Arkansas Money and Politics January 2022

JANUARY 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com

INSIDE: Steakhouses | Shayla and Scott Copas | Hogs’ road back $5 USD

®

Congratulations

CHRIS LADNER University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana FUTURE HOME OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER & SOLAR LEARNING LAB

2022 ARKANSAS INFLUENCER

SOLAR INFLUENCING THE FUTURE OF ARKANSAS

Over 16,000 Arkansans are currently working in the renewable energy sector. With an anticipated growth of 60% in solar occupations between 2019 and 2029, it's important to us that Arkansans continue to reap the benefits. Entegrity is proud to partner with local institutions like UAHT to help create workforce development opportunities in Arkansas.

800.700.1414 | info@entegritypartners.com | www.entegritypartners.com

A HANDSHAKE As a firm built on relationships, our handshake matters. It means a warm greeting, the privilege of doing business together and knowing you can count on us. A handshake between two brothers, Witt and Jack Stephens, provided the foundation for a family-owned legacy that Jack’s son Warren upholds today. Under Warren’s leadership, Stephens continues to grow as one of America’s largest privately held independent financial services firms, with offices throughout the United States and in Europe. Our performance builds relationships with our clients, many of whom have become old friends. It’s why shaking hands with us means just a little bit more.

111 Center Street Little Rock, AR 72201 (800) 643-9691

@Stephens_Inc • Stephens.com

STEPHENS INC. • MEMBER NYSE, SIPC

SALINE RIVER RETREAT

Saline County, AR | 543.48 ± acres | $2,690,226

· Over a half mile of Saline River frontage · Great potential for residential development · Located within the Benton School District · Close to the town of Benton with quick access to I-30 · River valley access for fishing, boating, & swimming · Established wildlife food plots

A trusted name for over 29 years

WWW.LILEREALESTATE.COM | 501.374.3411

CARLISLE OUTING CLUB

Lonoke County, AR | 246.1 ± acres | $1,300,000 · Intensively developed for duck habitat · Offers true green timber duck hunting with a mix of impounded and overflow woods · Close proximity to Little Rock and Stuttgart · Borders Prairie Bayou WMA and is near several notable hunting clubs, specifically bordering Duck-Rock

HURRICANE CREEK RANCH

Grant County, AR | 402 ± acres | $1,900,000 · High-end cattle and hay operation · Located 20 minutes south of Little Rock · Offers deer hunting opportunities, in addition to fishing in the stocked pond · Well-suited for equestrian sports · Many recent improvements including fencing, improved working & catch pens, and more

CONGRATULATIONS Matt Mosler, Owner

For being named a 2022 AMP Influencer of the Year

140 Pintail Ln • Humphrey, AR 72073

(501) 352-3465

JANUARY CONTENTS

6 | Plugged In 8 | Discovery Economics 9 | Viewpoint 82 | The Digs of the Deal 112 | The Last Word 12 | Influencers

Nominated by readers and selected by AMP’s board of advisors, this year’s Influencers of the Year include some of the state’s heavy hitters.

54 | Mos-mentum

Matt Mosler is determined to light a spark that leads to new growth in Pine Bluff. As pastor of the local NLC campus, he’s doing just that.

84 | Rural Rx

Arkansas’ two osteopathic medical schools are helping supply more doctors to potentially fill a need for providers in rural areas.

70 | WELL-DONE One doesn’t have to travel far in Arkansas to find a good steak. Dwain Hebda takes a look at the business of steak joints in the Natural State.

90 | The natural

After serving as deputy and acting director, Errin Stanger was the natural choice to lead the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub.

100 | Pittman’s contract

Sam Pittman’s December signing with superagent Jimmy Sexton had many Arkansans thinking about market value and a likely big raise.

JANUARY 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com

INSIDE: Steakhouses | Shayla and Scott Copas | Outback basking $5 USD

ON THE COV E R 48 | CARETAKER Arkansas Children’s expansion into Northwest Arkansas is being shepherded by Shannon Hendrix, who brings well-rounded experience to the role.

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Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams has been and remains an Arkansas influencer. This month, he officially was recognized as such. Williams was photographed by Jamison Mosley at the organization’s new Little Rock location.

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JANUARY CONTENTS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR EDITOR Mark Carter | mcarter@armoneyandpolitics.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dustin Jayroe | djayroe@armoneyandpolitics.com ONLINE EDITOR Lindsey Castrellon | lindsey@armoneyandpolitics.com COPY EDITOR Lisa Fischer | lfischer@armoneyandpolitics.com STAFF WRITERS Emily Beirne | ebeirne@armoneyandpolitics.com Sarah Coleman | scoleman@armoneyandpolitics.com Katie Zakrzewski | katie@armoneyandpolitics.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Bedgood | mbedgood@armoneyandpolitics.com

60 | UNDER THE RADAR Outside of northeast Arkansas, William Brewer may not represent a household name. But the First Paragould Bancshares CEO is behind some serious growth.

ART DIRECTOR Jamison Mosley | jmosley@armoneyandpolitics.com DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kellie McAnulty | kmcanulty@armoneyandpolitics.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lora Puls | lpuls@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Greg Churan | gchuran@armoneyandpolitics.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tonya Higginbotham | thigginbotham@armoneyandpolitics.com Mary Funderburg | mary@armoneyandpolitics.com Tonya Mead | tmead@armoneyandpolitics.com Shasta Ballard | sballard@armoneyandpolitics.com Amanda Moore | amoore@armoneyandpolitics.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Jessica Everson | jeverson@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Jacob Carpenter | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com Virginia Ellison | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com CIRCULATION Ginger Roell | groell@armoneyandpolitics.com

66 | COPIOUS GROWTH Shayla Copas Lifestyle has become a global brand, and its growth necessitated the move of Scott Copas, former CEO of Baldwin & Shell, to help manage it.

ADMINISTRATION Casandra Moore | admin@armoneyandpolitics.com

CEO | Vicki Vowell TO ADVERTISE

call 501-244-9700 email hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com TO SUBSCRIBE | 501-244-9700 ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Joyce Elliott, Arkansas State Senate; Gretchen Hall, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau; Stacy Hurst, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism; Heather Larkin, Arkansas Community Foundation; Elizabeth Pulley, Children’s Advocacy Centers; Gina Radke, Galley Support Innovations; Steve Straessle, Little Rock Catholic High School; Kathy Webb, Little Rock City Board

CONTRIBUTORS

Angela Forsyth, Becky Gillette, Brent Birch, Eric Bolin, Kenneth Heard, Dwain Hebda, David Moody

94 | BASKING The Razorbacks won their first New Year’s Day bowl in 11 years, and the program is basking in the afterglow of an unlikely quick turnaround under Sam Pittman.

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AMP magazine is published monthly, Volume IV, Issue 9 AMP magazine (ISSN 2162-7754) is published monthly by AY Media Group, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock, AR, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AMP, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Subscription Inquiries: Subscription rate is $28 for one year (12 issues).

Single issues are available upon request for $5. For subscriptions, inquiries or address changes, call 501-2449700. 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.

JA N UA RY 2022

PLUGGED IN

Danyelle Musselman, wife of Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman, was photographed for the December cover by Jamison Mosley at the Musselmans’ Fayetteville home. Danyelle was a member of AMP’s 2021 Power Women list.

FEEDBACK THE GM OF TEAM MUSSELMAN: BEFORE BECOMING FIRST LADY OF HOG HOOPS, DANYELLE SARGENT MUSSELMAN WAS HER OWN BRAND “So many of my favorite people in this issue. Congratulations, all!”

Renee Haugen

Professional engineer, Suzanne Peyton, has been named Director of Properties, Planning and Development for Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. Peyton, who is a licensed professional engineer with 25 years of experience, joins the airport from Garver, where she served as aviation planning team leader.

INSTAGRAM

RADIO VETERAN TOMMY SMITH ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT ON AIR “Thank you for the Magic 105 years! You made my days brighter when I was a teenager–– the Best DJ. Enjoy your retirement, sir! My ‘80s were awesome because of you!”

Carol Ann Coleman DELTA DAWN: NATIVE SON’S VISION WOULD SEE ARKANSAS CITY RISE AGAIN “This is one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. I’m from Dumas, my wife from McGehee. I’ve saved this and will try to get it to John Barry, author of “Rising Tide” about the ’27 flood. As a son of the Delta, this makes me so proud!”

Keith Edwards BALDWIN & SHELL CONSTRUCTION APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO “That’s my bro! And I’m proud to call him a true friend that I greatly admire. When we were kids, he was always tinkering to make things better or fixing broken down lawnmowers, bikes or anything that required hands-on work.

He never gave up until the project was completed based on his vision. His mind and talents are best used in construction. He will be a top-notch CEO for a company (his second home since 1987!) that exemplifies quality, value and trust. Again, kudos to you, brother.”

John Gosser

Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Grant Morgan was named the 2021 winner of the Burlsworth Trophy in Bentonville. The annual award recognizes the top college football player in the nation who began his career as a walk-on.

GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES: JESSE GIBSON, TIM GRIFFIN, LEON JONES, JOSH PRICE “Tim Griffin talks about being a conservative like it’s a good thing.”

Reddit User nikehoke

TOP ONLINE ARTICLES 1. Radio Veteran Tommy Smith Announces Retirement on Air 2. Riceland Announces 80 New Jobs; $13.2M Plant Expansion

Scott Copas will resign as president and CEO of Little Rock’s Baldwin & Shell Construction company and join his wife’s company, Shayla Copas Lifestyle, as COO.

