JULY 2026/armoneyandpolitics.com
AIMING HIGH
Col. Bret Echard, Little Rock Air Force Base Commander, 19th Airlift Wing
INSIDE: Business Services | Education | Future Icons $10 USD
SOME PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WHERE THEY ARE.
We get that.
But conversations don’t cost anything — and the right one might just be worth it. We’re always open to connecting with experienced professionals who care about doing things the right way.
SOLID PEOPLE. STRONG RELATIONSHIPS. LASTING RESULTS.
For more than 65 years, James A. Roger’s Excavating has built more than projects — we’ve built a reputation for integrity, teamwork and quality that lasts.
AREAS WE’RE CONTINUALLY EXPLORING:
CONTROLLER
PROJECT MANAGER
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ESTIMATOR
AND MORE GREAT ROLES
Lead financial strategy and help guide smart decisions for continued growth.
Oversees projects from start to finish and deliver results that last.
Build relationships, discover opportunities and help expand our impact.
Analyze, plan and create winning bids that set the stage for success.
Operations, engineeering, safety equipment and administrative opportunies.
A TEAM THAT
Builds More Than Projects.
✓ Family-owned. People-focused. ✓ Safety-first. Always. ✓ Real opportunities for growth. ✓ Built on integrity. Delivered with pride.
WORTH A CONVERSATION? We Think so.
INFO@JAMESAROGERSEXC.COM Certified Professional Wealth Pay Time.
JAMESAROGERSEXC.COM/CAREERS
Learn more about our team and projects.
DO GOOD. BUILD WELL. LEAVE A LEGACY. That’s how we work. That’s who we are.
BUILT ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS. jarexcavating jarexcavating @jarexcavating mchenrycompanies @mchenryandmeyercompanies
E XC AVAT ION | S I T E DE V E L OP ME N T | UNDE R GR OUND U T IL I T IE S | QU A R R Y OP E R AT ION S
501-455-2439
of
BUILDING for fUtUre
GeNeratIoNs 1946
2026
performance that makes the grade.
A Great Education Starts with a Safe and Comfortable Environment. For decades, Powers has partnered with K-12 school districts, colleges and universities across Arkansas to design, install and maintain the HVAC systems and building controls that keep educational facilities operating at their best. It’s work most people never see – but students and educators benefit from it every day. It’s our privilege to build better environments for the people building Arkansas’s future. Powers-HVAC.com
CONGRATULATIONS
Hunter Lauderdale on being named an AMP Future Icon for 2026
Custom Patios Landscaping Solutions Sod Installation Concrete Work Dump Truck Hauling Retaining Wall Construction
Before
A grassroots success story —built right here in Arkansas
After
501-413-1181
FEATURES JULY 2026
18 HERK NATION HONCHO Col. Bret Echard, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, has been awaiting takeoffs for 24 years, from Alaska to Afghanistan.
48
76
VITAL ROLE
ARE YOU REDDIE?
In 2024, SIG SAUER opened a $225 million ammunition center in Jacksonville, continuing its tradition of playing a vital role in national defense.
Impending insolvency and declining enrollment in the 2010s placed Henderson State’s future in doubt before the ASU System offered a lifeline in 2019.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
5
JULY 2026
July 2026 PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com
8 | Plugged In 9 | Publisher’s Letter 10 | Discovery Economics 12 | Viewpoint 132 | Arkansas Visionary 150 | Digs of the Deal 152 | The Last Word LRAFB
24 Answering the call
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
the 83 Celebrating American spirit
SENIOR EDITOR Mark Carter | mcarter@armoneyandpolitics.com
In this special sales section, AMP looks at Arkansas women who continue to change the world in ways big and small each and every day.
MASTERS IN THEIR FIELDS
94 Simply the best
The global home of the workhorse C-130 Hercules is a This special sales section working testament to the grit of highlights some of the best in local leaders such as Bart Gray Sr. their fields in Arkansas — from and Kenneth Pat Wilson. lawyers and dentists to cleaners and HVAC techs.
30 City within a city
The current LRAFB headcount sits at just shy of 14,000, comparable to Arkansas cities such as Marion, Blytheville and Harrison.
FUTURE ICONS
103 Know these names
Who are Arkansas’ most influential up-and-comers? Readers once again helped us Details matter determine who the state’s real The USAF Honor Guard at LRAFB drivers are shaping up to be. embraces the small details, paying homage, providing SMALL BUSINESS comfort, bearing witness and giving reassurance.
40
136 Helping hand
42 Elite job, elite demands Jared Eakin’s Scars and Stripes Becoming a member of the Air Force’s explosive ordnance disposal unit is a single-sum game — sheer heart and want-to are not enough to make this team.
BUSINESS SERVICES
54 Clean freaks
The U.S. janitorial and commercial cleaning markets took in $11.3 billion and $13.2 billion, respectively, in 2023, and that figure is expected to grow 12.5 percent through 2033.
60 No bugs
addresses broad areas of need within the veteran population, including community outreach and more.
68 Trending up Arkansas still has a way to go before it reaches the top of the class, but small districts like Melbourne are showing what can be done. J U LY 2 026
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Mak Millard | mmillard@armoneyandpolitics.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Darlene Hebda | darlene@armoneyandpolitics.com COPY EDITOR Sarah DeClerk | sdeclerk@armoneyandpolitics.com STAFF WRITERS Doug Crise | dcrise@armoneyandpolitics.com Alex Hardgrave | ahardgrave@armoneyandpolitics.com Mary LeSieur | mlesieur@armoneyandpolitics.com MANAGING DIGITAL EDITOR Kellie McAnulty | kmcanulty@armoneyandpolitics.com ONLINE WRITER Kilee Hall | khall@armoneyandpolitics.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Bedgood | mbedgood@armoneyandpolitics.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jerry Cordova | jcordova@armoneyandpolitics.com Lora Puls | lpuls@armoneyandpolitics.com Lee Smith | lsmith@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Greg Churan | gchuran@armoneyandpolitics.com Michelle Daugherty | michelle@armoneyandpolitics.com Mary Funderburg | mary@armoneyandpolitics.com Karen Holderfield | kholderfield@armoneyandpolitics.com Ryan Parker | ryan@armoneyandpolitics.com Carrie Sublett | carrie@armoneyandpolitics.com EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Jessica Everson | jeverson@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Katie Beth Smith | ksmith@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING OPERATIONS MANAGER Jay Danzy | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING OPERATOR Lara Keck | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com
POLITICS
140 The challenger
CIRCULATION circulation@armoneyandpolitics.com
Inside the campaign to elect Chris Jones to Congress from Arkansas’ Second District, there is momentum and reason for enthusiasm.
SPORTS
142 The future
The summer months are in full The Arkansas athletics swing, and with that comes the department found itself on the onslaught of bugs and pests cutting edge after announcing trying to make their home in houses and commercial buildings. a jersey-patch sponsorship deal with Tyson Foods.
EDUCATION
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dwain Hebda | dwain@armoneyandpolitics.com
146 Trojan rising Even by the standards of college coaching, Little Rock baseball coach Chris Curry’s path has been a steep one, but it has led to historic success for the program. 6
ADMINISTRATION Marissa Porter | ayoffice@armoneyandpolitics.com CEO | Vicki Vowell
TO ADVERTISE call 501-244-9700 email hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com TO SUBSCRIBE armoneyandpolitics.com/subscribe CONTRIBUTORS
Kim Boyd, Jane Colclasure, Hannah Wren Milhorn, DeWaine Duncan, Sam Makhoul, Ryan Parker, John Thurston AMP magazine is published monthly, Volume IX, Issue 2 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 $10. 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.
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
WE BUILD
spaces to encourage student growth At Nabholz, we’re proud to help equip students with the tools they need to succeed — and that goes beyond building educational facilities. As careers in the trades continue to grow in popularity, we strive to open doors for high school students through the Nabholz Youth Apprenticeship Program. From carpentry to task management to effective communication, our apprentices gain valuable skills that prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation.
1.877.NABHOLZ | nabholz.com
PLUGGED IN JULY 2026/armoneyandpolitics.com
ON THE COV E R Col. Bret Echard, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, was photographed on the base flight line by Jane Colclasure.
Coverage starts on page 16.
AIMING HIGH
Col. Bret Echard, Little Rock Air Force Base Commander, 19th Airlift Wing
INSIDE: Business Services | Education | Future Icons $10 USD
FEEDBACK SMELL OF SUCCESS: ACSCENTS SOAP CO. GROWING ORGANICALLY Arkansas Money & Politics was able to highlight our business in a way that no other publication had been able to do! The writer, Sarah DeClerk, not only highlighted our achievements, but she also told our story... start to current! We are so proud to be able to serve the communities & represent Arkansas with great guest experiences and services! Thanks AMP for sharing our story. We are forever grateful! AcScents Soap Co.
Angie Longing named Conway Regional Health System president and CEO
JOB WELL DONE: JULIE MARSHALL RETIRES FROM USABLE LIFE WITH AN UNMATCHED LEGACY It has been the pleasure of a lifetime to work alongside Julie Marshall for the last 8 years. She has meant so much to USAble Life and will be greatly missed. John Moran ANGIE LONGING NAMED CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM PRESIDENT AND CEO Very well deserved!! Congratulations Angie on this awesome accomplishment. You will do great things. Gina Fowler Seabaugh ASHLEY RIGGIN COLDIRON NAMED DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE Congratulations to Episcopal for an amazing addition! Ashley Coldiron is an incredible lady and will be such an asset! Brandy Harp BUFFALO BUILDERS NAMES GOSNELL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Well deserved! Becky represents the company exceptionally well in NWA! Rian Baker
After more than 37 years with Cromwell Architects Engineers, CEO Greg Cockmon will retire effective July 10
UA LITTLE ROCK’S AGARWAL RECEIVES $5M TO ADVANCE COGNITIVE SECURITY RESEARCH Thank you, Arkansas Money & Politics, for the shoutout! We’re honored to receive this support for our research on mitigating AI-enabled cognitive threats and strengthening our nation’s defense and security. Nitin Agarwal
TOP ONLINE ARTICLES June 4 — July 6 1 AMP ‘Best of 2026’ Nomination Round 2 Confirmed: Braum’s headed to Chenal Parkway in Little Rock 3 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Director Kelli Finglass 4 Judge: State’s concealed carry laws preempt LR city policy 5 Arkansas small towns on the brink of big things
Ashley Riggin Coldiron named director of development at Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock
6 Razorback Stadium naming ceremony 7 Arkansas Visionary: Bill Barnes 8 Splash Car Wash announces leadership change 9 Arkansas becomes first state to execute BEAD grant agreement with Amazon Leo 10 Shane Knight resigns as CEO of Bryant Chamber J U LY 2 026
8
@AMPPOB ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
O
By Mark Carter
WITH AN ACHIN’ IN MY HEART at once alluring, fascinating and intimidating. (Why am I so drawn to the prospect of walking across a desert with my dog? Mental health professionals, I invite your responses — I think.) If you do make the drive, not the walk, just make sure there is plenty of gas in the tank and your phone is charged. If you opt for the walk, well then, make sure your affairs at home are in order. The experience was very much like dropping our son off at college out of state all over again, except this time, he is several (big) states away. In other words, it was heart-wrenching. We embarked from Little Rock with his car, loaded down, and the moving truck, but my wife and I came back only with our checked bags and carryons. Our son had reached his final destination. Final, for now. (Yes, we took our chances on a big jet plane for the return trip — or, in our case, a crowded Southwest flight doing its best impersonation of an Indonesian ferry.) Who knows if he will stay in sunny and decidedly not humid California, but right now, he has a great job at a great place, and what else could a parent hope for their kids? He is happy, healthy and excited for the adventure that lies ahead, and that is all that matters. Here’s hoping he finds his girl out there, with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.
f late, more U-Hauls have been seen heading east out of California than the other way around. A day late and a dollar short when it comes to trends, our family recently accounted for one of those incoming U-Hauls (Penske, in our case), as we moved our older son to LA’s Inland Empire — Riverside, to be precise — for a new job. Politics, earthquakes and wildfires aside, though, it is easy to see how the Golden State’s siren call attracted so many over the decades. This particular job was just what we had been praying for, and the excitement outweighed — but did not negate — the gut punch of driving him halfway across the continent and flying back without him. So it was off to California on a dime, the modern-day Beverly Hillbillies (or in our case, the Riverside Rednecks) rolling into the IE with, yes, an achin’ in our collective heart. (Readers may not be aware, but every time Zeppelin is referenced, an angel gets its wings. It’s true.) Everything you have ever heard or read about the beauty and “otherness” of the American West is true. My new favorite stretch of road is U.S. 285 in New Mexico, running from Clines Corners on Interstate 40 north to Santa Fe. While, technically, we did not drive through Death Valley, we got the gist. The Sheephole Valley Wilderness, home to the famous Joshua Tree, sits just south of Death Valley, and we cut through it to meet up with Interstate 10 just east of Palm Springs. The desert is
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
By Heather Baker
LIKE THE WEATHER, THIS JULY ISSUE IS HOT
I
deal that will place Tyson Foods patches on t is hard for me to wrap my brain around the all Razorback jerseys beginning this fall — fact that the Fourth of July has come and gone, both men’s and women’s in all sports — and summer is half over, and we are starting to visit with Chris Curry, who just led his Little anticipate the launch of football season. Rock Trojans to back-to-back conference But here we are, Arkansas’ typical summer finally tournament titles and an NCAA regional having decided to drop in for a visit. In keeping with championship. that “hot” theme, Arkansas Money & Politics has a lot Plus, this month, we introduce our 2026 to offer this month. “Future Icons.” Some honorees are C-suite In the spirit of the 250th anniversary of our great executives and established business owners, country, we have devoted a section of the July issue while others are just beginning to leave their to the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville and mark on the world, and still others may be the men and women stationed there to help ensure pursuing a second career. They come from America’s safety. all backgrounds, industries and walks of life, Inside, we look at the history of the base and the but the common thread uniting all of them efforts of local leaders on the ground to help get it is potential. These are people from whom here; we examine the “city within a city” dynamic Heather Baker Arkansas expects great things and to whom of the base in Jacksonville; feature the LRAFB (Photo by Ryan Parker) great honors are due. Honor Guard; and talk to military retirees who have AMP is proud to highlight those Arkansans set to play a significant remained closely connected to the base through employment or role in the future of the state. volunteering. As always, thanks for reading. Hit me up with comments or story Elsewhere, we feature suites of stories dedicated to education ideas at hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com. and business services. In sports, we take a look at the sponsorship ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
9
JULY 2026
DISCOVERY ECONOMICS
STRENGTHENING ARKANSAS AQUACULTURE THROUGH SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
Arkansas research could open new revenue streams for the Natural State
A
By AMP Staff
J U LY 2 026
10
developing artificial intelligence tools capable of monitoring shrimp populations during their earliest stages of development. In commercial hatcheries, millions of shrimp larvae may be produced each month, making manual monitoring nearly impossible. The AI system analyzes images, measures individual animals and identifies growth variations that may signal disease risks before they become significant problems. “AI can take one picture imYathish Ramena age and tell us the exact size and weight of the individual animal,” Ramena said. “We can predict bacterial infection well ahead.” Those capabilities could eventually improve efficiency and reduce losses for aquaculture producers while creating opportunities for technology commercialization. The project also highlights the role UAPB plays in supporting Arkansas’ research economy. The university operates the state’s only aquaculture and fisheries program offering doctoral degrees and brings together expertise in nutrition, pathology, water quality, fisheries, economics and other disciplines under one umbrella. “All branches are included in this program,” Ramena said. “That’s why our students are able to get good jobs right after they graduate.” Beyond the immediate research objectives, Ramena sees workforce development as one of the project’s most important outcomes. His laboratory currently hosts undergraduate researchers, graduate students and as many as 15 to 16 high school students from across the region, including students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts in Hot Springs. “High school students are open and can work with multiple projects,” he said. “They have more ideas.” For Arkansas, the significance of the work extends beyond shrimp. The project represents a broader effort to create new industries around existing agricultural strengths, develop homegrown talent and reduce dependence on imported products. If successful, freshwater shrimp production could create new revenue streams for farmers, stimulate investment in aquaculture infrastructure and establish Arkansas as a leader in land-based seafood production. In a state known for turning agricultural innovation into economic opportunity, that may be a catch worth cultivating.
rkansas has long been synonymous with catfish production, but researchers at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff believe the state’s aquaculture future may be much broader and potentially much more profitable. At the center of that effort is Yathish Ramena, director of the Center of Excellence within the UAPB Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, who is leading research aimed at adapting a commercially valuable saltwater shrimp species for freshwater production. The project could provide farmers with new revenue opportunities, reduce dependence on imported seafood and position Arkansas as an unexpected player in one of the world’s fastest-growing food sectors. “We are domesticating those species from saltwater to freshwater,” Ramena said. “We want to make the highly economic shrimp species available in land-based agriculture.” The species, Litopenaeus vannamei, is among the most widely consumed shrimp in the world. While traditionally raised in coastal environments, Ramena and his team are developing production methods that allow the shrimp to thrive in freshwater systems, making them suitable for inland states such as Arkansas. The economic implications could be substantial. The United States imports most of its shrimp; global production is concentrated in Asia. Arkansas, meanwhile, possesses extensive aquaculture expertise, existing pond infrastructure and a strong agricultural workforce. Ramena sees an opportunity to connect those strengths. “When we look at these imports, the USA is one of the big importers for shrimp,” he said. “We are trying to move this industry to Arkansas too.” Rather than replacing existing aquaculture operations, Ramena envisions shrimp as an additional crop that farmers could integrate into their operations. “Farmers can use it during the crop holiday time as a supplemental income,” he said. “My aim is not to replace our local species. This is supplemental income to the existing farmers.” One of the biggest barriers to profitable shrimp production is feed. In conventional operations, feed costs can account for 50 to 60 percent of production expenses. To address that challenge, Ramena’s team is developing lower-cost live feed systems that can be produced locally using readily available agricultural inputs. “We can grow them in our own backyard,” Ramena said. “This is a sustainable way of producing feeds using low-cost ingredients.” The research is also generating tech innovations that extend beyond shrimp production. Supported in part by an Arkansas Research Alliance Impact Grant, Ramena and collaborators at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville are
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Lexicon celebrates Josh Briggs, Accounting Analyst, and Camren Fischer, Data Analyst, for being recognized in AMP 2026 Future ICONS. Through their expertise, analytical thinking, and commitment to continuous improvement, Josh and Camren help strengthen our operations, support informed decision-making, and drive Lexicon’s continued growth.
VIEWPOINT
SCIENCE LEADS TO STRIDES IN CANCER CARE, BUT ACCESS REMAINS KEY By Dr. Sam Makhoul
H
The ASCO also cautions that false-negative results from MCD tests may provide patients with “unwarranted reassurance.” The ACS echoes the concern, warning that negative results “might give a false sense of security and could [even] delay a cancer diagnosis.” Together, these limitations reinforce why MCD tests should complement — not replace — recommended, evidence-based cancer screening. That is one reason why the FDA has not yet cleared or approved them for “widespread use in people with no symptoms of cancer.” Additional research is needed Dr. Sam Makhoul before the tests can be recommended for routine use outside of clinical trials or other carefully defined clinical settings. What is the takeaway here? Whether MCD tests, nextgeneration immunotherapies or other emerging technologies, there is good reason to be hopeful about the future of cancer care. Today, the ACS reports that the nation’s overall five-year cancer survival rate has “reached a milestone 70 percent” — a testament to decades of scientific discoveries that have advanced both cancer treatment and early detection. Yet we must also recognize the work that remains. As we have seen firsthand at CARTI, clinical research is vital to accelerating and sustaining our progress, but so is ensuring that every patient has access to these developments. As the NCI notes, our “speed of discovery has often outpaced the speed at which advances reach patients,” particularly those living in rural and historically underserved communities. That is why, for the past 50 years, CARTI has remained committed to ensuring every patient we serve has access to trusted cancer care delivered with compassion, innovation and purpose. That commitment includes expanding access to recommended cancer screenings, which help detect cancer earlier when treatment is most effective and outcomes are often better. No matter the scientific advances, one truth remains: early detection saves lives, and we must continue to ensure that every patient — regardless of where they live — can benefit from these proven, evidence-based screening tools.
ardly a week passes without news of another breakthrough in cancer care. From targeted therapies and immunotherapy to innovative treatment approaches, the pace of our progress is remarkable, but those advances did not happen overnight. As the National Cancer Institute recently noted, these advances reflect “decades of foundational science” that are “helping us reach further and faster toward better patient outcomes.” Multicancer detection tests are a new generation of liquid biopsy technologies designed to detect signals associated with multiple cancers from a single blood sample. Depending on the platform, the tests analyze circulating tumor DNA, DNA methylation patterns, proteins or other biomarkers to identify cancer, often before symptoms develop, and, in some cases, can predict its tissue of origin. While the headlines have touted MCD tests as a “new tool for cancer screening,” the American Cancer Society cautions that “much still needs to be learned about [their] accuracy” and their impact on patient outcomes. As evidence continues to emerge and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration evaluates the technologies, what should clinicians and patients know about MCD tests? More importantly, should people continue to receive their recommended evidencebased cancer screenings in the meantime? The answer is unequivocal: Yes. Decades of research have demonstrated that early detection saves lives. According to the ACS, recommended cancer screening can prevent some cancers altogether and reduce the risk of dying from others by detecting them at earlier, more treatable stages. Mammography, as a prime example, has contributed to a 40 percent decline in breast cancer mortality since the 1990s. Colorectal cancer screening illustrates this benefit even more clearly. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that colonoscopies and stool tests help detect precancerous lesions, enabling us to remove them before they become cancer. The benefits extend beyond these diseases. According to the NCI, regular pap tests “decrease cervical cancer incidence and mortality by at least 80 percent.” Likewise, the American Lung Association notes that low-dose CT scans are the “only way to catch lung cancer early, when it is most curable.” Unlike established cancer screening methods, MCD tests are not intended to serve as diagnostic tools. Confirmation still requires imaging, biopsy or other evaluations. The NCI emphasizes that “MCDs [can only] make a prediction about the presence of cancer.” Although this guidance can provide what the American Society of Clinical Oncology describes as helpful “insight into a patient’s cancer risk profile,” MCD tests are not designed for standalone use.
J U LY 2 026
Dr. Sam Makhoul is the medical director of the clinical research department and a board-certified medical oncologist at CARTI, a nonprofit, multidisciplinary cancer care provider with 18 locations across the state.
12
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
WE DON’T CHASE HEADLINES.
WE CREATE THEM. 501.413.1174 ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
THEFLYOVERAGENCY.COM 13
JULY 2026
VIEWPOINT
EVERY PATH DESERVES A PLAN By John Thurston
W
ork does more than give us a paycheck; it gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction. What it looks like is different for everyone. In Arkansas, the paths to meaningful work are more varied and numerous than ever. More and more, we are seeing Arkansans turn their skills and talents into trade and technical careers. These are professions with competitive wages that are crucial to a functioning society. That is good news because the demand for skilled labor is high. According to R Street Institute, businesses nationwide are struggling to find workers to fill 712,000 jobs in the trade and technical fields. As innovation creates new skills to learn and new fields in which to find meaningful and rewarding work, we can expect this trend to continue. That means the future is full of opportunity for Arkansans willing to pursue it. However, filling those jobs requires workers with proven skills developed through technical and career training, which comes with a cost. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System reported that the average cost of trade or technical programs ranges from $4,200 to over $25,000 per year, depending on the program. Every Arkansan deserves a chance to find rewarding work, but accessibility remains a barrier for many. The Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan can help reduce this financial burden and make education more accessible, no matter the path. “More than half — 52 percent, according to the National Skills Coalition — of the United States’ entire labor market is made up of middle-skill jobs,” said Ken Warden, commissioner of higher education. “These jobs require some postsecondary training but less education than a bachelor’s degree. Leveraging Arkansas’ Brighter Future 529 Plan to help finance the technical training required for these high-wage, high-demand careers is a win-win for Arkansas. It helps more Arkansans prosper while meeting the needs of our employers.” Administered by my office, an Arkansas Brighter Future 529 account does more than cover tuition and other expenses at traditional colleges and universities. It allows any adult to open an education savings account with as little as $25. Those savings grow tax free. An individual may open an account for anyone, regardless of age. Whether saving for a newborn or pursuing a midcareer transition as an established professional, the options remain available. The Brighter Future 529 Plan is a comprehensive financial program designed to support the full scope of educational opportunities. For those pursuing trade and technical education or qualified apprenticeships, savings generated by an account
J U LY 2 026
may help cover tools, software and equipment required to obtain a credential or certification. Saving for education can be a team effort. Anyone — a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or family friend —can contribute to a 529 account and play a role in shaping a loved one’s future. After contributing, individuals may qualify to deduct annually up to $10,000 from their Arkansas state income taxes, so both the giver and receiver benefit. Employers may also play a role and benefit in the process. Contributing to an employee’s 529 account supports their dreams and aspirations or those of a loved one. It also helps build the skilled workforce Arkansas businesses depend on and may earn a tax deduction of up to John Thurston $500 per employee match. Consult a tax professional for more guidance. Dreams and circumstances change. Even the best financial plans have to be prepared for the unexpected. A 529 account is flexible enough to adapt to whatever comes. Account holders can change beneficiaries, move money between accounts or roll unused funds into a Roth IRA with no tax penalty. All funds remain the property of the account holder, and the investment is never forfeited. By making career and technical training more accessible, we can expand access to high-quality education and take meaningful steps toward improving the quality of life across the state. Every Arkansan deserves the chance to travel the path of their choosing and see their dreams become a reality. The Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan is one of the most powerful tools we have to help make that happen. You do not have to wait for the right moment to start saving for the future. Open an account today at brighterfuturedirect529. com. Arkansas State Treasurer John Thurston was elected to office in November 2024. He previously served two terms as secretary of state and two terms as commissioner of state lands. Thurston is the past chair of the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council and past president of the Western States Land Commissioners Association.
14
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
THANK YOU!
FOR HONORING US AS ONE OF AMP’S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES FOR 2026 DON’T RISK DOWNTIME AND LOST REVENUE Managed IT Phone Systems Cyber Security Internet Provider Consulting Cloud AI You deserve a stress-free IT experience.
STOP STRESSING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND GAIN SOME MOMENTUM!
501-758-6058
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
5105 McClanahan Drive Suite J-3, North Little Rock / nsgdv.com
15
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
I
for short, thus LRAFB’s moniker “Home of Herk Nation” — the hulking planes are a marvel of power, capacity and maneuverability. Nimble beyond its profile, the aircraft’s versatile design allows it to serve in troop and medevac missions as ably as it does cargo transport, making it the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. The base trains pilots and other flight personnel on the C130J, an iteration of the plane that climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance than earlier models. The first active-duty C130J aircraft arrived at LRAFB in March 2004, the Encyclopedia of Arkansas states. Most Arkansas residents of any tenure have at least heard of the 6,412-acre base, and most people in central Arkansas have grown accustomed to the sight of C-130s in the sky during training, ceremonial and mission-specific flights. Yet for all that, a relatively small slice of the state’s civilian population understands all that goes on at the base, a self-contained community within the city of Jacksonville. Nor do most fully appreciate the number and scope of critical jobs of the men and women who serve there daily, helping to support the United States’ various military and emergency operations both around the world and here at home. For example, the base’s economic impact statement for fiscal year 2025 noted an economic impact of $1.43 billion,
n 1955, after years of lobbying, planning and praying by local officials, the Little Rock Air Force Base became operational, the opening stanza of a slice of Arkansas history that continues to play out over the skies of the Natural State. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the base has been home to a variety of Air Force groups over the past seven decades, including the 43rd Bomb Wing, equipped with B-58 aircraft; the 70th Air Refueling Squadron, equipped with KC-97 tankers; and the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. That changing residency meant command has also shifted periodically, including Tactical Airlift Command, Military Airlift Command, Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command. Today, the 19th Airlift Wing serves as the designated host unit, which gives it overall command of the base with all other units being designated tenant units. In April 1997, the 314th Airlift Wing transferred to the Air Education and Training Command with a focus on training all C-130 aircraft crew members from all branches of the U.S. Armed Services, the U.S. Coast Guard and students from dozens of allied nations. The wing consists of a maintenance group, medical group, mission support group and operations group. Also stationed at the base are the 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard and the 913th Airlift Group of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. C-130 tactical military transport aircraft are the resident superstar attractions at LRAFB. Nicknamed “Hercules” — “Herk”
J U LY 2 026
16
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
including the employment of nearly 7,000 military personnel and about 1,200 civilians. The base’s strategic importance is also legendary; as world conditions have changed over the years, the mission of the LRAFB has consistently changed with it. At no time in its history has the base operated at reduced capacity, underscoring its role as the preeminent facility of its kind in the U.S Armed Forces arsenal and the world. Earlier this year, Arkansas Money & Politics was invited by LRAFB command to gain an all-access look at the base and tell its story. Access of this type is largely unprecedented, and AMP was singularly honored to accept the invitation. We could think of no better way to mark the occasion of America’s 250th birthday than by highlighting the nation’s best and bravest in our midst. What follows is a small slice of what we saw, heard and experienced while interacting with the
(Photo provided by LRAFB)
outstanding patriots, past and present, who have called Herk Nation home, leaving family and friends behind to serve the interests of the United States of America on a moment’s notice. All of us at Arkansas Money & Politics are humbled by what we were afforded in this project, and we especially thank Col. Bret Echard, commander 19th Airlift Wing, for his hospitality and indulgence during this process. We also wish to thank the exemplary support of the 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs team for their assistance in producing this very special section. Finally, we salute the base personnel who sat for interviews and shared their stories with us, stories of service and love of country that we are immeasurably proud to pass along to our readers. May they help bring wider understanding and appreciation for the price freedom demands to a citizenry who gratefully enjoys the fruits of liberty so dearly bought. May God bless the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and the great nation that inspires them to such selfless service.
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
TOP GUN Col. Bret Echard continues long line at Home of Herk Nation
By Dwain Hebda Photo by Jane Colclasure
O
clouds. Planes stack in prep areas, massive black silhouettes that change to matte gray in the growing light. Airmen scurry, machines hum, and the colonel spreads his arms wide. “Every day, this is where I get to report to work alongside people I am proud to serve with,” he said. “How could you ever get tired of this?”
On a cool, quiet Arkansas morning, titans slumber under a cover of stars. The sun is still a couple of hours from rising, but the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville is never asleep, not entirely. Someone somewhere is always on duty, always at the ready, and at a moment’s notice, machines and personnel would stream to stations before you could say “Wooo, Pig.” Col. Bret Echard, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing since last summer, assembles a small cadre of pilots in a government-issued conference room on base, as familiar an exercise for the men as it is foreign and fascinating to the visitor. It is an integral part of life here, these preflight planning sessions, but the mission itself is hardly so self-contained. The men seated at the table, soon to be behind the controls, represent a mere fraction of the individuals it takes to execute training flights. Outside, various units have prepped and pampered the iconic C-130 transport aircraft in a manner unlike anywhere in the world. Fueling, mechanics, cargo, air traffic control and others all have their jobs, which they do in flawless cohesion and largely invisible to the untrained eye. On official missions, the planes depart to deliver cargo and personnel to support active U.S. military operations. In the wake of natural disasters, they deliver supplies or airlift storm victims as part of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard operations. Today, it is routine training — or, at least, as routine as it can be centered around an aircraft costing $80 million — to ensure readiness for either of those scenarios. The meeting comes off with precision as weather, route, mechanical points and other pertinents are reported and noted in a show of efficiency most corporate staff meetings lack. That adjourned, Echard and his copilot make their way to the corridor, their civilian ride-along, a member of the press, in tow. Echard has been awaiting takeoffs for 24 years, ever since the native Iowan reported to flight school at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas. Posts in Alaska, Germany, Afghanistan, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and, not least, a prior assignment to LRAFB from 2007 to 2011 have all found their place on his service record. Asked what still thrills him after more than two decades and thousands of flight hours, he levels his gaze, starts to answer, then just says, “C’mere.” The commander strides to a door, pushes the crash bar and walks purposefully out onto the tarmac, where the predawn indigo sky is yielding to streaks of gold, orange and smoky high
******** Talking to him today, two decades in, Echard wears his military career and all that has come with it as easily as a comfortable sweater. Growing up,
“The C-130 is the personality and the DNA behind Little Rock Air Force Base.”
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
— Col. Bret Echard (Photo by Dwain Hebda)
however, the thought of military service was largely far from his future thinking, only coming into sharper focus, he said, thanks to the serve-thy-neighbor ethos of the small farming community that raised him. “I had no idea I was going to be a part of the military until I got accepted to the Air Force Academy when I was a senior,” he said. “None of my family is military, but the upbringing that I had in a smaller community, growing up in that way of life, I didn’t know it at the time, but it prepared me perfectly for a military life. That’s where I learned the grit of who I am. “The first time I flew on an airplane was literally the flight to the Air Force Academy after I graduated from high school — still had no real understanding or ambitions to fly as a pilot. I just knew that I was going to be a cadet at the Air Force Academy and that I wanted to go there and serve my country.” 19
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE Echard’s vision of the kind of service he wanted to give, not unlike most of his classmates and an entire generation of Americans who, for the first time, felt the gut punch of being attacked on home soil. “That happened when I was a senior at the Air Force Academy, and I’ll never forget the level of motivation I had to get out of the academy and get after it,” he said. “That level of motivation and patriotism, which was not specific to just me, provided a clear understanding of why we wanted to serve at that point. “It was crystal clear to all of us, not just the Air Force Academy but across the United States, maybe even the planet, the very ‘why’ behind what we were raising our right hand to do. That became pretty clear, literally, in a matter of seconds in New York City.” ******** There is a unique bond behind a pilot and his or her aircraft, an intangible but palpable link between master and machine. Watching Echard do his walkaround, a circuit he has moved through countless times, one sees him The events of 9/11 further crystallized Echard’s vision of the kind of service he lay his hands on the aircraft at certain points, wanted to give, (Photo by Jane Colclasure) almost as if to reestablish that connection. “In pilot training, the instructors put in piEchard may not have known what to expect, but lots from different aircraft in different career fields, so you can in hindsight, he said some of the demands of the talk to them and basically figure out which mission and culture Air Force Academy dovetailed neatly into what was fits you because each mission, each airframe has a different culalready carved out of him from his life experiences ture,” he said. “That’s where I really latched onto the mission of thus far. the C-130. In fact, my first flight in the C-130 was on this flight “I think the thing that was exactly how I enviline in a C-130E model that’s long since been retired, so literally, sioned it was the challenge,” he said. “Growing up wrestling and playing football and a lot of sports and then working on a lot of farms, life was full of challenges, and you just kind of accepted that. At a certain point in time, I think anybody at any college level discovers a larger purpose where you take inventory of your interests and where you see yourself fitting in. “The Air Force, like any other large organization, has a ton of opportunities — civil engineering, logistics, maintenance, medical, legal. I mean, you name it. There’s a ton of opportunities to find your niche and what feels rewarding to you. Once you hit that phase in your life, There is a unique bond behind a pilot and his or her aircraft, you just kind of grab onto it, and that’s an intangible but palpable link between master and machine. (Photo by Dwain Hebda) what really drove me.” The events of 9/11 further crystallized J U LY 2 026
20
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
USAF SNAPSHOT
learning it from the grassroots, it happened right out here in late 2003.” As for the plane itself, seeing one up close is mesmerizing in scope. In football parlance, the C-130 Hercules — from whence comes the nickname “Herk” — would be a fullback, one with good hands and a nose for contact in all conditions who can go under center in a pinch. Unlike the seldom-used fullback of the modern game, however, the C-130 is always in demand, doing the essential but unglamorous: dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas, airlift support, weather reconnaissance, even firefighting duties when properly equipped. Nimble enough to deliver palletized cargo and personnel with pinpoint accuracy yet burly enough to tote utility choppers and six-wheeled armored vehicles — 42,000 pounds worth at a clip — the Herk works for a living, often doing dirty, dangerous jobs at that. “As far as what’s in the back of a C-130, it’s anything and ev-
Col. Amanda Sheets, commander 19th Maintenance Group An Air Force maintenance officer with 30 years in service, Col. Amanda Sheets directs heavy maintenance, off-equipment maintenance and aerospace ground equipment support to Air Education and Training Command’s 14 C-130J aircraft and support equipment. She has served assignments from Louisiana to Iceland and from her native Ohio to her first assignment in Arkansas two years ago. However, it was the bedside, not the maintenance hangar, that first caught her interest in military service as a teenager. “I wanted to serve my country. I’ve had that feeling for a long time, since high school,” she said. “I originally wanted to go into the Army. However, I was interested in nursing at the time, and my aunt knew the head Army nurse and head Air Force nurse. She took me out to Washington, D.C., and we went to Andrews and Walter Reed [hospitals]. I just decided I liked the Air Force better.” After a couple of years of nursing school convinced her that was not the path she wanted to follow, Sheets attended a shadowing day at an air base, where she took in various other specialties. She found maintenance interesting and despite being, in her words, “not mechanically inclined,” excelled on the strength of her leadership skills. “Honestly, it’s more about overall management of maintenance; it’s not necessarily about turning the wrenches,” she said. “It’s the personnel side. It’s learning the management of generating aircraft and fixing them on time, and when I say generating aircraft, it’s getting them ready to fly. That entails ensuring we have all the right parts and pieces, the right manning, the right skill set and the right timing to do the jobs.” Asked what best described her rise through the ranks, she said it was the willingness to learn and the ability to apply that knowledge. “You start off not knowing, and you have to learn and absorb,” she said. “I think for me personally, the biggest thing that I’ve done is I know I’m not the smartest one in the room. There’s a lot of knowledge out there, and I learned how to take in the different perspectives and different inputs to formulate the overall plan.”
“The Air Force, like any other large organization, has a ton of opportunities — civil engineering, logistics, maintenance, medical, legal. I mean, you name it. There’s a ton of opportunities to find your niche and what feels rewarding to you.” — Col. Bret Echard erything that fits,” Echard said. “Depending on the priority, that can be air medical evacuation patients. It can be water and food, like after the Peru earthquakes a decade ago. There could be munitions in the back. If it fits, we’ll fly it, and if the priority’s right, we’ll get it there faster. That can be at night in some of the worst weather conditions you can imagine with minimal support outside of the crew and maybe somebody on the ground with a radio who’s cleared the landing zone and basically said it’s safe to land.” Echard said that do-all ethos is what drew him to pilot the Herk over its more glamorous cousins in the USAF arsenal. He also said the pride that runs through the Arkansas air base and the thousands of personnel who serve there is rooted in the same blue-collar attitude. “The C-130 is the personality and the DNA behind Little Rock Air Force Base,” he said. “I’m not talking just aviators and ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
*Editor’s note: Sheets relinquished command in June. Col. Kevin Scholz is the new commander of the 19th Maintenance Group.
21
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE maintainers but all personnel involved. They’re not scared to get a little dirty, not scared of the Arkansas heat in the summertime. When there’s a mission that needs to be done, we’re willing to get after it. “I think that’s why the base has formed such solid relationships with the local community specifically and even the state — because it’s the same culture of Arkansas, as well. When there’s a job to get done, it’s like, all right, let’s talk about this, let’s put a plan together, and let’s get after it. The grit and determination behind the C-130 mission aligns very, very well with the history of the state.”
In what seems like only a few minutes, the plane and its companion aircraft up ahead reach Arkansas’ River Valley, where the lead bird begins to perform its standard training maneuvers. Dropping low over the deck, the pilot banks fluidly left and right over a waterway and through the bluffs that surround it. It was routine for the aviators but outside the rules for flyalongs, so the reporter was spared, although just watching the other plane made one’s head spin. That, along with the banking Echard and his copilot did, gentler though it was, yielded a couple of uncertain moments where force of will was all that kept breakfast in place. Later in the flight, the lead plane approaches the Blackjack drop site, an air-to-ground practice target, where the rear bay door of the plane yawned open and a pallet pushed out the back, timed to hit a precise spot in a field. The plane delivers the payload with stunning accuracy and then heads for home. The writer will never look at the Herk the same way again.
