration in her agency’s 13-year history. This year, she successfully completed a major funding project $3.5 million dollars, the first of its kind for the museum and one that will ensure the continued preservation of the Arkansas Black experience. MTCC will host its grand reopening with all new and expanded exhibits. Fletcher is a member of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXX and serves on various boards and organizations, including the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, LifeQuest of Arkansas, the Greater Little Rock Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative and the Arkansas

MARCY DODERER President and CEO Arkansas Children’s

Marcy Doderer, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is president and chief executive officer at Arkansas Children’s, where she leads the state’s only pediatric health system serving the children in Arkansas and beyond. A dynamic leader, Doderer is focused on improving child health by advancing patient care, building community and championing excellence through digital transformation, engaged and efficient partnerships and bold child advocacy. Doderer transformed Arkansas Children’s from one hospital in the center of the state, into a health system with two hospitals, a research institute, a philanthropic foundation, regional clinics and alliances, telemedicine and statewide outreach programs to serve children in all 75 counties. In roughly a decade at Arkansas Children’s, Doderer has significantly extended the health system’s reach through an expanded physical footprint to better serve the children and families of Arkansas. Most notably through the building of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Southwest Little

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Conway Regional Health System congratulates

PAULA WEATHERLEY for being named a Power Woman of 2023 by the readers of Arkansas Money and Politics.

As Director of Cardiovascular Services and Interim Director of Imaging Services, Paula has a far-reaching impact on the care we provide our communities. Thank you, Paula, for your outstanding leadership!

POWER WOMEN 2023 Women’s Leadership Forum. She received her Bachelor of Arts in journalism and Masters in English: Folklife and Southern Culture, from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.

ANNA BETH GORMAN

CRYSTAL FLOYD

Anna Beth Gorman, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, has committed her professional life to public service with a specialized focus on advancing the status of girls and women in our society. During her tenure with the Women’s Foundation, she has led the effort for the foundation to be the leading equity partner in building women’s economic security across the state of Arkansas. The foundation has seen tremendous growth under her leadership while focusing on two signature initiatives, Girls of Promise and Women Empowered. In 2023, the organization’s 25th anniversary, under her leadership, the organization surpassed $2 million in contributions. In 2022, she was the Democratic nominee for Arkansas Secretary of State. She has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., as well as a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is the immediate past chairman of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, active in Club 99 Rotary, a board member of Arvest Bank Little Rock, a board member of the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame, and a founding board member of the Southern Capital Project.

CEO Women’s Foundation of Arkansas

Acxiom

SARAH FLYNN

Founder and Lead Instructor IR Court Reporting Institute Sarah Flynn, CCR, CVR-M, RVR, CLT, has been a certified court reporter since 1994 and has worked in the state of Arkansas since that time. She founded International Realtime Court Reporting Institute in Little Rock in 2005 and has been teaching the best voice-writing reporters ever since. She is a working court reporter and a cheerleader for her students. She is a past vice president and director of the National Verbatim Reporters Association. Her certifications include certified verbatim reporter-master, realtime verbatim reporter and certified legal transcriptionist with the NVRA.

AMY FRANCE Owner Spa City Rentals

EMILY GRAY

Amy France is a creative entrepreneur and the mastermind behind Spa City Rentals in Hot Springs. Despite spending most of her career in the medical field, she made the decision to leave her job and focus on raising her children. Her husband, Joe France, found two homes in Hot Springs, which the couple converted into vacation rentals. Inspired by their success, the Frances expanded their business, acquiring 15 additional properties, a resort, a ranch and a hotel in just three years. In April 2020, France opened Spa City Rentals as a women-owned business. Beyond the challenges of running a business, Amy cherishes her role as a mother. Amy takes on the challenge of work and family with finesse and is deeply devoted to both. Her rock-solid work ethic and one-of-a-kind personality make her an inspiration to everyone who’s lucky enough to cross her path.

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Franchise Partner Chicken Salad Chick Emily Gray is a highly accomplished entrepreneur and the proud owner of three Chicken Salad Chick locations , which are in Benton, Little Rock and North Little Rock. She is passionate about serving delicious food and providing exceptional customer service, and her dedication to these principles has earned her stores a loyal customer base and numerous “Best of” awards. Gray’s skills as a leader and her dedication to customer service have also been instrumental in the success of her business. She understands that happy employees are the key to happy customers, and she works hard to create a positive and supportive work environment for her team. This approach has helped her build and maintain a strong team of employees who share her passion for excellence. In 2024, Gray is set to open her fourth location in Maumelle. This new location will be a testament to her hard work and dedication, and it will provide even more customers with the opportunity to experience the delicious food and warm atmosphere that she is known for. In addition to her work with Chicken Salad Chick, Gray is also actively involved in the local community and supports a variety of charitable organizations and events.

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POWER WOMEN

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Always behave with honesty, integrity, good work ethic, and continue with your education. Self-analysis in your daily tasks and relationships is key to being successful with any position. I was blessed with great mentors early in my career. As you listen more and apply what you learn to your everyday work and life, you will find success and satisfaction. Let it no longer be a “secret.” It will become your life. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? Combining my love of fashion and the arts, I obtained my degree in fashion merchandising. Next was obtaining my license for aesthetics and makeup artistry. I utilized the skills I learned in college to become a buyer and merchant to do the same thing in the cosmetic world. As long as you have a passion and the education to go along with it, you can adjust your goals and use the same skills. Monitor and adjust.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? After traveling most of my 35-year career, I have always cherished my state. I decided when I retired that I would use all that I have learned and share with the women of Arkansas. I work with ladies from 3 to 80 years old, doing makeup and skin care consultations. I love to empower women while assisting them to be confident in any role or stage of their lives. Since being retired, I also have more time to support the charities that I believe in wholeheartedly, such as CARTI, the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Foundation and Humane Society of Pulaski County. I am also serving at my church, Immanuel Baptist Church Little Rock, in their preschool program. My goal is to leave a positive legacy for the women I meet and work with, encouraging others to reach their full potential in life and be the best versions of themselves.

Stephanie Throckmorton-Duty Makeup Artist/Owner, Faces by Stephanie

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HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? This is a learned skill that will keep you well-balanced. Divide your life activities into columns on a page, for example: work,family and friends, church, charities, personal hobbies, and rest and relaxation. Then consider how much time you need for each of your personal categories, write it down, and follow it. I do this quarterly. Once you have completed this for one year, look back and see the patterns of your life. This plan will help you stay happy, healthy and balanced. As my grandmother always said, “Once you make the sauce, the rest is easy.” IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? To name a few: Julia Watt, Sheryl Porter, Karen Holderfield and Caitlyn Cook, who are all of various generations and backgrounds. They all are great friends, mentors and inspirational figures in my life.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

KARIL GREESON

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

DEBBIE GROOMS

Arkansas Enterprise for the Developmentally Disabled Auxiliary Board

JANET HARRIS

Executive Director and CEO Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Janet Harris serves as the executive director and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain, a nonprofit convenor that continues former Arkansas Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller’s collaborative approach to creating transformational change. Harris was chosen to lead the institute in 2022 and has been with the organization since 2016, when she was tapped to help build the institute’s programs and bring clarity to the organization’s mission and method. Her achievements include aligning institute operations to the mission, building staff capacity in professional meeting design, facilitating impactful dialogue and deliberation and creating educational programs that draw on Winthrop Rockefeller’s legacy, including the Institute’s Walks with the Governor workshop. Harris speaks to groups frequently on the history and legacy of the former governor, telling his story to inspire leadership growth in others. Harris earned her bachelor’s degree while playing varsity basketball for the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. While working full-time, she completed her Master of Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She went on to work for the city of Little Rock and serve in senior leadership roles in three state executive offices, including eight years as Arkansas deputy secretary of state.

KELLI HEATHMAN

West Director, Corporate Accounts and Strategic Partners BeiGene Pharmaceuticals USA Kelli Heathman is the west director of corporate accounts and strategic partners for BeiGene Pharmaceuticals USA, a global firm that focuses on products and services catering to oncology patients worldwide. In this role, Heathman leads a team of corporate account directors working on market access issues and business development. Heathman has more than 23 years of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry, primarily in sales leadership and market access. Her market access experience is wide-ranging and consists of oral and IV oncolytics, specialty pharmacy in community and hospital settings, reimbursement, regional payers, 340b and group-policyobject management. In 2022, Heathman served as the industry co-chair for the D EC E M B ER 2 02 3

National Community Oncology Dispensing Association’s Oncology Institute. During the conference, Heathman participated on a speaker panel discussing the business of oncology. Originally from High Point, N.C., Heathman obtained her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is also an avid competitor in protection sports with her Belgian Malonois, Koning. In 2021, Koning earned his protection dog certification, and the pair earned its Level 1 Protection Sport Association title in 2022, placing second overall in the competition.

SARAH HECK WACO Title

LEXANNE HORTON CFO Ritter Communications

Lexanne Horton is the chief financial officer of Jonesboro’s Ritter Communications, the largest privately held telecommunications provider serving exclusively the mid-South. Ritter Communications offers world-class broadband fiber, telecom, video, cloud and data-center services. Horton oversees accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury management, billing, risk management and purchasing. She also serves as treasurer for the board of directors of the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas, an organization that provides hunger relief to people in need in the region. She has served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Jonesboro, as treasurer for the board of Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas and as Court Appointed Special Advocates board president for the 2nd Judicial District. She holds an MBA from Union University in Tennessee as well as a BBA in accounting from the University of Memphis. in Tennessee Prior to joining Ritter, she spent 24 years in the health care industry and started her career with Deloitte.

KANDI HUGHES

Senior Corporate Counsel Midcontinent Independent System Operator

Kandi Hughes is senior corporate counsel at Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which is headquartered in Indiana. With 15-plus years of legal practice, Hughes joined MISO after serving as a corporate counsel at Southwest Power Pool. Kandi is the former associate general counsel at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and assistant city attorney for the City of Little Rock. Her primary areas of focus are corporate transactional matters. Hughes also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she teaches Lawyering Skills I and Advanced Contract Drafting. She received her B.A. in Public Policy from Duke University in North Carolina, a J.D. from the Bowen School of Law and an MBA with a concentration in business administra90

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POWER WOMEN

Casey Willis

Chief Operating Officer, National Park Medical Center WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I never (ever) approach something with anything other than success in mind. I honestly have never considered failure as an option in any situation, whether personal or professional. This may have led to me being a bit cautious when I was younger, but now I realize that drive and ambition are very powerful tools.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love that I can see the reflection of my work in my community. I love the smaller-town health care system because it is so personal to me. I know and love the people that we treat in our hospitals because they are my family, neighbors and friends. That makes me proud, and it also keeps me accountable. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary with my high-school sweetheart, and we have three wonderful children that I am so proud of. I love my kids so much, and all three are headstrong and ambitious. I am thankful that my career path has given me the ability to instill a strong work ethic and a strong sense of responsibility in them. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I find a lot of who I am is wrapped up in my work, and I am not the kind of person that really ever “turns it off.” That said, I do spend a lot of time outside, hiking, running and enjoying nature with friends and family, and just “being there,” wherever I am.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? I reread Wuthering Heights every year, and that is actually what I am doing now. It is my favorite book.

POWER WOMEN

Lexanne Horton Chief Financial Officer, Ritter Communications

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Persistence can often overcome expertise or education. Keep pushing, despite obstacles, and keep learning from others. Tap into the individual talents on your team to leverage them for great accomplishments together. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I excelled in math and enjoyed numbers, so accounting was a natural fit for me. Opportunities I had in operations really helped to elevate me to executive roles. Ritter Communications has always had the reputation of a great place to work, so I pursued a role with them in 2015, and have loved every minute.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? The people I work with believe in the mission of providing fiber internet to unserved and underserved areas, and that just energizes us to work harder toward a common goal.

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Shortly after my promotion to CFO, two of our school-aged grandchildren suddenly came to live with us permanently. Becoming a full-time parent all over again, while taking on added work responsibility was extremely difficult. I am thankful for the support I have received from work, family and friends. Drug and alcohol addiction, and the abuse that often accompanies it, affects too many families and can be hard to overcome, whether you are an addict or a family member who loves them.

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POWER WOMEN

Megan Williams

Vice President of Chapter Development ,

Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? This was actually my first career job out of college. While I didn’t have association experience, my boss, Bill Roachell, took a chance on me because I had a certain set of skills that would help grow our organization. He was willing to teach me in the areas I was not experienced in, and it’s because of him that I had the chance to thrive in the association world. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love that every day is different and I have my hand in a dozen aspects of our association. We all wear many hats, and it keeps things interesting. Plus, I love helping people find the resources they need and cultivating meaningful relationships.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Coordinating the youth programs we offer to teach kids about the construction industry is what I’m most proud of. It allows our members to showcase their skills and the type of work they do while also shedding light on fantastic career opportunities for young people and their families. It’s taken a lot of time and communication to create relationships with local families and a lot of coordination with our dedicated members to make this happen, and the feedback we’ve received has made it all worth it. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? In a nonprofit, everyone has a lot on their plate, and as our organization has grown, so have our to-do lists. Sometimes it’s hard to accomplish all we need to in the time we have to do it. Our motto is, “Somehow it will all get done.” We work together, play to our strengths, and 99 percent of the time, we are proud of the results.

Allison McDaniel

POWER WOMAN 2023

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WWW.SIGNATURE.BANK 877.888.8550

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POWER WOMEN

Christie Owen, LPC Chief Clinical Officer, Birch Tree Communities WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Always be curious, don’t be afraid to take chances, and surround yourself with people who encourage your success. Also, never quit learning.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I was a pre-med major in college at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and heard about a part-time job with a flexible schedule working with people with serious and persistent mental illness. I didn’t know exactly what I would be doing, but I applied because it worked with my school schedule. Little did I know that it would change the course of my life and career. I began working as a mental health paraprofessional and fell in love with the philosophy of Birch Tree Communities and working with its members. That was in 1997. I changed my major and went on to get my master’s in counseling, which led me to where I am today.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Be tenacious. Don’t give up on yourself or your goals. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Professionally, I’m proud of working my way up through a company from an entry-level position. I believe it improves my effectiveness as a leader to have worked in so many different capacities within our organization. I hope it inspires others within Birch Tree Communities to want to grow within our organization and advance their careers.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I’m not sure there is such a thing as work-life balance. My husband, Chris, and I both work at Birch Tree Communities and have three children who are all involved in sports and extracurricular activities. I honestly couldn’t do this without him. He does 90 percent of the cooking and is the scheduler of the family. Due to the nature of the population that we serve, work takes priority at times. Luckily, we are blessed to work for a company that values family, offers flexibility and encourages self-care.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I am kind of a nerd when it comes to reading. I read a lot of research articles on mental illness and schizophrenia. If I am reading a book or watching a show, it will usually be something sci-fi or fantasy. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters,” by Claire Cook. Life doesn’t always work out exactly how you planned it, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work out. That’s when you pivot, change your perspective and move forward with a new plan.

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POWER WOMEN 2023 tion and management from UCA. Hughes is president-elect of Arkansas Women in Power; president of the American Association of Blacks in Energy Arkansas Chapter; a member of the National Black MBA Association; and Corporate Counsel Women of Color. She is currently serving a four-year term on the U.S Commission on Civil Rights Arkansas Advisory Committee and has been a commissioner on the Central Arkansas Water Board of Commission since 2016. Kandi is a member of the Duke University Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee, a Junior League of Little Rock sustainer, and immediate past chair of the Leadership Foundation for Women. She is the recipient of the Irma Hunter Brown Women’s Leadership Award awarded by the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus and was named the Little Rock Regional Chamber’s Outstanding Young Professional of the Year for 2022.

GRETA ISHMAEL

Pharmacist and Owner Econo-Med Pharmacy

Dr. Greta Ishmael is pharmacist and owner of Econo-Med Pharmacy, which has locations in Cherokee Village and Walnut Ridge. Most days, she can be found working as the pharmacist in charge at the Cherokee Village location. She received her Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2009 and her Doctor of Pharmacy from Harding University College of Pharmacy in Searcy in 2013. After graduating, she returned to her hometown to work for her father, Frank Schmidt, at the family pharmacy. In 2015, she bought the pharmacy when he retired. In 2017, the second location was opened in Walnut Ridge. Ishmael served on the Arkansas Pharmacists Association board and has played an active role in pharmacy benefit manager reform in Arkansas. She was also very active in the implementation of COVID-19 vaccines, point of care testing and monoclonal antibody therapies in northeast Arkansas. Ishmael and her husband, Eddie, who is a Realtor, own two property-investment companies. She is also part owner of the Pharmacists Relief Network, a pharmacy-pharmacist match company that helps independent pharmacies find pharmacists.

Jimenez’s expertise extends to the realm of health policy, with a specific focus on addressing the health care workforce challenges faced by rural communities. She is also an advocate for medically underserved populations. She is a Costin Scholar for medical education and is in the final stages of completing her Master’s degree in health professions education.

JENNIFER JOHNSON

Lead Project Manager Assistant/Office Manager C.R. Crawford Construction

Jennifer Johnson has been an invaluable asset to C.R. Crawford for more than a decade, leveraging her extensive company and construction knowledge to benefit CRCC clients and employees. She began her career with the company as an estimating assistant. Her dedication and expertise propelled her into the role of project manager assistant. Today, she holds the pivotal position of lead project manager assistant. Johnson brings an unwavering commitment to detail, being thorough in her processes while quickly and accurately responding to the needs of both employees and clients. She has a comprehensive understanding of project intricacies, including schedules, budgets, contracts, and coordination with subcontractors — essential elements in the successful execution of every C.R. Crawford project. Johnson ensures that the office operations run with equal swiftness and precision. Her competence and dedication have led to a continuous expansion of her role and responsibilities, earning her the well-deserved title of office manager and the respect of colleagues within the company. Her contributions to C.R. Crawford are synonymous with excellence and proficiency, making her an invaluable member of the team.

HEATHER JONES Bank of America

JENNIFER JONES Stilo HeadSpa

MARLO JACKSON

VICKEY KIRKEMIER

SHANNON JIMENEZ

KAREN KITCHENS

Shannon Jimenez, D.O., has more than 25 years of dedicated experience as a family physician. Prior to joining Arkansas Colleges of Health Education as dean of Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith in 2023, she spent 20 years running her own family practice in North Carolina. She has played a pivotal role in establishing medical programs at Campbell University in North Carolina and Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Karen Kitchens is a career commercial banker with 26 years of experiences who currently serves as vice president in the emerging middle market and specialized industries group at JPMorgan Chase & Co., supporting the expansion of the bank into Arkansas. In her role as a commercial banker, she helps middle market companies overcome challenges by working to understand the intricacies of their unique industries and businesses

Jacksonville Community Center Dean Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

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Superior Health and Rehab Vice President, Emerging Middle Market and Specialized Industries JPMorgan Chase & Co.

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POWER WOMEN

Beverly Roberson Controller, Principal Accounting Officer, Garver

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love the culture that Garver fosters. Garver is consistently recognized as a best firm to work for and provides a collaborative work environment that encourages teamwork, innovation, and excellence. I am passionate about giving back to the community in which I live and work, and Garver supports that commitment through our philanthropic program, GarverGives. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Adapting to the rapid growth of our firm while maintaining its culture and values. As a leader, I’ve had to navigate how to embrace the core principles that define who we are as we undergo exponential growth.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? My mom. Working as a full-time nurse while raising four children, my mom was the epitome of dedication and hard work. She taught us to be compassionate, resilient, and kind to others. She demonstrated the importance of being present, having fun, and chasing your dreams. Above all else, she reminded us to be prayerful and faithful. I am forever grateful for her wisdom and guidance. WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? The Empathy Advantage by Heather McGowan and Chris Shipley. This book is a map to the treasure at the heart of your work as a leader: your people. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “Carpe diem.”