3. Tyson Foods to Give Hourly Team Members $50M in Year-End Bonuses 4. Baldwin & Shell Construction Appoints New President and CEO 5. Hanna to Lead Magic Springs Following Bateman Retirement 6. Baldwin & Shell CEO Leaving, Will Join Shayla Copas Lifestyle as COO 7. Westrock Coffee Announces Plant Expansions, Major Facility in Conway 8. 4th & 25: Coming to Terms with the Burks Breakup 9. Country Music Star Justin Moore Joins Little Rock Radio Morning Show 10. Kopps to Conduct Free Pitching Camp at Hot Springs’ Majestic Park

Arkansas Children’s Foundation has added two new members to its Board of Directors. The Foundation announced Monday that Trisha Montague and Jennifer Yurachek were elected to 3-year board terms, beginning Jan. 1, joining 35 ACF board members who represent statewide communities served by Arkansas Children’s.

@AMPPOB

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By Mark Carter

EDITOR’S LETTER

BOWL GAMES EVOLVING BEFORE OUR VERY EYE$

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n this playoff age of college football, bowl games don’t carry the weight they once did. That’s not a quote from Captain Obvious, but it could be.

This year, 42 were staged, two of them in a 17,000-seat soccer stadium in suburban Dallas and many in front of what seemed to be tens of fans. Tens of millions, however, watched from the comfort of their couches, a gaggle of mediocrity providing what’s become seasonal white noise, and Disney once again cashing checks with each stoppage in play.

(The white noise of a bowl game, any bowl game, reverberating through a house the week between Christmas and New Year’s is nice, don’t get me wrong.)

Disney now actually owns almost all of the bowl games outright, televises all but one of them, and its ESPN Events division even operates 22 of them. This plethora of postseason college football rewards mediocrity, sure, but it generates a lot of revenue.

The Standard Media Index estimates that Disney/ESPN lost $21.7 million in potential ad revenue when 14 bowls were canceled last year due to COVID, as reported by The Athletic. That’s likely less than a third of what could’ve been

made, and the bowls that didn’t get played in 2020 were less lucrative ones, like the Bahamas Bowl and, to Hog fans’ chagrin, the Texas Bowl.

If no bowls had been played after the 2020 season, Disney was set to lose at least $800 million in ad revenue, it’s estimated.

That’s the amount reaped in 2019 by Walt’s preserved head (presumably residing somewhere under Anaheim), per Sportico. And that doesn’t include ad revenue for streaming service ESPN+.

So, for Disney, the pathway to fulfill its Buy-N-Large destiny runs at least in part through the homes of college football fans nationwide. (Well, through fans South- and Midwest-wide, anyway.) Our entertainment-obsessed culture eats up sports, and 42 bowl games — whether there are 75,000 people in attendance or 75 — represent a lot of sponsorship opportunities to cash in and ad spots to place.

Forty-two, of course, also means that roughly two-thirds of the 130 teams playing at the highest level of college football (CFB) — the laboriously labeled Division 1 Football Bowl Series (FBS) — get to finish their seasons in bowls, where TV money rains swag bags like the

summer monsoon in Sri Lanka.

Bowl season does retain some of its magic, though. Hog calls reverberating through the New Year’s Day sun in Tampa; seeing OU fans fill the Alamodome for Bob Stoops’ return as interim coach in the Alamo Bowl (regardless of how one might feel about OU or Stoops); a battle of Carolinas in Charlotte, 6-6 records and half empty stadium notwithstanding…

And the big bowls, the New Year’s Six, will always be big deals.

For Arkansas, though, any bowl right now is a big deal emerging from the valley of the shadow of White/Long/Morris, and making a New Year’s Day bowl two years removed from it is remarkable.

The Outback Bowl payout for the Hogs was $6.4 million (the branding value coming out of that win much, much higher), and the way Sam Pittman has the program trending, Arkansas’ bowl contributions to the annual SEC pie stand to increase moving forward.. *** As always, thanks for reading. Here’s wishing everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous new year. Let me know how we’re doing, good or bad, at MCarter@ ARMoneyandPolitics.com.

By Heather Baker

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

LEADING OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A FAVORITE

M

William Brewer; and former Little Rock TV personality Matt Mosler, who found his calling as the pastor for New Life Church in Pine Bluff, where he’s leading community revitalization efforts. These women and men represent just a sample of the impressive leadership displayed in this year’s class and by all those who were nominated.

Also inside, we take a look at some of the best places across our great state to grab a steak. We’ll also get the story behind Scott Copas’ decision to leave Baldwin & Shell and join his wife, Shayla, at her burgeoning lifestyle company, and we’ll revel a little in the afterglow of the Hogs’ big Outback Bowl win.

Thank you for reading. Share any Heather Baker comments or story ideas with me at HBaker@ ARMoneyandPolitics.com.

y favorite list each year is also the first — AMP’s Influencers of the Year. This list was created to recognize those Arkansas leaders — business, nonprofit, political — who truly have an influence on their industries and communities.

It’s a great way to kick off the new year.

Influencers are nominated by AMP readers and chosen by members of our advisory board, and we’re proud to recognize them.

And the nominations we received this year were phenomenal.

This year’s impressive class includes Southern Bancorp CEO Darin Williams (seen on this month’s cover), Shannon Hendrix, administrator of Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale; First Paragould Bancshares CEO ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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DISCOVERY ECONOMICS

SEEKING SAFER FOODS

HOW NCTR AND DR. STEVEN FOLEY HELP PROTECT $1.4T FOOD INDUSTRY

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hile serving as a summer intern at a local hospital, Dr. Steven Foley was met with an unexpected event that would help him realize what he wanted to do with his career.

Out of the blue, an acquaintance walked through the main entrance of the hospital with untied shoes, a disheveled appearance and a troubled expression on his face. Foley discovered that his acquaintance’s son had come down with a foodborne infection caused by the bacteria E. coli and was being admitted to the hospital. Foley soon learned that the son would endure a long and difficult summer suffering from severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. He would receive multiple surgeries and spend extensive time in the hospital.

“I got to know the struggle the family went through during that time,” reflected Foley, now a Ph.D. of Molecular Biology and Infectious Diseases and an Arkansas Research Alliance Fellow and a member of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows.

“What they went through really had an impact on me. Later, as an undergraduate in college, there was a golden opportunity to enroll in a pathogenic microbiology course to study diseasecausing bacteria, and I took it.”

From there, Foley embarked on a mission to better understand foodborne infections and study ways to mitigate the damage that bacteria like listeria monocytogenes, E. coli and Salmonella inflict on our everyday lives. This curiosity found an outlet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson County, where he currently serves as acting director for the Division of Microbiology.

“The resources of the FDA enable us to explore why our bodies resist certain microbes in food and how to make the nation’s food system healthier for everyone,” Foley explained. “These resources include extensive expertise by collaborators both within NCTR and more broadly within the agency. This has allowed me to develop research plans and conduct research that is important to solving significant public health challenges, such as combating pathogenic bacteria.”

For Foley, homing in on the source and transmission pathways of Salmonella outbreaks is a pressing public health objective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States every year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service estimates that Salmonella infections cost the nation about $2.65 billion per year in medical bills, time lost from work, premature deaths and other costs.

Many U.S. outbreaks of salmonellosis have been associated with raw and processed foods. This is particularly concerning for public health in Arkansas, a key leader in many areas of food JAN UA RY 2 02 2

production and processing. According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas Farm Bureau, agriculture contributes nearly $16 billion to the economy throughout the state of Arkansas, with approximately 100,000 people employed in the agriculture and food industries. These economic drivers support billions of dollars of additional economic activity and nearly 100,000 additional ancillary jobs. Foley’s collaborative research not only supports FDA’s public health mission, but he also works with other researchers in Arkansas and in other areas of the federal government to implement research that directly supports the wellbeing of this essential economic engine.

“Our team is developing approaches that utilize tools available to the agricultural and public health communities, such as whole genome sequencing, that can be used to track foodborne outbreaks and conduct risk assessments. This allows industry and public health officials to make informed decisions that benefit consumers,” Foley said. “These efforts help us understand the risks associated with Salmonella and how they disseminate in the food environments. One of the goals is to develop strategies to limit antimicrobial resistance and disease burden.”

Specifically, Foley and his team are developing a database of Salmonella virulence genes that can be used by FDA and other public-health organizations to detect an increase in Salmonella’s disease-causing ability. This allows improved utility of the goldstandard, whole-genome sequencing, for dissecting foodborne outbreaks and understanding risk. Salmonella has several different strains with variable gene profiles that allow some to better colonize the intestinal tract or evade the immune response to become more potent human pathogens that can cause severe sickness. Other genes can allow Salmonella to colonize in different environments and lead to the potential for increased spread.

These different genes will be evaluated with the database and analysis tool developed by Foley and his team.

This contribution by Foley of determining the presence or absence of specific genes in a particular Salmonella will provide support to FDA and other public-health organizations in their mission-critical effort to home in rapidly and accurately on the potential source of an outbreak.

“The quicker you can pinpoint the source of an outbreak, the better you can contain the impact of the damage and investigate why it happened in hopes of preventing it from happening again,” Foley said. “It’s a good example of just how important the work of NCTR is to the nation and the state of Arkansas. I’m proud to be part of it.”

Discovery Economics is a monthly feature highlighting the work of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows, a community of strategic research leaders who strive to maximize the value of discovery and progress in the state. Learn more at ARAlliance.org.

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VIEWPOINT

BUILDING A PLANE WHILE YOU’RE FLYING IT:

THE SMALL BUSINESS JOURNEY

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By David Moody

don’t believe I’ve ever met a small business owner or startup founder who got started in businesses because they were business experts. Most got started because they had experience and connections in an industry, saw a gap in the market, fell in love with the product or service, or simply saw an opportunity to make money.

These are all fine reasons for starting a business, but none of them are indicators that the owner knows how to run a business successfully. The entrepreneurial skillset and knowledge base are vast and typically underestimated. Most do some research on how to get started, and then just start. Nothing wrong with that, and I applaud the courage and decisiveness. This anonymous quote sums it up well, “Confidence is the feeling you get just before you fully comprehend the situation.”