******** Today’s training run consists of two C-130s, the civilian riding in Echard’s plane, meaning the colonel will be piloting the equivalent of a leisurely test drive, per regulations. Even so, as takeoff approaches, the visitor is handed a baggie containing earplugs and an air sickness bag, along with the mental vision of base personnel placing bets on if or when he will need to use it. As the preflight routines are meticulously checked, the guest quietly prays that whatever awaits, he will be spared that indignity in front of America’s finest. At go time, the engines are switched on one by one, and as each is brought to the proper power level, the plane hunches forward as if straining to fly. A short taxi into position, and Echard drops the hammer, sending the plane hurtling forward with so much steam that she is airborne in the blink of an eye, the ground shrinking as if sucked into a drain.
******** Flying might be the fun part, but it is far from the only responsibilities of the wing commander. At any given time, Echard’s military role might look more like the mayor of a city or CEO of a major corporation that generates more than a billion dollars of economic impact a year. Delegation helps him keep on top of tactical problems — a malfunctioning AC unit, a traffic jam at the back gate — but as with the captain of an aircraft, the buck stops with him. “As a wing commander, you’re not going to get hired to be in this job if you don’t truly understand and love all the things that go into it. It is way more complicated than just a bunch of knuckle-dragging pilots and load masters flying airplanes,” he said. “I certainly fell in love with the mission, but when you talk
Flying might be the fun part, but it is far from the only responsibilities of the wing commander. (Photos by Dwain Hebda)
J U LY 2 026
22
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
USAF SNAPSHOT
the Herk mission and the legacy of what we do as a community, there comes a time and a place where it’s really the people that you fell in love with along the way.” Circulating with Echard and the mass of subordinates with whom he comes in contact on any given day yields the usual military courtesy and protocols, but as the commander himself noted, the kind of process improvement that has set LRAFB apart has only come when base members feel empowered to speak up on a better way of doing things. It is that culture of innovation he is bent on maintaining. “I think it works almost equally up the chain of command and down the chain of command, really,” he said. “The beauty about Little Rock Air Force Base is the C-130 tactical airlift mission has been here so long. We are continuously developing what, in the military world, we call tactics, techniques and procedures. Some of that is dependent on a capability; some of it is just innovation and a new way of doing things. “About two months ago, some of the airplanes needed software to be updated, and there weren’t enough harnesses to connect the computer to the aircraft to do it, meaning we were given a task of having to update these airplanes, but we didn’t have the resources to do the work. We just needed to figure it out. In about a week and a half, the maintenance folks talked to our Herk workshop, which is an innovation lab, and they 3D printed the harnesses to plug into the airplane. That was all done here locally, and all of our airplanes were updated, and it didn’t take long to do. That’s a very small example.” Military life is hard work and hard on families, and while recruiting numbers are currently up nationwide across all branches, the realities of service cannot be fully mitigated. Echard is keenly aware of this, just as he is aware that the base’s biggest strength is how it looks out for its own, from the greenest airmen to the most senior personnel and even into the ranks of veterans who still look at LRAFB as a second home. Now taking his place in the long line of commanders who have led the hallowed installation, the largest of its kind on the planet, he feels a sense of history and tradition that does not exist just anywhere. “Little Rock Air Force Base is the home to tactical airlift, and there’s still an insatiable need for tactical airlift around the world,” he said, “but to remain relevant, you have to have the people that, sorry for saying this, have the I-give-a-shit attitude. Those are the ones that you want on your team. Because of them, we’re increasing our capabilities, we’re increasing our relevance, we’re increasing our relevance at the Department of War level, and we’re credible at a level that is unseen in the world of tactical airlift. “We call Little Rock the Home of Herk Nation, and what that really means is that’s tied to a platform. In the crystal ball that I don’t have, and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to read it anyway, Little Rock Air Force Base will, for a long time, be the home of tactical airlift. The goal for me here is to make sure that this base — the community, infrastructure, aircraft and the people — are still moving in the right direction.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Col. Joseph “Jay” Geaney, commander 189th Airlift Wing
Col. Joseph “Jay” Geaney is no stranger to central Arkansas, having been assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville previously in 2006. Nor is he a stranger to aviation under duress, having flown more than 5,000 hours, including 567 combat sorties. Since 2013, he has applied that knowledge and experience in the friendlier surroundings of LRAFB, attached to the Arkansas Air National Guard. As commander of the 189th Airlift Wing, comprised of more than 1,000 airmen, four groups and 11 squadrons, he leads the Air Force’s premier C-130H formal training unit, graduating United States, allied and partner airmen through the full spectrum of aircrew qualifications. He said one of the things that he relishes in his current role is continuing the tradition of training American citizens committed to defending and protecting the homeland. “From the National Guard perspective, we have a unique mission set and a unique sense of pride,” he said. “Most of our airmen are citizen airmen; they’re out in the community working day to day, and just like the old commercials said, they serve one weekend a month, two weeks a year when they come for military duty. “We have a profound respect for the local community because we’re a part of the community. I think that builds a lot of the pride that we show in our campus and the maintenance of our aircraft and the quality of the students that we put out to the combatant commanders.” Geaney said the support and gratitude expressed by the community in return, as well as the Natural State’s quality of life, were major factors as to why he returned to Arkansas following his active duty career. “I was actually stationed here from 2006 to 2010, and we loved it. Both my kids are Arkansans,” he said. “We moved to Illinois to take a headquarters position while I was still on active duty, and then I separated active duty and returned to Arkansas to join the Arkansas Air National Guard. “[As a family], we definitely sense the pride the surrounding cities and towns in central Arkansas have for the base. Even though I’m originally from Massachusetts and my wife’s from Indiana, Arkansas has always felt like home for us.”
23
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
Jacksonville, LRAFB prove effective partners By Mark Carter
W
hat was good for Jacksonville almost 75 years ago has proven to be beneficial and then some for central Arkansas and far beyond. Little Rock Air Force Base, the global home of the workhorse C-130 Hercules, sits on roughly 6,500 acres in north Jacksonville, a working testament to the grit and determination of local leaders such as Bart Gray Sr. and Kenneth Pat Wilson.
(Photo provided by LRAFB)
Gray and Wilson founded two of the city’s most iconic businesses, each a family operation still going strong in 2026. For Gray, that business was Jacksonville’s Bart Gray Realty, launched in 1948 and run these days by his grandson Daniel. Wilson launched what is now First Arkansas Bank & Trust the following year. His son Larry recently stepped down as president and CEO after leading the bank for decades but remains chairman of the board. In 1951, the young business owners stepped up for their hometown after the Department of Defense announced plans to build a new Air Force base in the central U.S. and Little Rock became a target. They joined a coalition of local civic leaders that promised Congress it could raise money to buy land for the base that would then be donated back to the DOD. J U LY 2 026
(Photo by Dwain Hebda)
24
That group, then called the Pulaski County Citizens Council, became the influential LRAFB Community Council. A year and a half later, thanks in large part to the efforts of Wilson and Gray, the council had raised more than $800,000 that was used to buy from more than 150 private owners the land that would be offered as a potential site. Less than a month later, the U.S. Air Force announced plans to spend $31 million — $400 million in 2026 dollars — to build a jet bomber base on the site secured by the council. The rest, as they say, is history. As of 2025, LRAFB was delivering a local economic impact of $1.4 billion and supporting more than 6,500 on-base jobs with just shy of 1,000 C-130 students trained annually. Base personnel entailed more than 5,700 service members and roughly 850 civilian workers and DOD contractors. ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
At any given time, 57 C-130 aircraft from the base can be found on the flight line or in support of missions around the globe. Jacksonville would be a blue-collar, military-friendly city even if the base had been located elsewhere, but it goes without saying nonetheless — J-ville loves its Air Force base. “The base has meant everything for the city,” said Jacksonville Mayor Jeff Elmore. “The identity of the city is associated with the base. It’s more than just the financial impact. The base is a source of pride. People respect it and love having it here.” The Gray and Wilson families remain heavily involved with the council and have even helped lobby the state’s congressional delegation on matters related to the base. Daniel Gray, principal at Bart Gray Realty and former chairman of the LRAFB Community Council, has continued the family tradition of supporting the base started by his grandfather; his uncle, Bart Gray Jr.; and his father, Thad Gray. Gray said he views the family tradition as a responsibility to continue protecting the base’s mission and to support the service members and their families. “I’m extremely proud of my grandfather’s role in shaping Jacksonville from a development standpoint,” he said. “The people in his circle were visionaries, and they laid the foundation not just for Jacksonville but for all of central Arkansas. [The base is] the largest economic development engine in central Arkansas, not just Jacksonville. We have a tremendous responsibility to partner with the base on infrastructure, support and quality-of-life issues. It is our identity.” For Patrick Wilson, partner at Little Rock’s Wright Lindsey Jennings law firm, grandson of Kenneth Pat Wilson, son of Larry Wilson and a community council member himself, growing up in Jacksonville soldered a connection to the base that remains bonded today. He recalled an elementary school buddy during the “throes of the Cold War” talking about bombs dropping on Jacksonville because of the base. Rather than frighten him, the image actually made Wilson even more proud of the base. “I knew for a long time about the important role the base played,” he said, “not just from a military perspective but for the city, as well. Jacksonville wouldn’t have had the fast growth it had in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s without the air base. It wouldn’t have had ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
(Photos provided by LRAFB)
all the restaurants, hotels and other businesses without the shot in the arm from the base.” Jacksonville was a sleepy bedroom community of about 2,500 people in 1950. By 1960, the city had grown by 486 percent to roughly 14,500 people, driven in large part by the influx of military personnel to the base. The city experienced growth of just less than 40 percent over the following two decades and now sits at about 30,000, many of the residents active and retired military. 25
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE USAF SNAPSHOT Col. Marty Smith, commander 314th Airlift Wing Over a decorated military service career, Minnesotan Col. Marty Smith has had the opportunity to serve several assignments in the U.S. and abroad. He currently serves as commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, bringing his hitch full circle. He said of the many experiences he has had over a long and decorated career, certain things stand out, not least of which is the unique relationship between Jacksonville’s Little Rock Air Force Base and the community it calls home. “I think every location cherishes having an Air Force base in their backyard, but I don’t think it compares to Jacksonville, just for the involvement the community has,” he said. “You think about the history of this place and the families who got together and donated land to the federal government to get Little Rock at the front of the line for making this a base. “I think that established the legacy in our community of support and pride that this is not just the Air Force’s base; this is Jacksonville’s base. This is central Arkansas’ Air Force base. Over the 26 years that I’ve been in the Air Force, the relationship with the community is the best I’ve seen.” After receiving his commission in 2000 from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Smith’s career has taken him to posts in seven states, as well as Germany and Japan. He has been assigned to LRAFB four times and, in his current capacity, leads a team that trains and graduates more than 1,200 C-130 aircrew members annually from across the Department of Defense, Coast Guard and 47 partner nations. Earlier this year, he took his final flight as a C-130 aviator. As his career winds down, he said he has been honored to have been a part of the Home of Herk Nation. “This is the C-130 mecca,” he said. “If you’ve been a part of the C-130 mission, if you’ve flown a C-130 either as a pilot, loadmaster, flight engineer or navigator all over the world, you’ve come to Little Rock to train. This is where tactical airlift began, as we say. To have had the ability to positively implement the personnel and their families and take care of them the best we can has been the best accomplishment that I could ask for in my Air Force career.”
J U LY 2 026
In fact, the Jacksonville business community has been heavily influenced by Air Force veterans who stick around after retirement. “My father-in-law is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army who retired here, and even he loves to go the base and show it off to visitors,” Elmore said. “The number of retirees who stay in the area is unreal. It speaks a lot about the nature of the city that so many base retirees want to stay and invest and be a part of life here. We love it and appreciate their choosing to stay and invest. It improves our quality of life. He added that Jacksonville has the highest proportion of active-duty Air Force members living in the city than any other Air Force town. Gray said the city benefits from the talent pool provided by the base.
26
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
“These veterans are a tremendous asset for our workforce and economic development,” he said. “Knowing so many choose to stay tells me we’re doing something right. It shows they feel supported and welcomed here.” The Gray and Wilson families exemplify the mutually beneficial dynamic between the city and base. Gray served on the community council from 2022 to 2025, as president his final year, when he was awarded LRAFB’s prestigious Cornerstone Award. The award, which was also presented to his father, recognizes prominent civic leaders who displayed “outstanding service and commitment” to the base and its families. Gray was recognized for, among other contributions, his work with severe weather responses and coordination on the base, the 2023 Thunder Over the Rock airshow that drew 277,000 visitors to town, the establishment of a STEM fair for area students, his role in securing the Herk Nation Legacy Monument, and his leadership in continuing the collaboration between city and base. “It’s humbling to get to be part of this base,” he said. “I love supporting the men and women who serve our nation. They sacrifice so much for us, and I’m proud to support them in any way I can. I’m extremely proud of our family’s connection with LRAFB.” That same sense of pride is built into the Wilson family DNA, as well. The legacy of air base support, passed down by Kenneth Pat, has lasted generations. “For us, more than [Kenneth Pat] being one of the main organizers of the efforts to get the base here, he supported the base and its mission for the rest of his life,” Wilson said. “We are so proud of that. The relationship between the city and base is fantastic, but the base might not be here without the efforts of my grandfather and those he worked with. Daniel Gray and others have carried the torch well.”
USAF SNAPSHOT Col. Terence Green, commander 913th Airlift Group From the moment Col. Terence Green first saw a C-130 — in childhood, when a neighbor who worked at Lockheed Martin took him on a tour of the local aircraft plant — the Georgia native was hooked. Through the U.S. Air Force, he has served a career that is blue collar in more ways than the dress uniform. He’s logged hundreds of hours of combat and combat support flying time during multiple deployments and encompassing operations throughout the U.S., Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe and Asia. “I went to Valdosta State [in Georgia] in the ROTC program, but I ended up enlisting instead of finishing my degree,” he said. “It was just expensive, and Desert Storm was around the tail end of that time. I just wanted to get in faster, and I didn’t really care about being in school that long.” Green’s career does not appear to have suffered for his dropping out of college; not only does he today have multiple degrees, but he also commands the 913th Airlift Group that maintains and flies C-130Js supporting airlift, airdrop, aeromedical and humanitarian missions around the world. Since 2006, he has been leading the Air Force Reserves, which he called one of the nation’s most potent secret weapons. “A lot of folks get to that tenure point, especially if it’s pilots,” he said. “They hit the tenure commitment, and sometimes things have changed in their lives. Maybe they’re married. Maybe they’ve got a child coming. I think the reserve advantage is we’re able to retain that talent that we’ve spent a lot of dollars on by letting them transition off active duty, and they’re able to keep that employment with us on a parttime basis without any additional training. “The other advantage we have is we have reserve airmen that come up straight through the reserve. They’ve never had any active duty; we hire off the street ever since 9/11, and I would say where we gain our advantage from them is a lot of these citizen airmen are subject matter experts out in their career field on the civilian side. They can actually bridge that gap of knowledge or even have those contacts that we need to be able to get something done in an expeditious manner.”
(Photos provided by LRAFB) ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
27
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
Chief Master Sgt.
JOSH BEHRENDT
By Alex Hardgrave (Photo provided by LRAFB)
‘NOTHING IS FOREVER’ Chief Master Sgt. Josh Behrendt has worked up the ranks in the Air Force for more than 20 years. His career has taken him far and wide, and his hard work has taken him all the way to the top, earning him the rank of chief master sergeant, the highest enlisted rank a soldier can achieve. Behrendt was born in San Diego, where his father was stationed in the Navy. Once his dad retired, they moved to Arkansas, and Behrendt grew up here. “I went to a little private school in southwest Little Rock,” he said, “so I’ve been wearing a uniform my whole life.” At 22, he married his wife and began considering his future more. “There has always been a seed in my brain to look at the military,” he said. He considered different branches, but his wife’s father was in the Air Force and stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, so she encouraged Behrendt to join the Air Force. He joined in 2005 and was stationed at Little Rock. The squadron he was assigned to then is the squadron he is the leader of now. “It’s very full circle after many years,” he said. He spent his first seven years enlisted at the Jacksonville base, three of which he worked on the flight line, performing aircraft maintenance. Then, the next four, he became an instructor and taught aircraft maintenance. J U LY 2 026
After Little Rock, he and his family moved to a base in Germany for four years and then Alaska. “Then, when I made chief, they moved us back to Little Rock,” he said. Behrendt has been back in Little Rock for about two years now and said he has enjoyed it because he, his wife and his children are closer to extended family. The mild winters were not a bad change, either, he said, especially in comparison to the harsh ones in Alaska. “I just completely forgot about a lot of things about Arkansas that I wasn’t used to or that I didn’t pay attention to growing up,” he said. “The trees looked bigger. They looked fuller. Everything was so green.” It is not easy to make chief master sergeant, and Behrendt has had to work hard and make an impression on his superiors to get there. “It took a lot of work, but I knew when I came in that this was my career and I wanted it,” he said. “It was easy for me to take the extra time and do the extra things that I didn’t have to do. I knew I wanted to go as far as I could.” Now that he has made it, Behrendt has shifted his focus from becoming the best he can be to making sure those he leads are supported and able to be their best. He said he sometimes misses “turning wrenches” but is happy to be in a position of leading others doing that work. 28
“I’ve made it, and now all I can do is pass it along and help people get there, as well,” he said. “That’s really what I find joy in.” His supervisors throughout the years taught Behrendt lessons about the leadership skills he both did and did not want to use. “Each of them taught me something different without even knowing,” he said. “I don’t have to be exactly like them. I can cherry-pick what makes sense for me and my character and who I am as a person and leader.” Behrendt said he sees himself as a consistent and open-minded leader. “The old-school mentality was ‘my way or the highway,’” he said. “I can recognize that a young airman may have a completely different view of the world than I do and could potentially think better than I could.” His time in the Air Force, which is quickly coming to an end, has taught him how to fail and keep going. “You’ve got to try things,” he said.“If it’s a failure, that’s good. Failing forward is how you get better and how you live life and gain experience.” He encouraged those who are interested in joining the Air Force to do it. “Jump in and enjoy the ride because it’s not forever,” he said. “I look forward to my future continuing to support the Air Force as I retire and then contribute to the Arkansas workforce.” ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
Senior Airman
WYATT HOLMEN
By Mary LeSieur (Photo provided by LRAFB)
CAREER MOVES For Senior Airman Wyatt Holmen, a chance encounter during his senior year of high school changed the course of his life. Holmen had already mapped out his future; he planned to attend technical college and pursue a degree in information technology. Then, while adjusting his class schedule one day, he crossed paths with an Air Force recruiter and the spark of an idea. “I ended up talking to him and getting more information,” Holmen said. “I backed out of technical college and ended up joining the military at age 18.” Nearly nine years later, Holmen serves in the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, where he helps ensure military aircraft, vehicles and mission-essential equipment remain fueled, ready to operate and up to standard at a moment’s notice. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Holmen grew up in a military family. Both his father and grandfather served in the Air Force, making him the third generation to wear the uniform. “It’s a very proud and honorable thing,” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
he said. “I’ve always had a passion for serving my country.” However, like many young service members, Holmen entered the military without knowing exactly what to expect. After completing basic training and technical school, Holmen received orders to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, where he spent four years. From there, he moved to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, completed a deployment and eventually requested a transfer to Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. What started as another assignment soon became something much more personal. During his time in Arkansas, Holmen met his wife and found a community that made the Natural State feel like home. “I wouldn’t have been so happy here if it wasn’t for meeting my wife and meeting people in the area around here,” Holmen said. “Everyone’s been nice, and the base has been fantastic.” Today, Holmen works in fuels management, a critical component of military operations that often goes unnoticed by those outside the service. As a member of the fuels team, Holmen’s work helps support everything from aircraft operations to gov29
ernment vehicles across the installation. “We’re essentially the military gas station,” he added. “Whenever a plane needs to go up in the air, we get the call. We make sure those tanks stay full so everyone can get their fuel and help support other missions.” The mission is far more complex than simply filling tanks. Holmen and his team are responsible for ensuring aircraft and vehicles receive the fuel they need whenever duty calls. Operating as a 24-hour shop, the fuels section supports missions often responding on short notice to keep operations moving. While the work is essential, Holmen believes people are what make the mission successful. “I try to be a good motivator,” he said. “Everyone’s going through similar struggles, being away from family and things like that. I want people to know they don’t have to go through it alone.” That emphasis on teamwork extends beyond the workplace. Holmen credits Jacksonville’s close-knit relationship with Little Rock Air Force Base for helping him feel welcome from the moment he arrived. JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
More than a Place to
LAND Amenities, attention to detail turn LRAFB into a ‘city within a city’ By Mak Millard (Photos provided by LRAFB)
J U LY 2 026
30
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
F
When it comes to pre-K and K-12 education, Air Force families have a plethora of programs designed to supplement their children’s off-base schooling. The LRAFB Child Development Center offers care for children between 6 weeks and 5 years old, and a nationally accredited schoolage care program covers kindergarten through sixth grade, offering enrichment before and after school, in addition to summer camps and school holidays. Children 9 through 18 can make use of the youth program’s variety of clubs, events and camps, many of which are aimed at developing life skills and building relationships. “Childcare operations have extensive inspection requirements through both state and federal agencies, so they may be considered a better and safer alternative to what you might find off base,” Meeks said. In terms of health, fitness and recreation, those on base have ample options, again not so far off from what one might find in civilian zipcodes, including a fitness center, an event center, a bowling alley named — what else — the Strike Zone, an RV campsite, sports fields, and areas for disc golf, hunting and fishing. Arriving airmen can even reserve stable space for their horses. Whether or not
or the first airmen to arrive at the soon-to-beopened Little Rock Air Force Base in 1954, the top description to come to mind might have been simply, “work in progress.” With no housing yet constructed, initial groups would have to live in the surrounding Jacksonville community — a negative by no means, considering how eager the city and its residents had been to bring the installation to Arkansas in the first place. Still, the fledgling setup had a ways to go to become what one military resource website has called “one of the Air Force’s better-kept secrets.” According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, by the time LRAFB was officially activated Oct. 9, 1955, 100 officers and 1,134 airmen were located at the base. Just a year later, the installation was operating at only half capacity when it earned “Base of the Year” honors from what was then the Strategic Air Command. During the late 1950s, the Little Rock Air Force Base had more than 5,500 military personnel and 300 civilian employees to its name, the housing finally built by May 1959. Today, between military members, their families and civilians, the headcount sits just shy of 14,000. That is comparable, according to the most recent census figures, to such places as Marion, Blytheville and Harrison. Save for some of the more obvious tells, one might be hard pressed to spot the difference between the base and any similarly sized Arkansas town. According to Marcus Meeks, resource management flight chief for the 19th Force Support Squadron, the LRAFB has many of the hallmarks of a typical city, from restaurants and retail to religious and health services. “Many of these activities, such as Burger King, Starbucks [and] Subway, are owned and operated by those companies and operated on base through [the Army & Air Force Exchange Service], so they have the exact same look and feel,” Meeks said. “Some of the other operations are similar to off-base establishments, only on a smaller scale due to the limited authorized users.” Besides easy access to Whoppers, frappuccinos and footlongs, individuals can take care of a number of errands without leaving the bounds of the base itself, whether shopping for groceries, running to the gas station or convenience store or taking their vehicle to the self-service car wash. There are skills shops for woodworking and automotive repair, meanwhile, and those looking to further expand their knowledge can take advantage of secondary education opportunities courtesy of partnerships between the installation and off-base institutions. Arkansas State University-Beebe, for example, has offered courses through its LRAFB-connected center as far back as 1965. “Finding creative partnerships with the local community has helped us develop one of the only education centers that is located off base and allows for both on- and off-base students to attend while still providing the full complement of military needs,” Meeks said.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
The Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville provides most of the amenities one would find in any town, such as a Burger King, Subway and Starbucks. (Photos by Airman 1st Class Rachel Bates-Jones)
31
JULY 2026
one opts to live on base, there are all manner of events filling the LRAFB’s calendar of extracurriculars, from hobby groups and monthly club meetings to movie nights and other family-friendly activities, giving new arrivals the chance to plug in to the community while likewise keeping established airmen and their dependents entertained and connected. As with any municipality across the Natural State, those sorts of wide-ranging operations come together neither by magic nor overnight. Several
entities work in tandem to keep base amenities running smoothly, most using a cross between appropriated funds — paid for with tax dollars — and nonappropriated funds, meaning the amenities must make money to operate. The Department of Defense’s commissary agency runs the base grocery store, while the Defense Health Agency operates medical services with local leadership, Meeks said. “The base also partners with local emergency response units for medical support, as well as partnerships with local utilities for power and water,” he said. Another “major lift,” as Meeks described, comes in the form of providing civil engineer support to maintain roads and facilities all over the base. Many of those projects require partnering with commercial entities, so dedicated contracting and financial teams work to develop agreements and ensure any requisite funds are correctly placed. That is to say nothing of the various other groups committed to day-to-day personnel management and myriad bureaucratic hoops any city employee would find very familiar — meetings and all. “Most of the remaining services are broken into categories based on whether they are necessary to sustain military operations, [such as] fitness [and] childcare, or just nice to have to support the morale and welfare of the airman and families,” Meeks said. “There are human resource, accounting and marketing operations to facilitate these activities the same way you would see in an off-base corporation. The installation commander, along with other wing commanders and senior leaders, provide guidance and oversight for most of the operations in conjunction with other [Department of War] agencies. … There are several different meetings to ensure they are focused on not only military operations, but these support and morale functions.” Morale is a key motivation behind the gaggle of activities and opportunities available to airmen that seemingly have little to do with actual military operations. The Air Force recognizes
The Strike Zone bowling alley, the base chapel and the base commissary. (Photos by Airman 1st Class Rachel Bates-Jones)
J U LY 2 026
32
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
The base exchange, fitness center and auto repair shop. (Photos by Airman 1st Class Rachel Bates-Jones)
base’s lodging for unaccompanied airmen dates back to the installation’s earliest years. Jennifer Harris, deputy base civil engineer for the 19th Civil Engineer Squadron, called the current dorm renovation effort “our most comprehensive effort in the last 20 years to fully renovate, foundation to roof, replace key systems like HVAC and bring them up to code.” A recent press release detailed some of the considerations at play in designing lodging responsive to the needs of “the next generation of airmen,” such as private bathrooms, blackout curtains and expanded internet access. “Our award-winning dining facility was also one of the first to begin what was termed campusstyle dining, providing anyone with base access a broad selection of meal choices similar to what you might see on a college campus,” Meeks said. “This is a perfect example of how things might look different than they did many years ago.” Access to housing that “meets or exceeds the modern American standard of living” is an essential element of mission readiness, Todd said. Taking a page from the playbook of colleges and universities is an intentional development, since “the way top universities prioritize and advocate for their students’ quality of life … is the exact standard of care we seek to provide for every airman.” “Ultimately, because the expectations placed on our fighting force far exceed those of any college campus, our commitment is uncompromising,” he said. “We will provide our airmen with the absolute best quality of life they have rightfully earned.”
Amenities such as a pool provide quality of life for airmen and their families. (Photo by Senior Airman Imani West)
that “mission readiness requires [airmen] to be physically, mentally and spiritually prepared,” said Senior Airman Justin Todd, public affairs specialist for the 19th Airlift Wing. From facilities upkeep to family care and plain old fun, every cog in the LRAFB machine plays some part in producing a functional fighting force. Forward thinking in the form of improvements and upgrades, then, ensures the base can continue to provide for the needs of airmen for years to come. “Our base began undergoing a five-year dorm modernization project last year to construct the ‘dorms of the future,’” Todd said. “Funded by a $92 million investment from the Department of War’s barracks task force, this multifaceted overhaul involves demolishing, building and renovating our dormitory facilities. The initiative is specifically designed to identify and remediate substandard living conditions that can negatively impact our airmen’s health and performance.” While not necessarily present from day one, much of the ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
33
JULY 2026
S
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
till
Volunteerism keeps retirees active in base community
ERVING By Sarah DeClerk | Photos provided by LRAFB
F
or Lt. Col. Dawson Williams, retirement did not end his service; it simply changed the way he served. “Still serving is a way that a lot of veterans see themselves,” he said. “If it’s not at the air base, it’s somewhere, still serving — never going to die as a person that serves; as long as there’s breath in the body and blood flowing, a true veteran will help in any way that Uncle Sam or the government needs us.” For Williams, that service takes that shape of volunteering at the Little Rock Air Force Base
Dawson Williams J U LY 2 026
34
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
the next person through the door and the next person that needs the service we provide.” Williams is not alone in that mentality. Since he took the job two years ago, he has recruited two other retirees to volunteer positions on base. One said, “I’d do it in a heartbeat.” The other one just said yes. “Military people have a different mindset than what I’m going to call the civilian community,” said Michael Spradling, retiree activities director. “The need to serve is pretty strong with most of the military people. This helps fulfill that need.” Spradling is a retiree volunteer himself, having retired from the Army in 1997. In his role, he manages a team of more than 50 volunteers who assist the 50,000 or so retired service members across the state with their benefits. Especially for retirees who are not computer savvy, Spradling and his team can be the difference between accessing insurance forms, financial records and other important documents or spending hours on the phone with nothing to show for their efforts. “A lot of them are very appreciative of it because they may have sat there, trying to call on the phone, and sat for an hour, waiting in a hold line to try to talk to someone,” he said. “If they don’t say the right words at the right time when they’re asked what their password is, what was their last home of record, what was the phone number when they enlisted, if they can’t answer those questions correctly, then they can’t get anywhere.” He added that the financial impact of volunteerism is significant, as well. Through his office alone, he said, volunteers save the Air Force half a million dollars in salary costs. Numerous other areas of the base seek out volunteers, including the chapel, child development center and Airman’s Attic, a thrift store, not to mention the volunteers needed for special events
Michael Spradling Support Services Center as a customer care liaison. If someone walks in to renew an ID card, have their photo taken or sort out a payment issue, he is often the first person they see. “They can spend 10 minutes reading boards to see, ‘What’s that room number?’ and trying to find out, ‘Where’s that room at?’ or they can talk to me,” he said. “I save them 10 minutes, and by doing that and keeping them from talking to two other offices to find out where it’s at, that can be 20 minutes, so by the time you finish it, and then there’s people back at their unit, waiting for them to get back, that can be 40 minutes. “So what do I do? I give people a warm welcome and efficiently and professionally help them find out where the services that they’re seeking are and get it done in a timely manner.” He only works the desk four hours a week, he said, but it saves the military an untold amount of money and makes someone’s day a little easier, both of which give Williams satisfaction with his work. “We all have a great debt we can’t go back and pay to what we call Uncle Sam, to the government or to the individuals who developed us,” he said, “but we can pay it forward by helping
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
35
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
When Ray was battling health issues that included diabetes, heart failure and renal failure, seeing a friendly face at the pharmacy made everything easier on days when it felt like life was going into a tailspin, she said. When she was offered a volunteer position, she took it. “I love my job,” she said. “I love getting out and meeting people. I’ve met a lot of good people. You hear a lot of different stories from our members that come in. Some of them may be coming in and having a really bad day and just need somebody to talk to, and as long as there’s nobody in line behind them, you can tell me what’s going on in your life. I’ll talk to you for as long as I can.” Because Ray was an organ donor, Karen also volunteers at Southern Legacy of Life and the Arkansas Donor Family Council, and she previously volunteered at Unity Health in Jacksonville. She keeps a busy schedule, she said, but she would like to eventually volunteer at the Jacksonville Historical Museum, as well. “For me, it’s fulfilling to say that I can help someone, even if it’s just nothing but opening a door and giving them their medicines,” she said. “The people that you meet, the stories that you hear, it’s just something that I really like to do, and if you’re a people person, then it’s a great thing to do.” For retirees, especially, volunteerism provides an important social activity, Spradling said. “One advantage of military life — you have a lot of contacts,” he said. “You have a lot of people that you know and know you. To quote someone, you have a village. You’re a member of that village. You can go to anyone and ask for help. You can talk to them. There’s the social aspect that goes with it. “When you retire, although it’s not really true, you have a feeling that you’re no longer a part of that village, that you don’t
Karen Rendon
such as air shows. Volunteerism is not exclusive to retirees, either. Karen Rendon said she volunteers at the base pharmacy in honor of her late husband, Ray. “One day, somebody asked me what his song would be, and I said it would be that song, ‘I Did It My Way,’ because his military life was, ‘With all due respect, sir, we’re not doing it that way. We’re doing it my way,’” she said. “He would always tell me, ‘As long as I throw in that “all due respect, sir,” I’m covered. I know my job. I know what’s supposed to go on that airplane, what’s not supposed to go on that airplane. It’s not going on there if it’s not supposed to.’”
“We all have a great debt we can’t go back and pay to what we call Uncle Sam, to the government or to the individuals who developed us, but we can pay it forward by helping the next person through the door and the next person that needs the service we provide.” — Retired Lt. Col. Dawson Williams J U LY 2 026
36
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
A former Army chaplain who is also a licensed professional counselor, Williams said volunteering is an effective way for retirees to adjust. “When you put emphasis on helping others, you take some stress off your own self, so volunteering, beginning to be considerate of others and supportive in ways that are helpful toward others, you can lower your medication count if you want to,” he said. “If you really want to find out, ‘What are some things I can do to go ahead and de-stress and decompress and be less anxious?’ one thing I could highly recommend is let’s get you involved in some meaningful helping activities.” Even if life slows down after 65, Spradling said there are plenty of ways to get out of the house and into the community. “Look for opportunities that make you feel good,” he added. “Even putting flags out on Memorial Day on all the gravestones makes people feel better. It gives them a sense of purpose that they’re still giving.”
have that camaraderie, that social network. Volunteering keeps you actively involved in the community, and those people that you consider part of your social circle, it keeps you involved with them, plus you get to meet new people all the time.” The military offers preretirement briefings to teach veterans about their pension and benefits, as well as educational opportunities and career transition services, he said, but less cutand-dried is the way each individual deals with the emotional aspects of retirement. “Let’s say, as an example, you had a chief master sergeant, highest-ranking [noncommissioned] man in the Air Force,” Spradling said. “He or she is an important person. They have a lot of responsibility. They walk out the gate the day after their retirement, and all of a sudden, they’re just a normal person. That takes a while to readjust the way you approach things.” Williams put it another way: “Square pegs don’t fit well in round holes.” “When the hardening starts to soften, it’s frightening, and it’s awkward, and it’s difficult, and you have to find your way,” he said. “Eventually, as time goes on, you won’t be as hard, and some of the things you were in the presence of and took care of, just the memories can bring you to almost being stopped in your tracks.”
ABOUT
Receives Journalism Awards
YOU MEDIA GROUP
5th consecutive Sweepstakes Award 4 awards
1 award
34 total awards Dwain Hebda
Sarah DeClerk
Staff Writer Production Director & Copy Editor
Mike Bedgood
Editor-in-Chief
2 awards
1 award
2 awards
Alex Hardgrave Staff Writer
Lee Smith
Graphic Designer
Mak Millard
Associate Editor
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
in 2026 APW Contest
1 award
1 award
1 award
Senior Editor
Graphic Designer
Heather Baker
Mark Carter
1 award
3 awards
Graphic Designer
Staff Writer
President & Publisher
Jerry Cordova
Doug Crise
Lora Puls
3 awards
Mary LeSieur Staff Writer
37
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
CAPT.
JULIA JOO
By Alex Hardgrave (Photo provided by LRAFB)
FLYING HIGH
W
hen Capt. Julia Joo looks down from the cockpit of a C-130 soaring above Arkansas, she sees more than farmland, cities and cloud formations. She sees a dream that she refused to abandon. Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, Joo was fascinated by aviation from an early age, and now, decades later, she serves as a pilot in the 61st Airlift Squadron at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, helping execute missions that deliver personnel, supplies and critical cargo around the world. Her journey to the cockpit, however, was anything but conventional. Before earning her wings, Joo attended the University of Maryland, where she participated in the ROTC while pursuing a degree in natural resource management. Balancing ROTC responsibilities, fulltime studies and employment as a park ranger required more than just discipline and determination. “I was very busy,” Joo said. “ROTC gave me leadership experience and put me in situations that were physically and mentally challenging. You learn how to work through those challenges and help others do the same.” While her career path ultimately led her J U LY 2 026
to the Air Force, Joo’s time as a park ranger remains an important part of who she is. Both careers, she said, share a common denominator: service. “Whether it’s helping people in the parks or bringing food and supplies to people who need them, it feels good at the heart,” she said. At Little Rock Air Force Base, Joo’s days are rarely predictable. Training flights often involve practicing airdrops, tactical landings and instrument approaches designed to prepare crews for virtually any mission imaginable. She said precision, teamwork and accuracy make her team’s goals attainable. “You have a lot of independent variables all working toward one goal,” Joo said. “Everyone has to be on their game.” The challenges extend beyond technical skills. Crew members must learn how to communicate effectively under pressure, understand one another’s working styles and build trust in environments where lives are at stake. Joo said those experiences reinforce her and her team’s ideology that collaboration and success go hand in hand. “The military really is a family,” she said. “When you arrive at a squadron, people take you under their wing right away.” That sense of community is one of her favorite aspects of life in Arkansas. After 38
arriving from Mississippi, Joo quickly embraced both the Little Rock area and the culture surrounding the base. “You have everything you could want,” she said. “You can enjoy the city, but you’re also close to the Ozarks. I love having four seasons.” While she appreciates Arkansas’ scenery, the most rewarding part of her job comes from seeing the direct impact of her work. From delivering supplies to remote locations to watching recipients celebrate as an aircraft arrives, Joo is consistently reminded of why she chose this career path. “It makes you feel so good,” Joo said. “You know you’re making people’s lives better.” Looking ahead, Joo plans to continue serving in the Air Force while pursuing opportunities that combine her aviation experience with her passion for conservation. She is currently earning a master’s degree in fish and wildlife conservation and hopes one day to transition into aerial firefighting operations using the same aircraft she flies today. For now, she remains focused on the mission at hand while encouraging others to explore opportunities within the U.S. Air Force. “If you have a passion, you can find it here,” Joo said. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
‘WE CAN STILL SERVE’ Margarita Overton works at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville as the integrated prevention and response director. For her, helping airmen lead healthy lives is personal. “My whole career was associated with the military,” she said. Overton’s father joined the military and was stationed in Greece, where he met Overton’s mother. He later transitioned back to the states, and Overton was born in Columbus, Ohio. They soon moved back to Greece, where Overton grew up for 13 years. After she graduated high school, she attended the University of Houston but did not do well with her studies at first. “I went from being an honor roll student in high school to being on academic probation,” she said. “My mother said, ‘You’re going backward,’ because she felt like I wasn’t doing what I should be.” Overton decided to meet with an Air Force recruiter to prove her mother wrong.