Congratulations to

Jill Mcdonald named one of

WE BELIEVE

in leadership

on being

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023

KUDOS, MEREDITH! AMP, 2023 POWER WOMEN

Meredith Lowry

Intellectual Property Enforcement & Litigation Woman-Run Publicity Rights Technology & Privacy

Best Bakery • Best Breakfast • Best Dessert • Restaurant 14710 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock 501-412-4244 chefs@thecroissanterielr.com

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POWER WOMEN

Deana McCormack Marketing Director, Celebrity Attractions (Broadway Presenter)

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? While attending graduate school at TU [the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma], I read an article about a man named Larry Payton, who presented Broadway. He had worked in collegiate programming, loved Jesus and had hired an old dancer (like myself ). I picked up the phone and told him that I wanted to work for him. That was in 1992, and I’m still here. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Making people happy. At our shows, our patrons get to laugh, cry and feel like they are part of a community.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? Lady Bird Johnson. She was a businesswoman, family woman and patriot who served our country well through tragedy and who worked tirelessly into her golden years to protect and beautify our nation’s parks and wildlands. It was a privilege to know her.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? It’s not about you — it’s what you can do to help another person and make the world a better place. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Each show has a new business plan and unique marketing plan. We may have had great success with a production, but that doesn’t mean the next one will be a hit. It’s never boring since we get to “reset” every 30 days.

POWER WOMEN

Brittney Peace

Project Manager, HP Engineering, Rogers WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? Perseverance. My degree is in nursing, so everything I have learned has been through on-the-job training. I’ve made mistakes, and there have been times in the last 15 years when I’ve thought about doing something less demanding, something easier. At that point, I have to step back and regain perspective. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? My brother started HP Engineering at the end of 2007. It was a difficult time to be starting a business, as the Great Recession and the crisis that followed were just beginning. In spite of the challenges, the company was gaining traction, and they needed team members. I joined in the spring of 2009 and began training in the field of electrical and lighting systems design.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I am proud of all the projects that we complete. Whether it’s a large sporting venue for a university or a small office tenant infill, they all serve a purpose and are deeply valuable to our customers. The buildings and spaces we design impact people’s lives daily. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE? There is a fear, especially for women, that taking time off to care for children/ family/home/self will negatively impact our employment. That’s understandable, but I think it’s getting better. The bottom line is that you should take your PTO. You wouldn’t negotiate to get your paycheck or not — use your benefits. Rely on your teammates to cover for you when you are gone, and cover your coworkers when they are at the beach too!

WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Reading The Silent Patient and The Exchange. Watching The Peripheral on Amazon.

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CONGRATULATIONS

Dr. Suzanne Yee ON BEING NAMED

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023

Dr. Yee is especially renowned for: • Breast Augmentation • Tummy Tuck • Arm Lift • BOTOX Cosmetic • Liposuction • Endoscopic Brow Lift • Facelift • Clinical Hair Restoration • Mommy Makeover • CoolSculpting Elite Dr. Suzanne Yee is one of the Natural State’s most accomplished cosmetic surgeons. Dr. Yee graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and was ranked 1st in her graduating class. She completed her surgery internship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and her facial plastics and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the University of Texas at Houston. Dr. Yee has been serving the state of Arkansas through her medical skills and fashion sensibilities at her cosmetic and laser surgery center since 2003. Congratulations to Dr. Suzanne Yee for being named AY About You’s Best Cosmetic Surgeon in Best Of 2023!

12600 CANTRELL RD. • STE 100 • LITTLE ROCK 501.224.1044 • DRSUZANNEYEE.COM

POWER WOMEN 2023 to outline tailored solutions to help them achieve their goals. Since moving home to Arkansas in 2015, Kitchens has been involved in the Hot Springs community serving as finance chair for the executive board of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and the treasurer for the board of Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership and Oaklawn Rotary of Hot Springs, where she was named the 2022 Rotarian of the Year after serving as the club president. In addition to her banking career and community service, Kitchens also owns and operates a small thoroughbred horse boarding facility in Hot Springs and is a U.S. Masters Swimming adult swim instructor. She has an MBA from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a B.A. in psychology from Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

JENNIFER LESTER Chief Operating Officer Moses Tucker Partners

Jennifer Lester serves as the chief operating officer for Moses Tucker Partners in Little Rock and brings more than 20 years of experience to the team. She is a University of Central Arkansas in Conway graduate and has her certified property manager and real property administrator designations. She is also a past president of the southwest region of Building Owners and Managers Association and BOMA Greater Little Rock and currently serves as each group’s treasurer.

CARMELLA KNOERNSCHILD, DDS Dr. K Orthodontist

TONI LINDSEY

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/AIA

KIM KOCH

Insight Engineering

MONICA LO, M.D.

Arkansas Heart Hospital

HEATHER LARKIN

President and CEO Arkansas Community Foundation

MEREDITH LOWRY

Partner Wright Lindsey Jennings

Heather Larkin joined Arkansas Community Foundation in 1998 and became its president and CEO in 2008. Heather has seen the foundation through monumental asset and grant-making growth to where the foundation is now the largest grant maker in the state by the number of grants made annually. In 2022, Heather was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Arkansas Women’s Commission and was named Woman of the Year in Philanthropy in Little Rock by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas. She was also named a scholar in residence at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy for exemplary contributions in the field of community philanthropy. She attended Hendrix College in Conway, graduated with distinction in economics and business and went to work for Ernst & Young, where she became a certified public accountant. She returned to the academic arena and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she served as survey/comments editor for the law journal. Larkin has served on the boards of Just Communities of Arkansas, the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Foundation, Rotary Club 99 and ACANSA Arts Festival in North Little Rock. She was inducted into the Hendrix Athletic Hall of Honor in 2007.

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Meredith Lowry, a partner in Wright Lindsey Jennings’ Rogers office, advises businesses on intellectual property concerns and data privacy and security matters. As a registered patent attorney, Lowry assists a variety of inventors, from individual entrepreneurs, to large companies in their efforts to obtain patent, trademark and copyright protection. She also helps defend against allegations of infringement and assists in the transfer and licensing of intellectual property rights. She is also a certified privacy professional, counseling businesses on regulatory issues relating to consumer and financial data privacy, data security and artificial intelligence. She is a frequent speaker and author in the tech and startup space, and spearheaded WLJ’s Woman-Run initiative to support womanand minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs through networking, mentorship, education and resources. Lowry was recently named by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas one of the Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas and was awarded the 2023 Entrepreneurship in the Arts Award by TheatreSquared. In 2021, she was honored by the northwest Arkansas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as Volunteer of the Year for the work she has done in the community to champion local nonprofits. She is an active supporter of the arts and technology communities in the nothwest Arkansas region through her involvement with TheatreSquared and the Scott Family Amazeum, among many other organizations.

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POWER WOMEN

Lara Blume McGee Founder, ALS In Wonderland Foundation/CEO, Team Up World Sports Non Profit Management WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I embrace all of my failures. Failure is often a stepping stone to success. Embrace setbacks, analyze them, and use the lessons learned to improve and move forward.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? Since I was a young girl, I have always had a natural ability to lead, envision and bring people together for the greater good. Networking was crucial to building a strong professional network in the nonprofit sector. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Sense of purpose and the positive impact that we make. One of the most rewarding aspects of working in the nonprofit world is the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of individuals. Knowing that your work is contributing to positive change is incredibly fulfilling and motivating.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Cultivate resilience. Your career journey may have ups and downs. It’s important to develop resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, learn from failures and maintain a positive mindset. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Assisting my husband, Dr. Brian McGee, with the opening of his practice, Digestive Care of West Little Rock. This collaboration and teamwork has strengthened our bond as a couple. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? I set clear boundaries between specific work time and personal time. I delegate my time wisely. I engage in weekly and daily self care routines and activities

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Being a woman in the male-dominated sports world. I challenged stereotypes and biases. I had to educate others about gender equality. I always remember that I am not only advocating for myself, but for other women. I hope to always create inclusive and equitable work environments.

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IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I come from a long line of strong women: Elizabeth Blume Silverstein, who graduated from law school in 1911 when women were not even able to vote; Dr. Susan Williams, neuropsychologist; and my beautiful mother, Jean Blume, R.N. WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

STEPHANIE MALONE

CEO Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association

Stephanie Malone grew up in Rogers, where she graduated from high school in 1996. She earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2000. After college, she moved to Fort Smith, where she started a career in communications with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Malone was named marketing director for the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority.

During her tenure at Chaffee, Malone was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives and served three terms. As a member of the House, she served as chairman of the Committee on Children Aging and Youth, chaired the House Select Committee on Rules and served as an assistant Speaker Pro Tempore. In 2015, Malone moved to central Arkansas, where started a new career in political advocacy, including stints with AETN, Community Health Centers of Arkansas and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. In 2020, Malone was named CEO of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association.

JANELL MASON

CEO Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana

Janell Mason serves as the chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana. She oversees all programs and fundraising for the 42-year-old nonprofit. Since Mason joined the team in 2015, the organization has been recognized for its impact and as an outstanding nonprofit by local, state and national organizations. She oversaw the opening of the new, 32,000-square-foot Ronald McDonald House facility in Little Rock in 2016, followed by the opening of the Ronald McDonald Family Room on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences NICU floor in 2020. The nonprofit’s annual budget increased from $1.1 million in 2015 to $2.5 million in 2023 and will further expand again in 2024. Mason has worked with the board and her leadership team to develop a comprehensive, longterm strategy to ensure enrichment of care for families of seriously ill children while building capacity for program expansion. During her tenure the organization’s program territory has doubled to include all of south Arkansas and north Louisiana as well as a few counties in northeast Texas and southeast Oklahoma. With this expansion, the charity’s name has changed to reflect the program territory more accurately. Currently, three new programs are in varying stages of development in central Arkansas and north Louisiana. In 2008, Mason was initially recruited to chair the organization’s signature fundraiser, Chocolate Fantasy Ball, and was asked to join its board in 2009. As a board member between 2009 and 2015, she chaired the development committee and the organiza-

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tion’s $9 million capital campaign to build the current Ronald McDonald House. In late 2015, she was asked to serve as interim executive director, hired as executive director at year end and promoted to chief executive officer in 2021.

ESPERANZA MASSANA-CRANE

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

JENNIFER MAUNE

MasterChef finalist, certified chef, lifestyle blogger, interior decorator

DEANA MCCORMICK Marketing Director Celebrity Attractions

Deana McCormack, marketing director for Celebrity Attractions in Little Rock, is an experienced marketing professional whose specialty lies within the entertainment industry. Celebrity Attractions is a presenter and producer of national tours and handles the marketing for events across the midwest and southwest. A native Arkansan, McCormack earned her bachelor’s degree in French and literature from the University of Arkansas in Arkansas and pursued graduate studies at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. In 1992, McCormack joined Celebrity Attractions at its Tulsa office before moving to the Little Rock office in 2000. Celebrity Attractions is focused on bringing the best Broadway performances and more to Little Rock, and McCormack works diligently to bring awareness of these exciting theater opportunities to the public. In the business of bringing lasting memories to all who attend, McCormack is a passionate leader in her career field. In addition to her work with Celebrity Attractions, McCormack is the co-owner of Sanders Services with her husband, John, and has served as a board member for both the Arkansas Zoological Foundation and Ballet Arkansas and served as a volunteer with several other local organizations.

ALLISON MCDANIEL

Vice President and Business Development Officer Signature Bank of Arkansas-Jonesboro

Allison McDaniel is a born and raised Arkansan who has called Jonesboro home for the past 15 years. A Pocahontas native, McDaniel serves as vice president and business development officer for Signature Bank of Arkansas in Jonesboro. McDaniel is a founding member of Signature’s team in Jonesboro and has been a driving force behind their success in expanding to northeast Arkansas. Prior to her career in banking, she worked at KAIT-TV for nearly a decade, working her way up the ranks from camera operator to 10 p.m. news anchor. McDaniel became a respected voice for the community, winning an Emmy for her reporting on severe flooding in Jonesboro, as well as multiple Arkansas Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards for stories on the northeast

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Sonya Schmidt Murphy CEO, Camp Aldersgate

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I strive to be authentic and align with missions I am passionate about. I couple enthusiasm with a desire for excellence and doing the best right thing, even if it is difficult.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I began as a nonprofit volunteer leader in my community of Magnolia, serving on various boards and committees. I absolutely loved working with people who brought a diverse set of talents. I loved it so much that I was compelled to join the nonprofit profession as an executive leader. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Build a network of mentors and supporters who believe in you even more than you do. Conversely, pay attention to your critics. They can be some of your best teachers, while also motivating you to prove yourself.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I’ve had the opportunity to take a blank canvas and build something meaningful and innovative, sometimes in the face of great challenges. I love to build, whether it be teams, programs or board development, and taking it to the next level. Most recently, I am proud of the work we have accomplished at Camp Aldersgate with the expansion of the services provided to individuals with special needs. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? Linda Watson Schmidt, my mother. She always puts others first by empowering them to find their light and shine it brightly, whether that be in her family or her work in public education.

POWER WOMEN

Janell Mason

CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas & North Louisiana HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I retired from my career in managed health care in 2003 and started volunteering with nonprofits where I felt I could make a difference. In 2008, I was asked to chair the Chocolate Fantasy Ball and join the Ronald McDonald House board. Fast forward to 2012, I was recruited to serve as the capital campaign chair to raise $9 million to build our current 32-bedroom house, and, three years later, I was chosen to become the organization’s leader.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love getting to know the families who stay at Ronald McDonald House. Most are far from home and share the story of their child’s illness and daily progress in the hospital. We help them ring the Good News Bell on good days and hold them close when they need support. Getting to see the sense of relief on their faces after they experience what donors have made possible at the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock is so rewarding. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I am most proud of our territory expansion and the new programs we have in development in Arkansas and north Louisiana. Nothing rivals being part of the global reach and compassionate care of Ronald McDonald House Charities. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I’m in awe of the resilience of the moms staying with us, who are dealing with their child’s critical illness and hanging by a thread. Somehow, they manage to keep themselves together without losing their spirit while maintaining their family. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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POWER WOMEN 2023 Arkansas community. McDaniel proudly serves her community through multiple nonprofit organizations, including volunteering with the United Way of NEA, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, working with the American Cancer Society (who recognized her as Honoree of the Year and a Top 5 individual fundraiser in 2022) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the 2nd Judicial District, where she currently serves as board president.

JILL MCDONALD

Executive Chef and Co-owner The Croissanterie/Buttery Concepts

Jill McDonald is an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef and the co-owner of The Croissanterie in west Little Rock. In 2019, alongside her co-chef Wendy Schay, McDonald began selling authentic French croissants and bread at local farmer’s markets, paving the way for a food truck in 2020. By March 2022, the pair had opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant. A second location is set to open in downtown Little Rock the summer of 2024. Beyond its regular offerings, The Croissanterie caters to all occasions and crafts custom cakes. Monthly, the restaurant transforms into an exclusive Chef Driven Supper Club, inviting patrons to savor unique culinary experiences. Prior to The Croissanterie, McDonald served as director of catering for the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College in Little Rock and was an adjunct instructor at the UAPTC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute. Her 25-year culinary journey spans local mom-and-pop establishments to multi-million-dollar corporate restaurants and private catering. Her team prioritizes local foods, brands and community action, fostering an evolving industry, workforce and food scene in central Arkansas. Its commitment to customer service and community has earned The Croissanterie several prestigious awards. The Croissanterie’s overarching goal is to continually learn, grow and maintain a people-focused and forward-looking approach.

LARA BLUME MCGEE Executive Director ALS in Wonderland

Little Rock native Lara Blume McGee began her career in philanthropy at a very young age. Her parents served as role models who fed and provided work opportunities to the homeless in the area now known as East Village in Little Rock. Occasionally, they would even bring people home for a warm meal and bed. These values were instilled in her from a young age. McGee modeled professionally from 1994 to the early 2000’s with Elite Model Management in Miami and New York. In 2001, she met former NFL player Keith Mitchell and his famed agent, Leigh Steinberg, who helped her start a nonprofit management company called Team Up World based in Newport Beach, Calif. This company assisted proD EC E M B ER 2 02 3

fessional athletes develop, market and manage their own nonprofits. In 2012, McGee moved back to Little Rock to be close to her father, Richard Blume, who was battling ALS. She and her father founded the ALS In Wonderland Foundation, which assists those living with ALS in Arkansas. Its mission is to offer financial assistance, advocacy and education to families dealing with ALS. Since Richard Blume passed away in 2015, ALS In Wonderland has made more than $550,000 in financial grants. Her latest venture is the opening of husband Brian McGee’s new medical practice, Digestive Care of west Little Rock.

ROSE MEYERS

Corporate Operations Trainer Sissy’s Log Cabin Rose Meyers is a corporate operations trainer for Pine Bluff-based Sissy’s Log Cabin and has more than three decades of executive management, business development, consultant, strategic planning and operational management experience in the jewelry industry. As a business leader, Meyers is credited with successful company expansion nationwide. She is passionate about what she does, always moving forward, setting new goals and learning new things. Over the course of her career, Meyers has developed teams and promoted countless leaders, and some have gone on to become CEOs of their own companies. She attended 12 different schools by the time she was a senior in high school and believes this was a blessing that allowed her to acclimate to new places, approach people from all walks of life, and influence those around her. Throughout her varied professional experiences, Meyers has made contributions to advancing women in leadership roles. Her impact is evident, from her time in past roles managing operations for more than 700 stores to her role as a general manager in a small community setting. Reflecting on her career, Meyers expressed that working for Sissy’s Log Cabin — a business established by the tenacious Sissy Jones — has been a highlight and a fulfilling experience.