Starting a business is akin to learning just enough to get a shell of an airplane off the ground. Now all we have to do is finish building the plane while we are flying it, keep it aloft, and figure out how to land it without crashing. Starting is the easy part.

Keeping with the aviation theme, our plane will need fuel to keep flying, increase speed and gain altitude. Ask most existing small or startup companies what they need to grow and succeed, and their answer is “money.” In my experience from working with hundreds of small and startup companies, money isn’t usually the first thing on the true list of needs for growth and success. It is true that money can be the rocket fuel that a business needs to accelerate.

However, calling on my NASA history, if the fuel is not mixed and used properly, or if the rocket itself is unstable, it can result in a catastrophic failure. Our plane needs fuel but not until we have a safe, aerodynamic structure with a clear view and controls for speed, altitude, direction and balance.

Once off the ground, the owner, our pilot, will realize that he/she needs help completing the internal structures and systems, avoiding storms and figuring out how to land safely at some point so someone else can take over. Many business owners come to me with a specific self-diagnosed problem. First, typically their self-diagnosis isn’t the core problem, but rather a symptom of a larger issue. Second, they don’t realize that a business, like an airplane, is a system and that a problem in one area of operation can also impact other areas. All the functional areas must be integrated and work together for the business to be sustainable.

So, what do small business owners and startup founders need? Capital may be needed at some point but high-quality ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

technical assistance, mentors and trusted advisors are needed to prepare for capital access and to maximize execution after receiving it.

I’ve always said that entrepreneurship is a full contact sport. Like playing certain sports and being on the battlefield, you can’t learn how to master the responsibilities just by reading about them, taking a class or seeing examDavid Moody ples. While those activities are part of the learning process, the only way one masters entrepreneurship is by doing it. Just like the battlefield, all those concepts and examples are fine until the first bullet whizzes by your head.

At that point, training, muscle memory, guiding principles and decision-making processes have to take over. That can only begin to happen after years of on-the-job training with trusted subject matter experts, mentors and advisors.

The best approach, in my opinion, is immersive and holistic and includes, but is not limited to, these learning objectives: • The language of business – critical for true communication and learning to occur; • Practical skills such as certain elements of marketing or sales, performing a break-even analysis, reading a financial statement or making a decision; • How to develop processes, procedures and policies to guide operations; • How to use and understand systems that make the work more efficient, effective and accurate; • How to gather and analyze performance data; • How to make timely, accurate decisions; • How to hire, train, manage and lead people; • Accountability; • How to maintain your mental and physical health; • Balance; • Delegation — many a company have been lost to the owner’s inability to train and delegate effectively.

For a business owner to be successful, he/she must fully understand what, when, why and how to perform essential tasks in their business. For the service providers who support them, we must not just radio instructions to the pilot from our safe environment on the ground, but be willing to sit in the co-pilot seat and serve as navigator and load master if necessary.

David Moody is a Central Arkansas startup founder/mentor and former NASA engineer.

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JA N UA RY 2022

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JA N UA RY 2022

INFLUENCERS of the year

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nfluencers come in many shapes and sizes. Influencers can be mentors, CEOs, teachers. Their influence can be effectively subtle or dynamic; they can influence overtly or otherwise.

But they all share one common denominator — they are leaders.

Arkansas Money & Politics presents its third annual class of AMP Influencers of the Year. These leaders in Arkansas industry and politics were nominated by AMP readers and ultimately selected by a board of advisors consisting of former honorees.

One of this year’s Influencers, Darrin Williams of Southern Bancorp, appears on this month’s cover. Learn more about Williams and other Influencers on the pages that follow.

Each member of the 2022 class has influenced his or her field in significant ways. Our thanks to AMP readers for nominating such worthy leaders.

We’re proud to showcase them.

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INFLUENCERS/COVER

CATALYST,

LEADER,

INFLUENCER

Darrin Williams found his purpose at Southern Bancorp

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By Lindsey Castrellon// Photography by Jamison Mosley

he term “influencer” is used a lot these days. It’s a term that has completely evolved, thanks to social media marketing. Once reserved for those who possess a nuanced quality of affecting the actions of others, the term has now morphed into a full-on job title.

Modern-day connotations of the term aside, there still exist within our society authentic examples of what it means to be a genuine influencer. These individuals unwittingly possess the ability to influence others, not by persistence or solicitation, but by sheer earnestness and transparency. True influencers go beyond showing others what success looks like; they teach others how they can become successful themselves, thereby exemplifying the proverb, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams is influential. He is a chief executive officer, attorney, legislator, mentor, advocate, husband, father — the list goes on.

And while the list of his goals and achievements alone could qualify him for influencer status, it is his character that makes people want to follow his lead.

Williams credits his parents for his innate influential behavior. He says it was a desire to serve and make a difference instilled in him by his parents that led him to become an attorney, to run for public office and even to

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take the job at Southern Bancorp.

“I hit the parent lottery,” Williams said. “I was adopted by Warren and Catherine Williams [both deceased] who were in their 50s and 40s respectively, when they chose to adopt a 2-week old infant. My father was a Church of Christ minister and mom a high school English teacher during segregation. I grew up with two of the best examples of servant leadership possible. My parents were a gift, and I am grateful for their love and life examples. Watching them and attempting to model their lives of service led me to many of my career decisions.”

Williams’ career is a unique combination of business, law and politics. Currently serving as the CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc., Williams oversees the strategic direction and operations of each of Southern’s three Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI): Southern Bancorp, Inc., a bank holding company; Southern Bancorp Bank, one of America’s largest rural development banks; and Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) development finance and lending organization — collectively known as “Southern.”

Prior to leading Southern Bancorp, Williams was a partner at Carney, Williams, Bates & Pulliam PLLC, where his law practice consisted of representing consumers and investors in class actions and sometimes

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Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams

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INFLUENCERS/COVER included suing banks. His transition from law to banking wasn’t planned.

“I often say, I went from suing banks to running a bank.”

Williams also served as the state’s deputy attorney general from 1999 to 2003 and in the state House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015. Southern Bancorp was an unexpected stop on Williams’ journey, but one that he felt compelled to make. He says it was Southern Bancorp’s mission to reach the unbanked and underbanked that attracted him.

“I don’t think I would have worked for any other bank,” he said.

Williams got to know Southern Bancorp as a legislator while working with Southern Bancorp Community Partners to pass legislation providing greater consumer protections for people who took out tax refund anticipation loans.

“I noticed all of the tax refund stores popping up in my legislative district at tax time, offering to help consumers get their tax refund quickly,” Williams said.

“However, what these businesses failed to tell consumers was that they were taking out a loan, with ridiculously high interest rates and fees, in order to get their refund in two days or less, which they typically could receive for free in less than a week with an electronic filing.”

Williams said what he learned about consumers and tax refunds, coupled with his experience teaching a financial principles class with his wife at church, taught him just how little people knew about basic financial information.

“With just a little bit of education and assistance, I witnessed people make significant improvements in their financial lives. These experiences and my wife’s encouragement led me to accept the offer to be Southern Bancorp’s CEO after initially turning the job down.

Like many good decisions that I have made, it was my wife who led me to it.”

Williams has been happily married to Nicole Sippial Williams, from Montgomery, Ala., for 26 years. The two met in Nashville while attending Vanderbilt University School of Law. They now live in Little Rock and have two children — Darrin Jr. (DJ), 23, and Payton, 21, both of whom seem to have inherited their parents’ strong drive and ambition.

“I am most proud that my wife and I, and our vil-

lage, raised two God-fearing, intelligent and respectful young adults.”

Both of Williams’ children are recent college graduates. DJ, from Wake Forest University in WinstonSalem, N.C., and Payton from Spelman College in Atlanta. DJ works for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and is a coach for a high school debate team in Florida. (He was a nationally ranked debater in high school and college.) He plans to eventually follow in his parents’ footsteps and attend law school.

Payton lives in Madrid, Spain, where she teaches English and culture to elementary students and travels throughout Europe. She plans to begin dental school in the fall.

Williams’ passion for using his knowledge to help others spills over into his hobbies, as well.

He is an avid reader and usually has one or more books that he is reading at any given time, mostly nonfiction and related to topics of interest. He recently finished rereading How the Other Half Banks by Mehrsa Baradaran, which he said gets at the heart of the challenges that Southern and other CDFIs are addressing in trying to provide equal access to credit and financial services for low-wealth people.

“This book explores our government’s role in the banking system, which really is two systems — one that works well for the wealthy and one for everyone else.”

Williams says Southern Bancorp is working to change that system.

“I am most proud of the culture of impact that we have developed at Southern Bancorp,” he said. “When I arrived at Southern in 2013, it was already doing good work and helping many people. However, little separated us from other good community banks. We spent a significant amount of time reviewing our mission, vision and core values to be more aligned with our founding purpose and even more consistent with the reasons CDFIs exist — to serve underserved people and places, those for whom the traditional banking industry does not adequately serve. I believe it is our consistent focus on culture that has fueled our recent successes.”

He also believes the adage, “Culture trumps strategy; if you have the right culture, your team will develop a winning strategy,” and every day, he is focused on Southern’s culture. In fact, he has a name tag with

“As long as I know that so many people lack access... I will have work to do.”

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the title of “Chief Culture Officer” as opposed to Chief Executive Officer. That focus on culture, he explained, has allowed his team to not only have a deep impact in reaching unbanked and underbanked people, but has also allowed them to exceed previous company net income highs for the past three years in a row.

“We believe our mission is our competitive advantage. People of all financial walks of life want to bank with us because we provide a valuable service, but more specifically, because we are focused on doing good as well. We believe that wealth building isn’t just for the wealthy; we are Williams views Southern Bancorp as a wealth builder for everyone, not just the wealthy. wealth builders for everyone.