Margarita
OVERTON “That’s how I joined the Air Force,” she said, “but I had one more semester of college because I was on delayed enlistment. This just made me turn my head around, and I did better in school.” Overton quickly realized how serious the path she had chosen was. “I had an overseas assignment in the Azores, and that’s what changed it for me because Desert Shield and Desert Storm kicked off while I was there,” she said. “It made me stop and say, ‘I’m in the military, and I could die for my country.’” She was later deployed to Germany and then Kosovo, Bosnia and Qatar. Her final duty assignment took her to Little Rock. “A lot of people are hesitant about retiring from the military,” she said. “I just always say that we can always still serve. I’m still doing something that’s impactful, and I’m proud of my military service.” During her time serving, she was the first woman in many positions she found herself in. “I think the thing that makes me a little bit sad when I think about it is that I was the first here and the first there,” she said. “When I retired, I was the first female command chief they had had in the 19th Airlift Wing.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
By Alex Hardgrave (Photo provided by LRAFB)
Overton said she is glad to see how the military has changed and became better for women over the years, but her feelings are complicated. “I wish that [being a woman] would not have to come into the conversation,” she said. “I’m not here because I’m a woman. I’m here because I have the leadership skills and the commanders saw something in me that they wanted to have on their teams.” Overton was only retired for a few months before she took on a new role at the base. Today, she works to make sure airmen feel comfortable once they return from duty and to ensure their families feel supported, as well. “Our airmen experience some things overseas that could impact them psychologically,” she said. “What we want to focus on is making sure that our airmen coming back know how much they are appreciated and know what to do if they’re experiencing stress.” Overton encouraged airmen to seek help if they need it, which she knows can be difficult. “They’re so committed to doing their jobs, and love what they do and feeling like they’re a part of the mission,” she said, “but it’s so important for them to get care.” When Overton is not working at the base, she is working on her Ph.D. She decided to pursue the degree after attending a seminar where the speaker encouraged the attendees to do something outside of their comfort zone. “It’s scary for me, but I’m enjoying it,” she said. 39
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
Perfection EXPECTATION is the
U.S. Air Force Honor Guard embraces the small details
By Doug Crise | Photos provided by LRAFB
T
hey pay homage, provide comfort, bear witness and give reassurance — and to get an idea of just what goes into all that, it is best to read the manual. A quick Google search will uncover a 2018 United States Air Force document listing the requirements and procedures for those looking to serve as members of the USAF Honor Guard. A few things have changed since then, but the overall concept is the same. The manual is a whopping 257 pages with three short introductory paragraphs before diving into every last part of an honor guard’s duties and expectations. There are instructions for when and how airmen must inflect their voices while giving orders. There are instructions for how to wear the uniform’s trousers — length extending to 1 inch past the rear of the shoe with a slight break in the front crease. A guide to fingernail length? There is a section on that, the requirement being no more than a quarter of an inch. ‘I would consider us
The USAF Honor Guard at Little Rock Air Force Base serves at military funerals all across the state.
“I would consider us to be an elite team. We want to have people with the utmost pride and professionalism before we recruit them to the honor guard.” — Master Sgt. Krista Kollias, honor guard program manager, Little Rock Air Force Base
Master Sgt. Krista Kollias
J U LY 2 026
40
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
to be an elite team,” said Master Sgt. Krista Kollias, honor guard program manager at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. “We want to have people with the utmost pride and professionalism before we recruit them to the honor guard.” Every bit makes a difference. An honor guard at a USAF funeral means more than just some marching and a gun salute. By being at their absolute best, honor guard members tell families they and their loved ones deserve nothing less than the best. “It is an opportunity and a privilege to be here,” said Airman 1st Class Emmanuel Okindo, honor guardsman. For a shot at the honor guard, Okindo first had to post a high enough score
on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and then meet the physical requirements of basic training. Yet Okindo and his teammates are never really done with training. When not being called to all areas of Arkansas for military funerals, honor guard members spend time in a nondescript building located near one of the base’s air strips. It is a place to relax, but it is also a place to train and practice. Just about every part of a guardsman’s job can be replicated in the facility, once again underscoring the level of importance of their duty. Nothing less than perfection is tolerated. “Our initial training is three weeks,” Kollias said. “Then, after that, [guardsman recruits] shadow the people that have been here from three to six months. That way, they can just get that experience and eyes on them without actually doing it. They build up a comfort level. After that, we have sustainment training. Anytime they’re not scheduled to be at a funeral, they’re here, training.” A guardsman can easily end up serving at hundreds of funerals per year. Those take place rain or shine, hot or cold, and the 100th funeral needs to be treated as just as important as the first funeral. “The best I can say is if you don’t do anything intentionally, it is going to be painful learning the actual process,” Okindo said. “This is a thinking-based job. At the end of the day, you need to be able to be sharp and thinking about the entire process as it’s going on.”
Airman 1st Class Emmanuel Okindo
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
41
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
PRESSURE LRAFB’s explosive ordnance disposal unit is an elite job with elite demands
Y
By Doug Crise | Photos provided by LRAFB
Disposal. We do about a year of training up there.” “Training” is a comfortable term for something that is anything but. True, necessary time is spent learning the ins and outs of explosives and how to dispose of them, but sprinkled amid all that are some of the most intense and demanding physical requirements in the entire Air Force. On its website, the USAF helpfully suggests that those interested in EOD should be able to complete 40 situps in two minutes, 40 pushups in two minutes and a 1.5 mile run in less than 11 minutes. “I would say the hardest part of that training is learning to quickly gain all the information they put at Elijah Youngblood you and then being able to apply it quickly,” Senior Airman Elijah Youngblood said. “You have to figure out what the bomb is, and you have to figure out what
You either hack it, or you don’t. Becoming a member of the United States Air Force’s explosive ordnance disposal unit is a single-sum game. This is not high school football — sheer heart and want-to are not enough to make this team. Like other branches of the military, the Air Force reveres self-motivation and grit, and there are plenty of military career paths where a gutful of courage can lift a person through the ranks. For explosive ordnance disposal work, simply having motivation alone can get an airman killed. “For the Air Force, we go through military basic training for eight weeks,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony PezAnthony Pezzulli zulli. “After that, we go to the explosive ordnance preliminary course. That is a two-month program over there. After that, we go to the Naval School Explosive Ordnance
J U LY 2 026
42
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Pezzulli and Youngblood train on the base.
What was eye-opening to me was to see the impact that we have, keeping the local populace safe. — Senior Airman Elijah Youngblood safeties apply to the bomb so you can get rid of it safely.” What Youngblood is leaving out is that the process is very often handled while wearing ultrathick protective blast suits designed to protect the EOD technician in the event of a sudden explosion. Imagine the heaviest you have ever been bundled up, add to that, and throw in a long list of tools and gadgets that must be carried along at all times. If it all sounds like too much, there is something else behind the training and the demands. While typically not the first thing that pops in the mind of the average civilian, the EOD unit is one of the USAF’s most public-facing jobs. Sure, there is the Hollywood version most civilians see when it comes to bombs and explosives — a high-pressure situation, the hero cuts a wire (and it is always the red one, except when it is not), and everyone is ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
saved — but not every call to the EOD unit is steeped in drama. Imagine someone in a small Arkansas town going through a late grandfather’s wartime possessions and finding a grenade kept as a souvenir. Those situations are sometimes handled by local authorities, but very often, a call gets made to Jacksonville. Therefore, EOD technicians must be in a constant state of readiness and must project USAF-style professionalism to the public at all times. There are, to be sure, easier ways to make a career in the Air Force, but not everybody wants an easy job. “What was eye-opening to me was to see the impact that we have, keeping the local populace safe,” Youngblood said. “I would say the biggest impact we have is our responsibility in taking care of explosive items.” 43
JULY 2026
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
Lt. Col.
QUANG TRAN THE 4 P’s Lt. Col. Quang Tran, commander of the 19th Communications Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, feels lucky to be where he is today. He was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and moved to a refugee camp in the Philippines with his family as a child. “During the six months in the Philippines, it’s what you would have imagined a refugee camp would be,” he said. “Food is scarce. Once a week, you’d go and pick up food, and that’s your food for the week.” The family got a sponsor from Lincoln, Nebraska, and moved to the States. Tran attended school and received a civil engineering degree. He then decided to enlist. “I’ve always been quite ambitious, and I saw the military as that venue of giving me a lot of different things to do,” he said. His first assignment was in 2008 in Maryland as a cybersecurity officer. Then he moved to Japan, the United Kingdom, New York and the Pentagon before coming J U LY 2 026
By Alex Hardgrave (Photo provided by LRAFB)
to Little Rock Air Force Base, where he was assigned to command. “We all strive to be a commander when you’re in the Air Force as an officer,” he said. “I never saw that ticket in my books because I’m just an average officer. I somehow got this privilege.” Tran said his team’s mission on the base is invaluable. Everything runs from computers, so those computers need to stay updated, working and safe for other airmen to do their jobs. “We’re in every corner,” he said. “No one can do anything they are doing for their mission without the computers and IT that they get from us.” He runs his team using what he calls the four Ps — people, process, positivity and proactiveness. He added that process and proactiveness are especially important when it comes to keeping up with the quickly changing world of cybersecurity. “It changes so fast where if we don’t hone in on processes we have in place, we 44
can’t be effective and efficient at the things we do,” he said. “If we don’t think ahead to make sure that we have the right funding and timeline to get hardware replaced, then it’s already too late.” When it comes to people, he spends most of his day checking on his team and making sure they feel supported. He said positivity is important so that people do not give up when their assignments get hard. His best advice for other airmen is to always remember the four Ps. On his days off, he tries to spend time with his wife and two children but said he usually “catches up on work” on the weekends too. His time in Little Rock is coming to a close soon, and his family is moving back to Virginia, where he will work at the Pentagon again. While he does not feel that he got to see all that Arkansas has had to offer during his time here, he said he has enjoyed living in the Natural State. “Little Rock has been awesome,” he said. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE
SMALL SOLDIERS For many military families, consistency can be difficult to find, but at the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Maj. Kevin Weaver has made a career out of being the consistency local military families need. As a pediatrician in the 19th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Weaver spends his days caring for military children and supporting families who serve alongside them. From routine wellness checks and visits to helping parents and children alike adjust to the complexities and challenges that accompany the profession, his work places him at an intersection of medicine and service. Drawn by an early and deep-rooted desire to serve and give back, Weaver has created a career blending the skill set of a medical professional with the empathy of a parent and active-duty family member. “I always wanted to serve. It’s always been something I wanted to do,” Weaver said. “There was always a draw in my heart to serve and to give back.” That desire first led him to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs
Maj.
KEVIN WEAVER and later took him to medical school in Tennessee, residency training at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, serving in Alaska and eventually finding his way back to Arkansas. While his career carried him across state lines and toward new adventures, his motivation behind his service and care remained consistent. The Memphis native and honorary Arkansan has created a mindset that extends beyond his team and exam room. To his way of thinking, the rank of major and the ability to serve in a leadership role takes a back seat to relationships and communication. “I want people to be comfortable bringing up concerns,” he said. “When families see a major, they may think that they need to have everything perfectly together. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me and telling me what’s really going on. Whether it’s something that can help a patient or something we need to improve, I never want anyone to feel intimidated.” Most of Weaver’s days begin with a team huddle before moving into seeing patients. During the huddles, he ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
By Mary LeSieur (Photo provided by LRAFB)
said, his team works collaboratively to prepare for what they like to do most: care for children. “It’s what I should be doing,” Weaver said. “Taking care of kids is why I’m here.” Military pediatrics offers a unique set of challenges Weaver said, but his experiences have also given him the opportunity to meet resilient, remarkable people to motivate him. “You get to work with really resilient families,” Weaver said. “There are a lot of good people in military service, and when you’re surrounded by good people, it makes you a better person too.” Outside of work, Weaver’s greatest source of motivation is his family. He and his wife are raising six children, something he says would not be possible without her unwavering support. “My wife is my hero,” he said. “She takes care of our six kids while I’m at work, and she does an incredible job.” Faith, family and service continue to guide Weaver both personally and professionally. As his career has taken him from Tennessee to Colorado, Arkansas and Alaska, the purpose behind his work has remained the same. “I don’t get up every day because I want to be the best doctor in the world,” Weaver said. “I get up because of the people I work with, the people I work for and the people I’m trying to help.” 45
JULY 2026
Veteran-Owned Businesses It takes courage to serve one’s country, and it also takes courage to start a business after retiring from military life. What follows is a noncomprehensive list of veteran-owned businesses in Arkansas, each of which is worthy of respect and patronage. We salute you!
EXPRESSIONS TATTOOS & PIERCINGS Hardy
Tattoos /Piercing
FIFTH WHEEL RV SOLUTIONS 3-I PRESSURE WASHING & DETAIL North Little Rock
Pressure Washing/ Auto Detailing
365 PROPERTY BUYERS Cabot
Real Estate
501 PARTS
Jacksonville
Auto/Equipment Parts
AFFORDABLE AIR SYSTEMS OF ARKANSAS Waldron HVAC
AIRCRAFT INTERIOR SERVICES Searcy
Aircraft Interiors
AMERICAN PRECISION MACHINING Midway
Machining
ARKANSAS LIGHTING Van Buren
Lighting
ARKWRAPS DESIGNS
CENTRAL FLYING SERVICE
Graphics
Aviation
Fort Smith
Little Rock
AVIATION LASER SERVICES
CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS
Cove
Laser Cleaning
B HALEY PAINTING AND SMALL REPAIR
Conway
FINER POINTS HOME INSPECTIONS Austin
Home Inspections
GARNAT ENGINEERING
CHERMAN DISTRIBUTORS
Engineering
Bryant
Cabot
Maumelle
Liquidator Distribution
GRAY BEARD AMMO
DR. JOHN BATSON
CONCRETE CUTTING SOLUTIONS
Firearms
Painting/Small Repair
Little Rock
Oral Surgeon
BRIDGING THE GAPS OF ARKANSAS Texarkana
Nonprofit
Decatur
Construction
DC SPARKS CONSTRUCTION Rogers
Construction
CALICO COUNTY RESTAURANT
DENTURES TODAY
Restaurant
Dental
Fort Smith
Fort Smith
CAMDEN MONUMENT CO.
EVENING SHADE INN
Monuments
Hospitality
Camden
Eureka Springs
ARKANSAS SECURITY
EXECUTIVE FLOORING & CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS
Security
Mobile Food Processing
Flooring
J U LY 2 026
RV Repair/Services
Chemical Distribution
CENTRAL ARKANSAS MOBILE PROCESSING
Bentonville
Benton
Lonsdale
Bentonville
46
Conway
HP ENGINEERING Rogers
Engineering
HANDY HEROES Russellville
Home Repair
HAPPY’S LAWN CARE Mountain Home Landscaping
HODGES ENGINEERING Mountain Home Engineering
JASON ALAN’S BARBER COLLEGE El Dorado
Vocational Education
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
JDOG JUNK REMOVAL & HAULING
NELSON INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS
Junk Removal/Hauling
Intelligence Services
Conway
K AND R GUN WORKS Harrison
Firearms
LRM RIVERVALLEY MARKETING Fort Smith
Marketing
LEFTY’S LIQUOR Rogers
Liquor Store
LONG & SONS LAND MANAGEMENT Jonesboro
Land Management/Clearing
M3 SERVICES Hot Springs HVAC
MAPLE LEAF AWNING & CANVAS Sherwood
Awnings/Canopies
MOUNTAIN GRANNY’S ORGANIC HERBS
Little Rock
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHEET METAL
SANITATION SOLUTIONS OF ARKANSAS
STROTHER PAINTING AND REMODELING
Sheridan
Greenwood
Sanitation
Painting/Remodeling
SCARS AND STRIPES
TWARD DIGITAL
Rogers
Hot Springs
Monticello
Fabrication
Nonprofit
Digital Solutions
THE POISON IVY SOAP CO.
SEMPER FI MOVERS
TYLER FARMS AND RANCH
Marshall
Conway
Camden
Health/Beauty
Moving Company
Agriculture
POLYETHYLENE CONTAINERS
SERVICE SOLUTIONS
UNITED SYSTEMS OF ARKANSAS
El Dorado
Sheridan
North Little Rock
Manufacturing
HVAC/Plumbing
Print/Mail Solutions
PRISTINE SOLUTIONS
SERVICEMASTER BY DIAMOND QUALITY SERVICES
ZEN LLAMA BEANS
Lowell
Maumelle
Cleaning/Restoration
Disaster Restoration
REYNOLDS CONSTRUCTION & COMMERCIAL ROOFING
Holiday Island
Tarot/Astrology
Pine Bluff
Construction
SAMS EXCAVATING Deer
Excavation
Leslie
Herbal Products
Don’t see your favorite veteran-owned business on the list? Let us know at press@aymag.com.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
47
JULY 2026
FEATURE
Sights on Jacksonville SIG SAUER facility plays vital role in national defense manufacturing By Sarah DeClerk Photos courtesy of SIG SAUER
I
t is no secret that the men and women of Jacksonville have been quietly keeping the country safe for generations. In 1941, the U.S. War Department announced the creation of the Arkansas Ordnance Plant, which produced fuses and detonators during World War II. Then, in 1951, the community rallied together to bring the Little Rock Air Force Base to town. Another milestone occurred in 2016, when firearms producer SIG SAUER relocated its Elite Performance Ammunition manufacturing operation to an existing building in Jacksonville, bringing 50 jobs to the city. That headcount has since ballooned to about 600. In 2024, SIG SAUER opened the $225 million Jacksonville Arkansas Ammunition Center on campus. The 210,000-square-foot ultramodern facility supports the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program and family of 6.8 hybrid ammunition. “Our Jacksonville location remains crucial to our global growth and position as the only SIG facility today that produces our ammunition,” said Jason Imhoff, chief technology officer and vice president of ammunition, development and R&D. “The six-facility campus provides ammo for all branches of the U.S. J U LY 2 026
48
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Ron Cohen, CEO of SIG SAUER, cut the ribbon at the Jacksonville Arkansas Ammunition Center.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
49
“I know that Arkansas’ moral clarity has helped play a big role in bringing SIG SAUER to our state. Make no mistake — we love and support our military, we support our closest allies, and we understand that the best thing to beat a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
JULY 2026
FEATURE
“The six-facility campus provides ammo for all branches of the U.S. military, special forces and our NATO allies. It’s a key facility for SIG’s product design, research and development, and testing, and it’s important to our growth strategy.” — Jason Imhoff, chief technology officer and vice president of ammunition, development and R&D
military, special forces and our NATO allies. It’s a key facility for SIG’s product design, research and development, and testing, and it’s important to our growth strategy.” He added that a turning point for the Arkansas operations came six years ago, when the team won an MK-248 sniper ammo contract to supply the U.S. Army and Navy. “That was our first big military ammo contract win and a pivotal moment for our Arkansas team and company,” he said. Jacksonville Mayor Jeff Elmore said the investment has been a boon for Jacksonville and the surrounding community. “Hosting a manufacturing powerhouse such as SIG SAUER has brought immense pride to Jacksonville and the central Arkansas region over the past decade,” he said. “As both a resident and mayor, I have seen firsthand the impact that SIG SAUER has had on our community. The industrial impact has been tre-
Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, from left, Sanders, Cohen, Jacksonville Mayor Jeff Elmore and Sen. John Boozman attend the grand opening.
J U LY 2 026
50
mendous, and we are thankful and proud of SIG SAUER’s investment in our community, state and nation.” CEO Ron Cohen spoke during the grand opening of the new facility, saying that a call from then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson asking him to consider choosing Arkansas for the company’s expansion sparked “a romance with the state” that led to the opening of the initial facility. “SIG is in a unique position right here in Arkansas to participate in the Herculean effort of the U.S. Army to change infantry,” he said at the opening. “There can be no more noble cause than what we’re doing here. I could not be more proud. On behalf of SIG, we want to help protect this country and win against our adversaries. Arkansas is the center of that effort for SIG.” He praised the 3,500 employees working across the U.S., including those in Arkansas. “We feel that we’re on a mission to change the world. It’s that big,” he said. “I have not met a SIG employee who told me he’s just in a job. This is a calling, and I’m so blessed to be a part of that calling, to aid our men and women at the tip of the spear to have the tools to win.” The Next Generation Squad Weapon program is on par with a mission to Mars, he said, calling it a “moon-shot effort to change lethality in ammunition and the weapons associated.” “The teams worked so hard to do this revolution, it’s incredible. You guys will go down in history as the people that changed the world,” he said. “I asked somebody yesterday, ‘When was the last time somebody changed infantry in one time to change ammunition, rifle and machine gun?’ I don’t think people know that answer. Is it 1950? 1930? 1910? Let me help you. The answer is never. Never has there been an effort to change everything at one moment in history.” Speaking at the grand opening, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the facility represented more than just a manufacturing space and jobs but reinforced Arkansas’ place as the “arsenal of America.” “I know that Arkansas’ moral clarity ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
has helped play a big role in bringing SIG SAUER to our state,” she said. “Make no mistake — we love and support our military, we support our closest allies, and we understand that the best thing to beat a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” She was joined by Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), who expressed pride in Arkansas’ role in leading the manufacturing effort for the Next Generation Squad Weapon program. “With each passing day, Arkansas is standing more and more at the forefront of our nation’s defense industrial base, and this facility only enhances the outsized role our great state is playing in providing more modern capabilities to deter our adversaries and safeguard our national security interests at home and abroad,” he said. Imhoff said the facility is deeply involved in the local community, working with the Arkansas Army National Guard on range activities, participating in chamber of commerce events and collaborating with nearby colleges to ensure students have the skills needed to enter the defense industry. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Officials tour the state-of-the-art facility, which plays a leading role in national defense and the modernization of infantry warfare.
“Arkansas has a pro-business environment, and we’ve been fortunate to receive support from day one from the Jacksonville community and officials at all levels of government,” he said. “This community has a long history of supporting America’s defense dating all the way back to munitions production in World War II and a workforce with decades of experience. We’re proud to carry on that legacy with SIG’s work to equip the military, law enforcement and the shooting community.” A representative from SIG SAUER confirmed that continued expansion projects on the Jacksonville campus over 51
the next five years are expected to create a total of 950 jobs, further strengthening the local economy and providing additional opportunities for growth. “The growth of Jacksonville’s housing market, along with new commercial, industrial and retail opportunities, is attracting SIG SAUER employees and their families to Jacksonville,” Elmore said. “With new homes being built across the city, continued economic development and investment and the modern facilities of the Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District, Jacksonville continues to provide a community where families can live, work, play and thrive.” JULY 2026
FEATURE
Flag of Our Our
FATHERS
Battle artifact finds a home in Jacksonville By Dwain Hebda | Photos provided by Jacksonville Museum of Military History
I
t is not hard to recognize the Jacksonville Museum of Military History; the two looming artifacts out front — a mounted fighter jet with ordnance and a menacing tank with barrel leveled — get the visitor’s immediate attention. Inside is an impressive collection, not the least of which is its newest treasure, a 48-star American flag unveiled June 6 on the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II. While not as conspicuous as a jeep or as dramatic as a machine gun, the piece already holds its own place in the organization’s lore. “In my opinion, having physical artifacts like this are more important than just having the stories,” said James Anderson, curator. “Having the story and being able to tell that story is fantastic, but in order to truly give someone a sense of belonging and understanding, you have to have something to connect them with it physically. This flag does that in spades.” The manner in which the flag made its way to Arkansas is a mind-boggling series of coincidences and raw twists of fate. When Donnie Penn, an employee at Dassault Falcon Jet in Little Rock, and Claude Kaiger, a French colleague, walked in one day and handed Anderson a bundle, it was only the beginning of a much larger adventure. “Mr. Kaiger’s friend, Oliver Galliart, was a French spelunker many years ago,” Anderson said. “While spelunking a cave north of Offenburg, Germany, he found the James Anderson flag buried in the back of the cave,
J U LY 2 026
The Jacksonville Museum of Military History is hard to miss.
wrapped in cheesecloth and buried under several rocks.” Gaillart took the flag home from that outing in 1985 and let it sit on a shelf for almost 40 years. In 2023, he decided he wanted to repatriate it to the United States, and knowing Kaiger regularly traveled to the States for work, Gaillart asked him to bring it with him and find an appropriate home. Kaiger engaged Penn in the effort, which led to a call to Sen. John Boozman’s office for advice. They were subsequently directed to Jacksonville. “[Kaiger and Penn] brought it in, and I accepted the donation,” Anderson said. “It was an honor to be able to be the official drop-off point for repatriation of this flag.” Before attention turned to getting the flag repaired, mounted and framed, the immediate order of business was piecing together the possible circumstances that led it to be buried in a cave. What followed was a three-year journey of research and discovery by Anderson and his team of Allison 52
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Campbell, Elizabeth Anderson and Kevin Gray. “We know it’s a U.S. Army flag,” Anderson said. “We know it was created by the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot during World War II. They were the primary creator of flags, especially this particular type of flag with the heavy metal grommets.” Anderson and his team’s research additionally revealed three different Army units passed through the area north of Offenburg during World War II, from late 1944 through mid-1945 before the war ended, elements of the 3rd, 6th and 7th Army. The time and location align with the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Northwind, Germany’s last major offensives to push back AlThe 48-star World War II-era flag rescued from a cave in Germany lied forces along the northern and is a centerpiece of the museum’s collection. southern fronts, respectively. “During that time, the [U.S.] seeing James’ and the Jacksonville museum staff’s reactions. That 12th Armored Division and elements of the 43rd Tank Battalion, was probably my top moment. I was just so proud of that.” 56th Armored Infantry Battalion were all overrun,” Anderson Now safely on display in its new home, Anderson said the flag said. “Unfortunately, the 43rd Tank Battalion, the 56th Armored is a centerpiece of the museum’s collection, a staff favorite, and a Infantry Battalion were obliterated. Luckily for the 12th, they particularly poignant reminder of the life-and-death events that managed to shore up their defenses enough to keep their headtranspired in its defense. quarters in place. “For veterans like myself and other military historians, a flag “Before that, the commander of the 12th Armored Division, like this coming home, especially a military-issued one, is equivCol. Charles Bromley, declared the headquarters expendable alent to a veteran coming home after being missing and told everyone to go ahead and collect all the documents and in action or killed in action,” he said. “When I saw important items and carry them away while they defended the it for the first time, a million things passed through headquarters. The defense was successful, but by then, papermy mind, up to and including, ‘This is absolutely work and flags and everything else had been removed.” amazing. What an honor,’ but I also wondered Anderson said the most likely scenario was a soldier buried if we were right for this. Is this flag not deservthe flag in the cave to prevent its capture by the enemy, someing of a place in the World War II thing often done when a U.S. field headquarters or other posiMuseum in Louisiana or the tion was under threat of being taken. Smithsonian? The fragile but otherwise in-good-condition flag was meticu“At the same time, I thought, lously matted and framed by Beth Franks at Red Door Gallery & ‘What about the local area? Framing Studio in North Little Rock. The process required the What about people that maybe can’t advice of preservation experts from out of state, special acid-free make it to Louisiana or Washington materials and six months’ worth of painstaking work. D.C. to see something like this?’ I re“I feel a very personal connection to every single thing that I alized that this was a perfect way to frame,” Franks said. “Honestly, it was probably not the hardest connect people locally to something but the most time-consuming job I’ve ever done. It was extremely that is absolutely amazing, outstanding tedious, and it’s a lot of pressure to do something like that that’s and historically significant.” really important, so once we got done, it was a relief, and I loved ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
53
JULY 2026
BUSINESS SERVICES
J U LY 2 026
54
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
NEAT as a
Pin
By Dwain Hebda
Cleaning companies keep businesses neat and professional
O
f all the business service vendors out there, few are growing faster than office cleaning companies. According to statistics published by Gitnux, U.S. janitorial and commercial cleaning markets took in $11.3 billion and $13.2 billion, respectively, in 2023, and that figure is expected to grow 12.5 percent through 3033. The industry employs about 2.4 million people, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Business Research states. The reasons for that growth are not particularly hard to discern. Companies have steadily become more cognizant of office health environments through a variety of factors, from environmental certification guidelines to steppedup Occupational Safety and Health Agency regulations to an obsession with cleanliness following the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific to commercial spaces, business owners and leadership are also waking up to the positive aspects of clean work environments as far as productivity, corporate culture, and customer and employee satisfaction. According to HR Future, studies show that a clean office can boost employee productivity by as much as 20 percent
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
while reducing money-sucking sick days and boosting morale, a key element of employee retention. “Clutter can be a significant source of stress and anxiety in the workplace, hindering [employees’] ability to focus and perform at their best,” the article states. “When your workspace is disorganized, it creates a chaotic environment that can overwhelm, making it harder to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines. A clean office not only promotes clarity but also enhances mental well-being.” Not surprisingly, the impact on customers is also significant. As UnfoldBusiness! reported recently, a business being clean and maintained — or not —leaves an immediate and lasting impression on customers. “People form opinions quickly. Within seconds of walking into a business, customers start making judgments, often without even realizing it,” the article reads. “The scent of the air, the shine of the floors, the dust on the windowsill, these subtle details influence how trustworthy, professional and reliable your brand appears.
55
JULY 2026
BUSINESS SERVICES increase profit margins by cutting cleaning budgets. The “While products and services matter, the environment pandemic highlighted how this thinking is not sustainable. in which you present them speaks volumes before a word … In an era of global instability, supply chain bottlenecks is even said. Cleanliness isn’t just about hygiene; it’s a silent and looming pandemics, unclean, unhealthy environambassador of your business values. If your space looks ments are unconscionable.” neglected, customers may assume your work is too. A wellSunday Adebayo, founder of Adebayo Cleanmaintained environment tells them they’re in ing Services in Little Rock, has spent 23 years in good hands.” the cleaning business, during which time his firm Most businesses that take the time to estabhas become a sought-after vendor for work envilish rules and police employees for such things ronments ranging from offices to manufacturing as workspace tidiness and keeping common arplants to healthcare facilities. Over that time, he eas such as break rooms and other shared spacsaid he has fine-tuned his process for striking a es generally neat find it makes a difference day balance between frequency of doing the work and to day. However, cleaning done right generally meeting the client’s budgetary considerations. takes time and expertise that most entrepre“There are some accounts that want us to come neurs or management simply do not have. in and clean, and I just let them know they need For that reason, an investment in a profesSunday Adebayo at least three days a week just to get the job done sional cleaning service is seen as a must for the right,” he said. “I mean, if it’s a high-traffic area, or let’s say it’s vast majority of companies. In fact, Forbes recently puba truck stop, that’s a six-, seven-day-a-week job. Meanwhile, lished an article that chided companies considering cutregular offices, you give them two, three days a week. ting back their cleaning budgets in the name of tightening “I always look to be fair with clients. A lot of times, I’ll let belts, saying such services are too important to take it on them know, OK, this building doesn’t need to be cleaned five the cheap. days a week. We can take care of this building maybe three “Cleanliness is vital to businesses in all industries,” wrote times a week. A lot of companies, they see the money’s good, Laurie Sewell. “The problem is that, too often, companies and they just go with whatever the customer thinks, but my don’t link the importance of a clean, healthy environment conscience won’t let me do that.” to their core competencies and, in turn, their bottom lines. One important question to ask when looking to hire a “We have been dealing with a race to the bottom for cleaning service has to do with the company’s staff. Not only a long time, with companies looking to save money and
J U LY 2 026
56
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
should a firm have enough people to fulfill a cleaning through,” he said. “It might be a two-, three-week course schedule consistently; it is also important to understand where they go in there an hour a day or two hours a day to the means by which a company conducts background train on how to dispose of certain materials. With a hoschecks to make reasonable assurances they are employpital, they’ve got to certify you after being trained by us.” ing trustworthy individuals. Adebayo said the bottom line for selecting a cleaning “We vet people very well,” he said. “I try to hire people company, like with many other vendors, is to determine that already have jobs, and they’re just looking for some how invested the owner is by how far from the front line extra income cleaning. I think somebody who already has he or she remains. a job shows that they have a certain work ethic “Something we run into a lot is, [client] comand trustworthiness to hold that regular job. panies want to go with franchises,” he said. “My “Then I do my own background checks becompany is privately owned. I’m local. I’m here. cause you never know about people these days. I think we do a better job because I’m the owner Even during the interview process, you ask of the company, and I’m one phone call away. them, ‘Hey, do you have anything in your backWe hire our own people. We don’t subcontract ground?’ They always say no, but when we run anything. If there’s a problem, we’re going to a background check, it comes back with pages handle it.” upon pages. Like, are you kidding me? What Chris Apple, owner of CAM Pro Services in am I going to do with this?” Bryant, originally Arkansas Pro Wash, echoed Adebayo said clients should ask a cleaning Adebayo when it comes to dealing with a repChris Apple utable company where the owner is close at company what they can offer as a backup plan for when employees call in sick or in the event of a client’s hand. Even as his firm has grown into one of the most inemergency outside of the usual cleaning schedule. demand companies in the market, Apple is adamant about “I wouldn’t necessarily call it an emergency hotline, but staying less than arm’s length from his clientele, which he I have my managers, my supervisors on call 24/7 in case considers the mark of a reliable vendor. of emergency,” he said. “If a client gives us a call, then I “Anyone can buy cleaning equipment and go out to do can get somebody out there right away. We have floaters, work, but it’s all about professionalism, experience, deas well, who we can just text and say, ‘OK, we have a spill pendability,” he said. “What kind of work have these people somewhere that needs to get done now.’ We assign those done? Who have they worked for? What kind of references floaters to a certain area as needed.” do they have? Are they going to show up? Finally, make sure the cleaning crew that is hired has “We all know things happen in business sometimes, that the necessary certifications for working in a given envithings don’t always go the way we want them to, but when ronment and can complete other required training set by you connect with a company like ours that’s dependable the client. and that has those great core values, even when things don’t “We are licensed to handle anything medical, plus, if go well, we’re going to take care of you. We’re going to still we pick up a lab or a hospital, they will have their own show up, and we’re still going to answer the telephone to certification requirements that our people will have to go solve the problem for you.” ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
57
JULY 2026
BUSINESS SERVICES
Apple started the company with a power washer and the grit to knock on doors to earn business and let his job performance do the rest. Today, 17 years later, the company serves some of the largest corporate campuses in Arkansas, including Bank OZK, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and Arkansas Children’s. The company has also expanded into different kinds of work, rebranding over the past few years as CAM Pro Services, offering a range of services that can be bundled as clients require. Those services include building external washing, concrete cleaning, window cleaning, porter care, and parking lot/parking garage cleaning and striping. In consultation with clients, the company devises a proactive common areas maintenance plan with flexible monthly budget options to help keep exteriors and common areas looking neat and clean. “For us, it all starts with cleaning; we’re here to be their partner maintaining their property’s image and keep the place looking great,” he said. “Then we can also bundle in other services such as lawn care, parking lot, window cleaning. The third part of it includes additional services that we provide, such as parking lot maintenance, seal coating, J U LY 2 026
pothole repair and striping, as well as some handyman services. “First impressions are everything. We all know that, but you’ve got to do it. You’ve got to schedule it. That’s the special thing about our service is we automate this for busy property managers, busy property owners who have a lot invested in these properties. They’ve got a lot on the line, and we’re able to put it on a schedule. We send our team out. We take ownership of the property’s image. We stand on-site and look at the property just like it’s our own.” Apple said that attitude of taking ownership of a job as if it’s one’s own property is the most valuable selling point for any vendor and, like any intangible, the hardest to find. “The biggest thing that sets us apart is culture,” he said. “No. 1, it’s understanding that we’re here to take ownership for our customer. It’s more than just customer service; we truly are experts at the work we do, we know the work inside and out, and we understand why they need us. “Even so, it’s not as much about the work that we do, although that’s important. It’s really about building a great company focused on vision, core values and understanding why we’re in business. We are here to serve the customer, and that’s the most important thing. We’ve worked really hard to build that culture and helping our crews understand that the job they do really matters and they’re doing good for the community.” 58
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Eliminate Pests. Quality Service. YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER FOR COMMERCIAL RESTORATION FIRE | SMOKE | WATER | STORM | ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTENTS | RE-CONSTRUCTION
TheBugManInc
24/7 Emergency Hotline
2700 SOUTH BOOKER ST. | LITTLE ROCK | 501.663.9464
(501) 758-2845
Pest Management Services for Home and Business. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
59
JULY 2026
BUSINESS SERVICES
Pest control companies help keep businesses safe from unwanted bugs, animals
T
By Alex Hardgrave
he summer months are in full swing, and with that comes the onslaught of bugs and pests trying to make their home in houses and commercial buildings. For businesses, it is imperative to have a trusted pest control company visit consistently, or else they risk costly damage to the property creating unsafe working conditions. “There are a Chris Maloch
J U LY 2 026
bunch of different businesses out there, and most of them do need pest control,” said Chris Maloch, owner of Legacy Termite & Pest Control in Little Rock. “The animals do not discriminate where they want to live,” said Cory Wilson, president and owner of Critter Control of Northwest Arkansas. Spring and summer are especially apt times for animals and bugs, since the warmth brings them out of hibernation. Becky Cranford, owner of The Bug Man in Little Rock, said mosquitoes are one bug people need to be especially aware of in the summer. 60
Maloch echoed that but said he also wants people to know there is hope for mosquito control. “They think they just have to live with a mosquito problem because we’re in Arkansas,” he said. “That’s true to a degree because we can’t control a mosquito from flying in from somewhere else, but Cory Wilson ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
mosquito service does definitely keep the population down.” Bats, raccoons, squirrels, snakes and mice are just some of the other pests people should be on the look out for, especially in summer months, Wilson said. The best way to keep unwanted bugs and animals out of a commercial building is with preventative service such as monthly or quarterly sprayings and inspections. “It helps provide a barrier for insect entrance to be addressed before an infestation is allowed to be created,” Cranford said. Maloch said for a business such as a restaurant, his team comes monthly for preventative sprays and work, but something like an office building may need service less often. It is also important for the business owners to keep the office buildings, restaurants and other commercial buildings clean and sanitized between services, especially to keep ants and flies at bay. Cranford said one common misstep she sees is a restaurant placing its dumpsters too close to the establishment. “It’s a place for flies to breed and rodents to feed and reproduce,” she said. Maloch added that keeping a building clean enough can be difficult. “Insects don’t need that much of a food source to make a home inside of a commercial establishment,” Maloch said. When it comes to critters making unwanted homes in commercial buildings, Wilson said, it is a good idea to look at a property every couple of months and check for anything that looks unusual. “To protect against animals or bugs, the biggest thing is maintenance and not shortcutting proper installation or repairs,” Wilson said. “While it is not free to have preventative work done, it can save a homeowner thousands in clean-up expenses or damages from the animal.” Termites are another bug that can cause major damage to a comBecky Cranford mercial building. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
To keep termites from invading a space, it is important to control moisture. “Termites cannot survive without moisture,” Cranford said. Moisture can often pool in buildings’ gutters if the gutters are not cleaned properly. “This allows water to stay in that gutter, creating an environment for above-ground termite colonies. Moisture is also needed for insects to live and breed,” she said. Maloch said there are some telltale signs to be aware of when it comes to termites. They include looking for mud tubes, which is where termites often live, or visible wood damage on the outside of a building. “If you see it and know that something is not quite right and then you call somebody like Legacy, we can come diagnose it for you,” he said. Maloch advised against trying to save a buck by pursuing do-it-yourself pest control. It can be just as expensive to invest in all the correct pesticides and equipment or, if not done correctly, can cause costly mistakes. “DIY pest control can be a little problematic from a safety standpoint and effectiveness standpoint,” Maloch said. “If you have a professional come in, you’ll be better off in a bunch of ways.” 61
By using the professionals, business owners can be sure that they are getting the best, safest service with the newest, most effective technology, he said. Maloch said pesticides are always changing, as are techniques such as using heat instead of chemicals to get rid of bed bugs. Wilson said the Critter Control staff often attend training sessions or watch franchise training videos to stay in the know about the latest updates to techniques and tools. Cranford added that pest control has changed in many ways since The Bug Man first went into business. “[We use] more baiting treatments now for insects than when we started 50 years ago,” she said. “The focus is really on focused treatments, hopefully focusing on the outside before a pest might even be able to get inside,” Maloch said. When there is a pest issue, the companies often work around a business’s hours to not disrupt operations or lose the business money. However, if the problem is extreme, a business may have to close for a bit. The pest control companies’ goal is to keep businesses pest free and clients safe. “We strive for top-notch service across the board,” Maloch said. JULY 2026
BUSINESS SERVICES
Putting Things Back Together Restoration services key to business continuation following disaster By Dwain Hebda
I
Meanwhile, somewhere in Little Rock at this moment, an aging water pipe past its functional service life springs a leak over a warehouse floor. In Rogers, a family-owned cold storage facility groans in the Arkansas heat, its massive chillers straining to keep up as every household in northwest Arkansas turns up the AC. The preceding examples — one that did happen, two that could happen at any moment on any given day — show how an incident does not have to be historic in its size and scope to have a detrimental and even existential impact on the life of a business and the people behind it. When such disaster strikes, immediate response is crucial for getting a company back on its feet quickly. Payton Smith, chief operating officer at Metro Disaster Specialists in North Little Rock, understands that fact intimately. His family-owned and -managed company has been in the business of helping companies recover from disasters of all types since 1979 and, over that time, has grown into a statewide provider of restoration services to any and all sized companies. “I would say what sets us apart is the expertise to turn these projects quickly and efficiently,” he said to explain the firm’s longevity. “The thing we’re known for is minimizing business interruption and downtime with our professional approach. We do in-house training, and we also send our people around the country to be trained.” Smith said the company’s expertise, from the vagaries of insurance claims to certifications for certain hazardous conditions to well-polished protocols for mobilizing quickly, are also part of the company’s stellar reputation. “We did the [Mall at Turtle Creek] in Jonesboro after the tornado, for example,” he said. “We had a job trailer there with
t has been nearly 21 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, causing chaos on an unprecedented scale. The storm inflicted massive direct property damage, infrastructure losses and indirect costs such as business interruption and displacement over Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Georgia. In New Orleans alone, 80 percent of the city was submerged. All told, the storm would wreak $125 billion of havoc — in 2005 dollars — in direct and indirect losses and was the costliest tropical cyclone on record at the time. It remains the most expensive storm in the Atlantic basin when adjusted for inflation, tied by 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.