SONYA SCHMIDT MURPHY CEO Camp Aldersgate

Sonya Schmidt Murphy has served as the chief executive officer of Little Rock’s Camp Aldersgate, a nonprofit that creates life-changing experiences for individuals with special needs, since 2016. She has spent most of her career in nonprofit management including serving as president of St. Vincent Hospital Foundation and executive director of Economics Arkansas. She also has 10 years of experience in banking specializing in marketing, business development and private banking. Murphy is dedicated to the betterment of central Arkansas and 102

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POWER WOMEN

Jessica Cannon, D.O. Physician/Owner, Hot Springs Pediatric Clinic

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I have always been drawn to science, and medicine was the natural pathway, given my penchant for problem solving. I didn’t take the traditional route — choosing to go into the U.S. Navy and work in biomedical research first — but it allowed me to make my ultimate career decision more informed. From there, pediatrics was an easy choice. I tell my students that the beauty of pediatrics is that you have to use all your deductive skills to figure out what’s wrong in a patient who cannot usually tell you all the answers. There is never a dull moment. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Becoming a small-business owner has been a dream come true. Earlier this year, the clinic was chosen as the 2022 Small Business of the Year by the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. The clinic was also chosen as one of only a handful in the state to pilot an early-intervention program, HealthySteps, that is now slated to become a statewide initiative. I’ve helped develop clinical pathways for other providers in the state through my work with the Arkansas Children’s Care Network, which is the nation’s first statewide pediatric clinically integrated network. All of this wouldn’t be possible if I hadn’t been given the opportunity to use my skills outside of just seeing patients.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING RIGHT NOW? My husband and I have been watching Welcome to Wrexham about a Welsh soccer club trying to get promoted to a higher tier. It’s incredibly inspiring and funny. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “I never lose. I either win, or I learn,” — Nelson Mandela

POWER WOMEN

Emily Gray Franchise Partner, Chicken Salad Chick

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? It’s the people, especially the people of Arkansas, who are so loving, loyal and genuine. I also love the ability to empower amazing individuals to create better lives for themselves. We have 60 to 70 team members and leaders across three stores, and my goal is for them to love coming to work as much as I do. We also have so many caring individuals who work with us, and I love helping them plan fundraisers at our stores and other ways to give back to our community. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Work for the job you want. Your habits now will be even stronger in five, 10 or 15 years, so apply yourself today. Plan, execute, evaluate and make another plan. Take on as many experiences as you can. Do not neglect spending time on professional and personal relationships.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? The Benton Chicken Salad Chick was awarded the 2021 Spirit of the Chick Award at the Chicken Salad Chick Conference in Atlanta. We had done several community fundraisers and established a highly inclusive team. It was so much fun to celebrate this passion with my team. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? Stacy Brown, our founder, is an absolute inspiration in every sense of the word. Since starting Chicken Salad Chick, establishing the Chicken Salad Chick Foundation and raising her family, she has also embarked on an entirely new endeavor, Botanic in Opelika, Ala. She has such a servant’s heart, creates bigger than many of us could ever dream of and is a true friend to so many. I want to be her when I grow up. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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Stephanie Malone CEO, Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I am very lucky to have an amazing team. We all love our jobs and have an outstanding membership. We are fortunate to serve such an incredible group of professionals. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love getting to work with all of our members from across the state. It’s exciting to be a part of a group that serves as a voice for so many Arkansans.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Being named as a chairman of two influential committees while being in the minority party. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? I was a single young female, and there really weren’t any women close to my age when I was serving in the legislature. I was once asked to leave a committee table because they thought I was someone’s daughter. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? My mother, “the Debs.” She is truly one of the strongest women I know. For years now, I have watched her advocate for early childhood development in Arkansas. She has made so many positive contributions and I hope to accomplish half of what she has.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

POWER WOMEN

Faviola Alba

Senior Vice President, Community Lending Manager NMLS #1381831 Arvest Bank HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? When I was a 10-year-old girl helping my mother with our family banking needs in Mexico, my career dream was to work in the baking industry. I started banking as a part-time teller, and I learned additional skills by helping the Latino community in retail banking. It allowed me to expand my career from branch management to specialize in consumer, residential and business lending. WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? The most rewarding part of my job is the ability to help customers and business owners improve their financial situation, empower others to make informed decisions and offer support to associates expanding their careers in banking.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? My proudest accomplishment is returning to college to pursue a degree, working towards my bachelor’s (first generation) and becoming an inspiration to my daughters, who both graduated early from college. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Coming from an immigrant family, I learned at an early age that life is a journey, and the sooner we adapt to the situation, the sooner we’ll be able to respond to it with an open mind.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? Several women in my life have inspired me, both professionally and personally. I start with my mom, who has consistently demonstrated servant leadership, genuine kindness, keeping the faith and making the best of what you have.

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POWER WOMEN 2023 has served on several committees and boards, including those of Arkansas Children’s Foundation, Circle of Friends, Arkansas Repertory Theatre (where she served as secretary, on the executive committee and as co-chair of its 2016 gala), and Leadership Greater Little Rock. She is past president of the Rotary Club of Little Rock and has been an active member since 1999. She served on the board for several years and has served as secretary, membership chair, program chair and as a member of the Centennial Campaign cabinet. She served as assistant governor of Rotary District 6150. She was a member and vice president of marketing of the Junior League of Little Rock. She is a sustaining member of JLLR and past president of the sustainer board of directors, as well as program chair of the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum, for which she will serve as president in 2024.

CRESHELLE NASH

Medical Director for Health Equity and Public Programs Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield Creshelle R. Nash, M.D., MPH, CHIE, is the medical director for health equity and public programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. In this role, Nash provides leadership for developing, implementing and evaluating health equity initiatives to help create a more inclusive and non-discriminatory health care system throughout Arkansas. She provides oversight and guidance on public programs and products to improve health equity for all Arkansans. Nash is passionate about addressing health disparities in Arkansas’ most vulnerable communities and takes action as a leader throughout the state. In addition to her role at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nash is adjunct faculty in the department of health policy and management at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health in Little Rock, where she is also the co-director of the Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Service Learning Course. Prior to her work with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nash served as the medical director for the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, where she developed and implemented community outreach and advocacy programs and partnerships. She also practiced primary care internal medicine for 15 years in the department of general internal medicine at UAMS, mentored students and faculty, and engaged in health-disparity research and advocacy efforts. A native Arkansan, Nash completed medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and served her residency in the primary care internal medicine residency training program at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She received a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and completed a fellowship in minority health policy fromHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

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SHANNON NEWTON

President Arkansas Trucking Association Shannon Newton is the president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. She has been with ATA since 2003. During her tenure, Newton has filled a range of roles in the development and implementation of initiatives that include strategic planning, finance, member services, governance and public and government relations. In 2018, she was recognized by the American Trucking Associations with the President’s Trucking Association Executives Council Leadership Award for her regional and national advocacy efforts. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson tapped Newton for various transportation posts, including his working group on highway funding in 2019, the Arkansas Economic Recovery Task Force in 2020 and the Council on Future Mobility in 2022. Newton served as chair of the Vote for Roads committee that successfully campaigned to pass a half-cent sales tax in November 2020. More recently, Newton served on Gov. Sarah Sanders’ working group to prevent human trafficking in Arkansas. Newton currently serves as chair of the Trucking Associations Executive Council, the federation of state trucking association executives from across the country affiliated with the American Trucking Associations. Newton also serves on governing or advisory boards for the following groups: Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, Arkansas Self-Insurers Association, Be Pro Be Proud, Arkansas State University Three Rivers in Malvern, the University of Central Arkansas College of Business in Conway, and Project Zero, a nonprofit that raises awareness about adoption from foster care. In 2022, Newton was named to the Transportation Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis to provide valuable feedback on the economic conditions of the trucking industry.

MARNIE OLDNER Stone Bank

CHRISTIE OWEN, D.O. Chief Clinical Officer Birch Tree Communities

Christie Owen, D.O., was named chief clinical officer at Birch Tree Communities, which has locations across Arkansas, in February 2022. She is a licensed professional counselor and began her career with Birch Tree in 1997. Prior to becoming CCO, she served as the director of branch operations at the Hope House and Benton Town branches. Owen began her journey with Birch Tree by working as a paraprofessional on nights and weekends during her undergraduate years at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. She soon became passionate about serving the seriously mentally ill population and changed her career path. Owen 106

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POWER WOMEN

Jennifer Lester Chief Operating Officer, Moses Tucker Partners

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I’m not afraid of failure, so I am not afraid to try.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I started working for Moses Tucker Partners right out of college as a property accountant and then moved into property management and operations. After about three years, I left for almost 25 years to go manage some of the highrise buildings in downtown Little Rock. I’ve been back for two years, and I tell everyone that I started my career here and I’m going to finish my career at Moses Tucker.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A WORK-LIFE BALANCE? My husband and I love to travel and just returned from a two-week Mediterranean cruise. I try to plan at least one big trip a year for us so that we can just unwind and relax.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I’ve been fortunate in my career to have been surrounded by strong, intelligent, hard-working women. It would be hard for me to pick just one. Anne Laidlaw at State Building Authority, Melinda Martin at Plaza West Building in Little Rock, Denise Hanson at Colliers in Little Rock and Sharon Parker, who is retired from Metro Disaster Specialists in North Little Rock, are just a few of the women who continue to inspire me. Anne and Melinda are the definition of integrity, and Denise and Sharon have shown me that it’s OK to have fun as long as you work hard. WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Congratulations

Jan Zimmerman on being named one of the

ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

POWER WOMEN 2023

Jan is a part of several organizations within the community, including: • Former chairman of the Arkansas Better Business Bureau • Former president of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association • Arkansas Governor’s Mansion circle chairman • Comissioner, Arkansas Independent Citizens Commission • CARTI Executive Board • CARTI Foundation Board • Director of business development at the Stan Jones Mallard Lodge 1185 Lawrence Road 547, Alicia, AR 72410 | (870) 886-3000 | stanjonesmallardlodge.com ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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POWER WOMEN 2023 continued working at Birch Tree while she obtained her graduate degree and has worked in many different roles at the organization through the years. After receiving licensure, she became a therapist at the Benton Town branch and was later promoted to the director of branch operations. Owen was born in Fort Smith and spent her early years in Greenwood. Her family later moved, and she attended Cabot schools. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in community counseling from Henderson State University.

BRITTNEY PEACE

Project Manager HP Engineering, Rogers Brittney Peace’s deep-rooted understanding of the construction industry stems from her upbringing, shadowing her father, a seasoned contractor. Initially embarking on a nursing career, her trajectory took an unexpected turn when she joined her brother’s engineering firm in its early stages. Initially uncertain about delving into electrical design, she soon found her stride and never looked back. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for ensuring client satisfaction, Peace has established herself as a proficient project manager with a specialized background in electrical systems and lighting design. Her ability to navigate complex projects, oversee team dynamics and maintain stringent quality control has earned her a reputation for precision and efficiency. Peace’s creative prowess shines through her intricate designs of electrical distribution systems, lighting layouts and controls. She is a member of the Cherokee Nation and takes immense pride in the health projects she has spearheaded in tribal communities because her work directly contributes to providing vital access to rural and tribal areas that would otherwise be underserved. With her unwavering commitment to infusing indigenous values into her work, she actively champions the development of sustainable and community-centered projects. Her expertise in lighting specification, low-voltage and fire alarm device coordination demonstrates her comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of modern infrastructure. Peace has a lighting certification from the American Lighting Association and actively participates in the Illuminating Engineering Society.

KARA PETRO

Garland County Circuit Court Judge

ALISHA POLLUCK S&P Insurance

CHARLOTTE POTTS

Insurance Agent, Agency Owner State Farm

Charlotte Potts has operated her own State Farm insurance agency in North Little Rock since 2013. If the characteristics of a strong woman are independence, self-awareness, honesty, intelligence and passion, Charlotte Potts is certainly a power woman. Exuding grace and nurturing for her fellow human beings, Potts has imbued her State Farm business in North Little Rock with these qualities and as a result, her agency is among the top 5 percent in the country — 60 agents out of 19,000 — earning Potts and her team the coveted Chairman Circle Award. Potts graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a degree in business and started her career teaching business classes in the Little Rock School District. She switched to pharmaceutical sales, at which she worked for more than a decade, before being recruited to State Farm. Potts and her team are heavily involved in the community. The agency has a 16-foot smoker trailer that became its tornado relief cooker. For days, the team cooked burgers and bought supplies from wholesale warehouses, packing collapsible wagons and walking as far into affected Little Rock neighborhoods as possible in the aftermath of the March tornado. Everyone from residents to emergency workers to volunteers received a hot meal.

DORCAS K. PRINCE Owner Low’s Bridal

Dorcas Prince and her husband, Stan, are the owners of Low’s Bridal in Brinkley. Low’s Bridal, located in the historic and restored Great Southern Hotel building, is one of the largest bridal shops in the United States and is the go-to bridal gown destination in the South. Low’s Bridal began with Prince’s mother and six dresses in a room above the family pharmacy. Prince initially intended to become a pharmacist like her father, but she joined the other family business instead. Over four decades later, the appointment-only shop now offers more than 2,500 gowns in sizes 0 through 34 — one of the largest selections in the country — and handles about 5,000 weddings annually.

MOLLY RAWN

Experience Fayetteville

JAMIE RAYFORD

Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce

KAREN REYNOLDS

Arkansas Nurse Practitioner Association

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Jennifer Johnson Office Manager, Project Assistant C.R. Crawford Construction

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I wouldn’t say that it’s my secret, but my need for perfection has fueled my success with C.R. Crawford. I’m my worst critic and my biggest cheerleader. I was raised that if you’re going to do something, give it 100 percent — that’s what I aim to do every day.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? My daughter. She’s my world. I am able to do work I love and then go home to my family. Being able to balance out both worlds and not feel like I’m disappointing anyone is a big accomplishment, in my opinion. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? The biggest obstacle for myself has been proving that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to my area of expertise in construction. Construction has typically been a man’s world, but women are rising throughout the field.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? My mom has been my biggest “power woman.” She raised two daughters, had a full-time career and still took care of everything at home. She was never afraid to get dirty and do what had to be done, whether it was working on a vehicle, doing house repairs or sewing a button back on. She was always there to get it done. WHAT ARE YOU READING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I am an avid reader, but have recently gotten into audiobooks. My most recent listen was The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl.

POWER WOMEN

Shannon Jimenez, D.O. Family Physician; Dean, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? Funny story — I didn’t really want to be a doctor. I wanted to work at the National Institutes of Health and set policy, but I thought I had to be a doctor to do that. As I was going through my training, I developed a passion for preventing disease and keeping people out of the hospital. I did that for over 20 years. Then I started teaching and found that I loved it. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I have a passion for doing medical ministry with underserved populations, and I helped set up medical outreach for the homeless at my last two institutions. I have some students working on the same type of project here at ARCOM and look forward to serving alongside them.

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? I grew up very poor — standing-in-line-for-our-bread-and-cheese poor. I am the first person in my family to go to college, let alone medical school. I had no idea how to go to college, but I was not afraid to ask questions. I would call colleges and ask them how I could apply (this was before computers). I had to work five jobs to get through college. Those things are not easy if you do not have people around you who have done it. That is why I have a special place in my heart for first-generation students. IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? My mom got her GED diploma and then graduated from nursing school the same year I applied for medical school. She was 47 years old at the time. It is never too late. She retired at age 74 a few years ago.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

BEVERLY ROBERSON

Principal Accounting Officer and Controller Garver

Serving as the principal accounting officer and controller for Garver, an Arkansas-headquartered engineering firm, Beverly Roberson has provided expertise and financial acumen in serving the company for more than two decades. Her leadership and dedication have catapulted her through the ranks of the firm, and ultimately led to her being named partner. Over the course of her career, Roberson has demonstrated admirable devotion to empowering the next generation through both professional initiatives and community service. She’s championed multiple programs within Garver and beyond, that uplift young professionals, including the firm’s internship program and its networking program. Through the Garver Partners program, she provides financial guidance to serve DBE engineering firm partners. Additionally, she is a proud member of both the Arkansas chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar and the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance. Roberson is active in igniting an early interest in STEM education through her leadership in GarverGives, a corporate giving program with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math education, and through volunteering for Girls of Promise, which connects girls in Arkansas with women in STEM fields. She also champions AR Kids Read and Recycle Bikes for Kids.

KRISTIE ROSS Concord EPS

PAMELA BOYD SHIELDS

President Pulaski County Republican Women

Pamela Boyd Shields retired from the U.S. Navy in 2012 and moved back to Little Rock after a distinguished military career that included numerous citations and awards. She started out as a teacher in Little Rock public schools, where she taught American history and gifted education at Mabelvale Junior High and Hall High. Shields, who grew up in Jacksonville and is the daughter of military veterans, decided to enlist at age 35 as an example for her young son. She started out in the Navy Reserves and within a year was called to active duty and ultimately deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Storm. While deployed, she helped translate intercepted Iraqi messages to English. She later went to work for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. Upon returning to central Arkansas, Shields volunteered with the Pulaski County Republican Women, rose to a leadership position and helped transform the group from a “lunch group” to a group that, in her words, “actually gets out and does things.” Those things entail a host of charitable work including laying D EC E M B E R 2 02 3

wreaths at the Little Rock National Cemetery and delivering presents to veterans at the Arkansas State Veterans Home. In addition to work with the Pulaski County Republican Women, Shields is a commissioner with the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, serves as second vice president for the 2nd Congressional District of the Arkansas Republican Party’s executive board and volunteers for veterans trying to facilitate their benefits from Veterans Affairs.

LAUREN SKEEN

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Bernhard

Lauren Skeen is vice president of marketing and communications at Bernhard, the leading energy-as-a-service provider in the United States. Her journey with the company began in 2019 when she assumed the role of director of marketing for the development division. Skeen’s leadership skills propelled her to the role of vice president of marketing and communications in January 2023. From the Little Rock office, she leads a diverse and dynamic team of 10 spanning three states. With a background encompassing more than 13 years of marketing experience, including a decade in the architecture/engineering/construction industry, Skeen has used her strategic acumen to play a pivotal role in the growth of Bernhard’s brand. A graduate of Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, Skeen is currently pursuing a master’s degree in digital marketing from Wake Forest University, in North Carolina showcasing her commitment to continuous professional development. She serves as the treasurer for the Society for Marketing Professional Services Ozarks chapter, demonstrating her dedication to fostering excellence within the industry.

ADRIENNE SMITH

Adrienne Smith Design & Events

ELIZABETH SOLANO Director of Development GridLiance

Elizabeth Solano, project management professional, has more than 18 years of experience in the energy industry, where she focuses on risk and asset management, strategic planning, project management, and external affairs. Recognizing the great opportunities and challenges faced in transforming the nation’s transmission grid, she joined GridLiance, a NextEra Energy Transmission subsidiary, in April 2023. From Little Rock, she leads a team of professionals who collaborate with rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, joint action agencies and others in the central U.S to plan the grid of the future.

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Greta Ishmael Pharmacist, Owner, Econo-Med Pharmacy

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I always wanted to be a pharmacist. Watching my dad work to serve our community was one of the most rewarding parts of my childhood. I was always begging to tag along to work with him. Continuing on that path was the most natural fit for me.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Of course, I’m most proud of my family. My husband is my best friend and teammate, and we are raising some really awesome kids. We bring them along with us, and they’re learning so much about business and real estate. I hope that when they’re grown, they’re good people and are prepared to face the world. WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME? Obstacles are a daily thing in pharmacy. It could be fighting an insurance company for proper coverage for medications or negotiating prices for medications with wholesalers. There are so many challenges that pop up in pharmacy. Most of them are smaller, but they’re worth the fight every time.

IS THERE ANOTHER “POWER WOMAN” IN YOUR LIFE WHO INSPIRES YOU? I can’t just pick one power woman. I’ve been very blessed to be surrounded with powerful females in the pharmacy world. I’ve had really great teachers, mentors and colleagues that continue to inspire me.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I love real estate investors and entrepreneurs. I listen to Michael Elefante, Grant and Elena Cardone, and Codie Sanchez. I’m so fascinated by investing and growing a portfolio. I love hearing how these crazy successful people are doing it.

CONGRATULATIONS

BARBARA!

Southwest Power Pool congratulates our CEO Barbara Sugg on being named to the Arkansas Money & Politics 2023 Power Women list. Barbara’s strong leadership, vision, and passion continue to lead SPP toward an even brighter future.