“As long as I know that so many people lack access to responsible and responsive lems of low-wealth people and those without access to banking services, for a variety of reasons — including traditional banking services.” where they live, what they look like and how much Williams also mentioned investments from banking money they have — I will have work to do. A person’s giants such as Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase; ZIP code, race or current economic status should not regional banks such as Simmons, BancorpSouth and be determinative of their ability to access the AmeriRegions; and community banks such as Encore and can dream.”

Relyance. He said Southern has even attracted interWilliams believes that for far too many people, the national impact investors.

American Dream has become a nightmare.

“I am proud of the work we have done at Southern “In America today, we continue to see consistent and Bancorp to positively impact underserved people and persistent wealth and income inequality that is in part places, but I think we are just getting our sea legs. The fueled by a lack of access to responsible and responsive sky’s the limit for us. From 2013, when I got to Southcapital and credit,” he explained. “There is still a great ern, to now, we have been laying the foundation for deal of work to do to help make the American dream deeper and broader impact. I often say we have been accessible to all.” the best-kept 30-plus-year-old secret.”

Nevertheless, Williams says the future of the CDFI A secret that is kept no longer. industry has never been brighter.

Today, people know the power and impact that CD“When people ask me what keeps me up at night as FIs can and do have, so they have more opportunities CEO, I now say, ‘opportunity frustration.’ Never before than ever before. America’s largest corporations are has the CDFI industry and Southern Bancorp had as now partnering with CDFIs, providing unprecedented many organizations interested in partnering with us capital and partnership opportunities. So don’t expect on our journey toward building a more financially inSouthern Bancorp’s impact to soften any time soon. clusive America.”

As for what that means in terms of influence, WilSouthern has long enjoyed the support of philanliams said, “Being an influencer means I have to be thropic organizations such as its founding investors, accountable for the ways in which I knowingly and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Walton unknowingly impact others. Having the ability to inFamily Foundation, as well as national nonprofits like fluence someone or a situation in and of itself is neithe W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Ford Foundather good nor bad, but how I choose to use my inflution, but recently it has attracted new investors. ence is what matters.

Williams said Southern is looking forward to op“I strive to have a positive influence. Daily, I portunities to partner with Square Inc. (now Block) to watched my parents, Warren and Catherine Wilfurther develop its digital banking. Block is a global liams, use their lives to make positive differences for leader in payments from which Southern can learn a people, without any expectations for a returned favor. great deal, he said.

Their life examples influence me to be a positive in“We are a technology-forward community bank and fluencer. I hope that I make them proud.” are exploring digital banking solutions to solve probARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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Sandy Bradley What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

I start each day with a Starbucks “Star Frost,” my custom concoction.

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

Looking back, I would have enjoyed law school.

Have you ever been mentored or have you mentored someone else?

I’ve been fortunate to have wonderful talented, selfless individuals guide me throughout my personal and professional journeys.

INFLUENCER Chief of Staff The McLarty Companies

Heather Albright What’s your secret to success?

Nothing beats hard work and doing your best to be prepared, especially when you experience the unexpected.

Another big part of my success as the first female relationship manager in our middle market banking group and first female president in Arkansas is attributed to networking and building my brand not only externally but also internally.

INFLUENCER

How did your education prepare you for your career?

SVP, Senior Relationship Manager Middle Market President of Arkansas Market Bank of America

My education at Arkansas Tech University and UCA has given me the opportunity to start down this career path and get to the position I am currently in. Education is what gets your first foot in the door.

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| David Bazzel

| Heather Albright

Entrepreneur/radio host KABZ, The Buzz 103.7 FM

Senior Vice President Senior Relationship Manager – Middle Market President of Arkansas Market Bank of America

A former all-Southwest Conference linebacker for the Razorbacks and defensive MVP of the 1984 Liberty Bowl, David Bazzel boasts one of the most recognizable names and faces in Arkansas. Since his playing days on the Hill, the Florida native has done more to promote his adopted state than most lifelong Arkansans. A host for over 20 years on The Buzz radio network’s “Show With No Name” and now “Morning Mayhem,” he’s also logged over two decades covering Razorback football for KATV Channel 7.

Bazzel is the creator of numerous awards and trophies associated with college football, including prominent national awards such as the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, the Burlsworth Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s best college player who began his career as a walk-on, and the Cliff Harris Award, presented to the country’s top small college defensive player.

Bazzel also is responsible for the Golden Boot and Battle Line trophies, awarded to the winner of Arkansas’ annual games with LSU and Missouri, as well as awards named for Arkansas football legends Dan Hampton, Willie Roaf, Darren McFadden and media hall of famers Steve Sullivan and Paul Eells. Bazzel also launched the Little Rock Touchdown Club and and the TUSK live mascot program for the University of Arkansas

Heather Albright is a Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager in Middle Market at Bank of America. In this role, Albright leads a team of commercial banking specialists in Arkansas to deliver strategic financial advice and solutions to companies with $50 million to $2 billion in annual revenue. Based in Little Rock, Heather joined Bank of America in 2005 as a senior credit products analyst and was promoted to a portfolio management officer in 2009, supporting the Arkansas Middle Market clients in both roles. In 2015, she was promoted to Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager leading client relationships in Arkansas. She was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2019.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Albright was a portfolio account administrator in the brokerage accounting group at Stephens, Inc. in Little Rock. There she was responsible for maintaining the cost basis system of record for the brokerage accounts and providing support to financial advisors. Albright received her undergraduate degree in Economics and Finance from Arkansas Tech University and her Master of Business Administration from University of Central Arkansas. She also holds FINRA certifications for Series 7 and Series 63 securities licenses.

| Sandy Bradley

| Susan Altrui

Chief of Staff McLarty Companies

Director Little Rock Zoo

For more than 15 years, Sandy Bradley has served as chief of staff for the McLarty Companies, a fourth-generation Arkansas business with interests in automotive, real estate, consulting and private equity.

Bradley serves on the Arkansas Cinema Society Board and has served as American Heart Association Sweetheart co-chair for several years. She previously worked for more than 16 years at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. A native of Jonesboro, Bradley has called Central Arkansas home since 1986.

Under Director Susan Altrui’s guidance, the Little Rock Zoo continues to be one of the state’s most visited attractions. Its 33 acres now are home to more than 500 animals. More than 200 species are represented, many of which are endangered. The Zoo participates in important conservation breeding programs and also coordinates with partner organizations to help save species in the wild. Additionally, the Little Rock Zoo’s education efforts inspire the next generation of scientists, researchers and conservationists. Altrui’s previous background in politics helped her glean the skills necessary to promote and fundraise for the Little Rock Zoo. Altrui, along with the Arkansas Zoological Foundation, have secured some of the largest gifts and donations in the history of The Zoo.

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| Amber Brewer

| Marvin Childers

Brand Manager/Creative Director Yellow Rocket Concepts

President/Chief Lobbyist The Poultry Federation

Amber Brewer is the creative mind behind Yellow Rocket Concepts in Little Rock, the company with restaurants including Big Orange, Local Lime and Heights Taco & Tamale. Brewer attended college at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. She currently serves on the board of the Arkansas Cinema Society and has been an art director for 15 years. She previously held positions at CJRW and Arkansas Business Publishing Group, joining Yellow Rocket full-time as creative director and brand manager after the Big Orange Midtown location opened in Little Rock.

Marvin Childers has served as the president of The Poultry Federation, a trade organization representing the poultry and egg industry in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri since 2007. Childers considers it an honor to lead an organization where the industry provides billions of dollars to the state’s economy.

Childers is a board member of the Arkansas State Chamber and co-chair of the Chamber’s Tax Committee. He also serves as a board member of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation. In 2020 – 2021, Childers served on the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force with a focus on agriculture issues. Childers served as an Arkansas state representative from 2001 through 2006 and has practiced law with Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP since 2000.

| William Brewer CEO First National Bank

| William Clark

William Brewer has been with First National Bank in Paragould for more than 45 years, succeeding his father, Larry Brewer, as bank chairman in 1988. He is now the CEO of the $2.3 billion institution, which owns 24 banks in Arkansas and Tennessee. A lifelong resident of Paragould, Brewer earned a sociology degree from Arkansas State University and intended to work with his family-owned gasoline and propane distributorships. However, the family sold them after the 1974 oil embargo reduced energy consumption.

He served as the chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 1984 to 1991 and was on the Paragould Light, Water and Cable commission for 22 years. He also was awarded the Trooper Ermon Cox Award from the Arkansas State Police Foundation in 2017 for his work with the state police. It is one the highest civilian recognitions awarded by the state police and is named for a trooper who was fatally shot in 1958. Brewer was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Paragould Chamber of Commerce in September 2021 for “exceptional service and dedication to Paragould.” His son, Will Brewer, serves as the bank’s vice chairman.

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CEO Clark Contractors

William Clark is the founder and CEO of Little Rock’s Clark Contractors, a full-service general contractor and constructionmanagement firm headquartered in Little Rock. Founded in 2009, the company has grown to annual revenues of $180 million with offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Dallas. It anticipates a record year in 2021 with more than $200 million in revenue, which it expects to surpass that in 2022.

Clark is a third-generation resident of Little Rock and a 1987 graduate of Central High. In 1991, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Arkansas.

Clark and his wife, Christy, a CPA who serves as controller for the company, have been heavily involved in philanthropic and community activities. He serves as a corporate director for Simmons Bank and board member for CARTI, where he serves as vice chair of the Strategic Committee. Clark also is a member of Arkansas Executive Forum and the Sam M. Walton College of Business Dean’s Executive Advisory Board at the UA.

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Susan Altrui Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My parents and countless teachers have made me who I am today. I love our teachers. They have such an impact. I find inspiration from different people at different points in time. Most recently, I watched a video on Formula 1 race-car driver Lewis Hamilton and was quite inspired by his journey.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Check-in and chat with some of the folks in my office, and don’t talk about work. I want to know how people are doing, and I just want to know the people who work for me.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill.