Payton Smith (Photo provided by Metro Disaster Specialists)
J U LY 2 026
62
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
onboard generators, internet, phone, everything we needed. We had an estimator there, dealing with the client’s needs while also dealing with the insurance company, making sure all the coverages are met. Then we had a construction superintendent doing the construction and a restoration production manager that’s running all the restoration.” Smith knows the standard that has kept the business at the forefront of disaster restoration because he has lived it himself during his career. That gives him a better understanding of projects and a clearer picture of restoration challenges than other executives who have never had to do the dirty work themselves. “My cousin and I are certified restorers. That’s the highest designation you can carry in our industry,” he said. “It was a five-year, rigorous program that we did; we traveled around the country to get our prerequisites, and then we sat for a course for a week and then a four-hour exam. In my opinion, that’s what is different about us is having the knowledge, the expertise and the manpower to turn these jobs.” The company’s long tenure has allowed it to create an extensive network of subcontractors, which enable it to respond after largescale weather events such as a tornado outbreak that damages multiple areas of the state or flooding extensive enough to affect several towns along a given waterway. That network allows the company to more than double its usual employee headcount of about 45 workers in response to the scope of an emergency event.
environments, such as hospitals or dealing with certain environmental issues or biohazards. Metro’s model leaves no stone unturned when it comes to addressing the needs of clients, from moving and storing building contents to cleanup and remediation to reconstructing damaged structures. “We’re a pretty unique company in that we can go A to Z,” he said. “People ask us, ‘Well, what exactly do you do?’ and we tell them. ‘We’re a restoration company, we’re an environmental company, we’re a moving company, we’re a cleaning company, and we’re a construction company.’” The firm even helps companies prepare for future events through its Prepared Response in Managed Emergencies program. Through that, Metro inspects a business’s facilities, equipment and processes, makes recommendations for preventing potential problems and health hazards, and gathers all critical data, important documents and information to help streamline services in an emergency. “A lot of times, property managers, building owners, schools, colleges or hospitals want use their own vendors,” Smith said. “We collect information on all of their vendors — their elevator company, their electrician, their plumber, their sprinkler company, their alarm company. Then Metro will respond onsite with a company’s specialized suppliers and trusted business partners. Whoever they do business with, we get that
“Our subcontractors work with us pretty much exclusively because we pay them every Friday; it’s not net 30 [days], net 60, net 120. It’s net Friday as far as payment goes,” he said. “What that means is in doing that, we have a team statewide where they’ll drop everything for us when we need them. “Between those subcontractors around the state that are working for us and some temporary workers that we have trained and who work for us when we get very busy, we can scale up very quickly for major events, 100-plus employees if we need them.” Smith said when a business owner is considering restoration firms to call in times of need, several factors should be weighed. One important factor is the breadth of services a company offers, including the various certifications needed to work in certain
down on a sheet they can hand to us on-site so we know exactly who to use.” Smith’s advice to any business owner when choosing a restoration company is simple: Do your homework, looking at such things as the certifications a vendor holds and third-party endorsements such as a solid Better Business Bureau rating. Time in business also says a lot. “We’re not a franchise. We didn’t just pass a credit check and then, all of a sudden, we’re open for business,” he said. “We’ve been in business almost 50 years right out of North Little Rock, Arkansas, and we received an award a couple years ago, as being among the top 50 companies in our industry in the nation. We’re very proud of that.”
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
63
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
Declining enrollment has hit small colleges across the country; Hendrix may have an answer By Doug Crise
(Photos provided by Hendrix College)
T
he news landed with a thud on the last day of May 2024. Following the failure of a last-gasp appeal to the Alabama state legislature, the board of trustees at Birmingham-Southern College voted to close the liberal arts institution after 186 years. Shuttering the college was not a total surprise to administrators at similar institutions — Birmingham-Southern was drowning in debt, fiscally bruised by accounting errors and hemorrhaging students. By the time the closure was announced, the total enrollment had cratered to just more than 700 students, down from 1,346 for the 2014-2015 academic year. Yet even for those who were fully plugged in to the small college scene, it was sobering news. Similar institutions had closed, but Birmingham-Southern sat in a well-populated area with an extensive network of alumni and a good deal of athletic success following a 2007 change to NCAA Division III (nonscholarship) classification. For many, the message was crystal clear: If it could happen at Birmingham-Southern, it could happen anywhere. “We had been watching them try to navigate that for a couple of years,” said Karen Petersen, president of Hendrix College in Conway. “The challenges facing higher education are legion, and they’re facing every institution. All of these institutions that you would never think are in these situations are cutting budgets. Most of them are responding that way.”
college graduates sits at 5.6 percent, well above the 4.3 percent affecting the rest of the country. It is amid that environment that Petersen — and Hendrix in general — is rolling out a change to the college’s curriculum designed to answer those worries. “We are not keeping the pace,” Petersen said. “We are setting the pace.” Petersen is not just making noise. Following a comprehensive examination of prevailing trends and likely future outcomes, Hendrix announced in the spring that the small liberal arts college will operate under a new curricular approach dubbed “Via Hendrix,” a massive change in philosophy and operation with the goal of making the college more responsive to the needs of today’s brand of student. Under Via Hendrix, every student will be required to complete a “co-op” of real, full-time professional work or research tied to that student’s major. The process begins with freshman students being assigned to integrated teams of advisers to assist not just in academics but career placement too. The second year will consist of hands-on preparation for the student’s work experience before a 12-to-14-week co-op provides a full-on professional assignment during students’ junior year. Students will be advised and guided through the co-op by Hendrix faculty and professionals working in the same field before a senior year
Higher education in America is in the midst of a correction not seen since, possibly, ever. The size of high school graduating classes has been on a steady decline, triggered partially due to the sharp drop in birth rates during the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009. Because smaller private colleges are more reliant on tuition, schools with a profile similar to Hendrix have taken the greatest brunt of the decline. According to a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, about 60 colleges are closing each year. Along with the numbers comes something unquantifiable but possibly more troubling. A miasma of anxiety and uncertainty hangs over campuses big and small as the ascendant generation of students finds itself graduating to a world where employment, even below market value, is far from guaranteed. According to the Economic Policy Institute, unemployment for
dedicated to cementing postgraduation plans with faculty and advisers from the workforce. “For this program that we’re ultimately launching, there is no model similar to Hendrix,” Petersen said. “There are very large institutions like the University of Cincinnati and Northeastern University [in Boston] who do co-op programs, but in the liberal arts space, in a small residential liberal arts college, we’re it.” If Via Hendrix is a certified step forward, it is also a carefully considered wager. Should the move resonate with future students, the college could position itself as a successful statistical outlier with a healthy enrollment and a proven school-to-work pipeline. Hendrix is working in more of a comfort area than other liberal arts schools with enrollment hovering around 1,150 after a 2014 high-water mark of 1,358, but if Via Hendrix is not enough to punch back against dwindling nationwide enrollment, the very
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
65
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
future of the college could be at stake. To give Hendrix a fighting chance, administrators from the academic side devoted countless hours to combing through data and asking students past and present to share what is working and what is not. A big part of the effort involved reaching out to students who had left the college and those who opted to go elsewhere after being admitted to Hendrix. Sure enough, the same concerns and worries about job placement bubbled up.
if a college is making strides toward accommodating the needs of today’s students, news about the overall decline in enrollment is never far away. In that sense, administrators at colleges across the country find themselves in the same role as CEOs delivering a quarterly earnings call — clarity is important, but so is painting an overall rosy picture. Petersen believes in Via Hendrix but is not Pollyanna about the future. “That fear is real, and it is reasonable,” Petersen said. “I’ve seen the data, and I understand it, but most people don’t, and we have to address that fear.” That fear is lumped in with traditional stereotypes of the liberal arts experience that have proved maddeningly hard to quell. While the foundation of the entire liberal arts philosophy is to provide students with a broad and well-rounded educational experience, the students themselves have to believe their respective academic paths will lead them to a sustainable postgraduation future.
“We needed to rededicate for what this incoming set of students really need right now,” said Todd Tinsley, associate provost of academic affairs and a Hendrix alum, “which is to address some of their anxieties about a career after college.” One immediate difference, Tinsley said, is that career preparedness will be part of each student’s everyday life at Hendrix. Colleges traditionally have career services departments available to counsel and assist students with internships and job placement, but it often falls on the individual student to reach out. That was the standard operating procedure when Tinsley was an undergrad, and those days are over. Whether a student is listless or aimed like a missile at a specific career, every student at Hendrix will receive individualized, no-two-waysabout-it career guidance. “That is still the model for career services,” Tinsley said. “You go see career services when you need something, and so what you end up doing is you end up
“I think the job thing is really big,” said Teresa Garrett, the college’s executive vice president and provost. “There’s a lot of anxiety with both students and parents about why this is worth the time and money, the blood, sweat and tears. Why is it worth it? And that is the question that is seeded in them both by just the cost in terms of time and money but also things they’re hearing out in the world about whatever prevailing narrative there is around the good, bad or ugly about college education.” In other words, higher education currently exists in an echo chamber. Even
When the 18-month process of gathering data and researching curriculum kicked off, Petersen made a point of addressing areas of the Hendrix experience that remain sacrosanct. “When I met with the board and interviewed for the position and talked to faculty, the only preconceptions I brought was, one, the liberal arts are nonnegotiable,” Petersen said. “Two, the residential experience is also nonnegotiable because it’s what sets Hendrix apart.” Just about everything else has been fair game.
serving a narrow band of your student body, the ones that are already thinking about those things. What’s unique about this is every one of our students is going to do this.” Will it be enough? Getting an answer may require some waiting. The first cohort of students to have a four-year Via Hendrix experience will arrive in the fall, and it will take all four years before that first batch can provide data on how the program is progressing, but there is more at play than just the viability of a single small college. For those who see the issues affecting
J U LY 2 026
66
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
higher education as a crisis within a bubble, Petersen has a warning: You’re next. “It’s been remarkably refreshing and easy to get partners excited about this,” Petersen said. “It’s pretty simple. I mean, if you own or run a business of any size, the demographic cliff is coming for you too. It’s here for us now. In four years, you get to face it. Either you create a talent pipeline now and you have access to these really bright, well-educated students sort of built in, or you’re going to be fighting tooth and nail against your competitors for the best workforce.” The first of many litmus tests for Via Hendrix has been the reaction of the professional community. Ever since the Via Hendrix initiative was announced, both alums and nonalums have reached out to offer support and guidance for students going through the curriculum.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Tinsley cautioned that Via Hendrix will not eliminate good old-fashioned intellectual curiosity. It is certainly not uncommon for students to enter college with one career plan only to leave with another. Hendrix is not turning its back on that quintessential experience; a student’s advising team will be in constant communication and prepared to change course if need be. “It starts in August when these new students arrive,” Tinsley said. “The big gem that garners a ton of attention, as it should, is the co-op full-time work experience in the third year of college. The secret ingredient to that is an integrated advising approach. Not only will they have a faculty adviser, they’re going to have a career counselor along with them. What they will be doing starting in August is figuring out what their needs are.
67
Perhaps the things you’re interested in are not the things you thought you were going to be interested in.” Petersen is adamant that Via Hendrix is not about survival. It is about reimagining how the college can benefit students by providing a clear, personalized and meticulous path toward life after college. It is also about continuing to make Hendrix a place for growth that also benefits the surrounding community and beyond. “We’re going to thrive because Arkansas needs us to thrive,” Petersen said. “Arkansas needs Hendrix to be the place that it’s been for 150 years, this sort of talent-generation factory for the state. The country needs institutions like us to do really, really well, not just hang on. That requires you to be bold, right? It requires you to do other things that people aren’t willing to do.”
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
Doing It
Right
Tim Massey
Melbourne showing how rural districts can succeed By Mark Carter | Photos provided by Melbourne Public School District
A
rkansas still has a way to go before it reaches the top of the class, but the Natural State is moving up the ladder nonetheless when it comes to national education rankings. The state ranked 38th overall in the latest ranking, curated by Consumer Affairs from data submitted by the National Center for Education Statistics, the College Board, the Nation’s Report Card, the National Education Association, the Education Commission of the States, the Gun Violence Archive and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education. States were measured in four categories (Arkansas’ rank included): K-12 performance (33), school funding (34), higher education (32) and school safety (39). While 38 remains much closer to the bottom than it does the top, the fact remains — Arkansas is making progress after decades of coming in last or next to it in most education rankings. It is doing so despite built-in disadvantages that come with having so many small, rural, far-flung school districts that are home to large populations of low-income families. In Izard County, one school district is following the state’s example while providing a template for rural districts. The Melbourne Public School District, home to just fewer than 800 students, covers most of Izard County and parts of neighboring Sharp County. The Izard County seat, Melbourne’s population sits at about 1,800, and that is where it has been for the past 30 to 40 years. The district has remained roughly the same size, as well. It may not be growing, but district leaders have been proactive in equipping Melbourne schools with what they need to succeed. For the 2024-2025 school year, the district received a letter grade of “B” from the Arkansas Department of Education, while J U LY 2 026
Melbourne Elementary School earned an “A.” One hundred percent of MHS students graduated on time (the state average was 90 percent), and 89 percent of district students met their targets (the state average was 55 percent). Tim Massey, superintendent of Melbourne schools, said schools are the backbone of rural communities such as Melbourne. “While rural communities face unique challenges, many of which are tied to labor shortages and limited resources, Melbourne School District responds by offering flexible programs that meet families where they are,” he said. “Our staff and administration understand that families value trust, transparency and strong relationships.” Arkansas Money & Politics caught up with Massey, a 20-plus years veteran of the district and former MHS principal, to ask about what has been working for Melbourne and how rural districts can take on those inherent challenges and win. Arkansas Money & Politics: Tell us about some of Melbourne’s recent success stories. Superintendent Tim Massey: Melbourne School District has experienced tremendous success over the past several years, both academically and through expanded opportunities for our students. One of our proudest accomplishments is that our elementary school earned an “A” letter grade for the 2024-2025 school year, making it the only elementary school in our cooperative to receive that distinction. That didn’t happen by chance. It happened because our teachers show up every day committed to ensuring every child receives the instruction, encouragement and support they need to grow. We also saw growth in nearly every grade level and content area 68
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
on our most recent ATLAS assessments, and while we are still waiting for our official 2025-2026 letter grade, we’re extremely pleased with our students’ progress. Academically, our students continue to perform at a high level. Between 2021 and 2025, 25 Melbourne students scored a 30 or higher on the ACT, and we continue to focus on preparing students to be college, career and workforce ready. We’re also excited about expanding opportunities. We recently added a nursing services pathway, giving students another opportunity to graduate with valuable career-ready skills. This year, we were awarded a $550,000 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant, which will fund before- and afterschool programming over the next three years. This allows us to provide academic interventions, enrichment opportunities, meals, and a safe place for students from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at no cost to families. In a rural community where childcare options are limited, this program is a tremendous benefit. We also received nearly $20,000 to host a Summer STEAM Camp, providing hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and outdoor education for students throughout our community. Beyond academics, our students continue to excel in extracurricular activities. We’ve celebrated success in EAST, Beta Club, BAD, FCCLA, FBLA, FFA, FCA, athletics, esports, Quiz Bowl, band and choir. Whether it’s our boys’ basketball team finishing as the 2025 3A state runner-up, our first-ever state wrestling medalist, our esports state championship, or numerous regional and state accomplishments, our students continue to represent Melbourne with excellence. Perhaps our greatest success is the culture we’ve built. Every student is known, supported, challenged and encouraged to succeed.
Melbourne, they’re joining a school family that values collaboration, professionalism and student success. AMP: What sets Melbourne School District apart? Massey: Without question, it’s our people. As a smaller district, we know every student by name. Our teachers build meaningful relationships, understand individual needs and provide personalized instruction that helps every child succeed. We often say Melbourne offers the personal attention of a private school while providing all the opportunities of an outstanding public school. Students have access to strong academics, career and technical education, athletics, fine arts, leadership organizations and extracurricular activities — all while learning in a supportive environment where every student belongs. Academics remain a priority. Our elementary school was the only “A”-rated elementary school in our cooperative, and our high school continues making impressive academic gains. While safety and belonging are always our No. 1 priority, we also believe every student deserves an excellent academic foundation for whatever path they choose after graduation. Our community is another difference-maker. Although we’re a rural, low-income district, the support from our parents, businesses, alumni and community members is truly remarkable. In our years in education serving in different districts across the state, we’ve never experienced community support like what can be found in Melbourne. Every time we’ve needed help, our community has stepped up. That partnership makes all the difference for our students. AMP: What are some of the biggest challenges facing rural school districts? Massey: Like many rural districts, funding remains one of our greatest challenges. Because school funding is largely tied to enrollment, smaller districts must provide the same high-quality educational opportunities with fewer financial resources. Recruiting teachers in specialized areas such as secondary science, mathematics, as well as career and technical education, also continues to be a challenge, particularly in rural communities where industry and population growth are limited. Despite those challenges, rural schools have significant strengths. We provide smaller class sizes, individualized attention, strong relationships and a sense of belonging that’s difficult to replicate elsewhere. At Melbourne, we don’t allow challenges to define us. We continue pursuing grants, building partnerships and creating innovative opportunities that directly benefit students and families. Our focus remains on providing every child with a safe environment, an excellent education and the support they need to succeed. If a parent asked what sets Melbourne apart from other educational choices, my answer would be simple: We genuinely care about the safety, growth and overall well-being of every child. That commitment is reflected in our students’ academic achievement, the opportunities we provide and the relationships we build every day.
AMP: How has the LEARNS Act impacted the Melbourne School District? Massey: Like every Arkansas school district, Melbourne has experienced both opportunities and challenges through the LEARNS Act. The increased investment in teacher salaries has elevated the teaching profession and placed greater emphasis on literacy, academic achievement and career readiness. As a rural district, we continue to carefully balance the financial impact of implementing the legislation while maintaining the quality programs our students deserve. Our goal has remained the same — to make decisions that are in the best interest of students while maintaining the district’s long-term financial stability. AMP: Has the increase in teacher salaries attracted new candidates to your district? Massey: The salary increases have certainly generated more interest from applicants across Arkansas. However, I believe candidates who choose Melbourne are looking for more than a paycheck. They want to be part of something special. Our teachers enjoy supportive leadership, strong relationships with students and families, and a culture where everyone works together toward a common goal. When educators come to ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
69
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
Ready to Lead By Doug Crise
Students arriving on campus have their flaws,
but they have their gifts, as well
P
atricia Quinn Robertson Johnston does not want to hear it. A professor of business law at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro who also serves as executive director of the university’s Center for Leadership Excellence, Johnston has had to listen plenty to experts, self-appointed experts and just plain people with a bone to pick about the current crop of students making their way to college saying the students are too insular, too focused on their phones, too helpless, and still too dependent on mom and dad. Rubbish, said Johnston. “They are different because they grew up with cellphones from the beginning,” she said. “Unlike previous generations, they’ve had a smartphone almost their whole life, but I see them exhibit empathy and caring about the world that I think is very different from some previous generations.” It is hard to remember, but there was a time when generational traits were largely relegated to academia,
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
71
a time before everyone became pigeonholed as a “boomer” or “Gen Z” or any other term bandied about for more than a decade. Yet the present cohort of students that has entered college or is about to is deserving of a closer look. The students come armed with firm ideas about work-life balance and are far more used to advocating for their own mental health. Perhaps most interesting of all, these are the students who missed precious time in junior high or high school due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means the loss of a vital year of socializing. While not everyone has the best memories of those years, they are also the years of adjusting to new teachers, working in a group setting and learning how to communicate with others. That said, most anyone who spends their days on a college campus would also have to say today’s students are also adaptable and whip-smart when it comes to gadgets — and not just their phones either. “One of this generation’s greatest strengths is its JULY 2026
EDUCATION comfort with technology,” said Mindy Walker, vice president for student affairs at Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville. “Students are quick to adapt to new platforms, communicate effectively through digital tools and access information with ease.” Bryan McKinney, dean of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia’s Hickingbotham School of Business, likewise feels that incoming students bring a lot to the table. “I’ve spent some time thinking about it, and I don’t Bryan McKinney know,” McKinney said. “All the data suggests that COVID impacted them greatly. I don’t see that as much as I see technology impacting them, to be honest. It’s harder to get them to talk in class. That’s one of the things I’ve definitely seen, and I think maybe stepping away from in-class instruction at some point in their junior high or high school journey caused them to be a little bit more self-aware of the things they might say.” McKinney added that if there is an issue with today’s students as far as COVID-19 goes, it is their uneasy relationship with failure in the academic space and beyond. As a sort of fact-finding mission, McKinney went back and looked at his grade distributions for years and classes past. What he found was that higher grades were assigned during the midst of the pandemic and the time immediately after — and he does not see that as an anomaly. “I just didn’t know how to maintain the same standards when we were teaching people through a computer and all those things,” McKinney said. “I gave the benefit of the doubt, so I think that sort of reset expectations around grading. It’s been harder post-COVID to convince a student that a ‘B’ is not a terrible grade.” Reaction to grades — and other forms of adversity — has been on the mind of Tara Kittrell, a licensed professional counselor and advanced practice registered nurse at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s department of student counseling. Kittrell said she noticed an immediate change in the students who returned postpandemic, a change she continues to see to this day. “It was a lot of anxiety,” Kittrell said. “A lot of anxiety.” That anxiety can take many forms, whether it is academic stress, social stress or fear of graduating into a job market where work after college is not guaranteed. UA Little Rock is responding with pickleball. Every Wednesday at noon, the university’s counseling department hosts games of pickleball at the on-campus fitness center. There is also “Movement Monday” and “Deadlift to Uplift,” all part of a grant from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to help students regulate stress and enhance emotional well-being through proven techniques and best practices. Aresh Assadi, UA Little Rock’s director of counseling services, helped write that grant proposal, and on a lazy weekday afternoon, a visitor must tiptoe past boxes of pickleball equipment and free weights to reach his office. The goal is not so much to build muscles, Assadi said, but rather to expose students to healthy coping strategies when anxiety hits. J U LY 2 026
72
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Students are quick to adapt to new platforms, communicate effectively through digital tools and access information with ease. – mindy walker,
vice president,
Arkansas Northestern College
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
“They gave us $28,000 to do a peer educator kind of format for movementbased alternatives and [addressing] substance use,” Assadi said. Substance-abuse education is part and parcel of working with students dealing with anxiety, Assadi said. Even if a student is not in the throes of addiction, bad habits can form when they begin turning to substances as a means of managing their emotions. Taking breaks from the digital world, Assadi said, can also help calm jangling nerves. “Basically, we are raising awareness on the benefits of movement,” Assadi said, “and we’re doing a campaign called Take 10. At least 10 minutes a day, you walk away from your computer, walk away from the sedentary lifestyle, walk away from a screen, and just get out in the sun.” Colleges are also taking a hard look at “soft skills,” or the ins and outs of interpersonal communication. At Arkansas State, that includes an entrepreneurship program that helps students learn how to network and connect with others. Sandra Alstadt, a former senior communication professional with Entergy and former branding consultant, serves as a mentor for several ASU students. She said teaching students how to interact is a small price to pay for the positives they bring to the table. “Our program tends to get some of those students who honestly know they need improvement,” Alstadt said. “They’re a little awkward, and I went back and forth on thinking, ‘Is this worse now than before?’” Alstadt said. “I’m not sure it is. Maybe they just haven’t had as many opportunities, and that’s one of the things we try to focus on is putting the students with professional mentors so they have the opportunity to develop how you talk to people.” Arkansas State’s Center for Leadership Excellence also brings in professional mentors, and sometimes those interactions do not even touch the ins and outs of working in a particular profession. Instead, the mentors share their own trials and tribulations with anxiety with the students, letting them know they are far from alone. “They see that we’re all being real with them, the mentors, and we try to do that as much as possible,” Johnston said. “I think that’s really helped them learn some tips from us about how we manage anxiety but also realize that their path could be slightly different depending on who they are, and I think that’s been super important.” Over at Ouachita, McKinney is doing his level best to help students work through the same exact anxiety, anxiety triggered in part by the rise of artificial intelligence. While a hot topic, especially in the business world, McKinney believes today’s students will matter more than ever. “I think soft skills will always be incredibly vital,” McKinney said, “and I hope we never lose the importance of that with some of the technology changes we’re now dealing with. I mean, you still have to sit across the table from an investor or a banker or someone and convince them why your idea is worth funding. I think that’s incredibly important.” 73
JULY 2026
FROM SKILLS LABS
Where you start doesn’t define you. What you do next does. At UA Little Rock, students become leaders, innovators, and changemakers. You have big goals. We help you get there.
J U LY 2 026
EXPECT MORE
UALR.EDU
TO SAVING LIVES 74
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
LITTLE ROCK WEST HIGH SCHOOL — NEW SCHOOL Owner: Little Rock School District Project location: Little Rock Valuation: $146 million Target completion date: March 2027 Construction manager: Baldwin & Shell Architect: Lewis Architects Engineers Electrical/mechanical engineer: Lewis Architects Engineers Structural engineer: Greeson & Gatlin Engineers RAMAY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL — NEW SCHOOL Owner: Fayetteville School District Project location: Fayetteville Valuation: $110 million Construction manager: Clark Contractors MAPLE HILL RESIDENCE HALL Owner: University of Arkansas Project location: Fayetteville Valuation: $106 million Target completion date: April 2028 Construction manager: Nabholz Architect: SCM Architects, Henning Larsen
A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PROMINENT SCHOOL-RELATED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN ARKANSAS.
WYNNE HIGH SCHOOL Owner: Wynne School District Project location: Wynne Valuation: $73 million Target completion date: August 2027 Construction manager: Nabholz Architect: Arch1010
COLBERT JUNIOR HIGH RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS Owner: Fayetteville Public Schools Project location: Fayetteville Valuation: $24 million Target completion date: February 2027 Construction manager: Baldwin & Shell Architect: Lewis Architects Engineers
FAYETTEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL — NEW PARKING DECK Owner: Fayetteville Public Schools Project location: Fayetteville Valuation: $21 million Target completion date: April 2027 Construction manager: Nabholz Architect: Hight Jackson Associates
NORTH LITTLE ROCK MIDDLE SCHOOL — CAMPUS RENOVATION Owner: North Little Rock School District Project location: North Little Rock Valuation: $60 million Target completion date: February 2029 Construction manager: Nabholz Architect: TAGGART Architects
BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL EXPANSION Owner: Bryant School District Project location: Bryant Valuation: $23.7 million Target completion date: October 2026 Construction manager: Baldwin & Shell Architect: Lewis Architects Engineers
RISON HIGH SCHOOL — NEW BASKETBALL ARENA Owner: Cleveland County School District Project location: Rison Valuation: $12.4 million Construction manager: Clark Contractors
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Owner: Arkansas State University Project location: Jonesboro Valuation: $24.8 million Target completion date: July 2026 Construction manager: Nabholz Architect: archimania ROBINSON HIGH SCHOOL EXPANSION Owner: Pulaski County Special School District Project location: Little Rock Valuation: $24.6 million Targeted completion date: November 2027 Construction manager: Baldwin & Shell Architect: WER Architects ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
BRINKLEY HIGH SCHOOL Owner: Brinkley School District Project location: Brinkley Valuation: $22 million Target completion date: October 2026 Architect: WDD Architects LISA ACADEMY FAYETTEVILLE — NEW SCHOOL Owner: LISA Academy Charter Schools Project location: Fayetteville Valuation: $21.9 million Construction manager: Clark Contractors
LITTLE ROCK CHRISTIAN ACADEMY — MIDDLE SCHOOL AND JUNIOR HIGH ADDITION Owner: Little Rock Christian Academy Project location: Little Rock Valuation: $9.9 million Construction manager: Clark Contractors FORT SMITH SCHOOLS — MULTIPLE CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS Owner: Fort Smith School District Project location: Fort Smith Valuation: $4.3 million Construction manager: Clark Contractors
Source: Firms, Dodge Construction Network 75
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
Rally Cap Resilient Henderson State moving on, growing strong By Mark Carter | Photos provided by Henderson State University
C Trey Berry
J U LY 2 026
omebacks are nothing new for Arkadelphia’s Henderson State University. The Henderson story chronicles one of the state’s most resilient institutions of higher learning. Impending insolvency and declining enrollment in the 2010s placed the school’s future in doubt before the Arkansas State University System offered a lifeline in 2019, but under Chancellor Trey Berry, who previously 76
led Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia to new heights, the school is in rally mode. It had nowhere to go but up — there was the $12 million cash shortfall; the elimination of 67 faculty positions, 44 of them tenured; the elimination of 12 entire academic departments; a student headcount that had dipped below 2,000; and, as if to add insult onto injury, two HSU professors were arrested in 2019 for ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
manufacturing methamphetamine in a university chemistry lab. Things indeed were breaking bad at Henderson. Then came COVID-19 and a whole new set of challenges. Without ASU’s life raft, Arkadelphia might be a one-college town today. “The ASU System accepted a daunting challenge to rescue Henderson in 2019 that was exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Robin Myers, who served as interim system president from December through July 1. “Fundamentally, thenpresident Chuck Welch and the ASU System Board of Trustees saw Henderson as an institution with rich history that was important and deserved to be saved to serve the educational needs of southwest Arkansas. We’ve made tremendous progress since that time despite financial challenges and very difficult decisions, and we are particularly grateful for the current leadership of Chancellor Berry as the comeback continues.” Comebacks, though, seem to be old hat for Henderson, founded as Arkadelphia Methodist College in 1890. In 1917, a fire destroyed what was then the stillchurch-affiliated Henderson-Brown College’s only building. Twelve years later, Arkansas Methodists sought to combine Henderson with their other in-state affiliate school, Conway’s Hendrix College. The plan was to merge the two into one bigger Methodist college in Little Rock. In Arkadelphia, local leaders — private, parochial and political — were intent on keeping their school and countered with an innovative idea: Offer the college to the state. Thus Henderson became the first — and so far only — Arkansas college to change its status from private to public. Weeks away from embarking on his
A 1917 fire burned down the lone building at what was then Henderson-Brown College.
“The ASU System accepted a daunting challenge to rescue Henderson in 2019 that was exacerbated by the pandemic.” — Robin Myers, ASU System
third fall semester at the wheel in Clark County, Berry is ready to continue the momentum that has begun to swell. Last year, the school’s freshman enrollment increased by 45 percent, and as of midJune, Henderson is looking at an additional 34-percent bump. Overall enrollment was at about 2,200 to begin the 2025-2026 academic year, and Berry said he expects it to hit 2,500 this fall. That is not back to the usual 3,500 to 4,000 students the school had
The new Henderson is home to four colleges: the Caver College of Aviation, Science and Nursing; college of performing arts and social sciences; college of business; teachers college; and graduate college. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
77
been accustomed to enrolling, but it appears to be on a fast track to get there. For Berry, who grew up in Arkadelphia and earned his bachelor’s degree from crosstown Ouachita Baptist University, the call from his hometown was likely the only one he would have answered. During his nine years at the helm of SAU, Berry oversaw a record-breaking capital campaign of $29.7 million, and enrollment grew by more than 10 percent. In 2022, the Magnolia school topped the 5,000-student mark, its highest enrollment ever. Berry is eager to see similar things at HSU, where his father, the late Clyde Berry, played and coached football and baseball. The Reddies’ baseball facility even bears his name. “I literally grew up on campus,” he said. “Our house was right across the street. I followed my dad around everyJULY 2026
EDUCATION where. It was a big part of our lives.” Berry said the move from Magnolia to Arkadelphia felt surreal, and even as he watched from afar as HSU endured its darkest hour, he never expected the call. After all, Berry spent 14 years in Magnolia, where he taught history, served as the dean of the college of liberal and performing arts, as provost, as vice president for academic affairs, and, finally, as SAU president. He also served two years as deputy director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, two years as a dean at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and 18 years as a faculty member and administrator at Ouachita. “Things were going real well at SAU; it felt like the place,” Berry said. “It was sad
to watch Henderson’s decline and struggles, to be so close but so far. It made you want to come up and try to do something to help. I’m coming home to try and do some things and move Henderson in a new direction.” For ASU’s part, the addition of Henderson adds a second four-year university to the system’s roster and its seventh institution of higher learning. The system now enrolls just fewer than 40,000 students. Myers said the addition of Henderson further solidified ASU’s status as a major higher education system in the state. “Henderson and the rest of our institutions have benefitted financially from economies of scale in various shared services,” he said. “Expanding our reach in southwest Arkansas has been meaningful to ASU as a statewide system. Henderson complemented our existing two-year institution presence with ASU Three Rivers in Malvern. We look forward to seeing an ongoing positive impact of
One of Berry’s duties is presiding over graduation ceremonies.
Henderson State timeline
1890
Offered to the state to avoid a proposed merger with Hendrix College.
Renamed Henderson College to honor trustee Charles Christopher Henderson.
1904
Doors opened as Arkadelphia Methodist College.
J U LY 2 026
Henderson as its successful rebound continues.” Berry also credited alumni, friends of the university and the ASU System office for “working tirelessly” to get HSU back on track financially. “ASU is one of the key factors that helped us save Henderson and start a trend towards stability,” he said. The new Henderson is home to four colleges: the Caver College of Aviation, Science and Nursing; college of performing arts and social sciences; college of business; teachers college; and graduate college. Berry said innovation in growth areas — and first recognizing those growth areas — is key to continued success. The school is back up to more than 80 academic programs offered, including its renowned aviation program, a true regional attraction and the only four-year tract of its kind in the state. HSU is still known as a training ground for future teachers and nurses, and Berry noted the growth back of its music/band and engineering programs. The recently revived criminal justice program has tripled in size, Berry said, and the school’s historically highly regarded Showband of Arkansas marching band is expected to double in size this fall Like many four-year schools these days, Henderson is emphasizing workforce development through courses and tracts designed specifically to help graduates find employment.
1911
1929
Changed to HendersonBrown College to honor another trustee, Walter William Brown.
78
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
“Henderson State’s success is a win for all of Arkadelphia.” Our two colleges are the economic and cultural heartbeat of this community. — Shelley Short, Arkadelphia chamber “If you’re not in that career-readiness mode, you’re behind,” Berry said. “Students are customers, too, and they are looking for places that emphasize it. Students and parents are savvier now and know what they want. Students aren’t going to college to find themselves so much anymore.” Henderson’s livelihood affects more than just students and their families. The school’s second lease on life was not just good for the Reddie community but for the local, regional and state economies. Local businesses benefit from students dining and shopping in town, and the more HSU graduates released into the local economy, the better. Then there is Henderson’s cultural impact. It still competes at the NCAA Division II level and represents one half of the nation’s oldest DII football rivalry — the Battle of the Ravine — with Ouachita. HSU’s athletics presence alone brings students to campus who otherwise might not have considered the school.
Despite his connections to both Arkadelphia schools, Berry took part this past season in his first Battle of the Ravine walk across U.S. 67, which separates the two campuses. The tradition entails the highway being closed and the visiting team’s players, coaches and fans walking the 1/10 mile that separates Henderson’s Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ouachita’s Cliff Harris Stadium. Standing-room-only crowds of 12,000plus are common. Despite his familiarity with the rivalry, Berry said walking with the team for the first time was an eyeopening experience. “I was surprised at the energy,” he said. “It’s magical for both schools. I can’t imagine what it would be like for Arkadelphia without the rivalry.” Since Berry’s hiring as chancellor, the school brought back men’s and women’s track and field after a 30-year absence, and it recently made notable news with the announcement that it will launch a women’s flag football program this
Officially became part of the Arkansas State University System.
Renamed Henderson State College.
1929 Known as Henderson State Teachers College.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
1967
coming fall. HSU is the first school in the Great American Conference and second in the state behind Hendrix to add flag football. Whether through athletics, workforce development or its role as one of Arkadelphia’s major employers, a healthy Henderson translates to a healthy community. “Henderson State’s success is a win for all of Arkadelphia,” said Shelley Short, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our two colleges are the economic and cultural heartbeat of this community. When they are growing, they bring students, jobs, investment and energy that benefit local businesses and improve our quality of life. Henderson’s rebound is an encouraging reminder that strong colleges create strong communities, and Arkadelphia is at its best when both institutions are thriving.” The rebound just may take Henderson to new heights. Thanks to a new “lean and mean” approach that has enabled Berry and his colleagues to hyperfocus on the needs of students and what the university can do well, the school is probably in a healthier place than it has ever been, he said, deflecting credit to Chris Adams, vice chancellor for financial and administration. “It’s been a fast turnaround. Everybody’s working together,” Berry said. “I’ve been so inspired by the people here. It’s a very good place.”
1975 Became Henderson State University.
79
2021
2024 Trey Berry takes over as chancellor.
JULY 2026
YOU CAN'T ASK CHAT EVERYTHING.
J U LY 2 026
80
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
EDUCATION
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN ARKANSAS SCHOOL
ENROLLMENT (FALL ‘24)
CAMPUS LEADERSHIP
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
33,610
Charles Robinson, chancellor
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
15,726
Calvin White Jr., interim chancellor
University of Central Arkansas, Conway
10,112
Houston Davis, president
Arkansas Tech University, Russellville
8,746
Russell Jones, president
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
8,216
Christina Drale, chancellor
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
5,496
Terisa Riley, chancellor
Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia
4,732
Bruno Hicks, president
Harding University, Searcy
4,630
Michael Williams, president
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
3,485
Dr. C. Lowry Barnes, chancellor
University of Arkansas at Monticello
2,856
Peggy Doss, chancellor
John Brown University, Siloam Springs
2,290
Charles Pollard, president
Henderson State University, Arkadelphia
2,055
Trey Berry, chancellor
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
2,005
Anthony Graham, chancellor
Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia
1,857
Ben Sells, president
Hendrix College, Conway
1,107
Karen Petersen, president
Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, Fort Smith
870
Jo Alice Blondin, interim president*
University of the Ozarks, Clarksville
781
Richard Dunsworth, president
Philander Smith University, Little Rock
780
Maurice Gipson, president
Lyon College, Batesville
665
Melissa Taverner, president
Central Baptist College, Conway
547
Jeremy Langley, president
Williams Baptist University, Walnut Ridge
518
R. Stanton Norman, president
Arkansas Baptist College, Little Rock
326
William L. “Bill” Walker Jr., president
Crowley’s Ridge College, Paragould
243
Richard Johnson, president
Champion Christian College, Hot Springs
158
Eric Capaci, president
Ecclesia College, Springdale
112
Mike Novak, president
*—scheduled to assume role July 13 Sources: Schools and Arkansas Division of Higher Education ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
81
JULY 2026
EDUCATION
LARGEST Public School Districts in Arkansas Arkansas is home to 237 public school districts (with 26 open-enrollment charter districts), including 1,060 K-12 public schools and 318 public high schools. The state lists the public school student headcount at 474,337. Students from public school districts with student populations of between 500 and 1,000 make up a 32 percent plurality of the state’s K-12 students. Here is a list of the top 10 public-school districts in the state by enrollment.