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Kandi Chitman Hughes, J.D., MBA Senior Corporate Counsel, Midcontinent Independent System Operator

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? I am intentional about remaining true to myself regardless of where I work or who I work with. Being authentic and showing up exactly as I am has provided me opportunities for engagement and interaction that has created lifelong friendships.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? Being a transactional attorney for a corporate entity may sound boring to some. However, reviewing, revising and negotiating agreements that wholly impact the business is incredibly fast-paced, requires you to know a lot about a lot and allows you to interface with many parts of the business that you may not interface with if you were in another role.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Intellectual curiosity is the only path to growth. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Secondly, secure a sponsor. You should always have at least one person with decision-making authority that can speak your name and discuss your work in the rooms where you are not present. Finally, once you reach a point in your career, anchor yourself to someone that you can be a sponsor to. Always lift as you climb. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.” — Maya Angelou

POWER WOMEN

Renata Jenkins Byler Third-Generation Owner, Roller Funeral Homes

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I was born into my family’s calling. My father would come home and talk about his day. I would sit there listening and visualizing how I would care for families in this profession as he and my mom had. I consider that the start of my love for my profession.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I love people, and I love their stories. We get to help be the storytellers, laughing at the good times and crying with people in their time of sorrow. I bring people together, and at the end, I create a meaningful service that honors their life.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER? Everyone wants to have everything, and they can, but not all at the same time. You need to seek balance, and even then, someone is going to feel like they are not receiving enough of you. Seek out mentors who can offer guidance, and don’t be afraid to take risks and pursue your passions. WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I am proud of many professional accomplishments, but none of them compare to raising a strong, independent daughter who is excelling in her own passions. Seeing her become a powerful woman in her own right gives me so much pride. WHAT ARE YOU READING/WATCHING/LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Currently, I am reading through 1 and 2 Corinthians. The letters of the Apostle Paul provide comfort, guidance and encouragement, much like I strive to do in my profession. My Christian faith gives me all my strength.

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POWER WOMEN 2023

BARBARA SUGG

President and CEO Southwest Power Pool Barbara Sugg has served as president and CEO of Little Rock’s Southwest Power Pool since 2020. She previously served as SPP’s senior vice president of information technology and chief security officer. Barbara has more than 30 years of IT experience in the electric utility industry. A proud Ragin’ Cajun, she earned a B.A. in computer science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. Sugg participates in numerous industry, community and philanthropic organizations. She’s a certified executive coach and founded the Leadership Foundation for Women, a nonprofit that equips women for success, based in Little Rock.

STACEY SVENDSEN

Vice President of Operations Delta Solar Stacey Svendsen is vice president of operations at Delta Solar. She was named Arkansas Advanced Energy Association’s “Rising Star” in 2021. Her work at Delta Solar focuses on optimizing customer experience and building client relationships. A graduate of Hendrix College in Conway with degrees in economics and studio art, Svendsen is excited to be working in the rapidly growing solar energy industry. She is a member of the Arkansas Canoe Club and the Ozark Society’s Pulaski Chapter.

STEPHANIE THROCKMORTON-DUTY Makeup Artist and Owner Faces by Stephanie

Stephanie Throckmorton-Duty is a licensed aesthetician and makeup artist. She obtained a degree in fashion merchandising and has held numerous roles in the arts over her 35-year career, including as a dance instructor, fashion stylist and makeup artist. She previously worked as a national sales and regional retail manager for several cosmetics brands. Throckmorton-Duty also served as a guest host for ShopNBC, the national shopping network, for eight years, in addition to appearing regularly in makeup segments on Good Morning Arkansas. She is a former Mrs. Arkansas America and a top-10 finalist in the Mrs. United States pageant. She has a passion for pageants and was inDEC E M BER 2 02 3

ducted into the Mrs. Arkansas Hall of Fame at the 80th anniversary pageant in 2017. Throckmorton-Duty is a makeup artist, sponsor and prep committee member for Miss Arkansas, accompanying the reigning Miss Arkansas to the Miss America Pageant. In 2018, she was honored as the CARTI Festival of Fashion Style Icon. In retirement, she continues to share all she has learned with the people of Arkansas, working with women of all ages on skin care and makeup consultations.

LENORE TRAMMELL Big River Steel

KAREN TREVINO

President and CEO North Little Rock Tourism Karen Trevino, TMP, CTIS, CDTP, CCTP, is the president and CEO for North Little Rock Tourism, and has been with the organization for almost 25 years. She worked for several years as a hospitality and tourism professor at the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Institute in Little Rock as both an adjunct and full-time faculty. She has been in the hospitality and tourism industry for 40-plus years, having worked previously at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism and at the Arkansas Hospitality Association. Trevino was recently named chairman of the board for the Southeast Tourism Society and will be installed as president of Skål International USA for 2024. She is a founding member and past president of the Arkansas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. She previously served on the boards for the Argenta Community Theater, Argenta Downtown Council, Arkansas Travel Council, PTC Faculty Senate, Arkansas Festivals & Events Association, Heart of Arkansas Travel Association, Junior League of North Little Rock, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Riverfest. She received the Henry Award for Tourism Person of the Year at the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism in 2010, the Silver Cup for Tourism and the President’s Award from the Arkansas Hospitality Association, the Spirit of Skål Award and the J. Dan Baker Award from Skål International Arkansas and the State Management Award from the Arkansas Business & Professional Women’s’ Association. The Southeast Tourism Society recognized Trevino and her staff with its Tourism Office of the Year award in 2023. The Arkansas Hospitality Association inducted Trevino into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame in 2010.

SOROYA TUCKER VLS Waste Solutions

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POWER WOMEN

Bridey Beth Brumley Executive Director, Main Street El Dorado

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS? It is crucial to put in the necessary effort and avoid cutting corners. While it may seem like a shortcut at the time, it ultimately does not save any time and can lead to mistakes or missed opportunities. Additionally, sharing your knowledge with others in the workplace not only helps to build up those around you, but also makes your own job easier in the long run. By collaborating and working together, everyone can achieve greater success and reach their full potential.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN YOUR FIELD? I began as a Main Street El Dorado volunteer in 2008, wanting to meet new people and become involved in my community. Over the years, I have developed excellent organizational skills, allowing me to plan events and teach others. My natural leadership abilities were recognized early on by an elementary teacher, who advised my parents against calling me “bossy.” She said, “It’s called leadership skills.” WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I am proud to say that I live in one of the best places in Arkansas, and we love sharing our hometown with others. My motto is simple: Once you visit El Dorado, you will be planning your next trip back before you even leave. Our community is known for its friendly and supportive atmosphere. We take pride in supporting one another and building strong connections within our community. As a result, we have the pleasure of meeting and getting to know so many amazing people.

WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? My family and the life we have created together.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. WE KNOW WHERE IT IS. • Professionally Licensed Agents • Specializing in Apartments, Corporate Suites, Rental Homes and Condos • Personalized Property and City Tours Available • Facetime and Video Touring Available ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS

Congratulations

POWER WOMEN

Cathy Tuggle

2023

Tuggle Services, Inc.

A Free Service provided by Tuggle Services, Inc. A Real Estate and Relocation Service 1101 S. Bowman Rd. #A4 || Little Rock, AR 72211 || 501-219-2787 ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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POWER WOMEN 2022

CATHY TUGGLE

PAULA WEATHERLEY

Cathy Tuggle began her career in real estate 32 years ago as a leasing consultant, then moved up to assistant manager, property manager and area manager in the multi-family industry. Twenty-four years ago, Tuggle had an opportunity to become a business owner with Apartment Hunters. After one year in business, she started a company called Arkansas Suites. Together, the two businesses are under the umbrella of Tuggle Services, a real estate and relocation service. Tuggle serves as the principal broker and owner of Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites. She enjoys working with clients who are relocating to the metropolitan area. She currently serves as the chair for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Advisory Board and the Commercial Real Estate Council of Metro Little Rock. She is a past president of the Arkansas Apartment Association and Apartments Across America, as well as an officer of the Institute of Real Estate Management. She is a past chair for Make-A-Wish Mid-South and AR Kids Read and serves on the UA Little Rock Real Estate Advisory Board, the Arvest Bank board, Fifty for the Future, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, and is a member of Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock.

Paula Weatherley is the director of radiology at Conway Regional Health System. Weatherley graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where she completed her Bachelor of Science in radiography. Furthering her expertise, she graduated with honors from the Baptist Health College Little Rock - School of Radiology. With more than 15 years of dedicated service at Conway Regional, she has demonstrated commitment and excellence in her field. Her leadership and expertise were instrumental in her recent promotion to the directorial position. Weatherley’s professional journey is marked by significant contributions, including her role as a senior examiner for the Baldrige Governor’s Quality Award. She is dedicated to maintaining high standards in health care services. Weatherley was pivotal in launching and serving for more than five years on the first clinical congress for Conway Regional. Additionally, her expertise is recognized on a broader scale as she serves on the Arkansas State ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Advisory Council and the Clinical Advisory Board for Health Tech Arkansas.

Principal Broker and Owner Tuggle Services Inc.

KAREN UPTON Owner, EVP RPM Group

Karen Upton is an owner and executive vice president of the RPM Group, a full-service real estate firm with a storied history of over 68 years. She has been a licensed Realtor for 15 years. Prior to real estate, Upton spent three years in public accounting with Baird Kurtz & Dobson before beginning a 25year career with Alltel and its successor companies. She has a deep background in compliance, partnership affairs and mergers and acquisitions. As part of her commitment to the community, she was a member of the 20th Century Club of Little Rock and served as a Hope Lodge volunteer to help provide no-cost housing to medically and financially qualified patients receiving cancer treatment in the central Arkansas area. She also served as a mentor for Lessons for Life, an organization that informs, equips and challenges young women to embrace higher standards and make positive life choices. Upton has helped to energize new growth at the RPM Group and is proud that the company’s residential division, Coldwell Banker RPM Group, recently became the No. 1 company in central Arkansas based on sales.

PAMELA VOLNER

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Director of Radiology Conway Regional Health System

AMBER WHITE

White Stone Real Estate

MEGAN GREENLAND WILLIAMS

Vice President of Chapter Development Associated Builders & Contractors of Arkansas Megan Greenland Williams was born and raised in Conway. She received her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor emphasis in graphic design from the University of Central Arkansas there in 2012 and her master’s in communications from Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, in 2019. In 2013, she was hired as director of events and communications for the Associated Builders & Contractors of Arkansas in Little Rock and was promoted to vice president of chapter development in 2019. ABC is a trade association that provides business development, political advocacy, safety training and education to the commercial construction industry. During her time at ABC, Williams has helped increase the quantity and quality of events ABC offers each year, co-developed the Arkansas chapter’s Young Professionals Program, implemented new youth programs and, in 2017, helped launch ABC’s new apprenticeship program, the Arkansas Construction Trades Academy. She also travels the state to provide Heartsaver First Aid/CPR/AED Training to members in the industry.

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F I N I S H I N G S T R O N G I S O U R F O U N D AT I O N The Foundation has a vision for communities in Arkansas – to become the places your kids will want to raise their kids. As 2023 comes to an end, we want to thank all the Arkansans who shared our vision this year and invested in our communities through contributions to the Foundation. Learn about gifting, end of year donations and other opportunities at arcf.org.

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POWER WOMEN 2022

CASEY WILLIS

Chief Operating Officer National Park Medical Center

Casey Willis has spent her entire career in health care, developing a passion for supporting the front-line workers who deliver quality, compassionate care every day. She began in health information management, working as a licensed registered health information technician. Later, she moved into physician practice management and served as the market director of physician services for two Lifepoint Health markets. She transitioned to executive leadership as an associate administrator for Lifepoint at North Alabama Medical Center. While there, she was awarded Lifepoint’s highest honor, the Mercy Award, with which she was recognized for her dedication, compassion and attention to her community’s needs. In July 2022, she became the chief operating officer at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs. Willis embraces a collaborative management style that allows her to learn about and attend to the needs of the communities and hospitals she serves. She is a vibrant servant leader who takes pride and ownership of the quality of health care provided to patients. Willis received her bachelor’s degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Tennesssee and her MBA from the University of Tennessee Southern.

ASHLEY WIMBERLEY Arkansas Press Association

OLIVIA WOMACK

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

JILLIAN YANT Bank OZK

SUZANNE YEE Cosmetic surgeon Suzanne Yee, M.D.

Suzanne Yee, M.D., is a triple boardcertified cosmetic surgeon who has been providing life-changing care since the 1990s, practicing in Little Rock since 2003. With both refined artistic skills and years of medical training, Yee is able to provide life-changing results. With a long history of expertise in her field, she has been awarded numerous accolades and honors, including being named to AY Magazine’s “Best Of” list every year since 2011. Yee graduated first in her class and completed her surgery internship at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock before her fellowship in facial plastics and reconstructive surgery at the University of Texas at Houston. Focused on providing natural-looking results, Yee is certified with the American Board of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. DEC E M BER 2 02 3

Yee has also received the Janet M. Glasgow Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Nurses Choice Award for No. 1 Cosmetic Surgeon. She has served and continues to serve on several notable committees, including the advisory committees of the BOTOX Cosmetic Cosmetic Training Center, the Altus Medical Laser Trainer and Reference Site and the Lumenis laser company for educational workshops and on-site training. A respected assistant clinical professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Yee is also a published author, a public speaker and a National Education Faculty member. In this role, she instructs physicians in treatment and teaches medical students and residents.

SHANNON YOUNG Founding Partner Pomifera

As a senior partner and founding partner at cosmetics and beauty brand Pomifera, Shannon Young is dedicated to helping others look and feel great. In her three and a half years with the company, more than 300 customers have entrusted Young with their skin care, hair care and health and wellness needs. She has $130,000 in personal lifetime sales, more than 150 partners and a $500,000-plus sales team. Her goal is to have a partner in every U.S. state. Young also travels frequently for incentive trips and leadership conferences and is a founding accelerator member of the Eric Worre Go Pro Xperience. Outside of her entrepreneurial endeavors, Young is passionate about her family’s farm and is an advocate for farm safety. In 2022, Young and her husband of more than 30 years, Clay, were named Farm Family of the Year for Arkansas’ Southeast District. One of the longest-running farm family recognition programs in the country, this award is given to families based on production, efficiency and management of farm operations, family life and rural and community leadership and values. In addition, Young helped raise more than $40,000 for Easterseals Arkansas while her daughter attended preschool and received therapy for cerebral palsy. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in small business and entrepreneurship at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

JAN ZIMMERMAN

Director of Business and Projects Stan Jones Lodge

Jan Zimmerman is the director of business and projects at the world-renowned Stan Jones Mallard Lodge in Lawrence County. The lodge hosts hunters and business travelers from all over the world, and has been named a top five lodge in America by Fox Nation and included in the acclaimed Federal Premium Select program. A former successful Realtor, Zimmerman has served on the boards of CARTI, Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Circle (chairman), Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Association (past president), Arkansas Independent Citizens Commission and the Arkansas Better Business Bureau (chairman). 118

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Passionate

Creshelle R. Nash, M.D., M.P.H., is passionate about addressing health disparities in vulnerable communities. She understands the diverse health needs in our state and is dedicated to developing, implementing, and evaluating health equity initiatives to help create a more inclusive and non-discriminatory healthcare system throughout Arkansas. Advocate. Resource connector. Action taker. As the medical director for Health Equity and Public Programs at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we are thrilled to have Dr. Nash on our team to help take good care of our members and communities. Congratulations on being named a 2023 AMP Power Woman.

Creshelle R. Nash, M.D., M.P.H, CHIE Medical Director for Health Equity and Public Programs Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

00368.01.02-1123

LONG-TERM CARE

Caregivers

WANTED Demand, services up in care communities, but labor is lacking

By Dwain Hebda

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he long term care industry in Arkansas — like that in most of the country — is a well-mixed bag of rampant opportunity and growing demand hamstrung by too few workers to deliver services. According to Genworth, the baby boomer generation continues to flood available resources in the United States, with 10,000 individuals a day reaching the age of 65, a pace that is forecasted to continue unchecked until 2030. Sometimes called the “silver tsunami,” this demographic phenomenon is straining the limits of age-related services from housing to health care as, despite survey after survey revealing seniors’ persistent desire to age in place, the majority are nonetheless finding themselves in retirement communities, whether by need or by choice, in high numbers. A 2019 study by the National Center for Health Statistics showed a little more than 811,000 individuals lived in assisted living communities in the U.S., and another 1.4 million resided in long-term skilled nursing care facilities. An additional 286,000 received day-based caregiving. Together, these categories of senior living represent a little more than half of available beds in the United States, according to Statista. In Arkansas, occupancy in senior communities was more than 65 percent. What is more, Genworth reported last year that seven out of every 10 people older than age 65 require some form of care and that 1 million new senior living units will be necessary to meet demand by 2040, roughly double what there is now. Until that happens, elder communities will continue to be stretched to their limits, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic challenges to health and wellness, inflation, and, especially, labor. “We’ve been working on a number of projects lately, and most of them have to do with workforce,” said Rachel Bunch, executive director of the Arkansas Health Care Association. “That’s been our priority lately. We’re definitely not seeing problems like we were seeing

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during the pandemic, but it’s still a challenge.” Across the country, the message is the same: long-term care is hiring. Survey findings reported by the Economic Policy Institute showed prior to the pandemic, employment in residential long-term care facilities was growing rapidly yet failing to meet demand. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the situation grew worse as the number of positions were slashed to the point that they are still off by about 400,000 jobs. Bunch said while unskilled roles remain a challenge to fill, skilled health care roles are an equally difficult problem for most care communities in Arkansas to solve, especially in rural areas. This has required diligent work and creative thought at the association level to help craft solutions. “One of the things that we’ve started at the association recently that we’re really excited about is a medication assistant program,” Bunch said. “It’s a separate licensure. For many years, our clinical staff included CNAs, LPNs, RNs [certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses], and then we added nurse practitioners, in that order. Many other states have been using medication assistants, which we call MA-Cs, medication assistant, certified. “That’s a profession that was recognized through the state board of nursing many years ago, but regulations did not allow for them to be used in our facilities. We worked in the recent legislative session on getting some changes made there that would allow for the addition of these medication assistants to be used in our facilities.” The ability to attract credential holders to the long-term care industry is expected to become increasingly critical in the coming years, given how seniors are demanding more and more onsite services that require professional expertise. As new communities come online, they are expected to offer an increasingly robust slate of features and will likely tow legacy communities in their wake in order to compete.

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LONG-TERM CARE

“The recent trend seems to be that people stay at home longer, but one of the main problems with that is a lot of homes are not designed to accommodate the needs of older people, and they can be very expensive to modify.”