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

I came very close to being an attorney. I was captain of the debate team in college and loved debating. Those skills still translate well now. Before going to graduate school, I spoke to lots of attorneys, and they all said if they could do it again, they would never be attorneys. So, I took that to heart. I probably would have enjoyed it, but I love what I’m doing now.

During which part of the day are you most productive?

I’m more productive in the early morning, but it honestly just depends.

I might leave a late afternoon meeting and feel energized about something and get a second wind. Or, I might leave a meeting and want to bang my head against a wall. I think as leaders, we have to be real about the ups and downs we all experience, and that we have to work through problems and frustrations to stay on track and to stay productive. In my job, every day is different and presents new challenges.

It’s why I love doing what I do.

INFLUENCER Director Little Rock Zoo

Bobby Martin Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

During my career, I have been fortunate to share a meal, a boardroom and go afield with some of the world’s greatest leaders, but unquestionably it is my wife who is the single source of my encouragement and steadfast life partner.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Prayer and coffee. In that order.

Favorite Quote?

My favorite quote is more of a mantra and is, “if you can’t be on time, be early. I believe it says everything about you — your interest, commitment and respect for others.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone?

I believe that the greatest gift that we can give someone is our time, and as someone who had many impactful silent mentors in my life, it is important to me that I devote time to mentor a number of younger men today.

The most productive part of the day?

The most productive part of my day is the morning and the earlier, the better.

It’s a common thread among most of the world’s most successful people.

Leadership Style?

I take a hands-on approach to leadership. Being hands-on and empowering is a strong combination.

The secret to inspiring others to action is...

Lead by example and treat people according to the potential you see in them.

INFLUENCER

What is an alternative path if things had played out differently?

Chairman, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

As a kid, I dreamed of being a naval aviator, and I am still humbled by those who serve our country.

Operating Partner, The Stephens Group

Executive Chairman, Gap Inc. Former Chief Executive Officer, Walmart International

| Scott Copas

| Jessica Flake Dearnley

Scott Copas has been in the construction, architecture and design world since 1974.

Most recently, Copas took his experience and talent as a business developer to Shayla Copas Lifestyle as COO, where he will oversee the company’s multidivision operations, such as the interior design company headed by his wife, Shayla, as well as its comprehensive lifestyle brands, including Shayla Copas Interiors, Shayla Copas Travel, Shayla Copas Collections, Copas + Co. Construction Consulting and The Hive Marketing & Public Relations.

Copas studied architecture and business administration at the University of Arkansas. He began his career at Baldwin & Shell Construction as an estimator before ascending to president and CEO in 2014. Under his leadership, the company’s sales grew from $80 million to more than $300 million. Among many other community accolades and positions, Copas is a past chairman and board member for the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, a lifetime national director of the Associated General Contractors of America, past member of the advisory board for the University of Arkansas School of Architecture, current member of the UALR Construction Management Advisory Board and an ex-officio board member of the ADPSAFT since its establishment in 2005.

Jessica Flake Dearnley has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM.) She is licensed in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in cognitive psychology and creative writing, from the University of Miami with an MBA in finance and investments, from the University of Arkansas with a master’s in accountancy and is currently in the master’s program (finance) at Johns Hopkins University.

She sits on the boards of the Little Rock Tech Park Board, the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Board, Fifty for the Future, Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum, Ozark Catholic Academy Board and has been involved with Jericho’s Way. Her professional experience has ranged from asset management, as a financial and credit analyst and landlord representation.

COO Shayla Copas Lifestyle

CEO Flake & Company

| Anne Marie Doramus

Anne Marie Doramus Vice President, Arkansas Bolt Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner

Anne Marie Doramus has realized quite a few accomplishments that belie her young age. She’s currently a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and serves on the board of directors for the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show. She is one of the youngest ever appointed to a full seven-year term on the AGFC and is the first female commissioner. She’s also a founding member of the Arkansas Outdoor Society, a group for young adults passionate about conservation and the outdoors in Arkansas.

Anne Marie has seen firsthand the impact that the AGFC has on Arkansas. Growing up, her father passed on his love for the outdoors, and that is what she intends to do in her role as a commissioner. She believes passing the torch of conservation is essential to uphold the Natural State’s reputation of being an outdoors paradise — not just for the sports involving hooks and bullets, but also for the hikers, bikers, paddlers and bird watchers.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Doramus is vice president of special projects and sales for Arkansas Bolt Company,

| Adora Curry

Director of Advancement Thaden School

A Colorado native, Adora Curry came to Thaden from the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College, where she served as Advancement Marketing and Alumni Relations Manager. Curry brings 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, both in higher education and private foundations, to her role at Thaden School. Her areas of expertise include major gift cultivation, grant-writing and stewardship, diversity and inclusion, donor relations, annual giving, marketing, communications, special events and alumni engagement.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film from Howard University and a master’s degree in rhetoric and professional writing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

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a fastener distributor and OEM supplier based in Little Rock.

Doramus grew up an avid duck hunter and bass angler on her family’s farm in southeast Arkansas.

Conservancy, Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Dean’s Advisory Board of the University of Arkansas Walton School of Business and the Associated Builders and Contractors national board. He also served on the board of the former Pulaski Bank and Trust in Little Rock for nine years. East holds a degree in finance and administration from the University of Arkansas, where he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Walton School in 2019.

| George Dunklin Founder/owner Five Oaks Duck Lodge

George Dunklin Jr. grew up in Pine Bluff, not far from Stuttgart — the “Rice and Duck Capital of the World.” He began accompanying his father on hunting trips at the age of 8 and shot his first gun at 10, sparking a lifelong passion for the sport of waterfowl hunting. Dunklin’s maternal grandfather, Lester A. Black, owned farmland in Arkansas County, which Dunklin visited throughout his youth. After college in Memphis, he moved to Arkansas County to farm that land, and he never left.

His abiding passion for and dedicated service to conservation led him to become a member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission from 2005 to 2012. He served as its chairman from 2011-2012. Additionally, after volunteering since the age of 16, he became president of Ducks Unlimited from 2013-2015. When Dunklin was named in 2009 “Budweiser Conservationist of the Year,” he used the accompanying $50,000 grant money to support the Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area, the public lands adjacent to Five Oaks, because he believes in the sanctity of public areas.

| Michael Fothergill Executive and Artistic Director Ballet Arkansas

Michael Fothergill began his relationship with Ballet Arkansas as a finalist in the Ballet Arkansas Visions Choreographic Competition in the winter of 2017 and, following a sevenyear stint as principal dancer and choreographer with the Alabama Ballet, he was appointed Executive and Artistic Director of Ballet Arkansas in July of the same year.

Since that time, he has revitalized the organization’s programming and operations, allowing for the doubling of its gross operating budget and an exponential expansion of its programming. Fothergill has diversified and emboldened the organizations repertory by adding the signature works of distinguished choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Agnes De Mille, Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, Yoshito Sakaraba, Ma Cong, Christopher Wheeldon and Madison Hicks. Ballet Arkansas is now ranked as one of the Top 100 Professional Ballet Companies in the United States by that Dance Data Project.

Within the last 15 years, his choreography has been performed across the United States, Japan, Iceland, Australia, France, Romania, Dubai, Spain, Puerto Rico and Mexico, and his work was highlighted on film within the international documentary, Dance the Dream at 50, produced by acclaimed filmmaker Richard Karz.

| Bob East

Entrepreneur/business owner East Harding/Advanced Cabling Systems

Bob East has been active in commercial construction as a general contractor, owner and developer for more than 40 years and is a partner in numerous real-estate projects.

He was the founder of East Harding Inc., a Little Rock-based construction company, where he served as chairman and CEO until 2019.

From 1999 to 2019, East was the majority owner and managing member of Advanced Cabling Systems LLC, a full-service technology integrator that grew under his leadership from three employees to more than 200.

A lifelong Arkansas resident, East is actively involved in the community and has served on the board of many organizations, including the Little Rock Airport Commission, The Nature

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CONGRATULATIONS M ARVIN C H I L DERS

P R ESI DEN T, th e p oult ry f ederat ion On behalf of the staff, Board of Directors, and members of The Poultry Federation we would like to congratulate the head of our coop Marvin Childers on being nominated as one of Arkansas’ top influencers.

321 South Victory Street Little Rock, AR 72201 thepoultryfederation.com

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Join Us Today!

Thank you for voting us Best Nonprofit Organization in Arkansas !

Celebrating our 40th Anniversary!!

For 40 years, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has stood by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, helping when and where needed on special projects, programs, events and much, much more! Join the Foundation today as we help Arkansans Unplug and Engage in the Great Outdoors.

agff.org

Tyler Lawrence

CONGRATULATIONS!

Director of Programs and Events

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Deke Whitbeck President

2 Natural Resources Drive • Little Rock

Ruth-Kathryn Kelly

501-223-6468

Director of Operations

BOB L. MARTIN Executive Chairman, Gap Inc. For being named a 2022 AMP Influencer of the Year Thank you for your commitment to our company.

We’re proud to have you lead our board.

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| Jeston George

Sarah Catherine Gutierrez

Founder and CEO Apptegy

CEO/Financial Planner Aptus Financial

The K-12 education landscape is changing, and so is the role of the superintendent. Superintendents are now competing for students and funding, so they need to market themselves just like private businesses do.

Jeston George launched Apptegy in 2015 to help superintendents to do just that. Apptegy’s softwareas-a-service platform Thrillshare offers school leaders a way to deliver a better school experience to parents and students alike.

Now, in 2022, Little Rock based Apptegy is the single largest provider of marketing and communication tools to schools in the country.

Apptegy has raised Series A and Series B investment rounds from Five Elms Capital, a major capital firm out of Kansas City, and in just six years has grown to over 260 full-time employees working with more than 2,500 school districts across the U.S.