DISTRICT
TOTAL STUDENT COUNT
1. Springdale School District
21,656
2. Bentonville Schools
19,575
3. Little Rock School District
19,565
4. Rogers Public Schools
15,281
5. Fort Smith School District
13,683
6. Pulaski County Special School District
11,873
7. Cabot Public Schools
10,364
8. Fayetteville Public Schools
10,151
9. Conway Public Schools
9,935
10. Bryant Public Schools
9,600
Source: ADE (2024-2025)
Fayetteville High School J U LY 2 026
82
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN SPIRIT:
TRAILBLAZING
WOMEN Of all the elements of American exceptionalism, the willingness to go out on one’s own and create one’s own path in life might be the most profound. Americans have always taken the road less traveled and blazed trails. From the 13 original colonies to westward expansion, the trailblazing spirit was literal as brave and intrepid souls cut a path through the wilderness to the Pacific. In other respects — industrialization, entrepreneurship, technology and science — trailblazing meant businesses and innovation that paved the way to better health, higher quality of life, efficient manufacturing and economic might. Women have always been part of American trailblazing in various fields of society. For every woman one has heard of — Susan B. Anthony in suffrage, Rosa Parks in civil rights, Sandra Day O’Connor in law, Estée Lauder in business — there are a dozen whose contributions are lost to the shadows of history. Today, women continue to change the world in ways big and small each and every day. In Arkansas, there are ample role models for girls and young women, from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the state’s first female governor, to the venerable Alice Walton, who is using her share of the Walmart fortune to transform the arts and healthcare education. Women hold positions of leadership in every segment of society, politics and business in ways previously unimagined. It is not an easy road for anyone, male or female, to push through the thickets of history to make new footprints through the forest of old ideas. That is why Arkansas Money & Politics is so proud of its annual “Trailblazing Women” recognizing outstanding women in Arkansas across a variety of fields. Through their work, the state is made better, and through their example, the next generation is inspired to think even bigger. As individuals continue to reflect on the myriad things that have transpired during America’s 250 years of existence, the image of the American trailblazer, especially women, rings more true and vital today than ever. To every woman who bet on herself, took a chance and dared to think differently — we salute you. Congratulations to this year’s outstanding class of AMP’s ‘Trailblazing Women.’ Sponsored content ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
83
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
BETHANY ABBOTT CEO claimSTAT Medical
Bethany Abbott spent years learning the endless intricacies of payer systems, reimbursement and healthcare operations. She developed a wide knowledge of medical billing, compliance, appeals, revenue recovery and operational strategy, all the while gaining invaluable perspective from deep within the machinery of the industry. None of the myriad small details, however, were the point. People were. HEALTHCARE
J U LY 2 026
“My career has always been driven by one simple goal: solving problems that prevent providers from delivering care and patients from receiving it,” Abbott said. One of those problems loomed larger than the rest. Abbott saw firsthand the particular struggles dentists were having with insurance billing, reimbursement and payer policies. Her domain expertise allowed her to quickly spot a gap in support that was keeping dental practices from being fairly reimbursed for medically necessary care. That, Abbott said, is where she found her niche and, ultimately, discovered her calling. “Proper billing is about helping practices remain financially healthy so they can continue serving their communities,” she said. “As my experience grew, so did my passion for helping providers navigate increasingly complex reimbursement challenges.” Abbott responded to the need by founding claimSTAT Medical, a company helping providers nationwide maximize reimbursements, improve operational efficiency and focus on patient care rather than administrative hurdles. The result has been a scalable, sustainable billing model for dental providers, widely believed impossible before. Proving not only to herself but to an entire profession that it could be done, Abbott said, has been a high-water mark in her career. “Every time we help a practice recover revenue, successfully navigate a complex payer issue or give providers the confidence to offer medically necessary care without worrying about reimbursement, it reinforces why I do what I do,” Abbott said. “Knowing we’ve helped practices thrive while improving access to patient care is incredibly fulfilling.” The roots of Abbott’s drive to help others go back to her mother, who she described as “one of the most talented and capable people I’ve ever known.” From playing piano to around-the-house plumbing, she seemed to never meet an obstacle she could not face nor a skill she could not acquire. Personal circumstances and a deep sense of responsibility kept Abbott’s mother working on the family farm, where she spent decades putting the needs of others first at the expense of her own aspirations. “Watching her make those sacrifices changed me,” Abbott said. “In many ways, I feel like I am living not only for my own dreams but for hers, as well. Every opportunity I’ve had, every risk I’ve taken and every milestone I’ve reached carries a piece of her with me.” While she is hard at work transforming the healthcare and insurance industries and leaving them both for the better, Abbott’s proudest accomplishment is something much closer to home, perhaps not unlike her own mother: raising up the next generation. Watching her son, Mason, “grow into an intelligent, kind, hardworking and grounded young man” is something Abbott said she cherishes more than any professional plaudits. 84
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
ROBIN HICKERSON
President, CEO Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce Thirty years ago, Robin Hickerson said, she could not have imagined leading a chamber of commerce. As president and CEO of the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce, however, she has come to realize that one’s work is less about following a predetermined path and more about following one’s purpose. “Without question, becoming president and CEO of the CHAMBER
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce has been one of the most pivotal moments of my career,” she said. “It required me to step outside of my comfort zone and reinvent myself professionally.” Hickerson said she has been drawn to leadership and service throughout her life. Armed with the belief that school can change the trajectory of lives and entire communities, Hickerson began her career in education and spent three decades as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent, focusing on helping students and building strong systems. A one-year stint at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana following her retirement from K-12 education helped her realize that her passion was broader than education alone. “Being embraced by the community of Hope, Arkansas, reminded me of my small-town values and allowed me to form lifelong friendships with some of the finest people I know,” she said. “I learned about fundraising and event planning and added some valuable tools to my toolbox. I renewed my commitment to workforce development, economic opportunity and the future of our region. When the opportunity arose to lead the Texarkana USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, it felt like a natural extension of the work I had been doing all along.” In her current role, she brings the heart of an educator to economic development and community leadership, putting relationships first, listening carefully and helping others see possibilities they may not have seen before. “We pride ourselves in making connections with our chamber partners and strive to visit each partner and personally get to know their business,” she said. “No matter if they are a nonprofit, small business with one or two employees, or a large industry partner, we want to support them with our presence.” The most rewarding part, she said, is bringing people together to accomplish things no organization could achieve alone. “Seeing a new business open, a workforce initiative succeed or community leaders unite around a common vision is incredibly fulfilling,” she said. “I am fortunate to work with a dynamic team of strong women, all with less than three years of chamber experience. It has been rewarding to be a part of our transformation into a high-functioning team of leaders who show up to support Texarkana USA in a powerful way.” She added that she is proud the chamber was recently awarded Best Chamber in AY About You’s “AY’s Best of 2026.” She said she hopes to continue developing future leaders who will carry the chamber’s work forward after her career ends. “I consider myself to be very blessed, and I am thankful for my life’s journey — both the highs and the lows,” she said. “I believe everything we encounter leads us to where we are supposed to be, and there is no place I would rather be than right here at the chamber.” 85
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
KIM HURST
Marketing and Recruitment Manager Superior Senior Care For Kim Hurst, marketing and recruitment manager at Superior Senior Care, working in elder care is not just a career; it is a calling. “I’ve always been drawn toward helping others and the need to give back, but I wasn’t quite sure where that would land me careerwise,” she said. “When I joined Superior Senior Care, those two passions came together in a way that felt natural HEALTHCARE
J U LY 2 026
and purposeful. I quickly realized that marketing in this industry isn’t about selling a product. It’s about guiding families toward support, dignity and peace of mind during some of the most emotional moments of their lives.” As Hurst grew within the company, she took on more responsibility in shaping the brand voice, strengthening Superior’s statewide presence and making sure Arkansas families knew they had a trusted, local option for in‑home care. Over time, that work naturally evolved into her current role. “Today, I’m proud to lead the advertising and marketing efforts for a company that has served Arkansas families for more than 40 years,” she said. “Being able to blend creativity, compassion and purpose every day is one of the most meaningful parts of my career.” While Hurst’s education gave her the foundational skills to think critically and communicate effectively, she added, the real lessons came through experience: learning how to balance creativity with compassion, listening to families in vulnerable moments, and adapting quickly in a changing industry. “Education gave me the knowledge; experience gave me the wisdom to lead with empathy and purpose,” she said. She added that the company works to set the standard for compassion, professionalism and reliability in senior care. Staff hope to lead by example and show that high-quality care starts with putting clients first and maintaining a genuine commitment to helping seniors live safely and independently at home. To Hurst, success is not measured by her accomplishments but by the positive impact she has on the people she serves. Building meaningful relationships, treating others with kindness and respect, and becoming a good listener will take individuals further than any title, she said. “If someone walked in my shoes for a day, I would remind them that every conversation matters,” she said. “In my work, we are not simply providing in-home care services; we are helping families navigate some of life’s most important decisions. Lead with empathy, stay adaptable, and keep your purpose at the center of everything you do. When your work is guided by compassion and integrity, you’ll make a lasting difference in the lives of others.” At the end of a long day, Hurst said, she enjoys unwinding in the beauty of nature. In her free time, she can often be found at local fishing holes, having picked up the hobby from her father and passed it down to her children. She said she counts her marriage to her husband and raising their two sons together as her greatest accomplishment. “Those personal foundations give me strength and perspective,” she said. “They’re what I carry into my professional life every day.” 86
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
VICKEY KIRKEMIER
Administrator Superior Health and Rehabilitation Vickey Kirkemier was inspired to enter healthcare by a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. She discovered long-term care early in her career and was drawn to the field because it allowed her to combine her passion for residents with her knack for leadership and problem solving. It was after moving into administration — in which she now has more than 40 years of experience — that HEALTHCARE
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Kirkemier realized the profound impact strong guidance has on an entire facility, influencing everything from resident outcomes to staff satisfaction. “Over the years, I worked in various healthcare roles, gained nursing experience, and eventually moved into administration,” she said. “My current position as administrator at Superior Health and Rehabilitation is the result of decades of learning, leadership and dedication to improving quality of care.” Studying business at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway gave Kirkemier a strong base in finance, operations and organizational management. She completed her nursing education at what was then known as Petit Jean Vocational Technical School, now the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton. A combination of business acumen and nursing expertise has given Kirkemier a unique perspective on the operational and clinical sides of healthcare. “While my formal education provided the foundation, decades of hands-on experience in long-term care have taught me how to navigate regulations, lead teams through challenges and ensure residents receive the highest quality of care,” she said. Kirkemier’s positive impact has been evident throughout her career, such as when she helped six employees successfully complete the MA-C program to become certified medication assistants. Two of those individuals went on to become licensed practical nurses, Kirkemier said, while a third is currently pursuing the same goal through educational opportunities supported by the Arkansas Health Care Association. She is also extremely proud of the Superior Health and Rehabilitation team, the commitment of which was nationally recognized by the American Health Care Association with a 2025 Bronze National Quality Award. “Seeing team members grow professionally, advance their careers and achieve recognition for excellence in care has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role as a healthcare leader and mentor,” Kirkemier said. The challenges come fast and often in a field such as healthcare, with long-term care presenting its own unique challenges. Superior Health and Rehabilitation has faced the regulatory changes, staffing shortages, public health emergencies and heightened operational demands well known throughout the industry. The company’s steadfast commitment to quality care, resident-centered services and continuous improvement has proven invaluable time and again, and Kirkemier said she has learned to rely on teamwork, adaptability and perseverance. At the heart of Kirkemier’s work is the drive to improve quality of life for seniors and vulnerable populations. She is passionate about resident dignity, staff education, quality healthcare, and creating environments where individuals feel respected, safe and valued, she said, and her ideal legacy is one of compassionate leadership, strong mentorship and quality care. 87
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
DR. SARAH LUNSFORD Owner, Optometrist Legacy Eyecare
With three generations of eye professionals behind her, it is easy to see how Dr. Sarah Lunsford found herself on a similar path. Her family history in and around optometry dates back to the late 1800s, when her great-great-grandfather moved to Stuttgart to become a jeweler and frequently worked on glasses. Realizing a longtime dream of opening her own practice last year, Lunsford was intentional HEALTHCARE
J U LY 2 026
about paying homage to her predecessors. “Legacy Eyecare is a nod to that family history, and my logo features a diamond as the pupil, representing the jewelry side, as well as [Arkansas] being the Diamond State,” she said. “In my clinic, I get to showcase my grandfather’s appointment book from 1959 in an antique cabinet from his practice. The appointment book is surrounded by antique glasses my great-great-uncle prescribed for his patients between 1916 and the 1940s.” Lunsford graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 2004 before earning her optometry credentials from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis in 2008. Being able to open her own clinic has been a long time coming, she said, and every step along the way set her up for her current success. Rounding out her skills as a physician with those of a business owner has been a challenge to be sure — “It can be like doing mental gymnastics some days” switching between both mindsets, she said — but outside support and her “God-given passion” has helped her navigate the uncertain terrain. “Thankfully, I found a great consultant company to guide me,” she said. “Initially, I didn’t even know where to begin — what do you do first? Form your business entity? Find a location? Meet with a lawyer? Name your clinic? Design a logo? Having their guidance and experience was vital to my success.” What is more, Lunsford is the first eye care provider to serve the community she has lived in for 15 years now, East End. While that distinction “has been an honor,” she said, Lunsford is also no stranger to blazing new trails concerning access to eye care. “I was the first optometrist to staff a schoolbased health clinic in the state of Arkansas,” she said. “I served the Bryant school district and paved the way for other schools to expand into similar programs.” Currently secretary and treasurer on the board of the Arkansas Optometric Association, in addition to serving as convention chair, Lunsford has dedicated herself to growing the profession. She has mentored several college and high school students over the years, including two preoptometry students working in her office this summer. Lunsford said she hopes to mentor many more future colleagues as she helps Arkansas continue to draw some of “the best and brightest” to the state and to the field of optometry. “I think optometry is one of the most rewarding professions you can be in,” she said. “Like any healthcare field, you need to love what you do. The time and money and energy it takes to become a doctor is no small thing, but the time you will spend in your occupation is much greater. If it’s something you love or have a passion for, it will be worth it in the end.” 88
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
JANELL MASON
CEO Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana Sometimes career arcs have a way of coming together if one simply puts oneself in the right place. For Janell Mason, right place was Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana. After chairing the organization’s annual Chocolate Fantasy Ball in 2009, Mason was invited to join the board of directors. Then, in late 2015, she was asked to step in as interim leader. Seeing the Ronald McDonald House NONPROFIT
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
mission in action daily, meeting families and working with a small but enthusiastic team — suffice it to say, Mason was not going anywhere else. “Ronald McDonald House has my whole heart, seeing the good work made possible by generous donors, dedicated volunteers, a top-tier board and our laserfocused team,” she said. “Knowing that every action helps support families during their toughest days and nights means everything to me.” Now with more than a decade under her belt as the CEO of Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana, Mason is as committed as ever to stewarding the organization as it seeks even deeper impact in both states. The team has been hard at work pursuing two of its guiding “Bold Ambitions,” seeking to both double the number of families the organization serves and serve them better. That has required a concentrated effort to build the infrastructure, talent and resources needed for sustainable growth. Mason said the most rewarding part has been seeing that vision come to fruition under her watch. “We have expanded our program territory, welcomed another chapter through a successful merger, launched new programs and helped set the standard in our region for supporting our hospital partners’ commitment to family-centered care,” she said. “Most importantly, these efforts have allowed us to reach more families and provide them with the support, comfort and care they need during some of life’s most difficult moments.” Mason’s influence as a leader is being felt outside the Arkansas and Louisiana territories, as well. She was selected as one of two inaugural chapter leaders to serve on the Ronald McDonald House’s global board of trustees. The role has allowed Mason to have a hand in shaping worldwide strategy for the organization while representing the voice of local chapters. The experience, she said, has reinforced her belief that leadership is most effective when it is “inclusive, collaborative and grounded in real-world experience.” “One thing my career has taught me — I love building relationships,” Mason said. “From an early age, I was taught that everyone brings something important to the table, and we are all God’s children. I am continually amazed by our team members, their perspectives and the value each brings to move our mission forward.” Mason’s path is a shining case study in just how far one can go if they will only get involved. One hundred percent of every dollar donated stays local, she noted, allowing individuals to create direct impact in their own communities. Mason said she regularly invites people to come and visit the Ronald McDonald House for themselves. After all, there is no telling where that first step might lead. “What you’ll find is far more than you might expect,” she said. “It’s a place filled with resilience, generosity and hope. For many visitors, a tour sparks a deeper connection to our mission and sometimes even leads to a volunteer role or career path they never imagined.” 89
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
TIFFANEE MILLER-STROUD Owner, Founder The Vogue Veil
Looking back at a decade teaching special education — helping students overcome obstacles and celebrating milestones others might overlook — Tiffanee Miller-Stroud can see that God was preparing her for what she does now, despite it looking for all the world like an entirely different line of work. Still, how is it that she found herself at the helm of a bridal shop? BRIDAL
J U LY 2 026
“I always laugh when people ask this, because bridal was never part of my plan,” she said. It is out of the unplanned, though, that the path reveals itself, even in the midst of heartbreak. Miller-Stroud became a widow at just 29 years old after losing her husband, Ryan Miller, to cancer. The experience left her reevaluating what mattered most, she said, and through prayer, newfound love and a lot of faith, “God placed a dream on my heart to create a bridal experience where women felt truly seen, celebrated and valued.” That dream became The Vogue Veil in Cabot, a fully private boutique where every bride receives an experience tailored specifically to her. Starting a business from the ground up has been no small feat for MillerStroud, between creating her brand, securing funding and finding open commercial space in a buzzing city. The reward, however, has been immense: watching clients see themselves as brides for the first time. “Today, I have the privilege of helping women celebrate one of the biggest moments of their lives while building a business I never imagined owning,” Miller-Stroud said. Miller-Stroud still frequently leans upon the skills honed from her previous career. As a special education teacher, Miller-Stroud learned patience, communication, organization, problem solving and how to advocate for others. Those aptitudes, she said, are invaluable when working with brides and families during emotional, often stressful moments. Woven into the fabric of The Vogue Veil are not only the hundreds of brides Miller-Stroud has served but the influence of two other women in her life. Her “memee,” Jeanette Hare, was a homemaker who encouraged Miller-Stroud to always chase her dreams but “always reminded us to come home and rest,” she said. Hare died just before Miller-Stroud opened The Vogue Veil. “In fact, the day I buried her was the same day I closed my first bride,” she said. “That experience reminded me of one of the most important lessons in my life, that joy and grief can coexist.” Miller-Stroud’s mother-in-law, Paula Miller, continues to be one of her greatest supporters, she said. From interior design expertise to her demonstration of strong faith, Miller-Stroud said Miller has taught her “so much about motherhood, Jesus and perseverance.” As Miller-Stroud looks forward to the future of The Vogue Veil, which has already made a significant mark on the Arkansas bridal scene, she said she has her sights set on buying her own building, designing a wedding gown collection and continuing to build The Vogue Veil into a nationally recognized brand. “More than anything, I hope people remember that we made women feel special,” she said. “If brides leave feeling more confident, more loved and more valued than when they arrived, then I’ve succeeded.” 90
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
CINDY MINOR
Owner Small World Big Fun Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and it took a mother’s necessity to invent Small World Big Fun, a multistate, multimillion-dollar travel agency planning trips from Walt Disney World to countries all over the globe. Founder Cindy Minor stumbled into the industry by accident while putting together her family’s first trip to the House of Mouse. TRAVEL
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
“This was before online booking and social media, so I spent countless hours researching, organizing and creating a detailed plan,” Minor said. “I realized I loved every part of the process. I enjoy researching, solving problems and helping people create meaningful experiences. When I learned I could turn those skills into a career, I never looked back.” Minor, who to that point had always worked in sales, found a natural extension of that work in travel planning. She prefers to think of sales as education, she said, since, after all, her role is to provide people with the information they need to make confident decisions. She is grateful for the ability to lean into her strengths while helping others create lifelong memories. “My passion is helping people create meaningful experiences, build connections and see what’s possible,” Minor said. “Whether it’s a client planning a dream vacation or an advisor building a successful business, I believe extraordinary things happen when people are supported by a strong community.” Travel is a largely female-driven industry, Minor said, which provides incredible opportunities, but she has also seen the ways in which women can sometimes underestimate their own expertise. “I encourage women to recognize the value of their knowledge and experience,” she said. “You are the expert. Speak with confidence, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to take up space.” As a business owner, Minor wears a variety of hats every day. One minute, she might be advising clients, while the next sees her mentoring fellow travel advisors, handling operations or working on the strategic vision for her own company. Rather than focusing on competition, Minor takes the approach that “a rising tide lifts all ships,” pouring her energies into helping others grow their businesses and chase their dreams just as she has done. Empowering others and seeing the ripple effect of such work, she said, has been one of the most meaningful parts of her career. “Helping advisors build successful businesses and grow professionally is something I care deeply about,” she said. “Watching someone achieve goals they once thought were impossible is one of the greatest rewards of leadership.” Another of the ways Minor contributes to the larger community is through active involvement in the Delta Delta Delta sorority as the Alumna Advisor and, formerly, as Membership Experience Advisor at the organization’s chapter at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Tri Delta has provided Minor with a sense of belonging, countless chances for personal growth and numerous enduring friendships, she said, and she strongly believes in the power of women supporting women. “What I hope to leave behind is a legacy of strong women, thriving businesses and a community that continues to support and uplift one another long after I’m gone,” she said. 91
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
SUSAN DABBS POMTREE Attorney, Co-owner Dabbs & Pomtree, Attorneys
Susan Dabbs Pomtree might not have grown up with the dream of becoming an attorney — she originally wanted to pursue broadcast journalism or criminal justice — but she eventually decided to follow in the footsteps of her father, who worked as an attorney in Little Rock for 50 years. Her father came out of retirement to mentor her and her LEGAL
J U LY 2 026
husband, Nealon Pomtree, with whom she now co-owns Dabbs & Pomtree, Attorneys, in Little Rock. “As a lawyer, I am a very empathetic person,” she said. “My clients are more than just numbers to me. I have a passion for helping people, and the client with a $10,000 case deserves the same treatment as the one with the million-dollar case. Our office may be a bit unique in that we all work together as a team on each case. My husband and I each have our own strengths, and we combine them to give each client the best representation that we can.” As a personal-injury attorney, continually adapting to work within the confines of the ever-changing laws affecting claims can be a challenge, she said. The reward is making financial recoveries for those who have been injured by the negligence of others through no fault of their own. Over nearly 35 years in the business, Pomtree has seen her share of industry changes, not the least of which are attitudes surrounding gender. When she started in 1992, she said, there were not many female attorneys who concentrated their practice on personal injury, and the majority of insurance adjusters she worked with were male. “I can remember one particular incident where I was in a deposition with several male attorneys, and one of them asked all those in the room if they should let the ‘little lady’ ask some questions, as if they had a real choice in the matter,” she said. “I was silently stunned by the lack of respect, but I maintained my composure, asked my questions and ultimately obtained a successful settlement for my client. Women attorneys have progressed significantly in the workplace since those days.” In addition to her legal career, she has also been a licensed NFL agent — another male-dominated field — and, in 2016, fulfilled her desire to work in criminal justice by becoming a Pulaski County reserve deputy. She also supports causes related to animal rescue. She said she is proud to carry on the legacy of the family-owned law firm her father created during the 1950s and counts herself as fortunate to have represented some of the children and grandchildren of her father’s original clients. “As the twilight of my legal career approaches, I want to be able to look back over the years and say I helped many people through a painful, stressful and overwhelming time in their lives,” she said. “In the end, it will be enough to reminisce about my career and know that I have made at least a small difference in the lives of my clients.” 92
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARKANSAS MONEY & POLITICS TRAILBLAZING WOMEN
TRAILBLAZING WOMEN 2026
K YNDALL ROGERS
Partner Impact Management Group The small south Arkansas town of Poyen is not exactly known for producing public policy talent, and Kyndall Rogers certainly never dreamed of becoming a lobbyist. What she did know, she said, was that she wanted to do work that mattered at the intersection of people and problem-solving. That interest led her to the Bureau of Legislative Research right out of college, where she gained insights into the legislative process and LOBBYIST
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
policy decision-making. She later served on Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s senior staff, followed by roles at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, before transitioning into the private sector. Rogers is now a partner at lobbying firm Impact Management Group in Little Rock, where she helps clients navigate challenges, build relationships and trust, and make an impact on her home state. “Looking back, every step of my career prepared me for the next one,” she said. “The combination of legislative research, executive government, agency leadership and corporate government relations gives me a unique perspective and understanding of issues from multiple angles.” Previous career stops also taught Rogers important lessons in confidence. Often the youngest woman in the room early on, Rogers said she felt pressure to prove herself. She learned, though, that belief in herself would only come from the right combination of preparation and authenticity and that, “You build credibility by doing the work.” “Public policy issues are rarely simple,” she said. “They involve competing priorities, diverse perspectives and high stakes. I believe women often bring collaboration, empathy and relationship-building strengths to leadership roles. Those qualities have helped me navigate complex challenges and build meaningful partnerships throughout my career.” Coming aboard at Impact Management Group was a defining career moment, but life circumstances made it an even more pivotal season in Rogers’ life for a much different reason. Just days after joining the firm, a 36-year-old Rogers was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Suddenly, Rogers found herself not only navigating a new chapter of her career but needing to balance those heightened professional demands with family responsibilities and cancer treatments, as well. “The greatest personal challenge I’ve faced was my breast cancer diagnosis,” she said. “[It] required me to rely on my faith, my family, my colleagues and my community. It also taught me the importance of accepting help and extending grace to myself. Someone once told me to grant myself the same grace I would give others in my situation. For someone like me, that was a hard pill to swallow, but it was right.” Needless to say, Rogers is very familiar with the fact that life rarely follows the timeline one sets for oneself. Taking accomplishments and challenges in both hands and learning to press on has only strengthened her conviction that the work she does matters — not for its own sake but for the individuals for whom she can make a real difference along the way. “If someone had to walk in my shoes for a day, I would tell them to expect constant change,” Rogers said. “Every day presents new issues, new challenges and new opportunities. Flexibility, preparation and strong communication skills are essential. “Most importantly, keep people at the center of your work. That’s where the purpose lives.” 93
JULY 2026
Masters in Their Fields AMP unveils its annual class of industry-leading masters
S
ometimes it is possible to get away with DIYing something, but it can also quickly go awry, costing extra money and wasting time. Why not instead opt to hire someone who is a master at the service needed? That is what the following section, “Masters in Their Fields,” is meant to help readers do. Mastering something does not happen overnight. It takes years of learning, practicing and even failing before one can truly master a skill. These individuals have persevered and never given up, even if they wanted to. Now their hard work pays off in the exceptional service they offer their clients. The goal of this section is not only to connect the community with great companies but also honor those companies for the work it has taken to get where they are today. Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to highlight the pros in this year’s class of “Masters in Their Fields.” Whether one is in the market for a lawyer, a cleaner, a dentist or an HVAC technician, it is important for consumers to know they are getting the cream of the crop. The companies featured on the following pages embody what it means to master a craft. Read on to learn what makes these companies “Masters in Their Fields.” Sponsored content
CAM Pro Services The Center for Alloplastic Facial Reconstruction Conway Regional Health System Luxury Pool & Spa Mann & Kemp Scott Systems Heat & Air Smile Arkansas
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master in Commercial Cleaning
CAM PRO SERVICES
F
or more than 17 years, the team behind Arkansas Pro Wash in Bryant has helped commercial properties across Arkansas maintain clean, professional, welcoming environments. Having grown into one of the state’s most experienced providers of commercial exterior cleaning and maintenance services, the company serves commercial properties throughout Arkansas. From routine maintenance to large-scale exterior restoration projects, the team brings extensive experience, specialized equipment and a customer-focused approach to every project. In 2025, the company introduced the CAM Pro Services brand to better reflect the full scope of services it provides. While Arkansas Pro Wash built its reputation as one of the state’s leading exterior cleaning companies, clients increasingly turned to the team for painting, parking lot maintenance, inspections and other, common area maintenance needs. The CAM Pro name represents that broader mission while remaining backed by the same ownership, team, values and commitment to service that clients have trusted for nearly 20 years. “Arkansas Pro Wash isn’t going away,” said Chris Apple, owner. “The name CAM Pro Services better reflects who we’ve become and the solutions we’re providing for commercial properties across Arkansas. It’s the same team, the same values and the same commitment to serving our clients.” Commercial cleaning remains at the core of the company’s expertise. Over nearly two decades, CAM Pro has completed thousands of projects ranging from storefronts and office buildings to hospitals, universities, apartment communities and large commercial campuses. The company’s ability to serve multiple properties across the state, manage complex projects and consistently deliver quality results has made it a trusted partner for organizations seeking dependable exterior maintenance solutions. What truly separates CAM Pro is its
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
“The work our clients do matters. We’re here to help.” 23478 Interstate 30, Bryant 501-588-8977 camproservices.net
commitment to helping clients protect and enhance the image of their properties. By taking ownership of exterior maintenance needs, CAM Pro helps property owners and managers maintain professional, welcoming environments while freeing them to focus on serving tenants, customers, patients, students, employees and guests. “The work our clients do matters,” Apple said. “Whether they’re caring for patients, educating students, managing properties or serving customers, we’re here to help by making sure their facilities reflect the quality of what they do.” In addition to commercial cleaning services, CAM Pro now provides building 95
From the team at Arkansas Pro Wash
painting, parking lot maintenance, inspections, exterior restoration services and its CAM Property Image Program. Through recurring service plans, routine inspections and proactive maintenance recommendations, the program helps clients protect property image, simplify vendor management and stay ahead of maintenance issues before they become larger concerns. Beyond serving clients, CAM Pro remains committed to investing in its employees and communities through leadership development, ongoing training, and community partnerships that create opportunities for growth and meaningful service throughout Arkansas. As CAM Pro Services grows, its mission remains unchanged: Serve clients well, serve employees well, and serve the community well. By staying focused on those principles, the company continues to help organizations across Arkansas maintain properties they can be proud of while making a lasting difference. “Leave your mark in a positive way wherever you go,” Apple said. “Take ownership of the opportunities you’ve been given, and use them to make an impact on others.” JULY 2026
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master in Facial Reconstruction
CENTER FOR ALLOPLASTIC FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION
T
he FBI once called on Michael Kaczkowski to solve a distinctly modern problem: how to tell real human skin from a convincing fake at a fingerprint scanner. He was a natural choice. For nearly four decades, “Kaz” has made his name manufacturing skin so lifelike it fools the eye — and the machines built to catch it. The replica he built defeated the scanner so convincingly that the bureau used it as the benchmark to rewrite the software that guards those systems today. A New York artist, inventor and allied health practitioner by training, Kaczkowski built and scaled companies around his own inventions — proprietary prosthetic-skin technologies such as LivingSkin®, RealLifeSkin® and Derma~Flex®. The work drew Hollywood actors, models and politicians, with screen time on the hit show ER, Discovery and TLC, and news features worldwide. Then he did what few inventors manage: he walked away at the top. Kaczkowski moved to the South to raise his children and eventually reestablished himself in Little Rock, at the heart of the city’s medical corridor. At his Midtown practice, he and his team design and fit artificial eyes built on his own proprietary iris technologies, along with lifelike facial restorations for patients missing anatomy due to cancer, trauma or birth defect. Patients travel from across the U.S., and international cases arrive regularly. Ask him about the work that matters most, though, and he points to the smallest patients. When a baby is born without an eye — or with an undersized one, a condition called microphthalmia — the skull, muscle and tissue grow in proportion to the defect rather than the child. Known as craniofacial hypoplasia, that asymmetrical growth, if left untreated, drives lifelong health complications such as airway restrictions that affect the sinuses, breathing and speech, along with chronic headaches. The remedy is a series of custom alloJ U LY 2 026
Michael Kaczkowski
plastic implants — engineered to stimulate healthy bone and tissue growth, and often paired with surgical intervention — replaced and enlarged as the child grows from infancy. Rarely a solo effort, the work has Kaczkowski coordinating with the surgeons and specialists each case demands. “For these children, it’s a developmental priority, and the clock is ticking,” Kaczkowski said, adding that families cannot wait years to save up. “Without immediate intervention, these babies are destined for
“For these children, it’s a developmental priority, and the clock is ticking.”
3924 W. Markham St., Little Rock 501-265-0100 reallifefaces.com healthrestoration.org 96
permanent disfigurement and compromised health.” That reality is why his newest venture looks less like a business than an institution. The Functional Health Restoration Foundation, an Arkansas 501(c)(3) nonprofit, formalizes the pro bono craniofacial care Kaczkowski has long provided out of his own pocket and convenes the specialists these complex cases demand. Its board and volunteers include physicians and military veterans. At the foundation’s North Little Rock clinic, veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder and older adults facing neurodegenerative disease are offered BlissThera® Forest Medicine Therapy, a nature-based wellness technology Kaczkowski developed and patented and now brings to market through two of his health-technology companies, BioDigital Therapeutics and Hypnos Virtual. Clinical therapies are delivered under medical director Dr. Brian Nichol, and outcomes are evaluated through clinical trials and independent review. The system is one of nearly a dozen patents Kaczkowski holds across emerging bio-health ventures. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master in Primary Care
CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
T
he mission of Conway Regional Health System is to provide highquality, compassionate health care services, and primary care is no exception. Conway Regional’s primary care clinics are located throughout the communities it serves and offer an array of providers, from physicians to advanced practitioners. Many locations offer urgent “point of need” access for timely care, as well. During every interaction, Conway Regional providers are dedicated to developing the kinds of long-lasting relationships that are vital to providing quality care. “Exceptional primary care hinges on accessibility and continuity, both of which are strengths of Conway Regional Health System,” said Keith Cooper, M.D., a physician at Conway Medical Group and medical director of primary care for Conway Regional. “Our providers treat the whole person, including their physical, mental and social health, prioritizing the longterm relationship, not just ‘transactions.’” There is a common misconception that primary care is only necessary for minor illnesses or the occasional checkup. In reality, Cooper said, primary care is the foundation of health over time. Regular visits not only build a baseline of health markers from which a provider can detect changes but also allow for invaluable preventative care such as screenings and immunizations. More than just treating a cold or conducting an annual physical, primary care physicians can provide chronic disease management and help coordinate complex care. “A good primary care provider helps manage long-term risks, catches problems early, and reduces the need for costly emergency or specialist care,” Cooper said. The benefits of regular primary care visits make it all the more important to establish a relationship with a trusted physician. Changes in health can happen rapidly, and seeing one’s primary care provider can make for a more accurate ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Keith Cooper, M.D.
“Our providers treat the whole person, including their physical, mental and social health, prioritizing the long-term relationship, not just ‘transactions.’”
501-506-2747 conwayregional.org Conway Regional Health System
assessment of problems than one might receive from seeing a provider for the first time or going to urgent care. Providers who know a patient’s history make better 97
clinical decisions, Cooper said, and patients are more likely to follow through on care plans when they trust their doctor, improving outcomes. “Continuity matters,” Cooper said. “Seeing the same provider over time allows for trust, better diagnosis and more personalized care.” Conway Regional works to make quality care available closer to home, investing in services for rural and underserved areas and supporting providers as they live in and serve their own communities. The health system also partners with insurance companies to make care more affordable and provide cost savings for patients, employers and payors. High-quality, accessible primary care is just one area in which Conway Regional is achieving its vision to be recognized as the regional leader in health care excellence. “Conway Regional is rooted in community-based care,” Cooper said. “That won’t change.” JULY 2026
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master of Pools and Spas
LUXURY POOL & SPA
W
hat is luxury, really? MerriamWebster defines it as “a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort,” offering up a close alternative with “an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction or ease.” Some concepts, though, are better felt than explained, like the first time one settles into a beautiful new hot tub and feels the stress of the previous days, weeks or even months wash away — talk about comfort. Consider also the deep sense of satisfaction to be had from watching family and friends make poolside memories all summer long from one’s very own backyard. As for ease — well, the experts at Luxury Pool & Spa take care of that, as well. Celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary this year are thirdgeneration owners Shane and Jeremy Lawson, whose grandfather, Bob Parker, and father Kenny Lawson, founded the pool construction business in 1976. “Pools have changed a lot in 50 years, but we’ve kept up,” Shane said. “In fact, we’ve kind of become known for the more unique designs and challenging jobs. We gravitate toward those because we’ve developed the expertise to do just about anything the customer can come up with. It’s a lot of work, and it’s a challenge, but it is also fun to push the envelope sometimes just to see what we can pull off.” Luxury Pool & Spa has built its name on designing and building pools to fit any homeowner’s needs and aesthetic dreams. From fire features and waterfalls to infinity pools, fountains and myriad other customizations, there is little the company has not seen when it comes to installing and maintaining these backyard oases, all with flawless precision. “We have an amazing crew, from our service managers to our pool techs to our construction crew to our retail staff,” Jeremy said. “We are truly J U LY 2 026
blessed with a special group of people who share the same vision and goals.” With two store locations in Conway and Russellville, the Luxury Pool & Spa team meets customers where they are, offering high-quality products and industry-leading supplies. Luxury Pool & Spa provides automatic pool cleaners, in-store water testing, chlorine alternatives, saltwater systems,
98
variable speed pumps and much more. Staff members are trained multiple times a year in the latest methods for pool upkeep, as well, making them truly masterful when it comes to recommending the right chemicals, tools and equipment. “In the pool business, there are companies that are builders, there are service companies, and there are those that are maintenance professionals,” Jeremy said. “We do all of it, providing turnkey services so our customers don’t have to go anywhere else. I think that’s what people really love about us.” For more relaxation, many homeowners consider adding a hot tub to their backyard escape. Luxury Pool & Spa’s unmatched lineup of stateof-the-art spas are highly sought after for the therapeutic benefits of muscle relaxation, not to mention bringing that all-important element of luxury to outdoor spaces while providing yet another way to connect with family and friends. “The models that we carry today are totally self-contained tubs, very energy efficient,” Jeremy said. “Really, all you need is a level concrete pad or a reinforced backyard deck, depending on the spa model, and you’re ready to fill it, plug it in and go. You don’t even need a special power source, since they plug into either a standard 110- or 220-volt household outlet.” Luxury Pool & Spa carries the leading hot tub brand Caldera Spas. Caldera Spas are designed with ergonomic seating and cutting-edge massage jets to provide maximum relaxation. A highly customized, built-in hot tub can also easily integrate into a pool design to give one’s backyard a cohesive look and upscale feel. Luxury Pool & Spa’s offerings do not stop at the water features. Its showrooms also feature POLYWOOD outdoor furniture, umbrellas and Big Green Egg grills to help customers complete their dream backyard vision. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
“We have customers that we’ve had for 40-plus years that we’re still taking care of their pool.” Whether seeking out the right spa for one’s home or getting started on building the backyard poolscape of one’s dreams, Luxury Pool & Spa has the craftsmanship, quality and decades of expertise needed to make for a stress-free process from start to finish. After the job is done, the company’s postinstallation and in-store services are sure to keep everything running smoothly for years to come. Luxury, clearly, is in more than just the name. It is a core component of everything Luxury Pool & Spa has done since 1976. “We’ve built multiple pools for people over the years, and I think that repeat business says a lot about us,” said Andrea Lawson, general manager. “We have customers that we’ve had for 40-plus years that we’re still taking care of their pool, or now their kids own the house, and we’re taking care of the pool for their kids.”