Mark Hamby

Chris Marsh

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Currently, the National Center for Health Statistics states, 84 percent of senior care communities offer pharmacy, and 83 percent provide dietary and nutritional services. Other notable offerings include 71 percent of communities providing therapy; 55 percent providing mental health or counseling services, and more than half offering social work services. “Over the last few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the assisted living and memory care areas of our business,” said Mark Hamby, director of resident and family services for Parkway Village in Little Rock. “While independent living still represents the majority of our business, the need for higher levels of care is increasing. “Just after the pandemic, there was some hesitation on the part of independent living prospects to make the move to a senior living community, but now we are experiencing a reversal of that trend. The people coming in now are younger.” Hamby said a younger clientele further changes the dynamic of expected services, activities and amenities. “A change that I have seen over the last several years is that our residents and customers are embracing technology in a big way, and it has become an important part of their lives,” he said. “Internally, we are constantly looking at ways to improve our technology so that we can react quickly and respond to our customers’ needs in a more efficient manner. “We are also seeing a strong trend in the importance of pet ownership, and we have embraced that trend by providing more services for our residents and their pets. Health and wellness is another important area, as we be-

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lieve wellness activities play a key role in the lives of seniors and are beneficial to improving their quality of life. We are members of the International Council on Active Aging, which offers support for developing wellness environments and services for adults over 50.” Technology also plays a role in operations, from high-tech security systems to more robust Wi-Fi to helping communities stretch their labor force. However, as Chris Marsh, executive director of Little Rock’s Presbyterian Village noted, communities must balance gained efficiencies against the loss of personal attention. “We’ve already seen and been approached about robots, if you can imagine,” she said. “I was most recently at a conference where that was the topic. It was so impersonal, I just couldn’t see us doing that. There are a lot of places using them already, but I’m not there. I’m sorry. Our staff love the residents and vice versa, so communication with each other is very important.” Marsh said such tools also fly in the face of what families are looking for in a care community, that being increased social connection for their loved one. “The recent trend seems to be that people stay at home longer, but one of the main problems with that is a lot of homes are not designed to accommodate the needs of older people, and they can be very expensive to modify,” she said. “They don’t want to do tasks such as taking care of the yard, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, all that kind of stuff. They want somebody else to do it. “The thing I hear the most, the thing that really worries people the most about their loved one, is staying at home can lead to feelings of isolation and depression, so they’re looking for that socialization. They want Mom and Dad to have friends.” One thing experts say is driving up the average age of many first-time residents in care communities is a hangover from the pandemic, when home was the center of life, often serving as office as well as domicile. That taste of self-containment has lingered for many seniors — for some, even past the onset of health problems. As a result, home health care has come steadily into higher demand.

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Grand View Research reported the home health industry topped $143 billion in the U.S. alone last year and is expected to grow at a rate of 7.5 percent annually through 2030, and that number could be even higher if sufficient personnel can be recruited to meet the demand. AARP reported survey findings last year that 77 percent of U.S. adults older than age 50 wished to remain at home, yet the University of Virginia reported only about 15 percent of older adults in the U.S. were actually doing so, in large part because the number of medical professionals entering the field can’t keep up. Plus, as with elder communities, home health companies are expected to provide an ever-expanding range of services, putting further strain on personnel. This roster of services can vary widely in addition to the familiar help with tasks of daily living such as eating, grooming, toileting, ambulatory services and medication management. “Besides the typical personal care services and help we provide around the house, we also get many requests for help with pets, such as walking dogs or taking dogs/cats to the groomer, vet, etc.,” said Quincy Hurst, chief operating officer with Superior Senior Care in Hot Springs. “These activities are hard for the client but extremely beneficial, as their pets are often a vital source of companionship. “We have requests more and more from clients or their family members who want us to assist with making video calls. This is especially common during the holidays for family members who cannot be together. Caregivers also participate in morning Bible study or accompany their client to church; take them to social events within the community; and drive the client to stores or assist them with learning how to shop online.” Hurst said technology has been a godsend for the home health industry because it not only helps the agency stay in contact with clients; it gives family members access to upto-the-minute information about their loved one’s care. “Many of these caregiver activities are visible within a secure client portal,” he said. “A family member may wish to see when and where a caregiver was when they clocked in,

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and they can view notes or even listen to audio notes about certain tasks, client observations, etc. Technology has offered a lot more transparency for those who are helping manage care remotely for their loved ones.” Medical technology has also helped home health providers offer a much more sophisticated range of services than they once could, said Kim Clatworthy, owner of Bryant-based Elder Independence Home Care. “I have CNAs that work for me. I also have RNs that work for me who can go in and provide some more medical-type services, and I have nurse practitioners that will go in and provide even more medical care in the home. We can even do X-rays in the home now,” she said. “We’re also bridge partners with the HouseCalls program, which is the end-all, be-all. The client can truly stay in their home, and nurse practitioners will communicate with the client’s family doctor to make sure they are aware of things. “I think probably one of the biggest things is there is a lot more remote patient monitoring and more smart devices and a lot more telemedicine. That was happening before COVID, and certainly during the COVID era we really saw that become more of a thing.” Perhaps the most significant trend among home health companies are care homes, a hybrid model that provides full-time care in a residential home, providing for a very limited number of clients at a time by a live-in health care professional. “In Arkansas, if you have three or fewer people, you can create a care home in a residential neighborhood that provides home care in a different kind of setting,” said Clatworthy, who plans to open a care home in the near future. “We can take up to three clients and provide someone around the clock to care for all three of them. It’s a whole lot better option than even a nursing home. “I believe that people are leaning into that a lot more. I don’t know about you, but my grandparents lived with us in our home when they got elderly and frail. We didn’t have home care. We didn’t have hospice. The care-home model is more along the lines of that multi-generational housing, which many people grew up with, but better.”

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Kim Clatworthy

Quincy Hurst

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NURSING HOMES BY COUNTY ARKANSAS Crestpark DeWitt Crestpark Stuttgart DeWitt Nursing Home

BENTON

Primrose of Rogers

Apple Creek Health and Rehab

Promenade Health and Rehabilitation

Forest Manor The West Haven

Autumn Place at Oak Ridge

ASHLEY

Better Home Living Level I

Somerset Senior Living at Crossett

Better Home Living Level II

Magnolia Manor of Hamburg The Pillars of the Community

Source: Arkansas Department of Human Services

Pinnacle Health and Rehabilitation

Ashley Rehabilitation and Health Care Center

Somerset Senior Living at Stonegate

Nursing homes in Arkansas are listed by county (2022 data).

River Lodge Assisted Living

BAXTER Auburn Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Baxter House Adult Care Baxter Retirement and Living

Bradford House Nursing and Rehab Bridgewood Arkansas Rogers Bridgewood Bentonville TRS

Shiloh Nursing and Rehab Siloam Healthcare The Blossoms at Rogers Rehab & Nursing Center The Brookfield at Highland Crossing The Gardens at Osage Terrace

Concordia Catered Living

Village House

Concordia Nursing and Rehab Green Acres Easy Living Highlands of Bella Vista Health and Rehab

Elmcroft of Mountain Home

Innisfree Health and Rehab

Gassville Therapy and Living

Innisfree Retirement Community

Hiram Shaddox Health and Rehab

Rogers Health and Rehabilitation Center

Concordia Arms Assisted Living Facility

Care Manor Nursing and Rehab

Good Samaritan Society

Rocking Chair Inn

Jamestown Nursing and Rehab Legacy Village Assisted Living

The Meadows Assisted Living

BOONE Boone County Adult Day Center Harrison Retirement Center Hillcrest Home Maple Esplanade Assisted Living Northwest Regional Supportive Living

ARKANSAS’S LARGEST ORGANIZATION OF LONG TERM CARE PROVIDERS Arkansas Health Care Association proudly represents over 90% of licensed long term care facilities in Arkansas. Dedicated caregivers promote our standard of excellence, redefining long term care for families across the state. 35,130 Arkansans Served. 15,000 Arkansans Employed. $1,500,000,000 Directly into Arkansas’s Economy.

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The Springs of Harrison The Springs of Mt. Vista

Courtyard Gardens Health and Rehabilitation Center

Summit Health and Rehab Center

Hospitality Care Center

The Green House Cottages of Wentworth Place

BRADLEY

The Plaza at Twin Rivers

Chapel Woods Health and Rehabilitation

Twin Rivers Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center

Guest House of Warren Southeast Arkansas Human Development Center

CLAY Corning Therapy and Living Center

CARROLL

General Baptist Assisted Living

Autumn Hill

General Baptist Nursing Home of Piggott

Brighton Ridge Holly House Peachtree Village at Holiday Island

Magnolia Manor Rector Nursing and Rehab

St. Bernards Village ALF 1

The Springs of Jonesboro Total Life Healthcare

CONWAY

Alma Nursing and Rehab

Cottonwood Place

Cedar Ridge

St. Vincent Morrilton Senior Day Care

Crawford Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center Hopes Creek

CRAIGHEAD Craighead Nursing Center

Mulberry Retirement Center

David E. Puryear Center

Valley Springs Rehabilitation and Health Center Van Buren Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center

CLEBURNE

Dogwood ICF/MR Grace Ridge

CHICOT

Southridge Village Nursing and Rehab

Jonesboro Human Development Center

Southridge Village Retirement Center

Lakeside Health and Rehab

CLARK Arkadelphia Human Development Center

Van Buren Legacy (L1) Van Buren Legacy

CRITTENDEN

The Springs of Greers Ferry

Lexington Place Healthcare and Rehabilitation

CLEVELAND

Liberty Park Senior Living of Jonesboro

The Green House Cottages of Southern Hills

Morningside of Jonesboro

Crittenden Adult Care Services Eastwood ICF/MR

COLUMBIA

Ridgecrest Health and Rehabilitation

Dudneywood

St. Bernards Villa

Dermott City Nursing Home Lake Village Rehabilitation and Care Center

CRAWFORD

Brookridge Cove Rehabilitation and Care Center

Pine Mountain Veterans Home

Dalton’s Place at Lake Village

St. Elizabeth’s Place

The Springs Magnolia

Prestige Assisted Living

Arrowstar Living Assistance Services

St. Bernards Village RCF

ALF Properties of Crittenden County Cannon Senior Adult Daycare

Eden House: Adult Day Services and Senior Care

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516 S. Rodney Parham Little Rock, AR 72205 501.224.9000 BriarwoodNursingAndRehab.com

LONG-TERM CARE

RESPITE CARE

13700 David O Dodd Rd, Little Rock, AR 72210 501.907.8200 • colonelglennhr.com

nursing and rehabilitation

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REHABILITATION

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Global Hands Adult Day Services Golden’s Adult Day Care Grannies and Nannies Helens Residential Care Facility

Village Park of Conway ALF Village Park of Conway ALFII Village Park of Conway RCF

FRANKLIN Greenhurst Nursing Center

Loving Arms Adult Daycare Staffing Agency

Ozark Nursing and Rehab

Terrys Residential Care

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D EC E M B E R 2023

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SHORT-TERM REHAB, LONG TERM CARE & RESPITE SERVICES We specialize in Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care services. From the moment you enter our community, we want you to experience the difference our community has to offer. From our light-filled common area to our beautiful outdoor patios, we want you and your loved one to feel comfortable and safe when staying with us.

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BANKING

PASSING THE TORCH At Stone Bank, CEO Marnie Oldner leaves a high bar for successor Nick Roach By Nichole Singleton

ver the past four decades, Marnie Oldner, Stone Bank’s CEO and director, has become a leading pioneer in Arkansas banking. At the close of this calendar year, she will take her final bow as the curtains close into retirement and the bank’s president and chief lending officer, Nick Roach, will succeed her. A career of Oldner’s prominence does not go unnoticed. She has been recognized with numerous industry awards and was named Woman of the Year in Business by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas in 2020. Earlier this year, the organization named Oldner to its list of the Top 100 Women of Impact for 2023. During her time with Stone Bank, Oldner helped lead the company to substantial growth — from $65 million in assets to more than $750 million. In addition, the bank now has more than 100 employees and seven branches across the state. Oldner reflected on the potential barriers she faced moving up the executive ladder as a woman in banking and said that she rarely considered them. “I’ve thought more about this in the last few years than I really have during my journey,” Oldner said. “In reality, I was doing this when it wasn’t really common for women to be in those positions, but I didn’t know that or really give it a whole lot of thought. “Sometimes I’m afraid young women might think there’s impediments, and they get bogged down by the impediments when really, it’s kind of what you’re willing to accept in yourself.” For Oldner, the key to professional advancement is centered around an individual mindset that manifests goals and ambition to create success. “This sounds so simplistic, but to me, if you keep looking at possibilities and envision yourself in those possibilities, I think you’re really more than 50 percent there. Then you just have to do the work,” she said. Oldner said she encourages young professionals to embrace their different styles that enhance functionality of the

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workforce, especially in team collaboration, and to use those differences to grow and develop. “I think, sometimes, people today set themselves apart too much,” Oldner said. “You’ve got to be picking the brain of all kinds of folks in all kinds of different positions and really be receptive to what they’ve achieved and how they went about it and see what fits you the most.” Oldner learned this firsthand during her tenure as chief financial officer with the former Twin City Bank, where she learned and worked alongside the bank’s chairman and CEO, Terry Renaud. It was a relationship that made a lasting impression on Oldner, and one that still holds value today. “One of my most influential mentors was Terry Renaud,” Oldner said. “He had such an incredible way of pulling teams together, being involved in community and making a service industry like ours, which is a lot driven by monetary transactions, making it about the people. “That was a tremendous growth opportunity for me.” Oldner described each chapter of her career as a “unique opportunity that was a learning stepping stone” and said the collaborative nature of working alongside professionals with different styles proved to be the spark that allowed her passion for banking to grow. Older is proudest, though, when collaboration impacts community engagement. When she first moved to Arkansas from southern California in 1988, Oldner experienced community engagement in both urban and rural markets. “When I came to Arkansas and was with Twin City Bank, I saw how banks can give back to the community by allowing volunteerism to be part of employees’ work lives, even during banking hours. Seeing the difference that makes is something I’ve enjoyed,” Oldner said. “[Stone Bank] has been that way too. Even when we were struggling, we tried to do as much as we could.” One of Stone Bank’s strongest impacts on a community was 13 0

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through its veterans’ program in Mountain View that honored to status as a top-100 Small Business Administration lender those who served in World War II. The program honored a veterand top-five U.S. Department of Agriculture lender, making an each month by sharing vets’ stories and backgrounds, and vets it a significant player in the government-guaranteed loan secwere celebrated at the bank’s Veterans Day event. Each honored tor. His vision for the bank and commitment to his team and vet was also given a U.S. flag that was flown over the state Capitol. community have made Roach an excellent team player and are “That kind of connection has made me feel more human not qualities that Oldner said makes him the ideal person to take just in business, but as people serving people,” Oldner said, the reins. “and I think I got a lot of that from Terry Renaud.” “He was always the one that our board and I — 100 percent — Oldner’s successor shares the same vision in prioritizing the agreed was definitely the next one to lead this company. We’ve significance of serving people. been such a team for long, it’s almost like co-parents,” Oldner “The biggest thing that said. “We have collaboratis unwavering to us is our ed on everything.” guiding principle, which Older said she’ll miss is do things right,” Roach that collaboration, but her said. “As we grow, and we’re involvement with Stone in a really highly competiBank will continue as a tive industry, and things member of the board. change, we want to make “We are very fortunate an impact in peoples’ lives that Marnie is not comfirst and foremost.” pletely leaving us and has As Stone Bank enters a agreed to stay on the board new era, doing things right with us, so she’s not going and ensuring trust and far,” Roach said. “She and I safety will always be a prihave been extremely close ority under his leadership, for many, many years both Roach said. personally and profession“It doesn’t get brought ally, and I don’t see that up a lot in banking anychanging much.” more, but the No. 1 thing As Roach prepares to for me is trust,” Roach said. lead Stone Bank forward “We have people’s money, in 2024, he said he looks their life, their everything forward to establishing that we handle, and I want deeper relationships with everyone to know that is his team that will lead to our No. 1 goal — to connew roles, new opportunitinue to make the bank a ties and new involvement safe place for their funds. with the bank. That’s paramount for us.” Stone Bank will write Roach brought over a another big chapter in its decade of banking experihistory in 2024 with its ence when he joined Stone move to a new main ofBank in August 2010, and fice in west Little Rock set Marnie Oldner, left, will pass the leadership torch to Nick Roach at he has worked alongside to open at the end of the Stone Bank in 2024. (Photo provided) and under the guidance of year. Roach said the new Oldner ever since — so much so that he considers her a promilocation will allow for internal expansion and enable the bank nent influential mentor in his career. to better serve its community. “Marnie has so many great qualities, it’s really hard to get it Seeing this next phase of Stone Bank’s journey is bittersweet down, but the thing that sticks out to me most as one of my menfor Oldner, but she said she looks forward to more time with tors that I’ve learned from is how she’s just this out-of-this-world her family and could even see some pickleball in her future. communicator,” Roach said. “She really thinks through strategy “It’s time for me to do other things and not have all of the and how to communicate her message in a way that makes peopressure of the bank on me,” Oldner said. “I’m ready to let go ple informed, inspired and on board.” of all that, but more importantly, I think this team is ready to Since Roach joined Stone Bank, he has led the company spread its wings and do things its own way.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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D EC E M B E R 2023

SPORTS

He’s baaaack: New Razorback OC Bobby Petrino (Photos and images courtesy of Arkansas Athletics)

A CONTRARIAN TAKE ON THE

Petrino Hire By Nate Olson

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t would be bad enough if Arkansas was rolling the dice on Bobby Petrino at the height of his game. At least then setting their standards aside and swallowing their pride might pay off on the field in the form of copious amounts of yards, points, fantastic offensive recruits and the wins that come along with all that. But no, Arkansas brass is rehiring an employee who lied, cheated and helped plunge the football program into the depths of despair. As if that wasn’t enough, the guy’s skills seem to have diminished: Fired at Louisville, 18-15 at FCS member Missouri State, backed out on UNLV head coach Barry Odom and was part of the reason Texas A&M fired head coach Jimbo Fisher for underachieving this year. It says something that Texas A&M apparently didn’t give Petrino consideration to take over as head coach. 1 32

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There’s a reason Petrino was available after the new Texas A&M coach, Mike Elko, chose not to retain him. He’s jumping at this opportunity in Arkansas because it is pretty much all that is left. He is not coming to Arkansas the way he did from the Falcons, with the swagger of an offensive genius, and Arkansas football fans thinking Petrino can recreate the Sugar Bowl run of 2011 are grasping for straws. This isn’t Back to the Future. Arkansas isn’t getting the Michael Jordan who led the Bulls to the six championships. They are getting the MJ who foolishly came back one more time with the Washington Wizards. However, the UA administration is banking on Arkansas football fans having a suspension of disbelief, and just a couple days in, it is working. Based on the way many folks have been talking, the mood has gone from hateful toward Hogs head coach Sam Pittman to jubilant. Even his neck brace from his motorcycle accident, once a symbol fit for mockery and derision, seems to have become more of a sign of affection from some younger fans who were perhaps 5 or 6 when he last coached at the U of A. The applause given to Bobby Petrino when ESPN cameras caught him perched in Bud Walton Arena during Arkansas’ win over Duke is part of near tsunami of optimism crashing over Razorback Nation this week. That is a sharp contrast from the “Fire Pittman” stance from many fans last week. Even media member Trey Biddy, who has been thrust into the limelight after his question to Pittman following the Missouri throttling was answered with “I don’t know,” seemed to have a pep in his step as he made his daily appearance on Drive Time Sports. ISSUES WITH BOBBY PETRINO AFTER ARKANSAS Not to rain on the parade, but here are some points of fact and reality that shed some light on Petrino’s ability and behavior, which has supposedly been improved since the motorcycle incident. Western Kentucky took a chance on Petrino, and after leading them to an 8-4 season, he promptly bolted to Louisville, where he had coached previously. There was no loyalty or commitment toward the folks in Bowling Green who rolled the dice on him. Petrino did have a mostly good second run with the Cardinals, and part of it had to do with landing potential NFL Hall Fame QB Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals were 9-4, 8-5, 9-4 and 8-5 the first four years he was there. However, the wheels fell off in 2018 with Louisville 2-8 overall and 0-7 in the league. He was fired after 10 games that season. He left with a 77-35 record, which begs the question: How was he fired after one bad season? Louisville, after all, is not a college football blueblood ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

such as LSU or Auburn, where they fired coaches who won national titles. There were reports that players were not happy with him and as many 20 players were threatening to transfer. A firing after four straight winning seasons at a basketball school would indicate something had gone wrong off the field, which may go against the “due diligence” research Hunter Yurachek and Sam Pittman said they performed on Petrino before making this hire. At Louisville, was it that rudeness he was known for at Arkansas that finally reared its ugly head? The nature of the departure leads one to question. It should also be noted that no other Division I schools were rushing to hire Petrino following the Louisville firing, and he had to settle for the head coaching job at lowly FCS Missouri State. At a program that hadn’t won big in 30 years, Petrino did lead the Bears to the playoffs twice but only had an 18-15 record overall.