Sarah Catherine Gutierrez is the CEO of Aptus Financial in Little Rock. She holds a master’s of public policy degree from Harvard University, as well as Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist designations. Her firm serves as advisor to workplace retirement plans and provides flat-fee financial planning services and guided DIY investing support for individual clients.

She was named to Investment News’ 2020 40 under 40 class of investment advisors and is author of But First, Save10: The One Simple Money Move That Will Change Your Life. Gutierrez also writes a weekly financial column called, “Save Yourself,” for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

| Scott Hamilton

| Natalie Ghidotti

CEO/President Urban League of Arkansas

Founder/CEO Ghidotti

Scott Hamilton is native of Little Rock, where he grew up and ultimately started his professional work career in the energy industry.

He has lived in several cities throughout the country, including Kansas City, Detroit, Houston and Atlanta. Hamilton returned to Little Rock in 2011 and assumed leadership of the Arkansas Department of Energy.

An avid nonprofit supporter and participant, Hamilton recently was selected to lead the Urban League of the State of Arkansas, where he is focused on structuring the organization to be an effective connector between human need and solution providers. He is active in several local nonprofits, including the Urban League of Arkansas, City Year Little Rock, The Boys and Girls Club of Central Arkansas, The American Association of Blacks in Energy, the Little Rock Planning Commission and Little Rock City Sustainability Commission.

Natalie Ghidotti, APR, is principal of Ghidotti, a Little Rock public relations and content marketing agency she founded in 2007 that has since grown to serve a wide range of clients, including some of the region’s best-known brands. The firm serves clients that span all industries, including law firms, retail, health care, technology, nonprofits and more. Natalie is also co-founder/co-owner of The Nest, Little Rock’s first coworking community and social club designed by women, for women located in the growing SOMA neighborhood.

She serves on the executive committee for the Public Relations Society of America’s national Counselors Academy, is a past president of the PRSA Arkansas Chapter and has been a speaker for numerous PRSA International Conferences.

Ghidotti is an active community volunteer, serving as president-elect nominee of Rotary Club of Little Rock, president of Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum, troop leader for Girl Scouts Troop 6109 and a board member of the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation.

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| Howard Hurst

| Shannon Hendrix

President Tipton & Hurst

Senior Vice President and Administrator Arkansas Children’s Northwest

In 1886, Joseph B. Hurst and David Tipton started a floral business in downtown Little Rock. Almost 136 years later, the company continues to flourish under the leadership of Hurst’s grandson, Howard. After spending his childhood in the store and later graduating from the University of Arkansas with high honors in 1980, Howard was made vice president of Tipton & Hurst. Four years later at the age of 26, he assumed the position of president from his father, Joe Hurst. Since then, Howard has seen the company expand to Conway and Pine Bluff with the help of the company’s talented staff. Outside of the company, Howard is most proud of his wife and children’s accomplishments in their careers.

Shannon Hendrix, MS, RD, LD, serves as senior vice president and administrator for Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale.

Hendrix has a deep understanding of the special considerations required to run a children’s hospital as well as extensive knowledge of overall child health in Arkansas. Her experience at Arkansas Children’s includes leadership responsibilities with teams ranging from clinical operations, such as radiology and laboratory to the social support services at the heart of delivering family-centered care, including social work and pastoral care. She previously served as vice president of clinical and diagnostic services for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. A registered dietitian, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition from the University of Central Arkansas.

She sits on community boards and is active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Hendrix also is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

| Myron Ross Jackson President and CEO The Design Group

Myron Jackson is the president and CEO of The Design Group, Arkansas’ leading multicultural communications company. He not only directs day-to-day activity but also serves as the strategic thought leader. He brings more than 20 years of extensive marketing experience to his team and blends unique marketing insights with arresting communications for urban, African American, Latinx and youth consumer audiences.

His marketing prowess has been evidenced in campaigns for the National Basketball Association, Memphis Grizzlies, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Arkansas Department of Health, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, GlaxoSmithKline, Arista Records and LaFace Records recording artists Usher Raymond and Toni Braxton. Jackson holds marketing and advertising /public relations degrees from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He has longstanding associations with the National Association of AfricanAmerican Advertising Agencies, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Art Directors Club, the Public Relations Society of America, the American Advertising Federation and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

| Travis Hester President Eat My Catfish

Travis Hester is the president of Eat My Catfish. A 2006 graduate of Northwood University, Hester obtained a bachelor’s degree in banking, finance and management.

He returned to Central Arkansas, where his love of cooking became the driving force behind opening his first Eat My Catfish location in Benton. Eat My Catfish now has seven locations across Central and Northwest Arkansas.

As his team of employees grew — and as he became more involved in his community — Hester realized that he and Eat My Catfish could have a positive influence on individuals and the community. Since that realization, his desire to positively impact others has become his purpose and motivation in all that he does. That is why Eat My Catfish’s mission statement declares the company’s goal of “exceeding expectations” in the store and in the community. Hester knows this can only be accomplished “by partnering with local suppliers” and focusing on “developing the future leaders of our communities.”

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Howard Hurst Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My family! Mom and Dad, initially, then my wife and later my son and daughter. They all have high expectations, a very strong work ethic and excel at getting things done, which keeps me motivated to just keep up.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Quick coffee, then workout/walk.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Being an Eagle Scout: “Be Prepared,” the Scout motto.

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

I had always planned to follow in my dad’s footsteps at Tipton & Hurst. After college, I applied to crew on charter sailboats in the Caribbean, but never got a job, so I am still at my first job to this day.

In your experience, what’s the secret to inspiring others to action?

Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said it best, “I don’t think that you can reach your full potential out of fear. I think that you can out of want-to.”

Which is the last book you read?

1776 by David McCullough. (I think every American should have to read it in Civics class.)

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone?

My dad was a great mentor to me!

During which part of the day are you most productive?

Morning — or any time I have a deadline!

Is your leadership style more hands-on or hands-off?

Hands-on.

INFLUENCER President Tipton & Hurst

Matt Troup Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

Christ is my inspiration. The integration of my work and faith is fundamental.

Also, my wife, Melissa, is a key source of inspiration and support. She a brilliant spouse, mother, educator, and supporter. She has been a sounding board and girded my faith during challenging times.

What books or podcasts are you currently reading or listening to?

I recently finished a biography of Winston Churchill by Andrew Roberts titled “Churchill, A Walk with Destiny.”

Currently, I am reading Rod Dreher’s new book “Life Not By Lies.” I enjoy books and podcasts that challenge me to think and grow.

What advice do you and your wife, Melissa, give your sons about achieving their dreams?

Our discussions with our sons center around “where do you feel God is leading you?” My perspective is work without a calling is drudgery. Our prayer has been for each of them to grow in wisdom and in stature, but first and foremost to serve God. It is not their dreams, but the urging of their Creator that we try to stoke.

What is a good man?

Someone who loves unconditionally, seeks to serve others before himself, does the right thing when nobody is looking and lives a strenuous life. A strenuous life, as defined by Theodore Roosevelt, is one that “does not shrink from toil, but lives with a vigorous and positive outlook on life,” in a Colossians 3:23 way: “… as if for the Lord.”

What would you like to be remembered for?

The Hebrew word “avodah” is used in scripture to describe work, worship, and service. The same word is used throughout scripture and implies that they are the same. I hope people will remember me as someone who incorporated all three into the workplace.

INFLUENCER CEO Conway Regional Health System

| Joe Jacobs

| Chris Jones

Manager, Marketing and Revenue Arkansas State Parks

Former director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub 2022 Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidate

Since 2005, Joe Jacobs has served as the manager of marketing and revenue for the State Parks Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. In this role, he manages the division’s marketing program, including the Division’s $1.4 million annual advertising program, and oversees the revenue-producing operations ($29 million annually) for Arkansas State Parks.

During this time, Jacobs has supported outdoor recreation efforts through the state parks and tourism divisions and through personal involvement with event management and promotion. He provided technical assistance in the creation of the original Bicycling in Arkansas brochure. He also played a key role in the creation of the Arkansas Mountain Bicycling Guide, Road Cycling Guide, all editions of the Arkansas Cycling Guide, and wrote the Arkansas Bicycle Safety Manual. Jacobs represents the agency as the chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Cycling, a group created by Governor Hutchinson with the goal of improving the bicycle friendliness of Arkansas through state agency and business cooperation.

Arkansas has been home to Dr. Chris Jones’ family for more than 200 years. His parents, both ministers, raised Jones in Pine Bluff with a strong sense of faith. He says, however, that his faith never collided with his love for science — it only made it grow stronger. Jones attended Morehouse College in Atlanta on a NASA Scholarship for physics and mathematics before earning a master’s in nuclear engineering and a Ph.D. in urban planning from MIT. Then, after becoming an ordained minister, he returned home with a commitment to unlocking Arkansas’ potential by leading the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock. Jones believes Arkansas is primed for economic growth with improved public education, more support for small businesses and strengthened infrastructure, roads and broadband service. He is running for governor and will appear on the Democratic primary ballot in May.

| Tommy Keet

Vice President Keet O’Gary Construction

| Bill Jones

Tommy Keet graduated from Hendrix College in 1998 and William H. Bowen Law school in 2003. In 2008, Keet quit practicing law and opened the first Tazikis Mediterranean Cafe in Arkansas with his partners, Jim and Jake Keet.

Currently, Tommy Keet is president of JTJ Restaurants, LLC that owns and operates eight Taziki’s restaurants in Arkansas and three in Oklahoma. Keet is a partner in Petit and Keet, Bar and Grill, and Cypress Social LLC. Keet is also a partner in Waldo’s Chicken and Beer with one location in Tulsa and one opening in March of 2021 in North Little Rock. Keet has also partnered with Count Porkula (Kelly Lovell and Walt Todd) to open two locations in 2022 in Central Arkansas.