5 Stanford Road, Conway 501-327-1772 510 S. Arkansas Ave., Russellville 479-968-7772 luxurypoolarkansas.com
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
99
JULY 2026
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Masters in Family Law
MANN & KEMP
I
n a competitive legal area such as family law, it can be hard to stand out. However, when a firm has been doing the work as well as Little Rock-based practice Mann & Kemp, it becomes the blueprint others look up to. Founded by Angela Mann and Harrison Kemp in 2017, the firm has grown into a leading name in central Arkansas family law. As the firm has become a respected part of the legal community, most clients now are referrals, highlighting the trust Mann & Kemp has established among former clients, other attorneys, judges and allied professionals. Family lawyers often come into clients’ lives at difficult times, such as during a divorce. Making sure a client feels confident and comfortable every step of the way is Mann & Kemp’s goal. Kemp said he and Mann distinguish themselves through a client-centered, strategy-driven approach. Not afraid of tough conversations, the pair combine meticulous legal preparation with compassionate representation to ensure clients have an opportunity to achieve the best possible result. “My job is to help you get the best outcome, and sometimes that means I may have to tell you to do something that makes you uncomfortable,” Mann said. “I may tell you that you’ve done something wrong. I may give you advice to do or not do something that is different than what you want, but I do that because I can anticipate what we need to do to get the best outcome in the end.” Mann graduated in the top 5 percent of her class at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and has been practicing in Arkansas since 2011. Kemp, meanwhile, is the third generation in his family to practice law and has been representing Arkansans in court since 2008. As partners, their shared dedication for doing things the right way has made all the difference for countless clients and families.
J U LY 2 026
Angela Mann and Harrison Kemp
“We strive to continue earning the respect of those who refer their friends, family and colleagues to our firm.”
221 W. Second St. Suite 408, Little Rock 501-222-7378 mannkemp.com
“The two of us just had very similar goals, very similar practice styles, very similar expectations for ourselves and for each other, and so it made sense for us to form our own firm,” Mann said. “It was very scary to do that, but it worked out.” With the internet age making legal advice — both good and bad — more 100
accessible than ever, it takes more than mere information to make an impact. Mann & Kemp stands out for its communication, reputation among peers, network of relationships and, of course, a deep firsthand expertise of what it takes to navigate the legal waters around some of life’s least-certain seasons. “We are proud and appreciative of the trust we have earned in the legal community and strive to continue earning the respect of those who refer their friends, family and colleagues to our firm,” Mann said. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master in HVAC
SCOTT SYSTEMS HEATING & AIR
S
cott Systems Heating & Air in Pine Bluff is more than just a place people turn to for their heating, ventilation and air conditioning needs; it is a third-generation company with an innovative vision for the future of Arkansas. Joe Scott, grandfather of current CEO Jessica Crum, founded the business in 1977. Since then, the company has expanded to provide services across Arkansas, offering commercial and industrial HVAC installation, preventative maintenance, and repair services, as well as a 20,000-squarefoot shop that handles custom sheet metal fabrication and ductwork. “Papa Joe started his career at age 14 with an eighth-grade education, a scrappy work ethic and a knack for mechanical work,” Crum said. “He started Scott Systems in 1977, when Pine Bluff was right in the throes of building major commercial and industrial infrastructure, our company’s specialty. One of his very first newconstruction projects was Lakeside United Methodist Church, and we still service them to this day.” As a family-owned business, the company has the flexibility to offer an environment like none other to its team. Every employee receives a quarterly profit-sharing bonus, and the leadership team is accessible on a daily basis. There is a wealth of wisdom passed down through the generations of workers at the company. Many have been with Scott Systems for more than a decade, and some have even recruited their children, siblings and cousins to work at the business. “Three generations of family ownership means we think in decades, not just single projects,” Crum said. “To continue our legacy of excellence, we will be launching the first cohort of our Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program this fall.” HVAC is a trade that is largely invisible when done right, she said. After all, people rarely think about their air conditioning until it fails. That is why the company’s ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
“Three generations of family ownership means we think in decades, not just single projects.” Commercial & Industrial HVAC Service 870-536-9449 scottsystemshvac.com Scott Systems Heating & Air Scott Systems Heating & Air
success comes down to consistently doing quality work the first time and being there when something goes wrong. “We treat every client relationship like a long-term partnership, not a one-time transaction,” she said. “That means transparency, honest assessments, fair pricing and technicians who actually explain what’s happening with your system instead of just handing you a bill.” 101
The business offers 24/7 emergency service, and both leadership and technicians regularly participate in continuing education through organizations such as ASHRAE and Associated Builders and Contractors. Gearing up for its 50th anniversary next year, Scott Systems is laser-focused on positioning itself for the next generations of growth by expanding its commercial and industrial capabilities, investing in the team, growing its footprint across central Arkansas, and even building a custom software platform for in-house operations. Crum said Scott Systems plans to be a company Arkansans can count on for another 50 years. “Stepping into this role is the honor of my lifetime and a responsibility I don’t take lightly,” she said. “Scott Systems has always been more than a business to my family. It’s a legacy of service to this community, and I’m proud to carry that forward.” JULY 2026
amp | Masters in Their Fields | 2026 Master in Cosmetic Dentistry
SMILE ARKANSAS
L
ed by Dr. Jahon Zehtaban, Smile Arkansas provides state-of-the-art, comprehensive dentistry services to patients in Little Rock and beyond. In addition to general dental care, the practice specializes in cosmetic and restorative procedures designed to give patients their ideal healthy and beautiful smiles. Zehtaban was introduced to the idea of a career in dentistry as a teenager thanks to a neighbor, “an awesome guy who just so happened to be a dentist.” Though busy as a business owner, Zehtaban has found the work rewarding, especially since he is able to practice in his hometown of Little Rock. “It was important for me to come back and help the folks that I care for and that make our home so special,” he said. “My wife and I both decided that Little Rock was the only place we were interested in starting our careers and lives, and we are both proud to say that we are serving our community well.” Smile Arkansas is a leader in cosmetic and restorative procedures in central Arkansas and beyond, and as a part of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the clinic utilizes the latest proven techniques and technology to give patients their dream smiles. Given the increasing interest in cosmetic dentistry, patients appreciate the combination of convenience and expertise Smile Arkansas offers, allowing them to receive cosmetic dental, orthodontic and surgical care all under one roof. One of the most important lessons Zehtaban has learned is the vital role listening plays in delivering outstanding results. “In many general dental practices, it is common to have a lot going on at once, which can make it tough on the dentist to give each patient their undivided attention,” Zehtaban said. “Here at Smile Arkansas, we give each patient the attention that their needs deserve and customize a treatment plan specific to them.” As cosmetic dentistry becomes more
J U LY 2 026
Dr. Jahon Zehtaban
“We give each patient the attention that their needs deserve and customize a treatment plan specific to them.”
16524 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock 501-821-4200 smilearkansas.com
popular, the procedures available to patients improve. The last decade has seen huge leaps forward when it comes to implant dentistry, Zehtaban said, making for more comfortable and better-fitting results. With treatment modalities such as 102
the All-on-X technique, patients can leave the practice with brand-new implants the same day and avoid the multiple surgeries and temporary dentures required with other techniques. “With this technique and the ability to plan the entire surgery and location of the implants, you can have a patient leave with a brand-new, implant-supported smile that stays in full time that same day,” Zehtaban said. “It really is a game changer and something I see becoming more efficient and predictable in the coming years.” Combining the latest in treatment with patient-centered care, Zehtaban’s vision for the future of Smile Arkansas is to continue the clinic’s reputation for excellence — which spans more than three decades already — and build on it with more comprehensive full-mouth rehabilitation techniques. “At the end of the day, I want to continue giving the patients the best there is to offer in dentistry and experience,” Zehtaban said. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
AMP’s ‘Future Icons’ 2026 Who are Arkansas’ most influential up-and-comers? Who are the future drivers of the state’s economic engine, of its policy and culture? Readers once again helped us determine who the state’s real drivers are shaping up to be. Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to showcase its “Future Icons” for 2026. “Future Icons” represents those Arkansans — business, political, cultural leaders — recognized by AMP readers as poised to do big things in their fields. They could be up-and-comers, business leaders already established or industry veterans who have switched fields, but they all share one thing in common — from them, big things are expected. This year’s “Future Icons” honorees run the gamut of Arkansas industry, from financial advisors to economic developers. These exceptional Arkansans are highlighted in the pages that follow. Sponsored content ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
103
JULY 2026
Congratulations
to Bobby Batson for being one of Arkansas Money & Politics’ ‘Future Icons’ of 2026
F
resh on the heels of two major accomplishments — graduating high school and landing the top spot as AY About You’s inaugural Best Actor award — Arkansas’ own Bobby Batson is only keeping his foot on the gas from here. As an Arkansas Money & Politics ‘Future Icon’ of 2026, Batson is building on an already-impressive track record, with film and short credits going back to his very first commercial appearance at just 5 years old. Batson’s best-known role came in 2015, when he played Joe Piper in the Michael Polish-directed film 90 Minutes in Heaven. He followed that breakout performance up with parts in the film The 5th Wave and an episode of TNT’s Good Behavior in 2016, later adding to his filmography with a role in the 2018 horror mystery The Ghost Beyond. He most recently played the role of Aaron in 2025’s Blood Brothers: Life Harvest. Upcoming projects include Alien Eyes and The Underneath: In Fortune’s Shadow — both in post-production — and This is For the Kids, still in filming. In The Underneath — “A knight of the underworld has three days to find his adversary and his answer” — Batson will play a character named Ward. In upcoming horror sci-fi flick Alien Eyes, Batson plays the part of Shawn, which also gave him the chance to add a more villainous role to his artistic repertoire. “It was very fun playing the bad guy, although I hope I don’t fall into a niche like some actors do,” Batson told AY About You previously. “I enjoy a lot of different types of acting and roles.” The 18 year old is looking eagerly toward the next chapter in his journey, which will see him take to Atlanta and New York as he works on building up his career as a professional actor.
“I’m looking forward to playing new roles and hopefully being cast in more movies and TV shows,” he recently told AY About You in reference to his planned gap year. “If I’m able to get a strong foothold into acting, then that’s the career path I want to pursue, so I’m going to try to pursue it.”
(Photo by Matthew Sewell)
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING NEW ROLES AND HOPEFULLY BEING CAST IN MORE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS.” Sponsored content J U LY 2 026
104
ARMON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Congratulations to
JOSH WHITEHURST For Being Named A 2026 AMP Future Icon!
Congratulations Mason Doyne on being selected an AMP Future Icon for 2026.
BUILDING THE FUTURE WITH QUA LIT Y A ND INNOVATION
719 N. Main St. | North Little Rock 501-416-8812 mddoyne.com ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Mason Doyne
105
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Erica Akel
Akel’s Carpet One
Daniela Allen Signature Bank
Daniela Allen joined Signature Bank of Arkansas as a retail banker and has grown her career through hard work and passion for serving customers. After an initial promotion to loan coordinator, she now serves as a loan officer, helping individuals and businesses navigate the lending process with confidence and personalized service. Like Signature, Allen’s roots run deep in Fayetteville, and she is proud to build lasting relationships with the people and businesses that make northwest Arkansas home. She is always eager to support the small business community by shopping local and participating in community events. She enjoys staying active through fitness and wellness, volunteers as a pet sitter, and supports animal welfare efforts. She participates in community fundraising initiatives and values building connections through neighborhood networking groups.
Peyton Barnes Johnson&Johnson
Hayden Bates Synergetic Social
Bobby Batson Actor
Conway native Bobby Batson started his acting career at age 5, initially appearing in national commercials and local television productions. Batson is best known for playing the role of Joe Piper in the 2015 film 90 Minutes in Heaven, directed by Michael Polish. He followed that up with parts in the film The 5th Wave and an episode of TNT’s Good Behavior in 2016, later adding to his filmography with a role in the 2018 horror mystery The Ghost Beyond. He most recently played the role of Aaron in 2025’s Blood Brothers: Life Harvest. Upcoming projects include Alien Eyes and The Underneath: In Fortune’s Shadow — both in postproduction — and This is For the Kids, still in filming. Batson plans to further his acting career in Atlanta. J U LY 2 026
Keaton Beasley
Josh Briggs
Keaton Beasley is financial center manager at Simmons Bank in Bryant. A Hope native and graduate of Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, he has built a successful career in retail banking. Recognized by various local publications in addition to Arkansas Money & Politics, Beasley continues to build a reputation for servant leadership, professional excellence and a commitment to creating meaningful impact throughout Arkansas.
As construction accounting and finance analyst at Lexicon in Little Rock, Josh Briggs applies a strategic approach to corporate finance by translating financial metrics into actionable growth. Working alongside the construction group controller, Briggs manages critical job cost reports, inventory, project billing and data analysis. His expertise bridges corporate budgeting, financial modeling and operational oversight, allowing him to tell the story beyond the numbers. With a strong corporate banking background and a Master of Business Administration from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Briggs is redefining how financial analytics can drive long-term success and align project execution with overarching corporate vision.
Simmons Bank
Sherra Bennett
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Alexandra Benton
Arkansas Attorney General’s Office
Harper Blakey
The Law Offices of Katherine Blackmon
Harper Lee Blakey is a thirdyear law student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and has served as a law clerk at the Law Offices of Katherine Blackmon in Little Rock for more than a year. Recognized for her exceptional intelligence, unwavering work ethic and commitment to excellence, Blakey has been promoted to senior law clerk and has accepted an offer to join the firm as an associate attorney upon graduation. She developed the firm’s monthly charitable giving program, has played an integral role in developing internal systems and processes within the firm, and actively supports community initiatives throughout Arkansas, reflecting her passion for service beyond the practice of law. Regarded by Katherine Blackmon Carroll as both her “Mini-Me” and protege, Blakey is committed to carrying forward the firm’s nearly 30-year tradition of excellence while establishing herself as a future leader in the legal profession and the communities she serves.
Lexicon
Tim Campbell
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff
Tim Campbell serves as executive director of the Emerging Scholars Leadership Institute at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. There he leads workforce development and leadership initiatives that connect first-generation college students with internships and career opportunities. A TEDx speaker and returned Peace Corps volunteer, Campbell served as a community health facilitator in The Gambia, West Africa, for nearly three years and later delivered the keynote address for the U.S. Embassy in Japan. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UAPB and a Master of Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. Campbell served on Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement and has been honored in local publications.
Timothy Carr BronzMob
Katie Brewer BUF Studio
106
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Innovative Leadership in Action Brooklyn Pruett is a forward-thinking leader dedicated to improving the health and well-being of those we serve. With deep clinical expertise and a clear strategic vision, she helps ensure our members have access to the medications and treatments they need to live healthier lives. Brooklyn leads with curiosity, compassion and collaboration — empowering her team to enhance the member experience while driving better outcomes, especially for vulnerable populations. Her commitment to excellence helps take good care of our members every day.
Congratulations, Brooklyn, on being named an Arkansas Money & Politics 2026 Future Icon!
00927.05.01-v062626-1416
WE BELIEVE
in leadership KUDOS, TIM!
Tim Frith
Banking & Secured Transactions Commercial Litigation & Contract Disputes Bankruptcy & Creditor’s Rights Sports Law
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
107
JULY 2026
Alexandra Benton
That ‘Invisible Thread’
A
lexandra Benton never planned to launch a career path in government or politics. The Batesville native, an attorney on the staff of Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, understands that plans can be finicky things. “Man plans; God laughs,” she said. Benton, though, is all smiles in her role as deputy attorney general and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for Griffin. She joined his staff in January of 2023 after working for former Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s education-focused America Strong & Free nonprofit and as an associate for the Batesville law firm Blair & Stroud. Neither government nor politics were on her career radar after earning her Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis and spending a summer abroad studying international law at the University of Cambridge, but, as she noted, man only thinks he is in control. “Government and politics were never part of my plan, but c ommunity and public service have always been constant themes of any project or job that energized me,” she said. “I was drawn early to the idea that law and government are tools to solve real problems for Arkansans, and that sense of purpose never left. Over time, I found that working at the intersection of policy and law allowed me to have both a strategic and practical impact. While I did not map out every step, there was always an invisible thread pulling me toward a career where I could contribute to the public good.” Law, on the other hand — well, that was something that drew her in. “I loved being a student and didn’t want to stop learning, so pursuing higher education was always part of my plan,” Benton said. “Choosing the law ensured I would always be a student J U LY 2 026
because every day I am faced with a new question that requires research and analysis for my clients. The law offered both structure and flexibility. It gave me the ability to analyze complex issues, advocate effectively and help implement lasting solutions. That combination of intellectual rigor and real-world impact made the decision clear.” Studying at Cambridge’s Downing College gave Benton a deeper appreciation for the foundations of the U.S. legal system, she said. “Seeing firsthand how English common law shaped American law reinforced the importance of grounding legal interpretation in history and text,” she said. “It solidified my belief in an originalist and textualist approach, one that respects the Constitution and statutes as they were written and understood. That experience continues to guide how I think about law, governance and the proper role of the judiciary.” As director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Benton leads 108
By Mark Carter
a team she said serves as a bridge between state government and its partners at the federal, state and local levels. “In my role, I focus on coordination, communication and problem-solving across those layers,” she said. “That can mean working with agencies to align priorities, facilitating collaboration on major initiatives, or helping navigate regulatory and policy challenges. A key part of the job is ensuring that Arkansas speaks with a clear, consistent voice while also responding effectively to the needs of our communities. It is both strategic and operational work, and it requires strong relationships as much as it does legal and policy expertise.” Working for Hutchinson at America Strong & Free “changed the trajectory” of her life, Benton said. “He allowed me freedom to explore policy initiatives and to implement his vision. His event, America Leads: An Ideas Summit, was my largest project while working for him. Through it, we were able to showcase northwest Arkansas and bring in truly brilliant minds to speak on issues such as school choice, threats from foreign adversaries securing the border, faith and freedom, and entrepreneurship in the heartland — all issues we are still working toward and grappling with today. “I will forever be grateful he took a chance on a young lawyer from Independence County.” The work for Hutchinson prepared Benton for her role in Griffin’s office. “Today, I see the fruit of that work in my current role, where I get to work with my boss and second dad, Attorney General Tim Griffin,” she said. “He’s been a strong champion for these issues, and now I have the opportunity to work on the legal side to support the great work of Gov. [Sarah Huckabee] Sanders, her administration and the General Assembly.” ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
FUTURE ICONS
Congratulations to Brayden Finley
for being one of Arkansas Money & Politics’
P
‘Future Icons’ of 2026
lenty of 20-somethings are involved in the family business, but few have taken to it quite as well as Brayden Finley at just 21 years old. The young aquaculture specialist has been learning the ins and outs of Farm Cat and Stock My Pond since he started out at the family fish farm at 13, and he has since become an indispensable part of the company’s operations. “I remember at a very young age watching and helping my dad at the fish farm,” Finley said. “I knew very young this was going to be my career path, and I was a natural at it.” The multigenerational outfit Farm Cat, founded in 1985, added the Stock My Pond brand in 2008 to provide comprehensive pond construction, equipment and supplies, including eight distinct fish species. Finley’s expertise lies in custom pond construction design, lake and pond stocking, and the complex cross-country logistics of live-hauling freshwater fish using a specialized fleet of six trucks — no mean feat at any age, to be sure. “It is a 24/7 industry, requiring specific water temperatures, oxygen and pH levels for the fish to survive, even while traveling,” Finley said. “By starting young, I have learned it is a relationship business also. Transparency and trust are everything, especially when aquaculture market conditions can be unpredictable. Treating people like partners and being open builds trust and loyalty.”
A major misconception, he said, is that the fish are raised in dirty, crowded conditions. The truth is the business would not get very far carrying on that way, since it would put undue stress on the fish in ponds and while being delivered, not to mention causing poor growth overall. Finley’s is a technically demanding role, and his days start early to check every box when it comes to quality product and delivery. “I’m checking water temperatures, seining, grading and loading fish to be delivered, all while feeding the fish adequate, nutrient-dense feed,” he said. Not content with business as usual, Finley already has plans for growing the family business, with a big focus on expanding the Stock My Pond operation in various sectors. While it comes with additional pressure, Finley said it is an honor to uphold such a legacy. He has even already had a hand in introducing the next generation of fish farming professionals. “It is very rewarding to teach my nephew at the age of 5 about the different types of fish we raise, and he loves watching trucks being loaded,” Finley said. “I can see his interest and know he will be having his part in this industry, as well.”
Farm Cat • 501-286-5810 • Stock My Pond 109 • stockmypond.com
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Sponsored Content
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Cayla Christian
Nikki Courtney
Jordan Davidson, APRN
Cayla Christian is honored to be recognized as a “Future Icon.” An Arkansas native and Bryant High School graduate, she has spent the past four years at KATV Channel 7 News, where she serves as the Daybreak reporter and regularly fills in as an anchor. She developed her skill in media through programs at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. The daughter of pastor and principal Stephen and Masako Christian, Cayla has long been known across Arkansas for her singing, dancing, modeling and acting, including nearly a decade at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock. Today, she can also be seen emceeing events, hosts her podcast, C’s the Day, and pursuing various content creation endeavors.
Nikki Courtney is business development officer at Nabholz, where she works closely with clients and communities across Arkansas to build relationships and connect organizations with construction, industrial, environmental and specialty services. With a career spanning higher education, healthcare, communications and business development, she brings a unique combination of strategic leadership, community engagement and organizational development experience to her role. She recently graduated from Leadership Greater Little Rock’s Class XL and has been honored by local publications. She is a member of Rotary 99, Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas, Associated General Contractors of Arkansas and CareLink Coalition, and she has volunteered with the Arkansas Quapaw Quarter Association, the Arthritis Foundation, her church, and animal welfare causes.
With a strong emphasis on patientcentered care, nurse practitioner Jordan Davidson understands the significance of being heard and valued by a healthcare provider. She strives to create an environment where patients feel important and actively participate in their own healthcare journey. Specializing in a range of areas, including weight management, peptide therapy, hormone therapy, laser therapies, body contouring, microneedling, radio frequency microneedling, hair restoration, joint injections and injectables, Davidson offers comprehensive and cuttingedge treatments to address her patients’ needs.
KATV
David M. Cole, CPA, Esq. Moses Tucker Partners
David M. Cole serves as chief financial officer at Moses Tucker Partners, one of Arkansas’ leading commercial real estate and development firms. In his role, Cole helps oversee financial strategy, legal matters, capital structuring, tax planning and business operations across a diverse portfolio of development, investment and asset management projects. His work includes largescale multifamily, mixed-use and historic redevelopment projects with a focus on complex financing structures, tax credits, opportunity zones and long-term value creation. As both an attorney and certified public accountant, Cole brings a practical, multidisciplinary approach to real estate development, risk management and strategic growth throughout Arkansas. He is particularly focused on helping advance projects that strengthen communities, support economic growth and create lasting value across the state.
Alex Corjay, D.C. Roots Chiropractic
J U LY 2 026
Nabholz
Beyond Wellness
Bridget Davis Stage 13
Christina Day-Essary Norwood-Day Floral Co.
Nicole Dickie
Elyse Cullen
Peak State Recovery
Elyse Cullen is deputy director of the Argenta Downtown Council. She oversees marketing, communications, events, strategic partnerships and a creative team dedicated to promoting the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock through photography, social media and digital storytelling. Since joining the organization in 2023, she has helped expand community engagement, elevate the district’s regional visibility and support initiatives that drive tourism and economic development. Cullen is passionate about strengthening Arkansas communities through collaboration, creative placemaking and downtown revitalization, helping position Argenta as a destination for arts, culture, music and small business growth.
BloomBridge Corp.
Argenta Downtown Council
Kristin Daniel
Parity Financial Group
110
Jessica Doyne Mason Doyne
MD Doyne Construction Co.
Construction has always been a way of life for Mason Doyne. As a t h i rd - ge n e ra t i o n builder and the son of V. Dexter Doyne, who has led Doyne Construction Co. in North Little Rock for more than 40 years, Mason Doyne grew up learning that construction is ultimately about creating places where communities can thrive. As president of MD Doyne Construction for the past decade, Doyne has led projects that include the concourse flooring renovation at the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock and the Harry R. Kendall Health & Science Center nursing lab renovation at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, helping the university achieve accreditation to offer its registered nurse degree program. A graduate of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Leadership Greater Little Rock Class 34, Doyne was also the recipient of the Little Rock Regional Chamber 2023 Young Professional of the Year award. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
CONGRATULATIONS Tim Campbell on being named an AMP Future Icon for 2026
1 2 0 0
N o r t h
U n i v e r s i t y
D r i v e
|
P i n e
B l u f f
|
u a p b . e d u
U A P i n e B l u f f
u a p b
Congratulations
alex rogers! Your leadership, dedication, and commitment to our customers exemplify the values that make Baldwin & Shell strong. We’re proud to have you on our team!
baldwinshell.com | 501.374.8677 ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
111
JULY 2026
Say Yes to that Dream or Request! From a boat to a vacation, if you need the liquidity, you’ve got it with a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). Your banker is standing by (and says hello). That’s Signature.
Subject to Credit Approval
WWW.SIGNATURE.BANK 877-888-8550
J U LY 2 026
112
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
FUTURE ICONS
High school wrestling legend focused on building lasting legacy in home state Tanner Mann, CEPA, Financial Advisor, Raymond James
F
or Tanner Mann, financial advisor and certified exit planning advisor at the Little Rock office of Raymond James, success often comes down to great advice and the ability to act on it. As a wrestler growing up in Arkansas, Mann said he had the incredible fortune to learn from mentors such as four-time NCAA national champion Pat Smith, former Little Rock Central High School head coach Shawn Hickey and wrestling visionary Greg Hatcher. “Their guidance taught me how to adapt quickly and consistently improve, which truly fueled my rise in the sport of wrestling,” he said. “In my consulting career, I applied that same principle on a larger stage by working with businesses to provide clear, strategic advice that helped them solve complex problems.” Now a financial advisor after beginning his career in consulting, he has come full circle and is back home in Arkansas, doing what he has always done: providing great advice to help people make confident decisions. The only difference, he said, is that now his work is more personal and directly impactful to families. A third-generation student at Little Rock Central, Mann was one of the first nationally known high school wrestlers in Arkansas. He was a three-time state champion, a four-time All-State wrestler, and a three-time Arkansas Freestyle State Champion. He was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the state tournament three years in a row. In 2011, he was honored as WIN Magazine’s Arkansas Wrestler of the Year. Mann earned a Bachelor of Science in international business from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He went on to join DENSO, a Fortune 500 automotive technology company that allowed him to work in internal strategy and business planning around the world. He was later recruited into management consulting at West Monroe Partners, a boutique firm where he focused on
preacquisition value development and program management initiatives, including helping rebuild the energy grid in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Although he enjoyed problem-solving and working closely with clients, after eight years in Dallas, he and his wife were ready to return to Little Rock to be near family, and Mann had a realization about the kind of work he wanted to do. “Advising businesses on strategy was incredibly rewarding, but I wanted to help people on a more personal level and see the direct impact of my work on their lives,” he said. “In many ways, I came to view wealth management as good business strategy applied to personal finances, where the goal is to help clients achieve clarity and confidence in their financial future.” That realization, combined with his desire to make a difference in his home community, made the transition to wealth management a natural next step, he said. Looking ahead, he is focused on creating something enduring and impactful in his home state by building a financial practice that serves as a beacon of trusted guidance and mentoring the next generation of leaders in both the wrestling community and business. “I believe we all have a responsibility to lift others up,” he said. “The future will always have uncertainties and changes, but I want to make sure the values of hard work, resilience and great advice continue to create bright outcomes for Arkansas and the people I serve.”
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC raymondjames.com/manntanner Call: 501-558-4065 Text: 501-298-1616 12921 Cantrell Road, Suite 400, Little Rock ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Sponsored Content 113
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Madeline Dunlap theraPEDS
Raúl Fernández
North Little Rock Event Center
Raúl Fernández is a community leader, development professional and hospitality executive with 20-plus years of experience in the service, hospitality and nonprofit sectors. As director of development for the event center in North Little Rock, Fernández leads partnership development efforts to attract events, foster economic growth, and strengthen the North Little Rock Event Center’s role as a vibrant community gathering place for residents and visitors alike. Prior to joining the city of North Little Rock, Fernández served as executive director of Seis Puentes Hispanic outreach in North Little Rock, where he empowered communities through resultsoriented programs, responsible fiscal management and hands-on leadership. As a dedicated community advocate, Fernández currently serves as president of the board of directors for Senior Citizens Outreach in North Little Rock and sits on the boards of Pulaski County Youth Services, Argenta Contemporary Theatre and Arkansas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — Conexión de Negocios Latinos. Passionate about community development and service, Fernández is bilingual in English and Spanish and prides himself on collaborative leadership, strong financial stewardship, and a commitment to serving all communities throughout Arkansas.
Brayden Finley Farm Cat
Brayden Finley, 21, is an aquaculture specialist shaping the future of Arkansas agriculture at Farm Cat and Stock My Pond. His journey began at age 13 on his family’s fish farm, balancing rigorous hands-on training with his education at Cabot High School. Today, Finley specializes in custom pond construction design, lake stocking and the complex cross-country logistics of live-hauling freshwater fish using a specialized fleet of six trucks. His demanding technical role requires a deep mastery of water chemistry, feed ratio calculations, disease prevention and heavy infrastructure mainJ U LY 2 026
tenance, including commercial pumps and aerators. Finley helps lead a multigenerational legacy. Founded in 1985, the family-owned Farm Cat expanded in 2008 with Stock My Pond to provide comprehensive pond construction, equipment and supplies, including eight distinct fish species. Finley’s technical expertise and dedication ensure these historic companies continue to thrive on a national scale.
Camren Fischer Lexicon
Leveraging an extensive background in operations and public affairs research, Camren Fischer excels as a data analyst at Lexicon in Little Rock. Having recently earned a graduate certificate in operations management from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Fischer applies technical problem-solving and systematic data evaluation to streamline operational workflows. His professional foundation is built on deep structural analysis including academic and field research in international frameworks and regulatory impacts. Combining the leadership skills of a former varsity team captain at Princeton University in New Jersey with sharp interpersonal communication, Fischer is dedicated to translating intricate datasets into clear, impactful strategies for modern organizational challenges
Abby Freeman, CPA Bell & Co
Abby Freeman, joined Bell & Co. in 2014 and became a shareholder in 2024. As manager of the firm’s Conway office, she works with clients across a variety of industries, providing tax planning, compliance and advisory services. Freeman is especially passionate about mentoring and developing future certified public accountants, in the belief that investing in people is one of the most important parts of leadership. She is known for her collaborative leadership, technical expertise, and commitment to helping both clients and colleagues succeed.
Timothy Frith
Wright, Lindsey & Jennings
Timothy Frith is an attorney at Wright Lindsey Jennings in Little Rock representing businesses with issues related to secured transactions, bankruptcy and creditor’s rights. In his corporate practice, Frith assists entities with negotiating and obtaining tax credits and incentives for economic development projects. Frith brings his experience as a former collegiate baseball player to the WLJ Sports Law team. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Frith is a member of the Little Rock Regional Chamber’s Create Little Rock board of directors — the chamber’s young professionals’ organization. In 2025, he was honored as one of A&M-Texarkana’s Emerging Alumni Award recipients, and he serves on the alumni association’s board of directors. Later this year, Frith will be a Little Rock’s Finest honoree at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Arkansas Chapter event.
Charley Gardner, AIF Meridian Investment Advisors
Charley Gardner serves as director of retirement plan services at Meridian Investment Advisors in Little Rock, specializing in advising qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), 457, pension and 403(b) plans. He plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of this expanding area of the firm’s business, delivering strategic guidance and ongoing support to clients. A Little Rock native, Gardner graduated from Catholic High School for Boys before earning a degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in 2015. He and his wife, Jassa, are proud parents of three children: Remy Jo, Grady and Annie Caroline. Gardner is passionate about faith, family and finances — often enjoying these conversations on the golf course
Jordan Garner Ivy 35 Ventures
Ryan Gilbert Arvest Bank 114
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
115
JULY 2026
Noah Perry
Mastering the Market
N
oah Perry, accredited asset management specialist, a financial advisor at Raymond James, might never have realized his passion for finance were it not for a simulated stock market project he participated in during his senior year at Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock. “Each student managed their own portfolio and competed to grow their balance,” he said. “That sparked a lasting curiosity about investing and how money can work on our behalf.” He went on to study finance and marketing at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The summer before his senior year, he visited Raymond James in Memphis, one of the firm’s largest branches, which he joined soon after graduation last year. “What really drew me to Raymond James was the combination of the people I met and the culture. I was very impressed by the character of the advisors I met in Memphis and those here in Little Rock who I already knew had built their career with Raymond James,” he said. “The firm offers the best of both worlds. It’s a personalized, small-business feel, but it’s backed by Wall Street capabilities and resources of any big bank in the country.” As a 23-year-old financial advisor, he said his age can pose a challenge when it comes to attracting clients who prioritize experience, but he prefers to view his youth as an opportunity. “I have a lot of energy, a long-term perspective and a commitment to growing alongside people throughout their careers,” he said. “Additionally, as older financial advisors retire, I have the opportunity to guide [clients] and their
J U LY 2 026
children through times like that. I’ll often tell people that they’re likely going to retire before I do, and that offers peace of mind.” The key to early career success, he added, comes down to a few simple principles executed consistently: staying informed about current events and how they affect markets, interest rates and the broader economy; being intentional about being responsive to clients and maintaining proactive communication; and understanding the importance of patience and persistence. “Persistence and patience are critical,” he said. “I’ve learned that results do not always come immediately, especially in this business, but trusting that my consistent efforts will compound over time allows me to stay at it when things get a little slow.”
116
By Sarah DeClerk
He said he views his role as part financial advisor and part therapist. Money is an emotional topic for clients, he said, and especially when markets are down, it is important they have someone who can reassure them and encourage them to be consistent with their investments. “I talk with clients during all market conditions, but when the market is down, clients really appreciate a phone call from their financial advisor, explaining what’s happening, how it affects their investments and what needs to be done moving forward,” he said. “Oftentimes, it’s just to remain calm and stick to the plan we put in place. That reassurance goes a long way.” He advised young adults to start investing, stay consistent and take advantage of compounding interest. He encouraged investors of all ages to periodically review spending to determine what additional funds they may be able to put toward their investments or other areas of interest. Now back in Little Rock, he said he plans to earn his Certified Financial Planner designation and continue building his reputation as a trusted financial advisor while also getting more involved in the community and his alma maters. “There’s so much happening right now with artificial intelligence and technology, and so I’m getting into the business at an interesting time,” he said. “I’m just fascinated with what I’m able to learn and what I’m also able to gather from the people I talk to who do different things. That’s honestly what I enjoy most about what I do is meeting new people and hearing their stories.”
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
M
isenheimer Media began in 2013 as a side hustle rooted in wedding videography. What started with a camera, countless late-night edits and a desire to preserve meaningful moments gradually evolved into a full-service creative company serving businesses, schools, nonprofits and community organizations throughout south Arkansas. In 2026, founder and CEO J.W. Misenheimer has taken the leap to operate the company full time. Since then, Misenheimer Media has continued to flourish through long-term partnerships with monthly clients who trust the company to strengthen their content, expand public awareness and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.
Misenheimer Media provides video production, photography, drone services, social media management, graphic design, branding, website development, digital advertising, email marketing, press releases, headshots, event coverage and news-style storytelling. From commercials and promotional campaigns to websites, professional photography and ongoing content strategies, each project is developed around the client’s individual voice and goals. At its core, Misenheimer Media is built on relationships. Rather than creating a single piece of content and vanishing into the shrubbery, the company works alongside its clients month after month — helping them refine their message, tell their stories and build a stronger presence within the communities they serve. Scan to Work With Us:
870-310-4768 | misenheimermedia@gmail.com |
Misenheimer Media
Arkansas Money and Politics honors
Dr. Ryan Watley as a Future Icon for 2026
Go Forward Pine Bluff, with the mission of driving economic growth through programs, partnerships, and technology. In collaboration with many partners, we empower builders, visionaries, and doers to generate an educated, thriving, and inclusive community. Revitalization goes beyond physical development — it means generating opportunities that restore pride and ensure every resident has a stake in Pine Bluff’s future. In short: Build the People, and Pine Bluff will Keep Going Forward. 435 S. Main Street, Pine Bluff goforwardpinebluff.org GoForwardPB ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
117
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Molly Giles REMAX Homefinders
in the foster care system through fly-fishing and outdoor experiences. Hum is more than a finance professional — he is a nurse, coach, artist, athlete and advocate dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others.
Olivia Halsey
Hector Balada Jaime
Stage 13
Ethan Gray
Arkansas Governor’s Office
Olivia Halsey serves as an attorney in the office of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, where she reviews appointments to Arkansas boards and commissions, ensuring appointees meet all legal qualifications. Since passing the bar in August 2025, she has handled more than 200 appointment reviews and contributed to legal and policy initiatives. Halsey joined the governor’s team as a campaign staffer in 2021 and remained through law school, graduating cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law in 2025. She represented Arkansas as Miss Arkansas USA 2025 and placed in the Top 20 at Miss USA.
William T. Harris Heaton & Harris
Vanna Headley
Yellow Gorilla Marketing
William Holt
Capital Sotheby’s International Realty
Patrick Hum Stone Bank
Patrick Hum brings a steady, thoughtful, and forward-thinking approach to Stone Bank and has played an important role in the organization’s continued success. Hum joined Stone Bank in 2017 and now serves as vice president of accounting/ financial planner and analyst. His expertise, dedication and commitment to excellence have made him a valued member of the team. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Hum’s life reflects a rare combination of curiosity, compassion and service. Before joining Stone Bank, he earned a registered nursing diploma in 2009, beginning a path focused on helping others. Hum has also made a meaningful impact through his involvement with The Mayfly Project, mentoring children J U LY 2 026
Arkansas Department of Health
Matt Johnson, MBA, CFP, APMA Small Wealth Management
A financial advisor at Small Wealth Management in Little Rock, Matt Johnson, who has his Master of Business Administration, Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor credentials, has quickly established himself as one of the firm’s rising talents. After building his foundation at a multinational financial services company and a traditional asset manager — earning his Series 7, 63 and 65 along the way — Johnson joined Small Wealth Management in August 2024. In his first full year, he built a book of roughly 420 clients and is projecting a 66-percent increase in new assets under management this year. His arrival is part of a broader growth story: Small Wealth Management, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, has added 10 hires in the last 15 months, growing to a team of nearly 30 across Arkansas and Tulsa.
Walker Jones Mortgage Banker
For Walker Jones, mortgage banking is not just about connecting homebuyers to the right loan; it is also about helping clients navigate every step of the journey with confidence. Jones double majored in accounting and finance at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He started his career in public accounting before making the leap to mortgage banking. He has worked in major markets across the South, including Little Rock, northwest Arkansas, Dallas and New Orleans. He also enjoys giving back through mission trips and service to the local community. His mission is simple: to serve with integrity, provide expert guidance and help families open doors to places they are proud to call home. 118
Faith Langston
James A. Rogers Excavating
Growing up in a family rooted in the construction industry, Faith Langston developed an appreciation for the people and dedication behind every project. She joined James A. Rogers Excavating in 2024, where she supports the company and its sister companies through marketing, social media and communications and as an office manager assistant. Although entering the industry professionally came with a steep learning curve, Langston embraced the opportunity to learn from those around her. Every day, she wears many hats while gaining a deeper understanding of the planning, coordination and teamwork required to bring projects to life. Known for her approachable communication style, attention to detail, and commitment to representing the company with care and professionalism, Langston said she is grateful for the mentors and coworkers who continue to share their knowledge, allowing her to grow both professionally and personally. She is passionate about telling the stories behind the work, strengthening company culture and celebrating the people who make every project possible.