Pitmman and Petrino at midfield following the Hogs’ win over Missouri State in 2022.

That run wasn’t impressive enough to get a Division I school to offer a head coaching job, so he landed the offensive coordinator gig at UNLV last year with former Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom. He barely touched down in Sin City before he left Odom at the altar to take a sexier, far more lucrative OC job with Texas A&M. Odom was counting on him to help rebuild UNLV. Despite all the whitewashing that inevitably comes with a new coach hire, Petrino’s reputation precedes him. In 2002, as Auburn offensive coordinator, he was plotting against then-Auburn-head-coach Tommy Tuberville to take his job. He left the Atlanta Falcons during the middle of the 2007 season, which coincidentally is the season in which current Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams played for the Falcons. You’ve got to think their first meeting may be a little awkward. 13 3

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SPORTS

Petrino has a reputation as a cutthroat narcissist, and the abandonment of UNLV suggests some of that is still there. Why else would you leave a job after a few weeks? If you truly had changed, wouldn’t you turn Fisher down and stay at UNLV? The answer is yes. A leopard doesn’t change his spots. HOUSTON NUTT KNOWS THE DEAL Knowing Petrino’s history of backstabbing, Pittman should be at least a little nervous. Sure, they looked chummy enough seated together in Bud Walton Arena, but it would also be easy to assume that this wasn’t his idea, kind of like when late UA athletic director Frank Broyles forced then-head-coach Houston Nutt to hire up-and-coming local high school coach and offensive wizard Gus Malzahn. We all remember how that turned out. On Nov. 29, during a regular appearance on Little Rock talk show Morning Mayhem, Nutt said this new dynamic is “very, very tough on Sam” because, at this point, Petrino is more popular than him and being hailed as a potential savior. For sure, nobody’s chanting Pittman’s name at sold-out basketball games like they did for Petrino. “It’s going to be real, real interesting,” Nutt said, “and I feel sorry for Sam a little bit in this situation because he’s still the leader of the team.” Despite Petrino’s insistence on Hogs Plus that he loves being just a coordinator, I think he’s likely licking his chops, knowing that Pittman’s status is shaky and that with a good offensive season, he could get his old job back. If the administration considers how badly he burned the bridge, that is desperate, but having him on staff opens that door. In his lone season as the OC for the Aggies, Petrino had an OK run with quarterbacks he wasn’t expecting to play. A&M was No. 25 in the NCAA in scoring offense with a 34.2 points per game average. The Aggies were 53 in total offense with just over 400 yards per game. Like Nutt said on Wednesday morning, “[Petrino] needs to show more.” So let’s review Petrino’s resume post-UA firing: 8-4 in one season at WKU, which continued to be successful under former UL quarterback Jeff Brohm; a great stint at Lou-

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The applause given to Bobby Petrino when ESPN cameras caught him perched in Bud Walton Arena during Arkansas’ win over Duke is part of a near tsunami of optimism crashing over Razorback Nation this week.

UA students showed their support for the Petrino hire at the Duke game.

isville, which included a Heisman-Trophy-winning QB, but the tenure ended with an abject failure of a conference season; just a bit over .500 at Missouri State; fleeing UNLV and an average season as a play caller at A&M. Tip of the cap to him for a good start at WKU and Louisville, but that isn’t impressive enough to forget about him tromping on the Arkansas employee handbook and tarnishing the reputation of the school. To make this risk worth it, he needs to have won bigger in the last few years. His firing at UL is a red flag. So is the fact that no other coaches besides Odom, who was rebuilding at a perennially losing program, as well as a lame duck in Fisher, seemed to pursue him.

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ARKANSAS FOOTBALL GOES DOWN THE LIST Texas A&M could have saved a lot of money by promoting Petrino, but that proposal would have fallen flatter than the attempt to hire Mike Stoops away from Kentucky. There was zero interest in a guy who was one of the coordinators — none — and no interest from any other programs with vacancies to serve as an OC or head. There was only ironically, Arkansas. After the Hogs were routed by Missouri on Black Friday, everyone involved in the program understood this was going to be a stormy off-season. Even fans who stood by Pittman for most of the year turned on him. The UA brass was obviously worried that this season would undoubtedly lead to lower ticket sales next season. After proclaiming Sam Pittman as the coach for 2024, it would be tough for Yurachek to ax him. That created a major dilemma. A splashy OC hire would add optimism, but as some of the top candidates began to decline, the optics became worse. Now, at least temporarily, it appears many in the fan base are happy. That has to be pleasing to the administration. A PR meltdown — or perhaps even worse, rampant apathy — has been averted, at least until the 2024 season. Many in the national media will have fun with motorcycle jokes, etc. Taming the fan base — and more importantly big-money boosters — is the bigger emphasis, especially, as the program rolls out a new NIL collective this week which implores fans to donate. Arkansas was backed into a corner and went with a quick fix. Petrino is a band-aid on a gaping wound. Yes, there’s a chance this turns into a long-term solution. Those odds are way less than Petrino not living up to his end of the deal on the field and recruiting trail and showing his true colors. It’s been a recurring theme, one we in Arkansas, of all places, know all too well. NUTT ON PARALLELS TO BROYLES/MALZAHN SITUATION As a Little Rock native and former Razorback himself, Nutt took the state by storm in 1998 during his first season

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Razorback Football’s social media team went to work once the move was made official.

as the Hogs’ head coach. Back then, Broyles was essentially hands off and let him do his thing, he told David Bazzel and Roger Scott on The Buzz 103.7 FM. “We took over the state with this unbelievable excitement, passion and got on a roll,” Nutt said. At times, that’s how Pittman’s run during the 2021 season felt too. For Nutt, after a few years passed, some of his teams showed inconsistency and heading into the 2006 season, Broyles wanted Nutt to bring aboard Gus Malzahn, then Springdale High’s hotshot offensive guru, as the offensive coordinator. All the good vibes of those first few years were gone. “That’s the worst scenario,” Nutt said. “It’s the worst because it wasn’t like the first two, three, four years. Now it’s different. It makes it harder on the head coach because there’s more pressure than ever, and the bottom line, we all know, is one word. It’s how you spell fun: W-I-N. You’ve got to win. And Coach Broyles was always honest about that. ‘I love the way your players walk across the stage to get their degree. I love that they’re in the community, but I pay you to win.’… It’s not easy in this scenario for the head coach.”

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D EC E M B E R 2023

HEADER

ARKANSAS VISIONARY

B.J. SAMS The Voice By Dwain Hebda // Photo by Steve Spencer

eeting Hall-of-Fame television anchor B.J. Sams is an experience exactly like most people might imagine. Genteel and friendly, his shock of white hair and trademark wellbottom baritone trip the memory immediately to decades of broadcasts into thousands of homes. If meeting Sams for the first time feels easily familiar, hearing his story for the first time is anything but. A tale of almost unimaginable heartbreak, loss and, at last, redemption, it is a story he tells easily, even as its deeply personal notes strike chords that are sometimes hard to hear. Sams’ story begins in 1935 in Elizabethton, Tenn., in the eastern part of the state. Born the second eldest of four boys, his upbringing might have been typical of many of his neighbors but seems spartan by today’s standards. “My father was a State Farm agent. My mother worked at a plant there that made rayon,” he said. “We had a normal upbringing — no TV, no air conditioner, not any of the good stuff. As boys, we played outside until it got dark, sometimes past dark. Had a good time growing up.”

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A multi-talented high schooler, Sams was first-team all-conference in basketball and a trumpet player in the school band that won the state marching competition. This earned the group a trip to New York City, where it marched down Fifth Avenue, competing against 65 bands from around the world and placing third. For all of his accomplishments, Sams grew up lacking the approval and attention of his father, a slight the sting of which he smarted under for years. “I carried a grudge against my father for the way he treated us boys growing up,” he said. “Showed no love. Never said he was proud of us. Never said I love you. Never hugged us. Didn’t take us fishing, hunting — nothing. I had a hard time with that for a long time.”

The disconnect may have contributed to his entering the world of mass media. His father wanted him to be a doctor, and had father and son had a stronger bond, Sams’ career may have been different. Instead, he did what a lot of kids in their teens were doing in the 1950s — turning to a whole new beat. “My older brother worked as a disc jockey at the local radio station during his senior year in high school,” Sams said. “I graduated from high school in 1953 and went down to the radio station, thinking I was going to get me a big DJ job. I got the janitor’s job making 75 cents an hour, which was the minimum wage back then. “Two or three weeks later, one of the disc jockeys quit, and I went into the general manager’s office. I said, ‘I’d like to apply for that disc jockey’s job.’ I had

B.J. SAMS ON HARD WORK

If somebody’s looking at me, thinking that broadcasting is a glamorous job, I’m here to tell you it’s not. When I first came to Channel 7 in Little Rock, I was working six nights a week and resting on the seventh to go back to work on Monday. You have to work hard. You work holidays. You work nights. You work mornings. You work when you don’t want to work, but if you want to keep your job, you do it.

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while I was in school. One year, I worked with Archie Campbell, the old barber of Hee Haw fame. That was a lot of fun. He kept me laughing all the time,” Sams said. “I graduated. Had about a 2.0 average, but I graduated.” In 1958, Sams was drafted into the U.S. Army. He arrived at Fort Hood, Texas, where, he said proudly, he served in the same outfit with royalty. “I was in tanks, and my claim to fame is Elvis was in our outfit, in the barracks right across the street. We saw it through knowing that Elvis was doing the same thing we were,” he said. “Meanwhile, they decided I was going to go to Germany as a combat engineer. I didn’t particularly like that, so I got in touch with my senator, Estes Kefauver, and told him about my dilemma, that I had four years of broadcast experience, and could he help me get in the information office as a broadcast specialist? “Orders came down immediately from Washington from the adjutant general to put me somewhere in an information office, so they jerked me out of the second eight weeks, and I was sent to Fort Sill, Okla., where I spent two years as a broadcast speArkansas broadcasting legend B.J. Sams started out in radio — B.J. the DJ. cialist in the information office. My job was recording military newscasts, and a runner would take them to the local radio stations, and a pretty good voice then. He said, ‘I’m going on vacation for a they would play them during the day. I did a 15-minute TV couple of weeks. I’ll listen to you when I get back.’ My older show once a week.” brother and I sat down for a couple of weeks, and he had Sams’ life following the service was an amalgam of prome read anything. I’d read billboards when I was driving. I’d fessional opportunity and personal heartache. His discharge read newspapers. The manager came back, and I auditioned papers were not even dry when he married a woman he met and got the job as a disc jockey — making 75 cents an hour.” at the radio station, and the couple soon welcomed a son, “B.J. the DJ,” as he was known, spun records ranging from Billy Jack. Over the next few years, Sams found ample career gospel to big band to the newly emerging rock ‘n’ roll. The opportunities in radio from Oklahoma to Tennessee, but his on-air time was thrilling but dealt serious body blows to his home life entered an ever-darkening spiral due to his wife’s academic career. After an unremarkable freshman year at mental illness. East Tennessee State University, he transferred to the Uni“She was threatening my life and Billy Jack’s life and her versity of Tennessee, where he balanced schoolwork, worklife,” Sams said. “She’d call me on the telephone and say, ‘Billy ing at local radio stations and fraternity life, although not in Jack and I will be dead when you get home tonight.’ Stuff like equal measure or in that order. that. Had her going to a psychiatrist, and he wasn’t helping any “I worked for three different radio stations in Knoxville

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at all. After we moved to Johnson City, [Tenn.], I was working, and she told me one day that I was going to wake up one night with a knife sticking in my back, so I took Billy Jack and left the home and filed for divorce.” Despite the toxic nature of the relationship, it took years for Sams to wrest custody of his son, after which time he headed to Louisiana and a first gig in television. Fifteen months later, he landed at KATV Channel 7 in Little Rock. “I was just a staff announcer for a while, then the anchorman quit, so I moved into the anchor slot just like that,” he said. “I was working with Bud Campbell, the sports guy, the voice of the Razorbacks. We moved to No. 1 with our team and stayed there for seven years.” Sensing the competitive winds were shifting, Sams felt the need to make a change and accepted a job with the NBC affiliate in Honolulu. Balmy breezes and TV celebrity made for a sweet assignment, even as Sams struggled to break through his son’s mental trauma suffered during his time living with his mother. A fresh start, Sams reasoned, would do everybody good. Two months after arriving on the Big Island, the station’s traffic reporter invited the duo to accompany him on an airplane ride around the islands. They agreed, hardly imagining how when the plane lifted off, it would leave any semblance of life as Sams knew it irretrievably behind. It was Easter weekend. “I got in the backseat, Billy Jack and the pilot in the front seat,” Sams said. “He went through all the steps pilots go through, explaining them all to Billy Jack, and then we took off. We were headed toward the mountains, and we lost power. He tried to start it. It would not. He turned the plane around and tried to make it back to the airport. “We could see the runway out there, but we kept going down. Finally, the pilot yelled out, ‘Hang on! We’re going to ditch!’ We hit the top of a warehouse,

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B.J. SAMS ON FINDING A VOICE

If you want to be an on-air person, you need to train your voice. I would read newspapers out loud, magazines, billboards — anything I could get my hands on. You have to develop that voice. That will get your foot in the door. Once you get your foot in the door, you keep developing that voice the same way because what you read on the air is not nearly enough.

bounced down into a street, cartwheeled up against some cars and a building and burst into flames immediately.” Sams’ voice maintains a leaden evenness as he recounts the accident, a result of years on air reciting stories of similar disasters and the rote repetition of having shared the ordeal with countless audiences since — how the flames were leaping from the engine into the front seat, how his seatbelt buckle snapped free and how his son’s screams of, “Daddy, help me!” filled his ears. He tried to reach to unbuckle his son, catching himself on fire in the process, only to be hammered back one staggering step after another by the heat of the inferno. “Screams continued and continued and continued, and finally,” he said, “no more screams.” En route, emergency personnel were under the impression all had perished in the accident, and their first glance at the incinerated aircraft did nothing to change that. Disbelievingly, they saw Sams nearby, and an ambulance delivered him to Queen Hospital suffering from second- and third-degree burns on the outside and an eviscerated spirit on the inside. “After everyone had cleared out of my room that night, I was lying there, thinking about what had happened,” he said. “Here I’d gone through a bad marriage, and here I lost the only good thing that’d come out of that marriage. Cried out to God. I said, ‘My God, my God, why hath thou forsaken me?’ Voice in my spirit said, ‘I haven’t forsaken you. I gave my son for you,’ so I made it through the night. “Next morning, I woke up, looked out

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the window, and the first sight I saw was a cross that had been erected on Punch Bowl Crater. Lots of comfort in that cross that morning.” After burying Billy Jack in Tennessee and some physical healing, Sams returned to Hawaii and the TV news. For months, he broadcasted with his gauzecovered arms hidden from view, but it was the spiritual wounds that took the longest to mend, not that he didn’t try — by questionable means maybe, but try nonetheless. “At night at 10:30 p.m. when I got off the air, I couldn’t go home and think about what had happened. I had to be around people,” he said. “I was in bars and lounges every night. Did this for probably three years. Got to know all the entertainers in Honolulu — Don Ho,

B.J. SAMS ON AUTHENTICITY

Early on, we had Walter Cronkite, who gave the news straight. He didn’t slant it one way or the other. Today, all of them are slanting the news. We’ve also got people on the air that do not sound authoritative, do not believe in what they’re saying; they’re just reading. You’ve got to believe in what you’re saying, and you have to forcefully, powerfully give that information to the people and let them know that you know what you’re talking about without personal bias.

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B.J. SAMS ON INFLUENCE

Jack Lord, Jim Nabors. It was just like we were family there, and after about three years of this, I was shaving one morning, and I looked in the mirror, and I said, ‘I don’t like you anymore.’ Sams recalled his breaking point of standing on a lanai 26 floors up and feeling the strongest urge to fling himself over the railing. He willed himself back into his condo, sank to his knees, and cried out his own version of, “Daddy, help me.” “I had reached the point where I was really hurting,” he said. “I fell to my knees and said, ‘God, I need you.’ A voice in my spirit said, ‘I’m right here.’ I straightened up my act that day, and I got back to where I needed to be with God and with myself. Things started getting better.” Sams returned to Arkansas in 1982 and joined THV Channel 11, where his legend in television would be solidified. Generations of Arkansans got their news from Sams, co-anchor Anne Jansen and later, on the morning show with Robyn Richardson (eventually replaced by Alyson Courtney) and Tom Brannon. The result was TV magic, and the morning show held a stranglehold on the top rating spot for years. “It was a fun time in the mornings,” Sams said. “We could do anything we wanted to as long as we were No. 1. We did our show live in Branson, Mo., Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., people’s homes. We’d cook on air. That was a lot of fun.” By the time he retired in 2009 after more than a half-century in broadcasting, Sams had amassed a truckload of

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I always treated my coworkers as equals. Alyson Courtney has told me many times that I treated her as an equal and she’ll never forget it. I didn’t lord myself over them. I didn’t curse them out or say anything derogatory to them. I tried to help them. Sometimes they don’t want my help. Sometimes they do and are appreciative of it. That’s the big success for me, treating everyone as an equal, including the janitor. With that and time comes some influence. Some of these young people now are using four-letter words in the newsroom, and when I was in the newsroom, they were not. They had a respect for me that I didn’t want to hear that kind of language. They backed off. I didn’t have to ask them to.

accolades, including Gold Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 2000 Broadcaster of the Year by the Associated Press and United Press International, and induction into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, where he joined the likes of Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell. THV’s broadcast studio is named in his honor. “I’m proud I was able to be in the homes of people, that they would like me enough to turn me on, rather than my competitor,” he said. “I’m very thankful for that. I’m thankful that I was able to stick around in this business for 56 years and proud of the awards that I’ve received. Just been blessed to have been a small part of people’s lives.” Today, Sams lives a quiet life in Little Rock, immersed in his church and still recognized in public. His arms bear the scars of the crash still — in a certain light, they look like lashes from a whip — and in the retelling, the long-ago incident still gouges fresh grooves on his soul, but tell it he does, in the hopes of reaching someone else floundering in their own fiery wreckage. “I can’t have you printing I would want everybody to do what I did,” he said. “I strayed some, which I’m not proud of. Went through several relationships right after my plane crash when I was healing. “It’s been my faith in Jesus Christ that

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has helped me get through all this adversity that I had. I have been all over the state of Arkansas, giving my testimony from one corner to the other. When I was working, I was giving my testimony 20, 30 times a year, and I’d speak to thousands. I told them about my life and how after the plane crash, I was blaming God and wanting to know why, why, why. I had to work my way through that, but today I’m good.”