Keet is active in the community and supports numerous charitable endeavors and is the past president of The Hat Club which was formed to support a variety of local charities in 2010 and has raised over $800,000 for local charities.

CEO Sissy’s Log Cabin

Bill Jones is the CEO of Sissy’s Log Cabin, a family-owned and operated jewelry store with locations in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Jonesboro, Conway and Memphis. With five locations overall, Sissy’s is Arkansas’ largest independently owned jewelry store.

Starting in 1984, as the only jeweler at Sissy’s original antique store in Pine Bluff, Bill worked in sales by day and would design and build jewelry pieces at night. He quickly found his knack for design and sales, and it was then he pursued his graduate gemologist degree at the Gemological Institute of America. Bill is widely recognized for his design and industry leadership. He is a National Jewelry Design award winner, and retail member of the American Gem Trade Association. Bill shares a passion for his community and serves in a leadership capacity for several charitable organizations, including the Baptist Health Foundation (trustee), the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation (vice chair), the Jefferson Regional Medical Center Foundation (board member) and the Pine Bluff chapter of Ducks Unlimited (past president).

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presented on sustainable design and construction to various groups including Master Speaker at the USGBC Greenbuild Conference, American Planning Association, National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB), the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), graduate architecture programs and various sustainability conferences.

| Hank Kelley

CEO/Executive Broker/Partner Kelley Commercial Partners

In 1984, Hank Kelley joined the commercial real estate firm that would later become Kelley Commercial Partners, where he currently serves as chief executive officer, executive broker and partner. He attributes his success in the business to the strong client relationships he developed over his 37-year career. Kelley has earned distinction from several professional organizations for his knowledge, commitment and professionalism in his field, including Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) and Certified Property Manager (CPM) from the Institute of Real Estate Management. He is also a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors — the leading global professional office and industrial real estate association representing today’s most knowledgeable, experienced and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists. He led his firm to earn the state of Arkansas’s only membership in ChainLinks, the No. 1 retail advisors and brokerage network in North America serving premier retailers, landlords and investors since 1979.

| Steve Landers CEO Landers Auto Group

Steve Landers is known all across the Natural State for his role in Landers Auto Group and a host of car dealerships. Landers is CEO of the Steve Landers Auto Group, which includes all dealerships under the Landers name in Arkansas. He also has a partial interest in McClarty Automotive. Landers is well-known for his role in the horseracing community as well and was appointed to the Arkansas Racing Commission in 2016.

Landers is also a well-known philanthropist. Every week during football season, KATV’s sports staff selects a student athlete to receive the Landers Award and accompanying scholarship, which is given to a high school athlete. The Steve Landers Family Foundation also funds various charitable works throughout Arkansas. Landers announced at the end of 2021 that he plans to use his business management skills in his run for the Little Rock mayor’s seat.

| Chris Ladner Founding Partner Entegrity

Chris Ladner is one of the founding partners of Entegrity, an energy services, sustainability, and solar development company. He has expertise in Net-Zero buildings, solar power, HVAC systems, performance contracting, controls as well as knowledge of industrial controls.

In 2008, Ladner was a member of the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Global Warming. Since then, he has also served as chair of the Chapter Steering Committee and member of the Energy and Atmosphere Technical Advisory Group for the U.S. Green Building Council and in many other capacities at the state and national level. He is also a past consultant for the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI).

Ladner has participated in various types of LEED projects including LEED Zero, LEED-Neighborhood Development, LEED-Commercial Interiors, LEED-New Construction, LEED for Existing Buildings and LEED Homes. He has

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Myron Jackson What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

I can’t start a day without a dose of social media. It has become my vice and tool for inspiration.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose” ―— Langston Hughes

Which source of news do you prefer — print, online, TV or radio?

I will never lose my love for the print medium. However, these days, I consume “news of the day” via online platforms and broader schools of thought via print.

INFLUENCER CEO, Creative Strategist The Design Group

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Dr. Ryan Watley Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My father and mother, Roland and Lajuan, have always been a source of inspiration for me. My parents set the precedent of learning how to turn a little into a lot. I observe, appreciate and am inspired by many people who demonstrate this type of capacity.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Each morning, I definitely thank God for another day, and then, I am trying to prepare for a run.

INFLUENCER

Which is the last book you read?

I am currently reading The Power of a Humble Life by Richard Simmons III.

CEO Go Forward Pine Bluff

ARKANSAS HOSPITALS

ALWAYS THERE,

Providing advocacy, community, education, and resources to Arkansas’s hospitals and health systems for more than 90 years.

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beyond the companies he served. His time as CEO of Walmart International, coupled with expertise in the use of technology, keeps him an active contributor across a diverse set of interests.

Today, Martin is executive chairman of Gap Inc, operating partner of The Stephens Group, lead independent director for Conns Inc., and brings his strong reputation as a visionary, results-oriented executive to private boards and select nonprofits. While business has been a life-long passion, his dedication to conservation is his grandest opportunity to serve and give back. As a commissioner and current chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Martin combines a lifelong passion for the outdoors, a dedication to habitat management, decades of wildlife advocacy, and his business acumen to help keep the Natural State the best place on the planet to live, work and play.

| Laura Landreaux President and CEO Entergy Arkansas

Laura Landreaux ensures that Entergy Arkansas meets the power needs of more than 722,000 customers every day. She is also responsible for driving the company’s financial and operational business results, customer service, safety, resource planning, economic development, employee development and regulatory and governmental affairs. Landreaux became president and CEO on July 1, 2018.

Her career with Entergy Arkansas began in 2007 in the legal department. She then became manager of Regulatory Affairs for Entergy Arkansas in 2012. She went on to hold other leadership positions, including finance director and vice president of regulatory affairs, where she was responsible for interactions between Entergy Arkansas and the Arkansas Public Service Commission. Activities and achievements include serving as vice chairman of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce board of directors and board positions for EasterSeals Arkansas, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and the Arkansas Research Alliance. A native of Little Rock, Landreaux earned her juris doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, where she was on the Arkansas Law Review, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from the UA.

| Larry Middleton

Executive Vice President Stephens Capital Management

Larry Middleton is Executive Vice President at Stephens Capital Management in Little Rock. He graduated in 1984 from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a bachelor’s degree in finance and banking and began his career in 1985 at Merrill Lynch as a financial consultant. In May 1990, he joined Stephens Capital Management, a division of Stephens Inc. He currently serves in an advisory capacity to pensions, trusts, endowments, foundations and municipal special purpose funds.

Middleton is a FINRA Registered Representative (Series 7 & 63) and a Registered Investment Advisor Representative (Series 65).

In addition, he has also completed the National Commodity Futures Exam (Series 31).

| Bobby Martin

Chairman, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Executive Chairman, Gap Inc. Operating Partner, The Stephens Group Former Chief Executive Officer, Walmart International

| Adam Mitchell

Having worked for three of Arkansas’ titans of industry, Bobby Martin has a unique history and dedication to the state. Martin continues to build on a tenure among some of the most elite leadership roles in business at home and abroad. Still, perhaps his greatest legacy will be how he influences and elevates conservation in Arkansas.

Through his time at Walmart and Dillard Department Stores, Martin in his career has been defined by some of the most notable leadership and technological advancements in the history of the retail and manufacturing industries.

His exacting style has earned him considerable influence

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CEO Citizens Bank

Adam Mitchell has been serving Citizens Bank as CEO since early 2021 and has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry.

Before joining Citizens Bank, he served as executive vice president and chief retail officer responsible for overseeing branch performance, staffing and service as well as sales delivery for more than 190 locations across seven states at another Arkansas bank.

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Mitchell has dedicated a significant portion of his career to giving back to the community. He is an advisory board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and, together with his wife, Kristie, was honored with its Living & Giving Award in 2017. He also served as co-chair of the Central Arkansas Heart Ball in 2014. Mitchell currently serves as a board member for USAble Life Corporation and Arkansas Health Group. He has also held various roles with Hendrix College, the Arkansas Bankers Association, Baptist Health Foundation and Junior Achievement of Arkansas.

Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Nabholz currently serves on the boards for Arkansas Children’s Foundation, Philander Smith College Board of Trustees, Conway Corp, Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, First Security Bank and the Associated General Contractors of Arkansas. He is part of the third generation of the Nabholz family to work at the company, following the path of his grandfather, company founder Bob Nabholz, and father, current Executive Vice President David Nabholz.

| Shannon Newton

| Matt Mosler

President Arkansas Trucking Association

Pastor, New Life Church Founder, Home Again Pine Bluff

Shannon Newton is president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. Since 2003, she has been a leader in implementing ATA’s strategic initiatives including planning, finance, member services, governance, regulatory and legislative affairs. In 2018, she was recognized by American Trucking Associations with the President’s Trucking Association Executives Council Leadership Award for regional and national advocacy.

Newton has held industry leadership positions; she served on Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Working Group on Highway Funding and spearheaded the efforts to pass the largest highway funding package in Arkansas legislature history. She also chaired the Vote for Roads committee that successfully campaigned for voters to pass a half-cent sales tax to fund infrastructure. In 2020, Newton was appointed to Arkansas’s Economic Recovery Task Force to make recommendations for the state’s COVID-19 economic recovery. She is a member of the Trucking Association’s Insurance Council, Arkansas Society of Association Executives and Arkansas Society of Professional Lobbyists. Newton has also served on the American Transportation Research Institute’s Research Advisory Committee and currently sits on the board for Project Zero.