Hunter Lauderdale
Lauderdale Outdoor Services
Hunter Lauderdale founded Lauderdale Outdoor Services in Little Rock at age 17 with just a pickup truck and a dream. Today, the business boasts a fleet of 10 trucks and a 10-person crew providing a range of outdoor solutions across central Arkansas. Offering consistent, high-quality results in everything from patios and landscaping to sod installation and retaining wall construction, the company has steadily expanded its footprint by focusing on reliable execution and reinvesting in equipment, personnel and operational growth.
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Congratulations to Jordan Davidson on being named one of AMP’s Future Icons 2026!
Jordan Davidson, APRN (Hot Springs Location) With a strong emphasis on patient-centered care, Jordan understands the significance of being heard and valued by a healthcare provider. She strives to create an environment where patients feel important and actively participates in their own healthcare journey. Specializing in a range of areas, including weight management, peptide therapy, hormone therapy, laser therapies, body contouring, microneedling, radio frequency micro needling, hair restoration, joint injections, and injectables, Jordan offers comprehensive and cutting-edge treatments to address her patients’ needs.
H o t S p r i n g s | 2 52 5 5 A R - 5 J | L o n s d a l e , A R 72 0 87 *outside of HSV east gate
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
119
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Congratulations to Raúl Fernández for being one of Arkansas Money & Politics’
‘Future Icons’ of 2026
R
aúl Fernández has worked all kinds of jobs during the lead-up to his current position, from “being a nanny to three wonderful boys” to demanding executive leadership roles and a variety of stops in between. Thanks to this breadth of experience, Fernández has an eye for the big picture while never losing sight of all those crucial details it takes to bring a vision to life. “Most importantly, I’ve learned that building deeply rooted relationships can take you anywhere you want to go,” he said. As director of development at the North Little Rock Event Center, Fernández oversees business and building operations, leads the planning and execution of events, and supports client and community partnerships related to the newly opened, state-of-the-art facility. The space has already generated much buzz as a sought-after venue, and, as such, no two days are alike for the busy Fernández as he works to keep North Little Rock front and center for all kinds of conversations. “Some days I start at 6 a.m. Other days, I end at 2 a.m.,” he said. “The balancing act can be challenging, but all the hats I get to wear — and the feathers in them — are the best part of my job.” In addition to pride in his flourishing hometown, Fernández pointed out the tangible economic impact the event center has on the Argenta Arts District and the wider community. As people and events pour in, the event center drives growth for area hotels, restaurants and businesses. Every visitor is investing in the local economy, and Fernández called it “a great thing for North Little Rock.”
“Above almost anything else, seeing my city continue to grow under strong, consistent leadership and having the opportunity to be a part of it has been one of my greatest blessings,” he said. Fernández brings with him to the city of North Little Rock more than two decades of experience across service, hospitality and nonprofit work. A dedicated community advocate, he most recently served as executive director of Seis Puentes Hispanic Outreach. His passion for people is also evident in his wideranging community involvement, including spots on the boards of Senior Citizens Outreach, where he serves as president; Pulaski County Youth Services; Argenta Contemporary Theatre and Arkansas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — Conexión de Negocios Latinos. Fernández cited his parents and siblings as role models, both encouraging him to serve others and demonstrating it through their own lives and work. With that kind of strong foundation, and as one of Arkansas Money & Politics’ ‘Future Icons’ of 2026, it seems there is only one question left for Fernández to answer when it comes to his already bright career: What now? “I look forward to continuing to build my career with practicality, creativity and curiosity. I seek new challenges while sharpening the tools I already possess and helping the people right next to me,” Fernández said. “Who knows what’s next for me? Sometimes you just have to get in the car, start driving and see where life takes you.”
Sponsored Content
J U LY 2 026
120
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM ARMON
INVESTING FOR A RICH LIFE Realizing what you value.
Retirement Plan Services
CONGRATULATIONS
CHARLEY GARDNER, AIF® FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS AN AMP FUTURE ICON!
Charley Gardner serves as Director of Retirement Plan Services at Meridian Investment Advisors, where he leads one of the firm’s largest and fastestgrowing practice areas. He advises plan sponsors on qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), Profit-Sharing, 457 and 403(b) plans, providing strategic guidance, fiduciary support and investment oversight. Charley plays an integral role in strengthening client relationships and advancing the continued growth and development of Meridian’s retirement plan services. Administering retirement plans can be taxing for executive and HR teams. Charley’s hands-on approach emphasizes simplicity, allowing clients to stay focused on their most important goals. CGardner@MeridianIA.com | 501-663-7055
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
121
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Michael Leiterman Kinco Constructors
Michael Leiterman has been surrounded by construction his entire life. He was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, moved to Little Rock after second grade, and graduated from Little Rock Central High School. Many days when school was not in session were spent riding around, visiting his father’s construction job sites. Leiterman attended Oklahoma State University, where he initially pursued a degree in agricultural engineering and was a member of Phi Delta Theta. During college, he worked as a laborer for two summers with his father in Fayetteville and was a part-time carpenter for CStar Property Management in Stillwater. In addition to classwork and his part-time job, Leiterman ran Leiterman Custom Furniture, building heirloom-quality furniture. Those experiences ultimately led him to change his major to construction engineering technology and pursue a career in the construction industry. After graduating, Leiterman started at Kinco Constructors in Little Rock as a project coordinator. Near the completion of his first project, the CARTI Surgery Center, he was promoted to project manager and started managing his own jobs. His approach relies on relationship building, coordination, and maintaining cost and schedule control to deliver successful projects for owners. Having grown up around job sites, he brings a fieldminded approach to project management and values working closely with subcontractors and design partners to address challenges and keep the project moving forward.
Duke Lipsky
Halsey Real Estate
Duke Lipsky, agent at Halsey Real Estate in Jonesboro, has built one of the most productive real estate careers in northeast Arkansas — all before age 30. Over seven years, he has closed more than $100 million in residential sales and earned back-to-back titles as the No. 1 overall residential producer in the Northeast Arkansas MLS in 2024 and 2025. A 2023 AY About You “Men of Distinction” honoree and 2024 Leadership Jonesboro graduate, Lipsky came to real estate from an J U LY 2 026
agricultural sales background and also owns and manages his own real estate portfolio.
Tanner Mann Raymond James
Tanner Mann is a financial advisor at Raymond James in Little Rock. After nearly a decade in business strategy and consulting, he returned home to Arkansas to help individuals, families and business owners navigate the financial decisions that shape their futures. His work focuses on investment management, retirement planning, and long-term wealth strategies designed to bring clarity and confidence to important life transitions.
Nick McGlone Baptist Health
Nick McGlone is perioperative strategy analyst at Baptist Health, where he partners with clinical and operational leaders to improve quality, efficiency and financial performance across surgical service lines. With more than 16 years of healthcare analytics and strategy experience spanning both the provider and payer industries, he is passionate about leveraging data to solve complex problems and improve patient care. McGlone graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia and has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is active in professional and community leadership through the American College of Healthcare Executives, Leadership Clark County Class XI and involvement with his local church. He is committed to developing innovative solutions that strengthen healthcare in Arkansas with a focus on rural communities
122
J.W. Misenheimer Misenheimer Media
J.W. Misenheimer is a marketing professional, journalist and entrepreneur whose work centers on storytelling, community engagement and helping organizations grow. As founder and CEO of Misenheimer Media, he leads a full-service creative company providing content creation, video production, photography and digital marketing services for dozens of clients across Arkansas. A graduate of Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Misenheimer has built a multifaceted career spanning television news, behavioral health marketing, education and smallbusiness development. He is also the author of the forthcoming science-fiction novel The Alubian and remains actively involved in civic and service organizations throughout south Arkansas. He and his wife, Scarlett, live in the region with their son, Kai. Scarlett is marketing director for the El Dorado School District. The Misenheimers like to workout and spend their time outdoors when they are not shooting, editing or writing.
Vanessa Moody
Sen. Tom Cotton’s Office
Cameron Murphy Southwest Power Pool
Feather Parrish Elder Independence
Brooke Parsons Summit Utilities
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Congratulations to Steele Strauss on being named an AMP Future Icon.
1501 N. Pierce St. | Suite 107 | Little Rock 501-663-0505 thepropertygroupar.com FB: thepropertygroupAR Kaley Tucker, RPA Senior Property Manager | Partner
Simmons Bank is proud to celebrate Keaton Beasley, honored as a 2026 Future Icon, recognizing visionary talent, creativity, leadership and a bold global future shaping the industry’s next chapter.
Congratulations, Kaley!
Kaley’s leadership, professionalism, and commitment to serving clients exemplify the values that define Kelley Commercial Partners. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition and the impact she continues to make on our clients, our company, and commercial real estate across Arkansas.
501.375.3200 kelleycp.com ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
123
JULY 2026
Ryan Watley
Once in a Lifetime
O
ne day in 2015, Ryan Watley saw an ad in the Pine Bluff Commercial newspaper asking for people to volunteer at an organization called Go Forward Pine Bluff. “I had just moved back and was teaching at the time,” he said. “I saw it as an opportunity to be a part of change, and I jumped head in.” Watley is originally from Pine Bluff, graduating from Pine Bluff High School in 2008 and then attending UAPB on academic and football scholarships. After that, he went to the University of Oklahoma to earn a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. For his doctoral project, he led a research team focused on developing anticancer drugs. When he moved back to Pine Bluff, he began teaching at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, as well as working as the assistant director of development there. While working, he started volunteering for Go Forward Pine Bluff and led a research group for it. The organization’s leaders were impressed by his work and asked him to join the organization’s steering committee. He later became the leader of the steering committee for a few months before being asked to lead Go Forward Pine Bluff full time as CEO. “My career was definitely on a different trajectory before being asked by the vice chairwoman of the initiative to lead it,” he said. “I saw it as a once-ina-lifetime opportunity.” He went through a lot of training to feel “up to speed” with some aspects of his new role, but he also found that
J U LY 2 026
a lot of skills he learned throughout his education transferred to the CEO role. “Those critical-thinking skills, those problem-solving skills, that consistency — all those intangibles — play a huge role in my daily job,” he said. Throughout his time with the organization, he has helped secure $35 million dollars in funding through a sales tax and an additional $38 million through private donors, sponsors and grants. “Funding is everything with these types of projects and investments,” he said. Last summer, the organization cut the ribbon on Simmons Bank Park, a new retail and restaurant district. “It has served as a small-business and economic development launch pad, as well
1 24
By Alex Hardgrave
as a quality-of-life initiative because it has all the bells and whistles,” Watley said. A new family fun park is set to open soon, adding to attractions for locals and out-oftowners alike. The space, called Big Top Extreme, will feature go-karts, paintball, miniature golf, arcade games and more. “This is going to be big for the community,” Watley said. Attractions work to keep tax dollars in Pine Bluff versus people leaving the city for recreation, he said. Additionally, Watley is passionate about making sure citizens are set up with workforce skills so that they can continue to support and sustain the Pine Bluff economy and community. The work is also supported by a venture called The Generator, an innovation hub powered by Go Forward Pine Bluff. The Generator works to sustain the local population, attract new residents and cultivate tourism. Looking toward the future, Watley said he and Go Forward Pine Bluff are going to keep doing the necessary work. “We must continue to recruit investment into the city in all forms, whether it be housing, healthcare or small business,” he said. Watley shared the credit for his Future Icon designation with others, including former Mayor Shirley Washington, the Go Forward Pine Bluff board of directors, volunteers, his parents and his family. He added that he is proud of the work that has been done but does not plan to stop shaping the community’s future anytime soon. “We still have a lot more work to do,” he said.
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
FUTURE ICONS
Congratulations for being one of Arkansas Money & Politics ‘Future Icons’ of 2026 Olivia Ann Richardson
“
What appeals to me most about a legal career is the opportunity to solve problems and help people navigate some of the most important moments of their lives. I have always enjoyed advocacy and critical thinking, and the law allows me to combine those interests in a meaningful way.” So explained Olivia Ann Richardson, a third-year law student at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville. Her drive to help others led to her explore many options in high school, even volunteering in hospitals as she contemplated the medical field. An aptitude assessment, taken on the suggestion of her parents, later pointed Richardson in the direction of litigation law. “My parents, Keith and Robyn Richardson, have been the biggest influence on my decision to pursue law,” she said. “They have consistently encouraged me to work hard, think independently and pursue opportunities that challenge me. Every opportunity I have
(Photo by Kattie Hansen Photography)
been fortunate enough to receive is built upon the foundation they helped create, and I hope to make them proud every day.” Richardson’s law school experience thus far has only further confirmed the match, not to mention introducing her to a crucial line of support along the way. In the demanding, competitive and intellectually rigorous environment of legal education, one of the most rewarding parts of the journey, she said, has been the “incredible friendships.” “The friends I have made during law school have become some of my closest supporters, and we all have become each other’s biggest cheerleaders,” she said. “I know these relationships will last long after we cross the graduation stage.” Among Richardson’s accomplishments so far are serving as her class’s representative on the Student Bar Association, serving as president of the university’s Animal Legal Defense Fund chapter, and earning regular placement on the Dean’s List. She has also received two clerkships with law firm Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull, in addition to a clerkship with the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. “I am incredibly grateful for these opportunities, which have allowed me to gain practical legal experience while continuing to contribute to the law school community and grow academically,” she said. Richardson will have the chance to deepen her understanding of the law in a new context as she spends time abroad in Cambridge, England, this summer. She said she hopes to gain a broader perspective on legal systems outside the United States and develop a deeper understanding of how legal issues can be approached differently across jurisdictions. “Cambridge presents a unique opportunity to study law in an international setting while learning alongside students and professors from different universities,” she said. “Beyond the classroom, I’m excited to travel throughout Europe and build lasting relationships with other students.” As she looks forward to graduation in 2027, Richardson is exploring her options, though she is especially interested in real estate and business litigation, in addition to criminal law. Law school has taught Richardson that “some of the most rewarding opportunities are the ones that initially seem intimidating,” and she looks forward to saying “yes” to more challenges while growing both as a young attorney and as a young adult. “I am focused on learning as much as I can, building meaningful relationships and embracing whatever opportunities lie ahead,” she said. Richardson said she also hopes to be a resource for others pursuing a legal education. As the first person in her family to attend law school, she understands firsthand the challenges and rewards of navigating that uncertain terrain. “If sharing my experiences can make the path a little clearer for someone else, that would be one of the most meaningful accomplishments of all,” she said.
Sponsored Content ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
125
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Noah Perry, AAMS Raymond James
As a financial advisor at Raymond James, Noah Perry develops personalized strategies to address the complex needs of clients. He partners closely with households, corporate executives, legal professionals, healthcare professionals and business owners who seek the breadth and depth of capabilities reflective of a premier financial organization. He offers a curated experience, scaling Raymond James’ resources to a local level so clients can work toward establishing sound plans and legacies for generations to follow. Supported by the full resources of Raymond James, Perry helps clients navigate investment management, risk management, retirement planning, tax-efficient strategies, estate and trust planning, comprehensive fixed-income solutions, and more with the goal of building, preserving and transferring wealth across generations. After beginning his career in Memphis, where Perry had the opportunity to learn from some of the firm’s top advisors and develop alongside a highly
driven group of trainees in one of the firm’s largest branches, he chose to return to Arkansas and build his practice from the community that shaped him.
Spencer Pruitt
Brooklyn Pruett, PharmD
Abbey Redmon leads interior design efforts at WDD Architects, working collaboratively across both the architectural and interior design studio to create cohesive, high-performing spaces. A graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a bachelor’s degree in interior design, she joined WDD in 2022 and brings experience across commercial, higher education, healthcare and civic environments. With a background in award-winning commercial and luxury residential work, she guides projects from concept through completion with client-centered design direction.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Brooklyn Pruett serves as director of medical pharmacy at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she leads pharmacy strategy, clinical initiatives and cross-functional collaboration to improve patient outcomes and operational performance. Her leadership has helped advance access to evidence-based care while balancing affordability and quality for members. Pruett earned her Bachelor of Science in general science from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.
Mattie Pruitt
Whitetail Properties
Abbey Redmon WDD Architects
Garland Rice IV
Stallion Transportation Group
Group Health Captives
Congratulations
Michael Leiterman
Little Rock
Springdale
www.KincoConstructors.com
J U LY 2 026
1 26
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Congratulations, Harper! Harper Blakey; Mallory Wallace, Summer 2026 Law Clerk; Emma Turner, Fall 2026 Law Clerk
Harper Lee Blakey
Katherine Blackmon Carroll, Owner and Lead Attorney; Harper Blakey, Senior Law Clerk
2026 Best Family Law Firm
2026 Best Lawyer
The Law Offices of Katherine Blackmon is proud to congratulate Harper Lee Blakey on being recognized as a Future Icon — an honor that reflects not only her accomplishments, but also the character, leadership and heart she brings to everything she does. From her first day at the Law Offices of Katherine Blackmon, Harper has consistently exceeded expectations, distinguishing herself through intellectual curiosity, a collaborative spirit, and an extraordinary work ethic. She approaches every challenge with the mindset that there is always more to learn and another way to contribute. Whether assisting with complex legal research, trial preparation, mentoring new law clerks, or offering compassion and empathy to the firm’s clients, Harper continually looks for opportunities to strengthen both the firm and the community. While her legal abilities are exceptional, it is her character that truly sets her apart. One of Harper’s most meaningful contributions has been creating and developing our firm’s monthly charitable giving program. What began as an idea has become an important part of our culture, enabling our team to support organizations that serve individuals and families throughout Arkansas. Harper recognized that a successful law firm has both the opportunity and the responsibility to make a positive impact beyond the courtroom. Her vision, organization, and passion for service transformed that belief into an ongoing commitment that continues to strengthen both our firm and the communities we serve. It is no surprise that Harper has been promoted to Senior Law Clerk and has accepted an offer to join our firm as an associate attorney upon graduating from the William H. Bowen School of Law. Katherine Blackmon Carroll proudly refers to Harper as both her “mini me” and protégé — not simply because of her talent, but because of her integrity, leadership potential, and shared commitment to serving clients with both compassion and excellence. Harper, you represent the future of our profession, and we could not be prouder to celebrate this well-deserved recognition. Congratulations on being named a Future Icon. We look forward to watching you continue to grow, lead, and make a lasting difference in the lives of those you serve.
715 W. 2nd St. | Little Rock
501.372.7636 |
KEBlackmon
FUTURE ICONS
Olivia Richardson Law Student
Olivia Ann Richardson is a thirdyear law student at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, where she serves as her class’s 3L representative and president of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. She earned her undergraduate degrees in political science and criminology from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville before pursuing her legal education. She has earned regular placement on the dean’s list and has gained practical legal experience through clerkships with Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull and the Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Richardson’s interests include real estate, business litigation and advocacy. She will spend the summer studying at Cambridge Law in the United Kingdom, where she looks forward to gaining an international perspective on the legal profession. As the first person in her family to pursue law school, Richardson is passionate about mentoring aspiring law students and helping others navigate the path to a legal career. She plans
to continue building a career centered on service, problem-solving and lifelong learning.
Hana Settles
Alex Rogers
Matt Shaw
Baldwin & Shell Construction Co.
Alex Rogers earned a Bachelor of Science in construction management from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has been building his career in construction since 2006. Beginning as a laborer, he worked his way through the industry and now serves as project manager at Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. Rogers has successfully managed projects across a wide range of sectors, including K-12 education, healthcare, industrial, commercial, athletic, religious, retail and multifamily construction. Known for his proactive leadership, collaborative approach and commitment to integrity, he consistently delivers solutions that drive efficiency, build trust, and help ensure project success for customers and project teams alike.
Anna Russell Buttered Biscuit
CONGRATULATIONS TO AY MEDIA GROUP FOR WINNING 29 AWARDS AT THE ARKANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION BETTER NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL CONTEST, INCLUDING
THE APA’S TOP AWARD — GENERAL EXCELLENCE!
Clockwise from left:
Alex Hardgrave, Staff Writer Dwain Hebda, Editor-in-Chief Heather Baker, President & Publisher Mark Carter, Senior Editor Doug Crise, Staff Writer Mak Millard, Associate Editor Sarah DeClerk, Staff Writer & Copy Editor J U LY 2 026
128
Saracen Casino Resort Capital City Tree Service
Jonathan Stalnaker Weaver-Bailey Contractors
Liz Starr-Smith
Moses Tucker Partners
Liz Starr-Smith is director of corporate marketing at Moses Tucker Partners, Arkansas’ dominant full-service commercial real estate operation. She leads the firm’s corporate marketing strategy, overseeing brand management, public relations, digital marketing, content creation, event coordination, internal employee initiatives and property marketing. Her focus is on developing integrated strategies that drive transaction volume, amplify high-impact developments, enhance brand recognition and foster a people-first culture. Outside of work, she serves on the board of the Miss/Teen Greater Jacksonville and Central Arkansas Organization, part of the Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization, and is a passionate advocate for animal welfare. StarrSmith is dedicated to the continued revitalization of downtown Little Rock and to advancing projects that strengthen its identity as the cultural and economic heart of Arkansas.
Steele Strauss The Property Group
As a professional real estate advisor, Steele Strauss, real estate agent and sales associate at The Property Group in Little Rock, focuses on client satisfaction. Her business is about service, and she is not happy until her clients are happy. Her years in the business have provided her the experience to assist clients with nearly every real estate need. Whether finding a home, finding the best loan or helping clients get the most out of selling their homes, she is eager to guide them.
Emily Sundermeier City of Jacksonville
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
FUTURE ICONS
Opening Doors Walker Jones, Mortgage Banker
F
or Walker Jones, mortgage banking is not just about interest rates, paperwork or closing loans; it is about helping people achieve one of the biggest milestones of their lives. “Buying a home represents stability, opportunity and a place where memories are made,” he said. “I’m honored to play a role in making that possible.” Every client has a different story, he said. Whether that client is a firsttime homebuyer, a growing family needing more space or someone purchasing a forever home, his goal is to simplify what can often feel like a complicated process. Communication, education and trust are just as important as finding the right loan program, he said, allowing clients to understand every step of the journey and have confidence in their decisions. “I approach every transaction with the mindset that I’m not just financing a house — I’m helping someone build their future,” he said. “Seeing the excitement on closing day and knowing I’ve helped turn a dream into a reality is the most rewarding part of what I do.” At the end of the day, he added, his mission is simple: to serve people with integrity, provide expert guidance and help families open doors to places they are proud to call home. Jones brings a unique perspective to his work. A double major in accounting and finance from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville equipped him with a strong financial foundation. Starting his career in public accounting further strengthened his attention to detail, integrity, and commitment to serving clients with accuracy and professionalism. He has also gleaned invaluable insights while living and working in multiple markets across the South: Little Rock, northwest Arkansas, Dallas and New Orleans.
His work is equally influenced by his life experiences, which include helping others achieve meaningful goals through both mission work abroad and service to his local community, experiences that reinforced the importance of listening, building trust and putting people first. “For me, success isn’t measured solely by loans closed,” he said. “It’s measured by the relationships built and the positive impact I can make in the lives of the people I serve.” One of the biggest misconceptions in his line of work is that every lender provides essentially the same services and the interest rate is all that matters, he said. In fact, the level of service a mortgage banker provides can have a tremendous impact both on outcome and customer experience. “A great mortgage banker is much more than someone who processes paperwork,” he said. “We serve as financial advisors, problem-solvers and advocates throughout one of the most significant financial decisions our clients will ever make. Every borrower has a unique financial picture, and understanding how to structure the right loan while anticipating potential challenges requires experience and expertise.” Looking ahead, Jones said his vision is to grow both personally and professionally. He said he plans to remain at the forefront of the rapidly evolving mortgage industry and continue building his reputation as a trusted advisor who combines financial expertise with exceptional service. “Ultimately, success, for me, won’t be measured solely by the number of loans I close but by the lasting relationships I build, the families I help achieve homeownership and the positive impact I can make within my community,” he said. “If I can continue helping people reach their goals while raising the standard for service in our industry, I’ll consider that a successful career.”
Walker Jones 501-944-9113 Sponsored Content ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
129
JULY 2026
FUTURE ICONS
Travis Swanson, CFP, WMCP Camienne Financial
Kaley Tucker
Kelley Commercial Partners
Since joining the firm in 2015, Kaley Tucker has played an important role in helping Kelley Commercial Partners build one of Arkansas’ most trusted property management teams. With a strong focus on service, communication and follow-through, she represents the practical, relationship-focused leadership that KCP clients rely on every day. Of the 8.6 million square feet of property KCP manages, Tucker oversees 1.7 million square feet across central Arkansas, including Simmons Tower, one of the state’s most recognizable office buildings and a major business hub in downtown Little Rock. Tucker’s steady professionalism, attention to detail and long-term thinking have helped set the standard for how KCP protects property value, supports tenants, and serves owners and investors. Her recognition as one of Arkansas Money & Politics’ “Future Icons” highlights not only Tucker’s individual impact but also the strength of KCP’s entire property management team, which she helps lead.
Anna Claire Vocque
McClelland Consulting Engineers
Anna Claire Vocque is an Arkansas native and licensed professional engineer. She has been an integral part of the land development team at McClelland Consulting Engineers, where she serves as a project manager and associate, for the past four years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Vocque has contributed to several notable Arkansas projects, including the Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library in Little Rock, Little Rock Central High School, and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital expansion in Little Rock. She led the design of the Maumelle Pickleball Complex, which received the ASCE Small Project of the Year Award in 2024, and the Smith Daffodil Plaza at Wildwood Park for the Arts in Little J U LY 2 026
Rock, which earned an ACEC Excellence Award the same year. Committed to mentoring future engineers, she serves on McClelland Consulting Engineers’ intern committee and volunteered with the National Association of Women in Construction’s Block Kids Committee in 2024. She is also actively involved with Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary and St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock.
Lauren Waldrip
Arkansas Advanced Energy Association
Nathan Waldrip Armor Bank
Ryan L. Watley, Ph.D. Go Forward Pine Bluff
Ryan L. Watley is a native of Pine Bluff and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Oklahoma. Since becoming CEO of Go Forward Pine Bluff in 2017, Watley has led collaborative initiatives that strengthen economic development, education, government infrastructure and quality of life. Under his leadership, strategic public-private partnerships have generated more than $73 million in investments for the Pine Bluff community. A graduate of Leadership Arkansas Class XIV and OU Economic Development Institute, Watley is recognized for bringing together business, government, philanthropy and community stakeholders to create lasting impact. He remains committed to a more prosperous future for Pine Bluff and southeast Arkansas.
Susanna Watt
for the Arkansas Bar Association-sponsored Administrative Law Review, the senior articles editor for the American University Legislation and Policy Brief, and vice president of the nationally ranked WCL Mock Trial Honor Society. After law school, she clerked for judgein-chambers at the Superior Court for the District of Columbia and worked as an associate attorney at Homer Law Chartered, where she specialized in administrative law, federal Indian law and regulated gaming.
Josh Whitehurst First Orion
Josh Whitehurst is head of product at First Orion, where he leads product strategy, innovation and market growth initiatives for the company’s trusted communications platform. He oversees all product functions and is responsible for solutions spanning branded calling, branded messaging, call authentication, reputation management and consumer protection. Whitehurst works closely with mobile operators, organizations across the business spectrum — from small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises — and industry stakeholders to advance technologies that help restore trust in voice and messaging communications. His work focuses on creating secure, authenticated customer experiences while combating fraud, spoofing and unwanted communications. Before joining First Orion, Whitehurst co-founded both a telemedicine startup and a marketing consulting firm. He is a frequent contributor to industry conversations on trusted communications, digital identity and the future of customer engagement
Joseph Whitfield
Anchor Strategy
City of Helena-West Helena
Austin Watters Capitol Glass
Brittany Webb McDaniel Wolff
Brittany Webb is a member at McDaniel Wolff. Webb’s practice focuses on commercial litigation, appeals, divorce and family law, as well as government relations. While in law school, Webb was a staffer 13 0
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Your Goals. Your Future. Your Legacy. Whether you’re just getting started, planning for retirement, or somewhere in between, Financial Advisor Matthew Johnson, MBA, CFP®, APMA®, is committed to helping individuals and families pursue their goals with confidence through personalized financial guidance. Let’s start the conversation: (501) 975-7968 caitlyn.small@ampf.com Small Wealth Management is a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and CFP certification mark (with plaque design) in the U.S. © 2026 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
SUBSCRIBE TO AMP Our mission is to provide the most relevant information in the world of business and politics. Go to armoneyandpolitics.com and click on the subscribe tab.
CONGRATULATIONS
Only $30 a year! DECEMB
litics.com
eyandpo
4/armon
ER 202
JULY 2026 /armoney
andpolitic
s.com
the
T C E T I H A C I MING AR HIGH
Brittany Webb
guiding Horn on atus Dave Vaneball to elite st Hogs bas
x ATING 10
YEARS
amp
CELEBR
Arkansas
Money
& Politics
y ing | Energ nufactur INSIDE: omen | Ma Business
rW TOPINSIDE: Powe TEN
$10 USD
Services
Col. Bret Echard, Little Roc k Air Forc Comman e Base der, 19th Airlift Win g
| Educati on | Futur e Icons
www.McDanielWolff.com
$10 USD
501.954.8000 1307 West 4th Street, Little Rock, AR 72201 ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
13 1
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS VISIONARY
A HEAD FOR BUSINESS Gary Head’s banking empire rests on relationships By Dwain Hebda / Photos by Jane Colclasure
J U LY 2 026
1 32
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
I
“Young people these days will say, ‘I’m interviewing for a n many ways, Signature Bank of Arkansas is just like many position at the bank,’” he said. “Well, we don’t have ‘positions.’ other financial institutions, offering checking accounts and We have jobs, you know, and you’ve got to do it, and you’ve got business loans with a side of wealth management thrown to do it better than the guy next to you if you want to be proin for good measure. moted. That’s just the way life works.” At its core, however, the northwest Arkansas success story is The fundamentals always sound easy, but Head is a living unlike anything to be found in the Natural State, or any other testament to the lifelong effort it takes to master them. His edstate for that matter. The bank offers a different kind of ethos ucation began with his father, Joe, and paternal grandfather, — more relaxed, more congenial, more Arkansan — than most George, two men whose career pathways converged into his of the other guys. In a world full of well-cut suits and corporate personal worldview and philosophy for success. boilerplates, Signature is not afraid to be itself and consistent“My father was a rural mail carrier, and he taught me a lesly so, whether among customers blue collar or billionaire. son when I was very young,” he said. “Once upon a time, I got A few minutes in conversation with Gary Head, chairman, a little too proud of myself, and he explained to me quickly president and CEO, quickly reveals why. Head founded the that the worst drunk in town could drink more than me, but it bank in 2005 after years in the industry with the steadfast bedidn’t make me better than them. lief that banking could be done differently than it had always “My grandfather was a savings and loan president in been. In a world where technology continues to streamline Springfield, and he was old school. He always used to tell me, and sanitize the banking experience, Head preaches employ‘You don’t put your hands in your pockets. You wear ees get their hands dirty, figuratively speaking, by your jacket, you button the top button. You’re embracing clients as people first and probthe first one there and the last one to leave.’ lems as opportunities. GARY HEAD ON PURPOSE Good manners mattered, so you’d better “I don’t spend any time looking back“I talk to a lot of groups about say ‘Yes, sir,’ ‘No, sir,’ and ‘Yes, ma’am,’ ward. That’s how you get run over,” being an entrepreneur, but I didn’t know and ‘No, ma’am,’ every time someone he said. “I spend a lot of time in my anything about it until I had to be one. I quit spoke to you.” job as chairman making sure this a CEO job at age 43 to start this bank with a After high school, the Eureka culture holds. I mean, I know evstarter kit that was a big fat nothing. There was a Springs native headed for Arkanery employee from Jonesboro to lot to learn and lot to do, and my advice to anyone sas Tech University in RussellBrinkley to Harrison, Arkansas. is you really have to want to do what you’re doing. ville with the intention of playThey don’t have to wonder what You can’t be doing it because you think, hey, I ing baseball, except when he got I think; they know what I think can make a lot of money if I do this. I think many there, the head coach bolted for because I tell them constantly, entrepreneurs like the shiny parts, but they don’t another job, and his replacement ‘Here’s how we do it. Here’s what know what the rest of the story is going to be. was more keen on local kids than we’re going to do. Here’s why There’s going to be some really tough days, northwest Arkansas expats. After a we’ve been successful.’ I remind but what you learn is if you can handle year, Head transferred to the Univerthem of that all the time because it the worst side of this deal, the sity of Arkansas in Fayetteville to figure is critical in our success.” best side’s gravy.” out what to do with the rest of his life. It is not exactly headline material to Outside of class, he did just that, meeting hear a CEO, banking or otherwise, crow and marrying his wife, Teri, creating a union that about the uniqueness of their company’s culis approaching its 44th anniversary. Academically, howture as a platform for success, but in Head’s case, it is ever, little progress was made by the self-described middling hard to argue. Plainspoken and self-deprecating to a fault, he student who did not like school to begin with until he landed has built an institution on feel, the better to focus on what is in a banking class. most important and to meet people — employees and custom“Dr. John Dominick was the chair of banking at the U of A, and ers alike — right where they are. I took his banking class, and I made an ‘A,’” he said. “I wasn’t an ‘A’ In that effort, he has skewered several of the industry’s sastudent; I didn’t like school, and all I wanted was out, but I made cred cows, right down to the suit and tie held as mandatory ‘A’s in his classes and decided banking is what I wanted to do.” in banking for generations. Signature Bank is also known for Clutching a freshly awarded degree in business administrainnovation, a characteristic not always revered in banking, intion, Head started his career in 1982 at McIlroy Bank, the oldest cluding launching Banco Si!, the state’s first fully bilingual fiinstitution in Arkansas. Since there was a recession on, he took nancial institution. what was offered — file clerk, a bottom-of-the-ladder job that Talking about such accomplishments is a study in deflectstill took Dominick’s endorsement and counsel to land. Knowing praise; to hear Head tell it, all he did in the 21 years of the ing that and wanting to advance, Head made the most out of bank’s existence was hire well and pass out hugs. While both the lowly post, updating the bank’s credit file system. of those are true — in the latter’s case, quite literally, as Signa“That first job was building credit files in the back room of McElture employees well know — there is much more current running through the wires that Head learned the hard way. roy Bank,” he said. “How lucky could I be that there were only two
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
13 3
JULY 2026
ARKANSAS VISIONARY
gab. He liked to talk, and I think I inherited that,” he said. “I banks that failed, so half the people in Fayetteville had a credit became a good salesman because I wasn’t afraid to bring a file. I had to read every single one because that’s the only way conversation up to people I didn’t know, and I could quickly you could build this new system. It was quite a deal. find something in common with them, knowing someone or “I knew until I finished that job I wasn’t going to get having done something in common. If you can find commonanother one, so, man, I tell you something — I worked. ality, you can build a conversaI worked so much overtime. tion based on that.” They didn’t know it, but I would He was so good, Head was go in early. I would work late. GARY HEAD ON NETWORKING soon recruited to First State Bank Then I’d sneak back in there “I spoke to a bunch of college kids recently, in Springdale in 1984 thanks to at night because there wasn’t and I told them the best advice I could give satisfied-client-turned-mentor anybody going to help me do it. them was the bigger your Rolodex — or for Jim Lindsey of the Walton FounThe blessing of that was I read them, their contacts list — the better. Coach dation. Three years later, McIlall those files, so I knew every[Frank] Broyles had a giant Rolodex, and he roy Bank was purchased by Jim body’s credit. I saw [Walmart was smart enough to call people and ask Walton’s Arvest Bank Group, founder] Sam Walton’s declinatheir opinion. I watched him hire a football and, in 1988, again on Lindsey’s tion letters, for gosh sakes, becoach one time, and he called Barry Switzer advice and recommendation, cause he was trying to borrow about the candidate. He called Jerry Jones. Head came back to his former more money at that time.” He called people who were successful. Most bank, ultimately being promotHead emerged from the file people look at someone successful and think, ed to CEO in 1999. room as one of the most versed well, you’re the smartest guy in the world. Having attained the top post loan officers in the company, an Well, no, you’re not, but if you know enough within a banking company attribute that drew customers people who are smart, you can combine all backed by a member of the Wallike moths to a flame, wonderthat information. That’s the way I’ve tried to ton family would seem like a ing how this fresh face knew so travel through life — if I know a lot of really golden ticket to most people, esmuch about them. From there, pecially in Arkansas, but Head his natural charisma and salessmart people, somebody can probably help found himself growing restless. manship took over. me.” Finally, wanting to stake his own “My dad had a great gift of J U LY 2 026
13 4
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
GARY HEAD ON LEADERSHIP
“People have to trust you implicitly. They won’t follow someone they don’t trust. Trust is more important than admiration. Trust is more important than fear, like in the old days when you and I first started, when it was do this or else. I don’t do negative. I don’t like negative. I mean, we’ve all gone through some tough times in our lives, but I never felt you managed your way out of it by threatening people. I think whatever success I’ve had is because people really trusted me to do the right thing and that I’m willing do the very things I’m asking them to do. I picked up trash at our Fayetteville office with a bucket and a picker, and they’re like, ‘What are you doing? Picking up the trash?’ Well, did you not look out here and see all this trash? Hell, I did, and I can’t stand it. I’ve got to pick it up. You just have to be the person that you profess to be all the time. Everybody’s watching you.”
“No one knew I was leaving before I did it,” he said. “I went to my chief operating officer. I went to her house to tell her, and I knocked on her door and said, ‘I’m leaving.’ She goes, ‘Well, I’m going with you.’ Her husband was sitting over there, and he goes, ‘You got a chief lending officer?’ I said, ‘No, sir.’ He goes, ‘You do now.’ He hired himself, and I wasn’t going to argue with him. He was Special Forces, Green Beret, two tours in Vietnam. You didn’t argue with him, plus he was really good at what he did. “So I leave my job, and two hours later, I’ve got a chief operating officer and a chief lending officer that I would put up against anybody on the planet. Over the next week, 38 people called and quit and went with me. It was unbelievable that that many people thought that much of me to just say, ‘Hey, I’m going to go wherever you go. I’m going with you.’
GARY HEAD ON PERSEVERANCE
“There’s a difference between being afraid and being a coward, you know? Cowards quit, and I never did like a quitter. I have this one client, one of my best clients today, who I called on for 17 years. He was loyal to his bank, and I never said a bad word about the person he was banking with because the guy was good. I just kept saying, ‘Look, if it ever happens, call me,’ because my personality and his were good together. One day, after 17 years of this, he calls me, and he goes, ‘You still want my business?’ I said, ‘I’ll be there in an hour,’ and I drove out there. That was 12 years ago. People hear that story and they’re like, ‘Seventeen years? Are you crazy?’ Yeah, probably I am.”
claim in a corner of the state primed to boom, he raised more than $45 million in capital through an initial stock offering and another $15 million in an offering shortly thereafter. While those numbers are proof enough of the confidence he had built in others during his time in the industry, several lesser-known elements happened behind the scenes that also spoke to his standing, from the patronage of the state’s business giants to the employees who jumped on for the ride. GARY HEAD ON AUTHENTICITY
“I learned a long time ago I ain’t for everybody, and that’s OK. I can live with that. I remember as a young lender, people would call, and they’re like, ‘Well, I’ve got to go home and clean up to come down the bank.’ I used to think, ‘Wait a minute, I’m selling you money. That’s what loans are. Why should you dress up to come see me?’ so when we started the bank, we focused on a culture where we want to be subservient to our clients. We want to act with a sense of urgency because nobody wants to wait two weeks for an answer. We say, ‘Yes sir,’ ‘No, sir,’ and we call people back. None of that stuff is rocket science. We just sell money like the milkman sells milk. We’re not better than him. In fact, if you’re sitting there, trying to eat Cheerios, the milkman is actually better than the banker, so get over yourself, and don’t think you’re better than you are because the truth is there’s a lot of other people selling money besides us. The client’s got to like you more.”