B.J. SAMS ON INTEGRITY

It’s hard to detach yourself from the news sometimes. For example, after my plane crash, there were about 15 light plane crashes in Honolulu that year, my son’s in that number. I had to just go right past that. I went to cover a story one time where this couple in a Cadillac had asphyxiated. It made me sick. I almost threw up, but I went back and reported it. You’re kind of acting is what you’re doing; it’s in your mind, but you can’t let it come out on the air.

D EC E M B E R 2023

POLITICS

ONE FOR ALL

New state GOP chairman: “We still have work to do”

hortly after being announced the newly elected chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas, Joseph Wood took to the microphone and gazed out over a sea of faces. The ballroom of North Little Rock’s Wyndham Riverfront Hotel was packed to capacity, but Wood, who previously served as state party treasurer and had unsuccessfully bid for the chairmanship before, had history on his mind, reminding the crowd how, in 2007, only 20 to 40 people bothered to attend the state committee meeting. The notation was more than just a look-how-far-we-have-come comment; it was the preamble to a call for unity. “We still have work to do,” he said, “but we only do that if we’re working in sync.” For the past two election cycles at least, Arkansas has been squarely in the discussion of the reddest state in the country, something generations of pundits likely never thought would happen. Why would they? In every major political category, the left held a stranglehold on power in Arkansas that measured in centuries. From 1874 to 1996, only six years saw a Republican governor in office, including an uninterrupted near-century stretch from 1874 to 1967. In the U.S. Senate, only Tim Hutchinson’s term from 1997 to 2003 broke a blue streak from 1879 to 2015, while in the House of Representatives, the song was largely the same. Six individuals — Ed Bethune, Jay Dickey, the aforementioned Hutchinson, Democrat-turned-Republican Tommy Ross and Asa Hutchinson — were the only crimson droplets floating in a blue sea that stretched from 1874 to 2013. Also, from 1836 to 1980, the state was one of the more reliable backers of Democrat candidates for president, having deviated only four times: twice for Ulysses S. Grant, once for Richard Nixon and once for George Wallace, who ran as a thirdparty candidate. When change did come, however, it quickly flushed the face of the body politic. The Grand Old Party has produced three of the last four governors; enjoys a clean sweep of constitutional state offices; has built a majority in both the state House and Senate; voted red in nine of the last 11 presidential elections (deviating only to back native son Bill Clinton); and stocked the congressional larder similarly. Given all this, Wood’s comments may have seemed a curious

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By Dwain Hebda note of warning during a period of unadulterated success by conservatives in the Natural State. As he explained to Arkansas Money & Politics, however, there is always a downside to success — namely, the tendency to feed on one another in the absence of other opponents. “We’re now not only red in the state; we’re at a place where, what more can we do? We’ve already got the house with the majority, got the senate with the majority, got all the constitutional offices, got the federal offices. We’re done,” Wood said. “The very thing that makes the Republican Party, I think, so strong and unique is individual responsibility, individual rights, but those are also the things that can cause you to bump heads. “You see it across the country. Look at the recent election of Speaker [Mike] Johnson; as soon as he won, he went onto the floor, and he talked about that very thing, that we have to pull together and focus on the things that have brought us all to the table. He talked about seven core principles; in the Republican Party in Arkansas, we have about 10. Those are the things that brought us here. How do we make sure that we keep those the main focus because as you start going broader than that, you start getting variations.” Woods said he is focusing his view on the grassroots leadership of Arkansas, those who do much of the daily work of governing and serve as rebar to fortify the base of conservative support now and into the future. Joseph Wood “What we don’t have are our school boards and our city councils. What we don’t have is good representation in our courthouses,” he said. “We still have work to do. It’s only been a short run, less than 12, 13 years that we’ve had this kind of wave in Arkansas. If we don’t all stay focused and make sure that the main objective is to win elections and make sure we’re interested in the policies of our cause, then we’ll be right back in the same [minority] position.” Wood was born in wintertime Chicago and left, literally, on a doorstep in a shoebox. Discovered by an apartment dweller on his way to work that morning, he was turned over to authorities and spent several of his formative years in a Catholic orphanage. Adopted at age 10, he grew up with two brothers and a sister, much of it the tough Rosemont neighborhood following his parents’ divorce. 140

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Charged by his mother with keeping his siblings off the streets, Wood poured himself into community activities, including a youth club called Teens Together that became a neighborhood refuge for parents wanting to rescue their children from lives of crime and despair. Wood was educated at Iowa State University, and on trips home, would be frustrated by the stagnant social ills facing people of color. He complained about it one day to an older co-worker, only to be stunned to find out the man was not only a conservative, but articulate enough in his beliefs to convert Wood on the spot. Wood’s career eventually landed him in northwest Arkansas, where he found that while being Black and conservative in Chicago was rare, being so in the South was nearly unheard-of. Yet that did not stop him from being elected Washington County judge or being appointed by Gov. Sarah Sanders to the cabinet position of secretary of the Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services, from which he resigned to take the GOP chairmanship. Sanders also endorsed him for his current role, calling him a “fighter for conservative causes” and “a man of true integrity” who would make “an absolutely amazing leader for our party, for our state, for our Christian values.” Now, as he takes the reins of the state party, Wood sees an opportunity to change long-standing beliefs about what the Republican Party offers to communities of color. “For me, [conservatism] is just part of my core beliefs and how they line up with a lot of the principles of the platform,” he said. “However, when you peel back the layers and look across the dynamics of the Republican Party, when President [Donald] Trump ran, you saw an uptick in minorities moving to the Republican side. Not since President [George W.] Bush was in did you see that type of movement. You see people like Larry Elder or Tim Scott or J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, and it does start opening up the mindset of what has been so entrenched for 50 years: that if you are Black, you must vote Democrat. “That’s not what I believe. I believe you can have different opinions, different thought, which is why the Republican Party was started. It was abolishing slavery. The next piece was engaging women and getting them the right to vote. In Arkansas, where we have a female governor as well as the head of the party now being Black, it’s right out of the beginnings of the Republican Party.” To the racial component, Wood acknowledges age as a primary ingredient in the party’s sustained success. Each generation of conservatives prioritizes things a little differently than their forefathers, he said, and in order to maintain momentum, the party must meet younger voters where they are on issues, be they economic, regulatory or social. “Today, I would say you’ve got young folks who are probably very much interested in economics, just like the Tea Party folks were. Why? Because they can’t afford their fuel, they can’t afford their groceries, can’t buy enough house, so they settled for an apartment, but the price of rent is up in the apartment,” he said. “Then you’ve got some who are concerned about some of these social concerns, and where are we when it comes to pro-life? Most of them are saying, ‘You know what? Without life, we would not be here to do anything else.’ The question becomes as conservaARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

tives, what are we doing when those babies get here? Do we have those nonprofits and churches here to continue to support and help and guide those who may find themselves with a kid at a very young age?” Wood said while matters that hit voters’ wallets will always elicit a strong reaction, America’s social issues are often a bit more nuanced, if no less important to the electorate. This too will require fresh thinking on how best to communicate the party’s platform to a new generation of voters. “This country was not started for the federal government or even state government to be the social construct to take care of those things that we are starting to see come about for taking care of people,” he said. “Well, over the years, we got more involved and let our federal government and state government do more of those social aspects, and no matter how benevolent that gesture may be, there’s some aspects of it that they can’t do as well as a local church or the nonprofit can.” Another perennial issue, regardless of generation, is the continued expansion of government. Wood said. In opposing this in favor of other solutions for dealing with issues here and abroad, Republicans are often painted as uncaring. Changing that perception is another part of reclaiming the message and setting the record straight, he said. “The most benevolent place in the world is going to be the U.S. We’re going to be the first to write checks and go out and support and help,” he said. “Individuals who sit on either side of the party, if they’re super-crimson red or that moderate pink, they’re going to be about that, but we also have to protect our country and our interests because we can’t be benevolent and help everybody else if we don’t secure our own country, secure our own borders. “We’re watching this social unraveling in the most liberal cities, whether it be New York City, San Francisco, Chicago. We see the left spending more time trying to get guys into women’s sports than defending the military. As a nation, we have gone a few decades embracing the social piece and not really focusing on the fundamentals of safety and economic vitality. It’s [GOP’s] job to get us back on track.” Wood said despite the many serious challenges facing the U.S. — namely, he said, the wholesale failure of the President Joe Biden administration in areas of foreign policy, immigration, energy policy and so-called Bidenomics — the nation remains a beacon to many. He said reinvigorating opportunities for all without undue government interference is the formula for calming divisiveness and reclaiming America’s birthright as the undisputed greatest nation on earth, led by new generations. “I think when you look at our platform and the work that we can do to stretch and reach out to those varying groups, I’ve been very excited about watching our stars, our student Republicans, who continue to blossom and grow,” he said. “I watch them, and I’m thinking, ‘Boy, we can really learn from them,’ and we can. “Young Republicans are looking for a place to roll up their sleeves and get involved. They’re bringing in new thoughts, new ideas, new energy. I welcome that, and we are glad to have that. Our challenge as a party is to really set an example for them and to really build things together.” 1 41

D EC E M B E R 2023

POLITICS

The Pollster

Founding Mother of the Arkansas Poll to retire after 25 years as director By Sarah DeClerk

utiful, steadfast, diligent — that is how Janine Parry, professor of political science at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, describes herself. It is a description befitting the founding director of the Arkansas Poll, which has checked the pulse of Arkansas’ policy opinions annually for 25 years. “It’s sort of a public service,” Parry said. “I’ve managed to get a little bit of research out of it, and it certainly informs my teaching, especially in the Arkansas politics class.” The University of Arkansas position was Parry’s first tenured position, and she took it right after completing graduate school in her native home of Spokane, Wash. She replaced Diane Blair, who had retired, and met the university’s need for a specialist in state politics who could teach introductory courses on state and national government. As a bonus to Parry, Blair had taught a class on women in politics, one of Parry’s interests. The Arkansas Poll was the brainchild of William Miller, who has since left the university where he served as founding director of the doctoral public policy program, which he was starting at the time of Parry’s arrival in 1998. “He was interested in learning more about what people wanted than elections could provide,” she said. “I was a new faculty member with specialties in American state politics, including voting behavior and public opinion, so he thought it was something that should be done and, to be honest, that as the new person, I was the person who should do it.” Collis Geren, who was then dean of the graduate school, funded the poll’s first two years, DEC E M BER 2 02 3

Janine Parry, who grew the Arkansas Poll into a nationally respected source, will retire following the spring semester. (Photos provided) 142

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she said, and then former Sen. Tim Hutchinson helped the poll secure a Department of Education grant with the support of the outgoing Bill Clinton presidential administration. That grant turned into an endowment that now funds UA’s Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society and, through that, the Arkansas Poll, Parry said. The objective of the project was to provide a richer look at what people want from government than elections allow, she said, adding that although there is a lot of polling around elections, 99 percent of it uses a national sample, while 95 percent of public policy is made at the state and local level. “People in Arkansas might want something quite different than the average person from Pennsylvania or Idaho, and yet there’s just not that much statelevel public policy [polling] that’s happening,” she said. “There have been all kinds of initiatives over the decades to try to get more state-level polling projects going on, but they’re just really hard to fund and to keep running under traditional academic models.” It can be hard to publish state-level research because national-level research is more appealing and familiar to political scientists, and that can be frustrating to someone who specializes in state politics. “There’s so much more interesting variety happening at the state level, and all those policies are of so much greater consequence in terms of people’s daily lives, but it’s just a bias that political science has always had that somehow national-level data are better. Then it’s so hard to publish from because when you send it out to journals, those aren’t state-level journals; those are national and international journals. I have to answer this a lot — and I do other research too — but when I’m trying to publish from the Arkansas Poll, reviewers say all the time, ‘This is an Arkansas sample. Who cares? Arkansas isn’t representative of the country,’ and it’s like, ‘Well, it’s representative of a lot of the country, and you’ve been publishing data out of California for four years. How is it representative of the country?’ I’ve had to fight that battle so many times.” She said she became interested in state politics due to passionate professors who taught what is often not considered to be a core course in political science curricula. “The people that do this kind of research are engaged in politics in a meaningful way that I haven’t found for people in other specialties,” she said. “They know the local lawmakers, and they go to the meetings, and they observe. It’s kind of an older style of political science. The state politics crowd, I think, actually cares more, like really cares more, about the health of the republic. They want their studies to be used in a way that benefits people,

not just to get into the highest-tier publications.” The Arkansas Poll provides much-needed information about Arkansas policy views since state-level elections in Arkansas take place during non-presidential election years, she added. “At best, 40 percent of the people are coming out and at least picking the red team or the blue team,” she said, “but that’s less than half of the people, and it’s not providing us with that much information, so we thought we would get in there and figure out a little bit more about what kinds of projects people supported, which kinds of regulation and how much, if any, and if they were satisfied with the representatives of the teams they had chosen, so that’s what we’ve been doing.” The poll still uses “pretty traditional methods in a pretty traditional state,” she said. Although the amount of respondents reached by cellphone has increased, the poll has always been conducted by phone. About 800 respondents are included. The poll costs about $50,000 each year, she said, adding that although the cost could be reduced to a few thousand dollars if the poll was conducted online or by text, the respondents would likely be younger and more educated than the average Arkansas voter. The survey includes 60 or 70 questions, about a third of which are demographic, and takes about 20 minutes. About 75 percent of the questions are the same every year, she said, but the poll also facilitates outside research on topics such as taxation, education and other topics that may be only tangentially related to policy. Parry said she has struggled with questions about abortion. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, one would be hardpressed to tighten Arkansas abortion law further, so it seems a bit nonsensical to ask a question like, “Do you think abortion policy should be the same, less strict or stricter?” she said. However, by changing the question, the poll would lose comparable data from previous years. That comparative data is important to understanding matters such as political turnover, she added. “Arkansas’ party transformation between 2010 and 2014 was bigger and faster than any state’s party transformation, at least going back to the Great Depression,” Parry said. “West Virginia comes really close around the same time and, of course, for basically the same reasons, but by the metrics that we’ve looked at, looking at all 50 states, Arkansas’ party flip was the most and the biggest, and it’s kind of cool that we’ve got public-opinion research to show it happening in real time, which most states don’t have.”

The poll has historically been fairly accurate when it comes to predicting election results.

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A snippet from the Arkansas Poll’s recent survey results.

One of the most pronounced takeaways from the 2023 poll was the comparatively low approval rating of Gov. Sarah Sanders, who ranked lower than average for all governors and had the lowest gubernatorial approval rating in Arkansas since her father, Mike Huckabee. However, Parry said, the low approval rating is less exaggerated when compared to other high-profile governors such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. “They have all struggled to keep their state-level approval rating above 50 percent because they’re kind of in that national fray,” Parry said. “They’ve departed from the gubernatorial norms of roads and industry — attracting new industry, building or maintaining roads and funding schools — which is kind of bipartisan most of the time, so for those who’ve moved away from that in order to make national bids, most likely, down the road, their approval ratings take a hit, so she’s just about average in that peer group.” She added that the poll has been successful in providing insights regular election polling might not provide. “I think the poll has facilitated a more meaningful conversation about public policy than otherwise would have been possible, so I’d give it pretty high marks on that,” she said. “You know, in election years, people concentrate on the horse-race contest and the people who like who’s ahead versus the people who don’t like who’s ahead, and sometimes I feel like I’m standing at the side of the road, trying to flag down all the things that people want and are saying, but I do think we’ve contributed to the conversation meaningfully.” Furthermore, Parry said, the poll has historically been fairly accurate when it comes to predicting election results. “We’ve got a good track record, which I keep track of because I don’t want to do it if it’s not accurate most of the time,” she said. “I certainly don’t want to push out information that isn’t valid. We’ve done well on that.” However, research from the poll that could reveal how the public feels about policy is often lost amid partisan politics, she added.

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“I wish people would consult [the poll] more with respect to public policy,” she said. “I wish there were more examples I could point to of it maybe raising an issue for people and leading to a specific bill being introduced or even an amendment being introduced and substantively influencing public policy that way. There aren’t that many examples of that because, I think, this is just a tough environment with hyper-polarization and an emphasis on the politics of outrage or the politics of performance instead of problem-solving.” That said, the poll has influenced policy-making in the past. Parry pointed to a question about spanking in schools that was introduced by a member of the state board of education who hoped to test the waters when it came to banning the practice. When the question was introduced in 2009, about two-thirds of respondents said teachers should be permitted to spank children at school, she said, so the board member backed away from the topic. However, she added, the number has since dropped to half. There are also instances she can recall of journalists using the poll to provide context when reporting on topics such as gun control or abortion legislation. “Usually it feels pretty good, I guess, when I see people use [the poll] in a way that brings light instead of heat. It makes me feel like it’s a positive contribution,” she said. “There certainly are examples of it just contributing more heat than light, and

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Parry received the UA’s Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016.

that has been occasionally demoralizing, but I try not to dwell on that. It’s such as small part of my job at the university and such a small part of my life, and I try to direct and redirect people to use it in constructive ways, but it turns out people don’t always do what you want them to do.” During a time when a single political party may comprise 80 percent or more of a state’s legislature, data from the Arkansas Poll shows that most voters are not as deeply polarized as one might expect when it comes to public policy, she added. “Most of us don’t really have these hard and fast extremist positions on the menu of public policies that our state legislators are hurriedly putting in place,” she said. “I think if we would look at those results, we might be able to kind of find each other again and maybe figure out what reforms could recenter or at least bring back from the fringes our candidates and our office holders and thus our public policy.” In addition to directing the Arkansas Poll, Parry teaches four or five classes a year, mentors students and writes publications. She has co-authored research papers on direct democracy using data from the Arkansas Poll. She is currently working on a book that she hopes to finish before she retires at the end of the spring semester. Parry said she began her academic career at a relatively young age, so she is planning to retire from university life earlier than most at 52. When her two twin children graduate from Fayetteville High School at the end of this school year, she and her husband will spend their summers working at national parks, she said. They will be based in Spokane, where she plans to work at city parks during the off-season, she added. “That’s my goal,” she said. “No one will talk to me about approval ratings. I’ll just weed a public space in a light rain.” She added that she also hopes to travel via the U.S. Fulbright Student Program.

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The future of the poll has yet to be decided, Parry said, but she is working to leave as much information as possible for a new director. “I hope there’s an interest in continuing it because it really is a unique thing about Arkansas in a good way,” she said, “but I totally understand if someone doesn’t want to take it up because it is quite time-consuming, and university life isn’t really set up to reward folks for the kind of investment it requires, so stay tuned.” Parry said it is best if the director treats the poll as clinically as possible, works transparently and addresses any legitimate concerns about the poll. It took her 10 years to figure out how to glean from the poll publishable academic research that would garner recognition, she added. “I would advise them, especially if they were as-yet untenured, to figure out earlier than I did how to make it a public service but also produce publishable research, and this next generation of scientists, I think they’ll be better at that naturally than I was out of the gate,” she said. “I think they have a stronger understanding of research expectations. It’s just a different era, and I think they’re more mature scholars in some ways.” As for herself, Parry said she is ready to return home and spend more time outdoors than academia allows her. There are a lot of similarities between Little Rock and Spokane, she said, adding that the Arkansas Poll has taught her about the place where she spent her directorship. “I feel like it has helped me understand a state that’s famously misunderstood,” she said. “I think she even doesn’t understand herself well, sometimes, that maybe she believes the bad press, sometimes, about herself, and really, Arkansans aren’t that different in so many ways than other states around the country. I mean, it’s a more rural state than other places. There aren’t a lot of big cities here. It’s older than a lot of other states. It’s whiter than a lot of other states. Those are the demographic realities, but it’s still a place full of lots of different kinds of people who have lots of different kinds of wishes and needs, and I feel like the poll has let me see those more clearly than I might have otherwise.”

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A Mayor Like No Other Earle’s young leader not a typical civic authority By Kenneth Heard

aylen Smith starts his days like most 19-year-olds. He wakes up at his parents’ home, eats breakfast, worries about the college courses he’s taking, gets into his used car and heads to work. The difference, though, is that while others his age may go to work at a fast-food restaurant or convenience store, Smith heads west on Second Street into Earle’s downtown and pulls into the city hall’s employee parking. He enters through the building’s back door, greets other workers arriving and walks through the hallways to his office. Smith, who graduated from Earle High School last year, is the town’s mayor. It’s a position he earned by 50 votes in the city’s November 2022 election when he was 18. He’s the youngest African American ever to be a mayor in the country’s history and among a handful of teenagers to have held a city’s leadership position. Being the mayor of Earle is not an easy task. The Crittenden County town of 2,000 lost more than 1,000 residents over the past 20 years. There are not many jobs available in Earle, and many leave the town in search of better opportunities after graduating high school. The unemployment rate in Earle is 13 percent. Smith’s goal as mayor is to bring in new businesses, develop more housing and double Earle’s population within four years. He also wants to restore hope to a town that has lost a sense of optimism over the past decade.

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Jaylen Smith is the youngest African American to be elected mayor in U.S. history. (Kenneth Heard)

Smith’s story has all the trappings of so many scripts about young people following their dreams. This time, an 18-year-old senior in high school, enamored with politics and helping others, opts to run for town mayor. He beats his opponent, a former street-and-sanitation supervisor, 235 votes to 185 votes, and the job is his. “You can do what your heart desires,” he said, sounding more like a wizened life coach than a teenager. “You should follow your dreams. Only you can stop you.” Of course, Smith isn’t just anyone. He began wearing suits to school when he was in the ninth grade, said Angela Jones, an administrative assistant at Earle High School. He became a member of the school’s student government association and was impressed by how the group could create policies to help students. It left a lasting impression on him. “I’ve not seen any student like Jaylen in many years,” Jones said. “He was an excellent student. He asked a lot of questions,

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and if you didn’t answer them fully, you got more questions from him. He asked, “Why? a lot.” Now, nearly a year into his four-year term, Smith is used to working 12-hour days. He gets to City Hall at 8 a.m. and, especially on days when the city council meets, stays late. He constantly checks his cell phone for texts or one of the two computers in his office for emails. From one computer, music softly emanates. Smith listens to a rotation of gospel, country and contemporary Christian music. While browsing the internet one day, he discovered that United Airlines was offering summer internships to high school students. He printed the information to show to Earle school administrators. “It’s what I expected,” he said of the job, “but I was ready to go to work. High school work prepared me for this, but I’m learning every day.” On his first day as mayor, Smith had to deal with flooding after heavy rains deluged the area. It was a problem that has plagued parts of Earle for decades. “I had our guys clean out the sewers and drainage systems,” he said. “Within about 30 minutes, the water began flowing out.” Smith is a hands-on type mayor, administrative assistant Victoria Mathis said. “He’s amazing,” she said. “He’s ‘work, work, work.’ He’s willing to get in and do the job, not just command others. He does it.” At least once a week, Smith enters City Hall dragging a vacuum cleaner behind him. He brings the vacuum from home and cleans his own office. When one of the city’s trash trucks was out for repair and two people were required to team up on another truck, Smith jumped on the back of one and took off, helping workers empty garbage containers on the city’s curbs. “He sets goals,” Mathis said. “Then he gets in the trenches. It makes you want to do more for the city.” Smith’s parents are from nearby Crawfordsville. They moved to Earle in 2000, and four years later, their son was born. Smith first wanted to be a police officer or an Arkansas State Police trooper, his mother, Sonya Perkins, said. Smith was a good student and did not pose any problems for his parents, but he didn’t stand out until he joined the student government association in high school. “His whole demeanor changed then,” Perkins said. “The light came on. He saw how he could help change things for the better.” As a senior in high school, Smith helped plan the senior class trip to Panama Beach, Fla. When he learned some of his classmates could not afford it, he raised money for their expenses by cutting yards and working other jobs. “He’d wear suits to class,” Jones said. “People thought he was a teacher. They’d ask about the new teacher, and I’d say, ‘What teacher?’ They’d point to Jaylen, and I’d say, ‘He’s a student.’” When Smith filed to run for mayor, he didn’t tell his parents.

They learned about it from a post on Facebook. Since taking office, Smith has met with Vice President Kamala Harris three times, once visiting her home for Black History Month this past February. He’s also discussed the demographics of Generation Z youngsters with President Joe Biden and talked about restoring hope for the nation after the fractious Donald Trump administration. In September, Smith traveled to Brooklyn to talk to college students about following their dreams, and he will soon go to Brazil for a conference of African American mayors. In addition to growth, Smith’s goals include bringing in a grocery store — something the town has not seen in decades. There are also plans for a new liquor store, a gas station and a 500-unit apartment complex on the horizon. Smith secured a $300,000 state grant to help repair city streets, and he wants to create overnight shifts for the Earle Police Department to ensure 24-hour police protection. A lot of his ideas hang on change, which has evaded Earle in the past. The downtown area is evidence of that. The City Hall annex has been there since 1905, when the town was founded. Davis Auto is next door, promising reliable used cars, and further up the road, the Glory Grill boasts of its “Mercy Burger.” Even the name of the town is a throwback to a much earlier time, since the town is named after Josiah Francis Earle, a Confederate cavalry soldier and member of the Ku Klux Klan. When he was first elected, some residents were a tad concerned about Smith’s age. “I ain’t going to tell no tales,” said Clara Dyson, a cashier at the local Valero convenience store on U.S. 64. “I was nervous, but he’s done a real good job.” Willie Gray, an employee of the Glory Grill, said she’s been pleased with his progress, as well. “We’ve had a lot of older [mayors] who didn’t do much,” she said. “He’s done all right as far as I can tell. He’s trying to help people.” It’s been a busy, whirlwind life for Smith this past year, and it promises to continue that way. He’s taking online classes at Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis with the intention of earning a business administration degree. Smith is planning ahead too. He wants to run for a second four-year term as mayor in 2028. Then he intends to run for Arkansas’ 1st Congressional U.S. District seat and eventually for president. “I’ve seen the progress here,” he said of his first year of work, “but I’ve not seen the change in people. We haven’t changed in 40 years. We haven’t gotten new habits in place yet. In order to make real progress, we need to make the change.” Channeling another Arkansan who once aspired for the White House and got there, Smith insisted, “We need to get hope back to Earle.”

You should follow your dreams. Only you can stop you.

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DIGS OF THE DEAL

SECOND ACT FORTHCOMING Former home of Li’l Abner awaits its remake By Mark Carter

hat’s left of Dogpatch USA clings to a winding Scurve of highway running north of Jasper, deep into the Ozark highlands of Newton County. The old amusement park’s footprint is tucked neatly into a wooded dell that mimics the serpentine example set by the overlooking Scenic Highway 7. An almost-hidden gem that came to resemble a ghost town in the years following its closing in 1993, Dogpatch sits and waits for its new owner, Johnny Morris, to apply his resort magic. A Morris representative assured that day is coming. *** Arkansas’ first real theme park, Dogpatch, was opened in 1968 and looked something like a countrified, compact Six Flags emerging from the Ozark wilderness, the patchwork wooden frame of the old “monster mouse” roller coaster peeking above the thick canopy of hickory, white oak and shortleaf pine. Early on in its heyday, Dogpatch was popular, attracting almost 1 million visitors a year, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Modeled after Al Capps’ popular Li’l Abner comic strip, the setting for which was a rural Southern mountain village called Dogpatch, the 124-acre park capitalized on the growing popularity of hillbilly culture. The comic strip debuted in 1934, and by the time its run ended in 1977, Li’l Abner was read by an estimated 60 million readers and appeared in more than 900 U.S. newspapers and 100 more papers in 28 countries. Capp is said to have modeled Dogpatch USA on the landscape he enjoyed while driving through the Arkansas Ozarks. Popular TV shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction — and later, The Dukes of Hazzard — piggybacked off the success of Li’l Abner. Even The Andy Griffith Show, which introduced Mayberry into the American lexicon, benefited from the comic strip’s popularity. Though many Arkansans bristled at what they perceived as a DEC E M BER 2 02 3

negative stereotype, Dogpatch capitalized on its celebration of rural, mountain culture. For the first decade or so of its 25-year run, it was a true regional attraction, if not a national draw. Indeed, Arkansas was home to its own hillbilly Disneyland tucked into the rolling hills between Jasper and Harrison. (That the Highway 7 corridor — these days, the Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway, officially — never evolved into something like Branson, Mo., is another story for another day.) There even was a Miss Dogpatch beauty pageant, and parts of the 1969 B-movie, It’s Alive, were filmed in the park. Characters from the comic strip, including Li’l Abner himself, Daisy Mae, Mammy and Pappy Yokum, even the Schmoo, mingled with patrons and performed skits, much like Mickey and Minnie at Disneyland. (The Schmoo was introduced by Capp into the Li’l Abner strip in 1948; the fictional creature shaped like a bowling pin became a cultural icon of the mid-20th century.) There were even Al Capp, author of the Li’l Abner plans for a Li’l Abnerstrip, was on hand to take part in the park’s 1968 groundbreaking. themed restaurant chain (Courtesy of the Shiloh Museum and a TV series, for of Ozark History) which a pilot was produced and aired. 148

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A Dogpatch billboard, which stood for years after the park’s closing; a ticket to the park’s stagecoach ride from circa 1968; an ad from a 1973 Arkansas tour guide; characters such as Mammy and Pappy Yokum interact with guests. (Photos courtesy of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, the Library of Congress and the Museum of American History/Cabot Public Schools)

Eventually, of course, Li’l Abner and Jed Clampett gave way to J.R. Ewing and Arthur Fonzarelli. Hillbilly chic became passe as America moved on from Mayberry. Dogpatch endured but grew less popular. Financial problems, including bankruptcy, multiple ownership changes and half-baked attempts to change the park’s theme, spelled the beginning of the end. The oil crisis of the mid-70s that cut into family vacations didn’t help. Nor did a rash of mild winters that quelled the ski resort’s appeal. The park was closed in 1993. The Li’l Abner theme was dropped in 1991 to avoid having to pay the Capp estate for use of the Dogpatch USA name and characters. For the final two years of its run, the park operated as Dogpatch, Ark. Since Dogpatch closed, subsequent property owners and prospective buyers have envisioned attractions such as a Christian theme park, an ecotourism village, an arts-and-crafts park and a scaled-down version of the original, minus the comic strip, called the Village at Dogpatch. The ski resort at Marble Falls reopened in 2004 as The Hub, a motorcycle-themed resort. It closed in 2017. *** In 2020, the property was bought by an LLC that turned out to represent Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops and developer of successful eco-friendly resorts and attractions such as the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in his hometown of Springfield, Mo. Morris also founded White River Marine Group, which builds and sells boats under the brand names Nitro, Triton, Tahoe, Tracker, Sun Tracker, Regency, Mako, Ascend and Ranger, the latter of which was founded in Arkansas by renowned outdoorsman Forrest Wood. Initially, plans for a Morris-developed attraction at Dogpatch called Marble Falls Nature Park, which would look like Morris’ Dogwood Canyon Nature Park in southern Missouri, were revealed, but nothing ever materialized. Debbie Bennett, president of hospitality at Bass Pro, told AMP there are no solid plans for the property currently, but her group may soon conduct another on-site visit, she said. “There isn’t a formal plan yet,” she said. “We’re still determining how to move this forward. We’ll come up with something, and whatever we do, it’ll be nature-based.” With conservation in mind, Bennett said there remains a ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

lot of cleanup to do on the property in addition to environmental hurdles to clear regarding Mill Creek and the cavern. The property hasn’t been properly maintained for decades, and drivers-by on Highway 7 could be forgiven if they indeed envisioned a ghost town. (Paranormal investigators have spent the night on the property but reported no newsworthy findings.) Located in Lampe, Mo., an unincorporated community just off Table Rock Lake and just across the border, Debbie Bennett Dogwood Canyon is a 10,000-acre preserve that offers wildlife tours, hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding and more. Though the Morris group’s plans may not be definite, the Dogpatch and Marble Falls footprint lends itself to something similar. *** One of the park’s early owners was Jess Odom, the developer who had previously planted his flag in the piney woods across the 149

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Dogpatch’s Act 2 may not promise the tantalizing combo of Spider-Man and the Schmoo, but given Morris’ track record, it’s sure to be a longstanding hit.

Arkansas River and northwest of Little Rock. His planned “new community” was a success and grew into the incorporated city of Maumelle, a thriving suburb of roughly 20,000. Odom gained controlling interest of the property in 1968, just months after the park’s spring opening, which drew 8,000 visitors. Early on, Dogpatch seemed poised for big things. Capp flew to Arkansas for the park’s groundbreaking and a year later gave a speech to a crowd of about 2,000 for the unveiling of a giant statue of the fictional Dogpatch hero, Jubilation T. Cornpone, newspapers reported. A Los Angeles consulting firm had projected annual attendance of more than 1 million visitors and annual revenue of $5 million ($42 million today) within 10 years.

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The name of the post office for nearby community Marble Falls was changed to Dogpatch, and a ski resort called Marble Falls that used manmade snow was built adjacent to the park. It included slopes, an alpine ski village, cabins, a hotel, a roller rink and even a convention center. The theme park itself included Over the years, Dogpatch transformed a wooden “mouse” model roller from a theme park to ghost town. coaster that featured winding tracks, (Photos by Jamison Mosley) sharp (and unbanked) turns, and cars designed to be wider than the track to enhance the illusion of hanging off the edge; a toboggan roller coaster; Dogpatch Caverns, a renamed Mystic Caverns, a trout pond visitors could fish; a historic grist mill; a miniature train; a boat ride; a track where guests could drive downsized versions of Ford Model T cars; a tram built in Switzerland and shipped to Arkansas that ferried guests to and from the parking lot on the “mountain” above the park; and other rides and attractions based on characters from the comic strip. The 1972 season opening introduced a sea lion exhibit and an aviary. Later in its run, the park brought in musical acts — Reba McEntire and Ike and Tina Turner among others — recruited a trained bear act, and introduced Marvel and DC superheroes to the park’s population of characters. Denver Pyle, the talented character actor best known for his roles as Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show and Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard, was signed as spokesman. By the 1980s, though, Dogpatch was straining for relevance. The park became a fascinating hodgepodge of attractions but couldn’t keep up with the more established Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View; a burgeoning Silver Dollar City in Branson, the resort city just over the border in Missouri that was just starting to evolve into a kid-friendly mashup of Nashville, Tenn., and Las Vegas; or even the new Magic Springs amusement park in Hot Springs, which opened in 1978. The idea of Spider-Man, Captain America, and Batman and Robin roaming the streets of Dogpatch USA alongside characters like moonshiners Hairless Joe and Lonesome Polecat — with bears nearby, mind you — may be an especially appealing one to today’s kitsch-oriented crowd, but 50 years ago, it amounted to a Hail Mary. For its 25-year run, Dogpatch gave Arkansas its own Mayberry — with a ski slope or two thrown in for good measure. Dogpatch’s Act 2 may not promise the tantalizing combo of Spider-Man and the Schmoo, but given Morris’ track record, it’s sure to be a long-standing hit.

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DOLLARS AND SENSE

Boning Up on Tax-Law Changes a Smart Resolution for the New Year By Sarah DeClerk

ith the new year on its way, business owners who are making resolutions might want to include an entry about preparing for upcoming changes to tax laws. Marshall Ipsen, certified financial planner and CEO of Ipsen Advisor Group in Little Rock, said the expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will cause a tax-bracket increase in 2025. That could affect plans for 2024. “We have already been hearing that there’s a good chance that corporate tax rates are going to go up, as well,” Ipsen said. “Looking at those tax rates in the future, is it better to earn more money this year and in 2024 versus 2025 and beyond when it’s already built into law that tax rates reset to 2016 levels?” Estate-tax exemptions are set to decrease due to the act’s expiration, said Joseph Reece, a founding member of RMP Law Firm in Springdale who specializes in estate planning and business law. Currently, individuals can die with $12.92 million in assets without paying estate taxes, he said. At the end of 2025, that amount will revert to the pre-act figure of $5 million plus adjustments for inflation that will bring the final amount up to about $6 million, he said. “If you know that you have a potentially taxable estate, then you may want to make some gifts of assets to your loved ones while it’s $12.92 million so that you don’t lose that exemption just when the law reverts back,” he said. Another consideration for next year is the Corporate Transparency Act that takes effect Jan. 1 and will require corporations and limited liability companies to file a report with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, he added. “It’s going to affect everybody who’s got a company,” he said. “If you created an LLC or corporation with the secretary of state, you’re going to have to file one of these reports, and people, if you don’t comply with that, there’s not only fines, but there’s also potential criminal penalties for not complying with that law.” Business owners who offer retirement plans may want to make some resolutions related to the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which Ipsen said will bring changes that include requiring businesses with existing 401k plans or plans based on individual retirement accounts to offer Roth options, as well. Adding a retirement plan may be a forward-thinking move that improves employee recruitment and retention, he added. “Many more states are making it illegal not to have a retirement plan if you have a certain number of employees. I believe the state of California just last year implemented that if you have

more than 25 employees, you have to offer some type of retirement plan,” he said. “Arkansas does not require it now, but there’s a pretty good chance that we will in the future.” Risk management may be a good area for business owners to focus on in 2024. Ipsen said he foresees rates for property insurance and causality insurance, including auto, home and commercial insurance, increasing considerably next year. “With the increase in construction costs and the increase in property values that we’ve seen in the last three years, well, insurance companies are regulated by state agencies, and it takes them a couple years to get rate increases approved by state agencies,” he said. “I am expecting for commercial insurance and individual insurance on property to increase next year in 2024, so make sure that your insurance coverage, your risk management, is what you need.” Those who have owned a building for 15 years and are insuring it for the same replacement costs they were five years ago may want to look at how much it might cost to replace the building today versus five or 10 years ago, he added. In addition, business owners may want to strengthen their cybersecurity during the coming year. Ipsen said there has been an increase in cybersecurity incidents recently and that he has seen a lot of breaches at banks, mortgage companies and other financial institutions in the past three months. Accurate and efficient tax reporting may take on additional importance as a resolution, as well, since Reese said business owners should be prepared for increased audits of LLCs and pass-through businesses. Although the agency has said it will not focus on entities that make less than $400,000 a year, the IRS recently received $60 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act and plans to hire 8,000 additional employees, so business owners would do well to ensure their records are in order, he added. “One of the things when you go meet with your CPA [certified public accountant] is talk about, ‘What record-keeping should I be doing?’ so that if you’re audited, it doesn’t decimate you when you’re trying to get records and stuff,” he said. Taking time to meet with financial advisors to ensure a business is properly structured is a New Year’s resolution that can help businesses maximize tax benefits and reduce liability. “One of the first things that I am always surprised to see with a lot of small-business owners is that they’ve never really gone and sat down with an advisor to truly look and say, ‘Am I set up properly? Am I structured properly?” Reece said. “What I want to say to small-business owners is take a couple of hours and go