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Today, Signature Bank operates 10 locations from northwest Arkansas to northeast Arkansas to the Delta, employing 225 people. At age 66, Head is at the height of his powers, having stocked the management larder with the best and brightest. He is known professionally as an innovative, straight-shooting businessman and personally as someone with a heart the size of the Ouachitas. Life is good, he will tell you, when you spend your days trying to make others’ lives better, a simple mission of deceptive complexity that he learned from one of his most famous clients. “Most people think Coach [Frank] Broyles just thought about X’s and O’s, but he was one of the most intelligent guys,” Head said. “The best advice I ever got in my life, that I use every day, Coach Broyles used to beat it into my head. I bet he told me a hundred times; in that Georgia accent of his, he would say, ‘You can never have too many friends.’” 1 35
JULY 2026
FEATURE
No One Left Behind
Scars and Stripes founder leans on authenticity to help fellow vets By Dwain Hebda
Jared and Tayler Eakin (Photos provided)
A
ll Jared Eakin ever wanted to do was serve. The Smackover native joined the U.S. Army in 2010, after twiddling away two years in college that did not do much for him. Eager to travel, he recalled just how green he was as he headed to find his adventure. “The very first time I ever flew on an airplane was leaving Little Rock to basic training,” he said, “and then, 2 1/2 months later, I was jumping out of them.” Eakin found in the Army everything he was looking for in life and quickly, making up his mind almost immediately that he wanted to be a career soldier. Three years later, he was back home, an injury ending his military career and, in the process, loosening every mooring of purpose he knew. “It was devastating to me. I couldn’t really face it at first,” he said. “Being from a small town and being at a young age, I didn’t know what being expendable was. I was always good at sports growing up. I was kind of always good at everything. I wasn’t prepared for the big world yet.” The wolves of the world feasted on the drifting vet as he J U LY 2 026
dabbled in paramilitary work and got into and out of a bad marriage. Mainly what he did was overmedicate, which led to a host of other problems. “I kind of just ran away from the mental health aspect and the internal and external injuries I had at the time,” he said. “Back then, the [Department of Veterans Affairs] was heavily prescribing opioids, and that led to some addiction issues and even legal issues and, you know, some dark roads.” The day his life irrevocably changed was an ordinary one. Embittered at life and frustrated by the inscrutable maze required for getting his government benefits, Eakin remembers sitting in a VA waiting room at 8 a.m. when a version of himself stumbled into a chair. “I’m waiting on an appointment, aggravated, and this veteran walks up, about my age,” he said. “I’ll never forget him. He smelled like he had just left the bar, and I remember thinking, man, I know how this guy feels — you know, just kind of exhausted, fed up. “I said, ‘Hey, do you want to go outside and have a cigar?’ and he 13 6
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
said yeah, so we went out there, and we ended up smoking a cigar and talking for hours — missed both of our appointments just telling stories and laughing and crying. At the end of it, he said, ‘I want to thank you. You saved my life.’” Eakin dismissed the comment as exaggeration, and seeing that, his new acquaintance leaned in harder. The man asked him to come over to his vehicle. “I was like, ‘No, no, no, I just talked with you,’ and he walked me out to the parking lot of the VA medical center in Little Rock. He had a suicide note and a pistol in his truck. He said, ‘I was going to kill myself when I came out of here today,’” Eakin said. “That hit me so hard. Right then, that interaction showed me how I could go on serving in a different capacity.” Eakin’s life since then has been a comeback story that saw him get sober, complete college en route to working in addiction counseling, settle down with the love of his life, and ultimately launch Scars and Stripes. Through the Hot Springs-based nonprofit, Eakins and his team, which includes his wife, Tayler, helps veterans struggling the way he once did. “All the resources are there, but it can be hard to navigate and find them. There’s a lot of red tape and a huge, long wait time. A lot of veterans fall through the cracks,” he said. “That was relatable to me, and, in 2019, I just had the complete mind shift around using what I’ve been through, realizing how many other veterans in some way are going through something similar. That’s when we started Scars and Stripes.” The organization addresses broad areas of need within the veteran population, including community outreach, by which Scars and Stripes connects individuals to a range of available resources. It also works to help veterans involved in the justice system, conducts anger management classes and serves as a critical first line of help for those contemplating suicide. The group also helps veterans meet more immediate needs, such as rental and utility assistance, transportation support, and help securing identification and vital documents, a caseload that averages between 40 and 50 clients a month. The group’s mission has caught the attention of national and community partners, one of the most important being Friends of the Hot Springs Community Resource Center, which provides a base of operations. Earlier this year, the organization announced a new partnership with Ouachita Behavioral Health & Wellness, ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Ribbon cutting at Ouachita Behavioral Health and Wellness
which will combine clinical behavioral healthcare with case management, housing support and benefits navigation. Services through Scars and Stripes are provided at no cost. Eakins has a long list of success stories through his work, but it is the gut-wrenching ones about vets who are lost despite Scars and Stripes’ best efforts that propel him forward. Eakin wants the organization to be more responsive, more accessible and more in the path of the lonely heroes heading to their own personal parking lots to author their lives’ sad final chapter — a chapter that, but for a couple of cigars, might have been his. “I didn’t have to pick this, to do this,” he said, “but it helps me in my healing journey. I was sitting there, going through everything that I was going through, feeling alone. All the services were there, but I didn’t know it. I didn’t have anybody there to talk to who was willing to help. When I started this, I wanted be that person. “I’ve known a lot of loss, but I’ve been able to use any negative situation, the embarrassing things that I’ve done in the past or things I may be ashamed of, as a way to motivate, to do better, be better and help someone else to do better. I use those experiences to help them out of it and show that it is possible to be a productive member of society and come back from those scars. Turning scars into strength is my thing.” To learn more, visit scarsandstripesinc.org. If you are in immediate need of someone to talk to, call the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988, and then press 1.
Meet Logan — A Success Story
Logan is a man who has faced more than most people ever will: loss, health struggles, a season of homelessness after losing his wife. Through it all, he kept showing up with positivity and hope. For a long time, that meant jiggling something under the hood just to get his car started or climbing in through the passenger door. After defeating homelessness, all he wanted was a fighting chance. Through Scars and Stripes, Logan was nominated to receive a vehicle through the National Auto Body Council and won, receiving the keys in March. (Logan’s last name has been withheld for privacy.)
1 37
JULY 2026
SMALL BUSINESS
E
very holiday has its own set of traditions that create memories and evoke fondness through the years. For Independence Day, that means fireworks. “Meeting all the people that come out and seeing how excited the kids are is pretty satisfying,” said Doug Schneider, who co-owns Torpedo Joe’s Fireworks in Little Rock with his brother and sister. “The kids walk in, and you see how big their eyes get. They just can’t believe how many fireworks are in the store. The parents are just like kids, some of them. It’s just great seeing the families come out and making that tradition.” Fireworks are one of those things everyone has experienced, from varying degrees of proximity. Almost nobody can say they have never seen at least one pyrotechnic display, even if it was just on television, since they are increasingly used during sporting events, New Year’s Eve and other non-July 4 occasions.
Fireworks stands an integral part of July 4
By Dwain Hebda
“My brother-in-law and my brother actually started the business, and after a couple of years, the business was kind of growing a little bit,” Schneider said. “My brother and his wife were having a baby. The due date was, like, June 26, and they approached my wife, Brooke, and I and wanted to know if we wanted to come on board. My first question was, ‘How many weekends do I have to miss at the lake for this?’” The store’s original structure was a building the family used to house their man toys, which were a pain to move in and out every year. It was air conditioned, however, which more than made up for the inconvenience. It also appealed to customers so much that four years ago, the owners built a dedicated building just for the fireworks. It is a setup that Jamey Johnson, who ran fireworks stands from 1976 to the early 1990s, would have killed for back in the day. Johnson built a miniature fireworks empire with a partner, the late Ronald “Rick” Harkins. Jamey Johnson and Ronald Harkins “My wife at the time and I were youth directors for our church, and we sold fireworks during the summer as a moneymaking project,” Johnson said. “From there, Rick and I started out on a business venture of fireworks stands. Of course, we started out small back then. I think the first year we may have had six locations.” The duo’s venture got a big break when Walmart founder Sam Walton approached the head of OK Fireworks in Tulsa, Johnson and Harkins’ supplier, with an idea that would help both companies. A young Heather Baker, sales girl extraordinaire, awaits “OK Fireworks Corp. was approached many years ago by Sam customers (Photos provided by Heather Baker) Walton when he got started in his Walmart stores. He was trying
The number of people who have indulged in consumer-grade fireworks is undeniably smaller but still represents a wide swath of the American population. Those who did will never forget the thrill of lighting Black Cats all day or sending bottle rockets whistling skyward. When darkness fell, American neighborhoods from Cape Cod to Capistrano echoed with the sound of firecrackers, glittering with sparks and sparklers. Schneider and entrepreneurs like him feed those family and neighborhood traditions through a highly orchestrated and impeccably timed business operation. Sixteen years ago, Torpedo Joe’s was born as a sideline to the family’s landscaping business under a cheap tent. Today, Torpedo Joe’s occupies its own 4,800-square-foot air-conditioned building that is not only more secure but a lot more comfortable for clients and staff alike.
J U LY 2 026
13 8
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Co-owners Mark, left, and Doug Schneider (Photos by DeWaine Duncan)
to come up with some motivation to get people to come into his stores during the hot summer months,” Johnson said. “He worked out a business deal where [OK Fireworks] could put one of his fireworks stands on every Walmart parking lot, provided there wasn’t a city ordinance that prohibited such. I had, at one time, 11 Walmart accounts, and I had one Sam’s, which was in Sherwood.” The stands proved consistently popular — even launching the sales career of one Heather Baker, Harkins’ daughter, who is now president and publisher of AY Media Group — but encroaching regulations on what could be sold where and when were a consistent challenge. Yet while the official window of July 4 sales is short, Schneider said new opportunities have opened up that take a little of the seasonality out of things. “Gender-reveal fireworks have become so popular. We get several calls a week for this gender-reveal stuff, which blows my mind. We sell a lot of wedding sparklers throughout the year. That’s become bigger than throwing rice at people these days,” he said. “Then New Year’s Eve and, of course, the Fourth of July, but another big holiday for us is Diwali, which is the Festival of Light in the Indian community. That falls around the end of October, first of November. We have started kind of catering to that market, and it’s been great.
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
“It’s kind of funny; when we were kids, we worked most of the time, so we might have gotten a few bottle rockets with our friends, just some small stuff like that. The stuff that we sell now, I would never have imagined I would be in a business like this. It’s just been a really good family business where we get to spend time together out there. It’s been really fun.”
1 39
JULY 2026
POLITICS
Will It Be
?
Enough
Chris Jones is back in the political By Doug Crise saddle and feisty as ever
Chris Jones is having a good day. been here before. His 2022 gubernatorial campaign ended with It is a Tuesday afternoon, and the Democratic Republican candidate and current Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sandcongressional candidate just touched down at his ers taking home 63 percent of the vote, but his hard-charging apMarkham Street campaign office in Little Rock. Just proach gained national attention. prior to his arrival, campaign staffers and volunteers were Still — will it be enough? Hill himself is no delicate flower. He scurrying about, doing all the things that come with an elechas served in Congress since 2015 and recently completed his first tion that just became more interesting than many had predicted. Jones himself is making the rounds, We’re at risk of losing asking questions, thanking staffers and even posing with one for a selfie. He has a lot of rural hospitals the rapid, long strides of an achiever who long ago made peace with being busy. Like because of cuts to any skilled politician, he has a knack for making whoever is in his sights feel imMedicaid, so when portant, locking in to whoever is in front French Hill voted to cut of him with unbreaking eye contact. There is reason for enthusiasm. A Medicaid, that caused month prior, a poll conducted by political consulting firm 2040 Strategy Group insurance premiums to put Jones three points ahead of Republican District 2 incumbent Rep. French Hill. go through the roof. Then, in June, former U.S. Secretary of — Chris Jones Transportation and 2020 presidential primary candidate Pete Buttigieg flew out to Little Rock to personally endorse Jones, Chris Jones (Photos provided by Chris Jones) praising his straightforward platform. “At a time when politics can feel like it’s punching you in the year as chair of the House Financial Services Committee. He carface, Chris is focused on a better future where entrepreneurs ries with him a substantial war chest and the full backing of Presithrive, young people can find good-paying jobs and politicians dent Donald Trump, given his 90 percent-plus record of voting are held accountable,” Buttigieg said at the rally. with the president. To win, Jones must find a way to unlock DisButtigeig, to be sure, swings a big bat for the Democratic party, trict 2’s Democratic past. and it is unlikely that a politician of his caliber would hop on a The district, made up of eight central Arkansas counties, got a plane for just any congressional candidate. Jones, though, has Democratic bump in the past thanks primarily to the city of Little J U LY 2 026
140
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
heard consistently was life is too expensive, and it’s stressful. If Rock, as well as Conway. Between Ray Thornton and Vic Snyder, it’s expensive and you don’t have the money to do it, it leads to a Democrat held the District 2 congressional seat from 1991 to stress, which leads to health outcomes that are horrible. We have 2011, but with the arrival of Trump and his galvanization of the farmers that are going bankrupt at rates we’ve never seen before Republican base, bits and pieces of Democratic hope have been and that are committing suicide at rates we’ve never seen before.” hard to come by. Jones is also planting a flag for education, an issue so thorny Jones’ solution has been twofold. He has staked his campaign and complicated that many politicians on both sides of the fence to a simple three-pronged platform, one that pushes bipartisan prefer to dance around it if at all possible. For Jones, whose mothsolutions for cost of living, government accountability and job er just celebrated her 48th year of teaching, ignoring the issue is growth. not an option. “We have been hyperfocused from the Public education in Arkansas needs beginning on engaging communities all more attention, Jones said, calling the across the district on affordability and gap in resources among the state’s accountability,” Jones said. “How do we public school districts untenable. It make life more affordable for Arkansans?” is not a push for more governmental The second aspect of Jones’ push will regulation of schools, he added, but be familiar to anyone who followed his guthere should be a bare minimum afbernatorial campaign, a run that included forded to all districts. constant challenges to Sanders’ platform “There are a lot of folks who live and background. His refusal to back down in places that I’m from and who look to the future governor briefly rallied a like me who, through no fault of their Democratic base that had become used to own, are in circumstances where the big losses, and his approach with Hill has been equally sharp. Jones on the campaign trail this summer. school sucks,” Jones said, “and they just don’t have an opportunity to ad“French Hill has had 10 years to delivvance. That shouldn’t happen in this er for the district, and he hasn’t done it,” country, and we can fix that. I think it should be up to the school Jones said. and the community, but there should be a floor, and right now, we Jones has been direct on the subject of Hill, who he characterdon’t have a floor.” izes as a Washington fixture who has lost touch with his constituJones, by his own admission, walks a very particular line. On ency. He points out Hill’s 2025 vote to repeal a Biden administraone hand, he can be an effective firebrand — he goes after Hill tion law that capped bank overdraft fees and another 2025 vote with the same directness he offered up for Sanders, a battle-ready for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which reduced federal Medicaid approach embraced by Democratic voters feeling underreprefunding. sented — but Jones cannot shed his personal background lightly. Those are not partisan issues, Jones said. The concept of respect for all was drilled into him from both his “We’re at risk of losing a lot of rural hospitals because of cuts parents, and his brother, Leon, unsuccessfully ran for the to Medicaid,” Jones said, “so when French Hill voted to cut MedRepublican nomination for Arkansas attorney genicaid, that caused insurance premiums to go through the roof.” eral in 2022. That is where Jones stands to win or lose come November. To All that is to say that Jones can get along with be sure, part and parcel of his task is to rally a Democratic base the best of them. His wager is that equally openthat has gotten all too used to losing at the polls, but even if Jones minded Arkansans from opposing parties can sparks the same intense support from Democrats that he enjoyed have an honest conversation about the lives while running for governor, he almost certainly still needs to pry they are leading and what they need to make as many votes away from the GOP as he possibly can. it better. Jones is betting that his focus on improving quality of life will “At the end of the day, if the issue is the isresonate with Republicans who may feel that long-promised imsue, then let’s be on the right side of that issue,” provements under the Trump administration have yet to arrive. Jones said. “We’re in a situation right now. Now While easier said than done, Jones invites voters to ignore party maybe if we get out of this hole where our affiliation and personally examine whether their lives have imdebt is so high and education’s poor, maybe proved. It is the same across-the-aisle populism that has worked once we get out of that hole, we can fight before for Democrats in central Arkansas, and Jones believes it over party [affiliation], but right now, can work once more if framed as both an economic issue and also we’re in an emergency situation. a public health issue. Party affiliation does not “Affordability is big, and so is accountability,” Jones said. “We matter.” launched the campaign hitting all eight counties, and what we ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
1 41
JULY 2026
SPORTS
College jersey-patch sponsorships could represent crucial revenue stream J U LY 2 026
T
he University of Arkansas in Fayetteville is one of three Power 4 schools — so far — to take advantage of a new NCAA rule that allows member schools to sell sponsorship patches on uniforms. Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year, all Razorback teams, both men’s and women’s, will sport the corporate logo of Tyson Foods on their uniforms. Tyson has long been a Razorback fixture through its support of the university and athletics department, and 142
its logo — alongside Walmart’s — has adorned the court at Bud Walton Arena and the grass at Razorback Stadium for several years now. The partnership, announced earlier this year for an undisclosed sum, is multiyear for all 19 UA sports. The deal was completed in collaboration with Learfield, the UA’s media rights partner. The value of the deals will likely vary greatly depending on the strength of a schools’ brand, but some in the industry have estimated that certain ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
Money MAKERS By Mark Carter
Arkansas' jersey patch deal with Tyson Foods places it at the cutting edge of such sponsorship deals. (Photos provided by Arkansas Athletics)
schools could earn as much as $12 million per year. Though Tyson and its leadership have long been supporters of Razorback athletics, it was not until current Tyson chair John H. Tyson ponied up to bring his friend, hall-of-fame coach John Calipari, to Fayetteville from Kentucky that Hog fans really started to do the potential math. “Tyson Foods has been proud to support the Arkansas Razorbacks for generations —investing in champions today ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Prior to the jersey deal, the Tyson logo was placed on the hardwood of Bud Walton Arena, above, and the gridiron of Razorback Stadium.
143
JULY 2026
SPORTS
John H. Tyson
Arkansas is one of three Power 4 schools to have signed a jersey patch deal. (Graph courtesy of Extra Points)
Hunter Yurachek
Donnie King
Matt Brown
J U LY 2 026
and leaders for tomorrow in the state we’ve called home for more than 90 years,” Tyson said in the statement announcing the partnership. “Together, we support young people to compete and succeed — on the field, in the classroom and beyond.” The deal stretches beyond jersey patches to what the university called a “comprehensive set of brand assets”: • Tyson will be recognized as the “official protein of the Arkansas Razorbacks.” • Logo placement will apply to fields and courts across all sports venues. • The Tyson logo will become a permanent fixture on media backdrops at Razorback press conferences and broadcast facilities. • Tyson will be a part of brand-ambassador programs engaging Arkansas student-athletes. When it was announced, Hunter Yurachek, vice chancellor and director of athletics, called the deal historic and transformative for Razorback sports. “For decades, Tyson Foods has been more than a corporate partner — they are an integral part of the Arkansas story,” he said. “Having Tyson Foods incorporated across our varsity teams and venues sends a powerful message about the caliber of our programs and the type of talent we can bring to the university. We are grateful for our continued partnership and thrilled to showcase this collaboration 144
to the nation every time our teams compete.” In addition to Arkansas, other Power 4 schools to formally announce jersey patch deals include Louisiana State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. LSU’s deal with Woodside Energy mirrors Arkansas’ — it is multiyear and entails all sports. Wisconsin’s deal with UW Health applies only to four women’s sports — basketball, volleyball, softball and hockey. All told, 12 Division I programs have announced jersey patch deals. Memphis will sport FedEx patches on all uniforms across all sports moving forward, and USAA patches will now be seen on all Air Force uniforms. Otherwise, the sponsorships are sport specific, and several are hyperlocal: University of Louisiana at Monroe football jerseys will have patches from Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization. University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey sweaters will hawk for Control Services, a local security company. New Mexico State University’s deal with the nearby Inn of the Mountain Gods will run for three years and pay the Aggies $1.05 million; impacted sports are football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball. ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ five-year deal with hometown regenerative medicine firm Acesso Biologics is for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. University of South Florida football will sport Tampa General Hospital patches. The University of Wyoming’s five-year, $4.5 million deal with Denver-based energy solutions provider Tallgrass impacts football, in addition to men’s and women’s basketball. Marshall University in West Virginia’s five-year deal with Marshall Health Network will place patches on jerseys across all sports.
jersey patch deals since 2024. Matt Brown, trending national sports-business guru and creator of the Extra Points newsletter and sports-data library, said he believes the NCAA’s “megabrands” will begin expressing more interest in such deals as schools scramble to find new revenue streams to pay for the best players. Under new rules related to NIL, NCAA Division 1 schools can spend up to $20.5 million on revenue sharing for players. Earlier this year, Brown spoke with Ray Katz, president of Collegiate Sports Management Group, and Keith Miller, vice president of Influxer, which specializes in co-branded name-image-likeness merchandise. They both agreed that
Having Tyson Foods incorporated across our varsity teams and venues sends a powerful message about the caliber of our programs and the type of talent we can bring to the university. — Hunter Yurachek, athletic director
Razorback athletes shown modeling their Tyson-sponored jerseys include Billy Richmond III, men's basketball; Ella McDowell, softball; Quincy Rhodes Jr., football, and Sanu Jallow-Lockhart, women's track and field. Jerseys in all Arkansas sports will sport the Tyson logo beginning this fall.
Many in the sports business field see growing potential for sponsorship patches in college sports. College sports resonate with American fans, especially in the South and Midwest, in a way rivaled perhaps only by World Cup soccer. Former Tyson CEO Donnie King recognized as much when he said the jersey patch deal enables the company “to connect” with fans. In Arkansas, community often begins and ends with the Hogs. “This partnership strengthens our ability to connect with the next generation of consumers through sports, community and protein that fuels performance,” he said. “It reflects how we are positioned to meet growing protein demand through a portfolio that tastes great, is nutritious, convenient and affordable.” The NAIA has allowed teams to strike ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
jersey patches will be more meaningful in college sports than they have been in pro sports. “There are some constants. Both Katz and Miller told me an athletic department’s visibility on television and streaming is a very important factor in determining how valuable a jersey patch might be,” Brown said, “but it isn’t just a matter of being on television more often; it’s about where a team’s games are visible and who might be watching.” Brown said Katz told him that the rule allowing patches is groundbreaking because a college sponsor is not just paying for a “transactional chunk of real estate on a uniform.” Katz told Brown that college sponsors are buying into the prestige and brands of the schools. “That’s not the same thing as buying a 1 45
patch on a Celtics jersey,” he said. Katz also told Brown that college deals will be different because not all schools are the same — the college deals are more partnership than one-off sponsorship. “You can’t just buy a patch, do nothing else and expect to be successful,” he told Brown. Earlier this year, Sports Business Journal reported that college football and basketball teams could expect to make anywhere between $500,000 and $12 million for allowing corporate branding on their uniforms. Some NBA teams make eight figures from corporate jersey patches, ESPN reported. Editor’s note: Just as the July issue went to press, the Big XII signed a deal with Monster Energy in which all league teams will sport Monster patches on their jerseys in all sports. JULY 2026
SPORTS
Curry and the Trojans appeared on the national radar following a regional final run in Baton Rouge in 2025. (Photos courtesy of Little Rock Athletics)
J U LY 2 026
“My quote-unquote happiest baseball times were in college.” — Chris Curry
146
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
The Art of Coming Home Chris Curry is one of the top coaches in college baseball; getting there required sacrifice
D
By Doug Crise
Daniel Ward could tell immediately that the new guy had the goods. An outfielder for Hendrix College in Conway in 2007, Ward got the news that a new assistant coach would be joining the Warriors program. A sophomore out of Tacoma, Washington, Ward was not exactly unnerved by the news — Hendrix had struggled mightily the season before, and the liberal arts school had promoted pitching coach RJ Thomas to head coach. So when Ward was introduced to Chris Curry, his thoughts did not travel much beyond, “Maybe the new guy can help me.” He most certainly could. “He was just a really, really good teacher,” said Ward, now a chemical engineer in central Washington. “He was really good at breaking down the components of the game and hitting. I’d always been taught about hitting mechanics, but he brought the mental game and preparation to the forefront — just that discipline.” It is hard to believe, but Curry’s early encounters with Ward and his teammates at Division III Hendrix were the first baby steps toward a coaching career that has made Curry into one of Arkansas’ most recognized sports figures. In his 12th season as head baseball coach for the Little Rock Trojans, Curry just inked a contract extension that will likely keep him with the program until 2031. He recently closed the book on a storybook run to the NCAA super regionals one year after the program caught the country’s attention with a push through NCAA regional play. Even by the standards of college coaching, where things are
ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
The Trojans won their second straight OVC tournament title in 2026.
rarely handed to those starting a career, Curry’s path was a steep one. He had played collegiately as a catcher at what was then Meridian Junior College in Mississippi before getting drafted in the ninth round as a junior out of Mississippi State. What followed was an eight-year career in baseball’s minor leagues plus one season of playing independent league baseball with the Gary (Indiana) South Shore RailCats. For somebody accustomed to professional baseball, a nonscholarship college program such as Hendrix could not have been further from what Curry had become used to. Add in the
147
JULY 2026
SPORTS fact that Thomas could pay Curry little beyond some free orangeand-black gear, and Curry was truly starting over from scratch. It had been the plan all along. “I think he had realized that he wanted to coach toward the end of his career,” said Curry’s wife, Chassity. First, Curry had to test his own convictions. He had played well enough in Indiana to snag a spring training invite with the Kansas City Royals organization and then surprised everyone with a performance that forced the Royals’ freshly hired management team to take a hard look at the career minor leaguer. “I had a really, really good camp,” Curry said. “Actually, the best spring training I’ve ever had.” Curry, in the twilight of his playing career, was suddenly and unexpectedly on the cusp. He had made it to the final day of camp when he was summoned to meet with new Royals General Manager Dayton Moore and Director of Player Development J.J. Picollo. “They called me into the office and said, ‘Hey, we’ve been trying to find a way to cut you for the last three weeks, and we couldn’t because you had been playing so well,’” Curry said. Then they cut him. “They had a catcher who didn’t make the big league team with the Orioles, so he came back to the Royals,” Curry said. “They said, ‘He’s 21. You’re 29.’” Then they offered him a job. “They said, ‘However, do you want to coach with us?’” Curry said. It was as serious as serious offers get. A job with the Royals organization would put Curry in position to climb the professional baseball coaching ladder — with a lucrative paycheck should he ever get promoted to the big league club.
Curry was flattered. He was also done. He and Chassity married in 2003, and the rigors and road trips of minor league life gave him time to think about the sort of life he wanted and the sort of husband and father he wanted to be at the end of the road. He shook Picollo and Moore’s hands, thanked them for the opportunity, and meant it. Then he walked to the parking lot, officially an ex-ballplayer. He would give away his Royals gear and catching equipment to friends and former roommates. “He really was OK with moving on,” Chassity said. “I think he had realized that he wanted to coach, but he didn’t want to be on the professional side.” Curry knew what awaited him if he accepted Moore’s offer — more minor league ball, more bus trips, more time away from his growing family — but Curry wanted to win, and he wanted to feel good about it. “My quote-unquote happiest baseball times were in college,” said Curry, who played for future Southern Mississippi coach Scott Berry at Meridian and legendary longtime college coach Ron Polk in Starkville. “While pro ball was very good to me, it’s a very cutthroat environment. It’s well documented that the minor leagues are not about winning. They’re about development, and I missed the winning and college side of things.” To be sure, Curry was choosing the tougher path. Because he signed a pro contract after his junior season in Starkville, Curry still needed to complete his college education, all while getting his foot in the door with the college game. Minor league baseball may have been a grind, but it was a grind that came with a salary, though a modest one. The Currys were a package deal in those years, with Chassity finding jobs where she could. At one stop, she worked in the ticket office of the ballpark where her husband played. Both Chris and Chassity are grounded in their faith. As they looked ahead to their next chapter, one that would not be easy for them, that faith became their bedrock. “Sometimes God’s answer isn’t no. It’s, ‘Not right now,’” Chassity said. “We lean on that principle a lot in our house, to be patient and wait on God’s timing.” In the meantime, Curry needed an inroad. Both he and Thomas had played at Conway High School under longtime coach Noel Boucher, and Thomas and Hendrix’s athletic administration had given Curry their blessing to use the baseball facilities to give private lessons and ready himself for that spring training with the Royals. Now, in the spring of 2007, Curry was embarking on a new life, one in stark contrast to life in the Southeastern Conference or professional baseball. He would throw some Little Rock won the Hattiesburg Regional this past season as a 4 batting practice, advise Hendrix’s hitters seed before falling to Troy in the supers. where he could, and essentially try to make
J U LY 2 026
148
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
The Curry family — Chris, Chassity, Caleb Christopher and Lily Marie — at Gary Hogan Field in February 2015, left, and again in June 2026. (Photos provided by the Curry family)
life easier for Thomas and assistant coach Neil Groat. “I was able to help [Hendrix’s] hitters with just approach and what pitch to look for and how to handle different situations,” Curry said. Curry did not get too far into the weeds of hitting mechanics like stride length and launch angle — he was not around the program 24/7 and left most of the X’s and O’s to Thomas and Groat — but his cerebral approach to the game would sound familiar to his players at Little Rock today. “He used video technology,” Ward said. “It was 2007, so it was pretty early for that. He brought some of that in where he would record the hitters, and then he would show you what you look like hitting, then would compare it to a major leaguer. He broke down those details and really delved into the details.” Life in the coaching business happens fast. Curry had a relationship with former Russellville High School baseball standouts Will and Wes McCrotty from their days as high school rivals, and they helped introduce him to then-Arkansas Tech coach Billy Goss. His time at Hendrix had given him a starting point, but he still had the small matter of 42 academic hours worth of school left to get his degree in communications. Curry crunched the numbers and found that Tech offered the most flexibility when it came to accepting his credits from Meridian and Mississippi State. He joined the Wonder Boys program, where he coached third base and called pitches. It was more responsibility than he handled at Hendrix, and with it came actual pay in the form of a $5,000 stipend. Just like they always had, the Currys made it work. Chassity found a job in the human resources department at a nearby hospital, and Chris, determined to earn his degree so he could begin his career in earnest, grinded away at both school and baseball. “I did 42 hours in two semesters and a summer,” Curry said.”I would come home, we would eat dinner together for 15 to 20 minutes, and then I would go in the backroom and study. I was highly motivated because I wanted to get my degree by the summer to be able to get a paid coaching job.” Once Curry’s degree landed in his hand, doors opened. The baseball team at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville was ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
hosting a coaching clinic and needed someone to come give a talk about catching. Curry agreed, having been familiar with then-Arkansas assistant coach Todd Butler, who recruited Curry out of high school while coaching at Alabama. Butler and Razorbacks head coach Dave Van Horn heard Curry’s presentation and liked it, leading to a phone call in the summer of 2008. Van Horn wanted to know if Curry was interested in coming aboard as an assistant coach who could work with the catchers. The job was voluntary, which, at that point, the Currys were used to, but two years after setting foot on Hendrix’s baseball field, Curry had landed at one of the top programs in the country. Life, as it does, moves on. Curry would eventually return to Meridian as head coach, and he still credits the program for developing him as both a player and leader. Former teammates, along with those players from Hendrix and Tech, followed Curry’s career with interest, none of them surprised at his ascent up the ladder. Two years after he first began working with Curry, Ward led Hendrix to its first-ever conference title and graduated with most of the program’s offensive records. The call from Little Rock came in 2015. Since then, the Currys have settled in. A decade-plus at the same program is rare for Division I baseball, and Curry relishes raising the couple’s two kids, Caleb Christopher and Lily Marie, in the same central Arkansas environment where he grew up. Chassity, who never once buckled under the demands and fiscal scarcities of baseball life, remains by her husband’s side. It is a story about patience, faith and a couple’s carefully chosen adventures in the baseball world. It is also a story about a family enjoying well-earned stability and a marriage that survived through the vagaries of a life devoted to the game. “When you come out of stuff that’s not easy, when you come out on the other side of it, it prepares you to face things that other people would not be prepared for,” Chassity said. “Everything you think that’s going to happen doesn’t always happen. God wanted us to go from playing to coaching, and it totally changed the landscape of our life. When you go through sacrifices as a marriage or when it’s a little bit harder, it strengthens your marriage when you get to the other side of it.” 149
JULY 2026
DIGS OF THE DEAL
Silo Livin’ A rkansas has a curious knack for both flying under the radar and standing out in the most unusual ways. An example of the latter can be traced back to the 1970s, when, at the height of the Cold War, Arkansas was home to 18 intercontinental ballistic missile launch complexes, including four for the Titan II, which represented the second generation of ICBMs. The Arkansas launch sites were spread across White, Faulkner and Van Buren counties, and that concentration of firepower did not go unnoticed. One national think tank ranked central Arkansas among the top five sites the former Soviet Union was then likely to target first in the event of nuclear war. One young Arkansan, not fully appreciating the significance of the recognition, burst with
J U LY 2 026
Titan Ranch outside Vilonia delivers a taste of the Cold War By Mark Carter
Construction of the Titan II silos began in the early 1960s. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of American History, Cabot Public Schools)
150
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
pride over the ranking. Arkansas was important to the Russkies, anyway, he reasoned, if not seemingly to the rest of the U.S. Out-of-state cousins, to whom the young would-be ambassador had bragged of the state’s new found “fame,” responded with only a dry expression of congratulations. Congratulations though — sincere ones — are in order for G.T. Hill, a former U.S. Air Force jet-engine mechanic from Oregon who has converted one of the silos outside of Vilonia into an Airbnb property. Hill retired in the area after being stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, from which the state’s three strategic missile wings were based. Once the Titan II program was deactivated in the 1980s, the 9-acre property reverted back to the original owner, who sold it to Hill in 2010 for $90,000. Hill said he spent 10 years and $800,000 getting the property converted and ready for guests. (In 2024, he provided Business Insider with a first-hand account of the sale and work that went into the conversion.) The first step in the remodel, Hill said, was making sure no one died. When the silo was decommissioned, it was filled with water, and he and his team had to work very carefully to open the first set of blast doors leading into the silo. “My goal was making sure we didn’t drown,” Hill said. When it came time to open up the silo to see just what the project had in store, Hill and a friend were positioned in the bucket of a front-end loader that was lowered to hover just outside the first door. Prying the door open was like taking out a dam. The workers positioned themselves behind the bucket’s stem to protect themselves from the high-pressure surge before the bucket was raised out of harm’s way. All that time, money and water pressure later, Hill’s unique Titan Ranch property was listed among Airbnb’s top five rentals as of February. It entails about 3,500 square feet of livable space with all the modern comforts — all 50 feet underground — amounting to what many call a “luxury bunker.” The 15-story missile silo is sealed off at the end of a long tunnel. There are two 6,000-pound blast doors, an escape tunnel, five flights of spiral staircases, more than 100 feet of accessible tunnel space, a 103-foot replica of a Titan missile that Hill plans to convert to its own rental space, and even a gift shop. The three-level living quarters, which Hill calls the bird cage, are in a concrete bulkhead that hangs over a pool of leftover subterranean floodwater. They include two bedrooms (one king and two queens), three bathrooms, a full shower and bathtub, a fully functional kitchen, and a living/screening room with a 144foot projection HDTV. The bedrooms are part of the original launch control and blast-lock area. Hill said in addition to Airbnb rentals, the space ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
A graph of a working Titan II silo, above, and the living area of Hill’s converted silo at Titan Ranch. (Images provided)
is used for special events, birthday parties, corporate retreats and workshops, and more. Hill said the space can still withstand most modern nuclear explosions and other threats, and it comes in handy as a top-notch tornado shelter. The ICBMs housed inside Arkansas soil each carried a 9-megaton nuclear warhead that could strike targets as far as 5,500 miles away. The missiles had to be raised out of the silos, fueled and then launched, a process that took 20 minutes. The Titan IIs could be launched within their silos in less than a minute. Hill said the space is popular among history and military buffs. “Most of the people we get are looking for an adventure or are just looking for something totally unique,” he said. For Hill and his nationally acclaimed Titan Ranch, it is mission accomplished. 151
JULY 2026
LAST WORD
THE DEATH OF AN ECONOMIST
A
By Sarah DeClerk
lan Greenspan has died, and, with that, one cannot help but feel that the economic principles that have defined America for half a century may have died with him. The renowned economist and former chairman of the Federal Reserve led the central bank for nearly 20 years under four presidents, building confidence in the Fed and shaping America’s economic policy from the Cold War through the new millennium. Born in 1926 in New York City, he studied at Columbia University under economist and future Fed chair Arthur F. Burns. During the 1950s, he became friends with writer Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged, whose philosophy of Objectivism and laissez-faire capitalism had a profound impact on Greenspan. He was an adviser on Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign but declined an official position in the administration, although he continued to provide informal guidance. After Nixon’s resignation, Greenspan served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Gerald Ford. It was President Ronald Reagan, whose economic policies keenly shaped the Republican party and the country at large, who appointed Greenspan chair of the Federal Reserve in 1987. Greenspan would face his first challenge that October, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average experienced its largest one-day percentage fall of 22 percent on what became known as Black Monday. His response, immortalized as the “Greenspan put,” quickly stabilized the market by providing liquidity and quietly encouraging banks to lend on their usual terms, helping avoid an economic recession. Greenspan shepherded the U.S. economy through what was then its longest period of expansion, from 1991 to 2001, and guided the Fed through crises such as the dotcom bubble burst and 9/11 before retiring in 2006, but he was not infallible. Among other points of criticism, Greenspan was found to be partly responsible for the 2008 financial crisis by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, which blamed Greenspan’s support of financial deregulation and tolerance of securities
J U LY 2 026
backed by subprime mortgage loans for the collapse. Nonetheless, Greenspan garnered numerous accolades — the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the French Legion of Honor and honorary British knighthood among them — and his playbook will no doubt remain dog-eared by those who follow in his footsteps. That does not make his death at age 100 feel like any less of a turning point though. Whether one is championing tar-
Alan Greenspan
iffs on one side of the aisle or democratic socialism on the other, Americans and their leaders are not content to let economic policy continue as it has since the 1980s, nor should they be. With that come some hard questions about the future of America’s economy and how we can improve sensibly while staying grounded in the virtues that have made America one of the most respected economic engines on Earth. Some answers can undoubtedly be drawn from Greenspan’s life, both his triumphs and his follies. Among them, a couple cardinal lessons come to the forefront: Steadfast commitment and a focus on the long game breed strength, and quiet confidence is the greatest source of power.
152
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
TEEING UP FOR
MENTAL HEALTH
September 14 & 15, 2026 Chenal Country Club
Join us for our Bolo Bash Golf Tournament, one of Arkansas’ largest charity golf tournaments, in support of Baptist Health Behavioral Health Services. Every swing helps break down barriers to care. Funds raised will provide critical therapy and medication assistance for uninsured patients, expand rural telehealth services, fund suicide prevention education, and secure safe transportation home for recently discharged patients. Together, we can help individuals and families receive the compassionate, comprehensive behavioral health support they need and deserve.
Presented By
For more information about the Baptist Health Foundation and our Events with Purpose visit baptisthealthfoundation.org or scan the QR Code.
Not mass-produced health care. Curated care. The Conway Regional Gastroenterology Center provides comprehensive specialty care for digestive health, bringing together a highly trained clinical team and advanced diagnostic technology to deliver more precise, personalized care. Using leading-edge tools, including advanced imaging during colonoscopies, our physicians can identify concerns earlier and with greater accuracy, helping patients feel confident at every step of their journey. See what curated care means for you.
Voted Best Gastroenterology Clinic in Arkansas for 2026 by AY Magazine Readers.
501-506-2747 conwayregional.org
2026