After a career as a TV meteorologist and news anchor at KATV and KARK in Little Rock, Matt Mosler and his wife, Camille, joined the pastoral team at the Greater Little Rock campus of New Life Church in 2014. Mosler now is the pastor of New Life’s Pine Bluff campus and founder of Home Again Pine Bluff, a nonprofit whose mission is to revitalize the community. Home Again Pine Bluff’s mission is to renovate homes and rent them to individuals and families in need at below market rental rate for three to five years, after which they will be able to purchase the property for half of the appraised value. Mosler and Home Again have completed and delivered their first two homes on East Eighth Avenue to two Pine Bluff families. Renovation on a third home began in January and is scheduled to be completed in May. The organization is working with the city and other local agencies to acquire additional property to develop into neighborhoods.

| Jake Nabholz CEO Nabholz Construction

Recently named Nabholz’ CEO, Jake Nabholz began his 23-year tenure with the company working as a summer laborer while in high school. After graduating with his construction management degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, his career advanced within Nabholz. He later served in business development and leadership roles in Tulsa and Central Arkansas. In 2018, he was promoted to the position of regional president, overseeing construction operations in northeast Arkansas, Central

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Anne Marie Doramus Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

I am inspired most by Arkansans’ deeply rooted tradition of hunting and fishing and seeing new hunters and anglers experience the wildlife and wonders of the Natural State for the first time. As an AGFC commissioner, this is why I have a passion for supporting recruitment programs like our “Becoming an Outdoors Women” program series that gives women the opportunity to experience and learn new outdoor skills.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

On days I can’t start my morning in a duck blind or a bass boat, I am committed to my coffee and a workout which sometimes turns into a coffee while I exercise.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone?

I think some people take for granted that looking for a trusted and experienced advisor or mentor in your life is something only for your career. I have been blessed to have several pivotal people I see as mentors for different aspects of my life.

The most productive part of the day?

I am the most productive early in the morning, but everyone is different. The most important thing is to find your productive period and plan your most important task around it.

What do you love best about what you do?

Whether I am in a sales meeting at Arkansas Bolt, talking with Arkansans about our natural resources, planning the next state fair, or mentoring a new hunter or angler. It is all about relationships for me.

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud?

INFLUENCER

Marrying Joe, because life is all about who you share it with.

Vice President, Arkansas Bolt Co. Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner

Larry Middleton Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

From my earliest memories, my parents included me in our family and business decision-making process, and by the age of 16, I was actively involved in the development of our family business. This experience served as the foundation for my strong work ethic and high standards.

Throughout my 31-year career as an investment advisor of Stephens Inc., I rely on those time-tested core values and experiences to advise family, high net worth individuals, offices, pensions and trusts on investment management decisions.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

My morning starts early with a cup of coffee as I peruse the local news on my iPad while listening to global market and news updates before the market opens. This kind of market data and investor sentiment insight provides unique and interesting challenges and opportunities for our clients as we make allocation decisions.

Which source of news do you prefer — print, online, TV or radio?

Through much of my career, news was a twice-a-day event with a newspaper in the morning and TV news in the evening. But it has now become a broader part of our life and business, integrated into my commute, calls and internet news between meetings. After 40 years of networking and building friendships, I also get more news than ever direct from the source by talking with national industry leaders as well as community leaders in our city and state.

The secret to inspiring others to action is...

Based on my experience, others are inspired to reach their full potential when they can witness or feel that their contribution was both value-added and appreciated. By clearly identifying the benefit of their role and developing performance-based compensation, this kind of intrinsic motivation is reinforced.

INFLUENCER EVP Stephens Capital Management

| Capi Peck

| Greg Ramon

Capi Peck is an Arkansas native with deep roots. She represents the fourth generation of her family in the hospitality business in Little Rock. Peck and her partner opened Trio’s Restaurant in 1986. In addition to owning and operating an award-winning restaurant, she is a community advocate and is involved in many civic organizations.

In Peck’s opinion, her most meaningful work is with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance addressing food insecurity in her community. She is a volunteer chef in the Cooking Matters program, teaching low-income families how to cook tasty and nutritious food on a budget. She taught the first Spanish language class in Little Rock. Peck is proud of the longevity of Trio’s, now 35 years old. Her staff is her family, and she has mentored countless young people who have worked with her over the years. She often tells people that in spite of the long hours and challenges of the restaurant business, she has the best job imaginable because she gets to welcome, nourish and nurture people daily.

Greg Ramon, CEO of Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority, has more than 35 years of experience in the wastewater and water industry.

In 2014, he joined the LRWRA team and brought with him a successful track record of leading large complex utilities. At LRWRA, the largest wastewater utility in the state, he is responsible for the operation and maintenance of three water reclamation facilities and more than 1,400 miles of collection system. Ramon is a member of Arkansas Water and Wastewater Managers Association, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, Water Environment Federation and American Water Works Association.

He serves on the board of Just Communities of Arkansas, as an advisory board member of the UAMS College of Public Health, as an ex officio member of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a member of Rotary Club 99. Ramon earned a bachelor’s degree from National Louis University in Chicago and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Chef/Co-owner Trio’s and Capi’s

CEO Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority

| Bo Ryall | Eric Pianalto

President and CEO Arkansas Hospital Association

President Mercy Hospital NWA

Bo Ryall is president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospital Association. He has been with the Association since 2005 and was named president in 2010. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Ryall has served most recently on Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s COVID-19 Winter Task Force and Economic Recovery Task Force. He also is a member of the Health Care Industry Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Medicaid Committee of the American Hospital Association and is an advisory board member of the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency.

Eric Pianalto, a Tontitown native, has served as president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas since December 2013. He joined Mercy in 1994 and has served in a variety of roles across Mercy’s footprint, including chief operating officer for regional operations for Mercy Clinic in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Under Pianalto’s leadership, the hospital has been named to the Fortune/IBM Watson Health Top 100 Hospitals list, earned A Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades recognition for achievement in protecting patients and achieved a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 5-star rating. He also oversaw a $277 million expansion of Mercy in Northwest Arkansas that added a sevenstory patient tower and seven new clinics.

Pianalto has an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas and a master’s in business administration from Webster University. Pianalto is a member of multiple boards and chairs the Northwest Arkansas Council Health Transformation Committee.

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| Austin Samuelson

| Wayne Smith

Co-founder and CEO Tacos 4 Life

General Manager Oaklawn

Austin Samuelson and his wife, Ashton, launched Tacos 4 Life in Conway in 2014. Tacos 4 Life franchises now spread across 10 states in the South and Midwest. But what makes the Samuelsons’ venture different is its mission to help end childhood starvation and “change the world with every meal.” Through its Meal 4 Meal program, Tacos 4 Life donates 24 cents to the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children for every taco, bowl, salad, quesadilla or nachos purchased. Tacos 4 Life restaurants have donated more than 20 million meals to feed the hungry since 2014.

A native of Narragansett, Rhode Island, and graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, Wayne Smith began his career in corporate accounting and finance with ITT Sheraton, where he focused on hospitality. Smith served in senior management positions at MGM Mirage, MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand Detroit and Caesars Entertainment before moving into operations with Empire City Racing and Gaming in New York and Penn National in Illinois, where he brought more than 18 years of successful and diverse gaming industry experience.

In March 2017, Smith was named the general manager of Oaklawn, only the sixth person to hold that title in Oaklawn’s 115-year history. Since that time, he has overseen a multimillion expansion that included the addition of an expanded casino, hotel, spa and event center. For more than two decades, Smith has been an active volunteer with multiple community and charitable organizations. He is currently chairman of the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission, a board member of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and an executive board member of Fifty for the Future.

| Sarah Sanders

Former White House Press Secretary 2022 Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidate

Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House Press Secretary for President Donald J. Trump from 2017 to 2019. A trusted confidant of the former President, Sarah advised him on everything from press and communications strategy to personnel and policy. Sanders is only the third woman and first mom to hold the job of White House Press Secretary.

She has also served as senior advisor to Sen. Tom Cotton and campaign manager for Sen. John Boozman. Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, has been recognized in Fortune and TIME magazine’s “40 under 40,” is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Speaking for Myself, and serves on the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She grew up in Pine Bluff and Texarkana and is a graduate of Little Rock Central High and Ouachita Baptist University. Sanders will appear on the Republican primary ballot for governor in May.

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| Lance Taylor

Executive Director Arkansas Activities Association

Lance Taylor is the executive director of the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA), the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in the state. Taylor has led the organization since 2000. The mission of the AAA is to promote the value of participation in interscholastic activities in the AAA member schools and to provide services to the schools in a fair and impartial manner while assisting and supporting their efforts to develop thinking, productive and prepared individuals as they become positive, contributing citizens modeling the democratic principles of our state and nation.

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Shannon Newton Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

I am inspired by anyone achieving great success while doing what they love. I enjoy being around those who are passionate about their work and committed to doing it well.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

My phone.

Which is the last book you read?

The Servant.

Which source of news do you prefer — print, online, TV or radio?

INFLUENCER

Online.

President Arkansas Trucking Association

A LEADER WILL ALWAYS HAVE INFLUENCE. BUT INFLUENCE COMBINED WITH PASSION AND GENEROSITY HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.

Jake, thank you for using your influence to make such a positive impact on our communities, clients, and team members. We’re proud to have you at the helm.

1 . 8 7 7. N A B H O L Z | w w w. n a b h o l z . c o m

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Kirkley A. Thomas Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

Personally, my family and my faith serve as an inspiration in various ways. Professionally, I’m always inspired by the mission of the electric cooperatives, which involves providing the best service to our members and improving the quality of life in rural Arkansas.

During which part of the day are you most productive?

I’m most productive in the afternoon and evening.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

My iPhone to check emails and messages, then Democrat-Gazette, coffee and a prayer for the day.

Same routine almost every day!

INFLUENCER VP of Governmental Affairs Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

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| Kirkley A. Thomas

Vice President of Governmental Affairs Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

Kirkley Thomas joined the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas in January of 1998 and has worked in various capacities, including community and economic development before taking over the Governmental Affairs Division in February of 2014.

Thomas has spent his tenure working in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock on behalf of the electric cooperatives to ensure the delivery of affordable and reliable power to nearly 1 million co-op members. Thomas currently serves on the Arkansas Steering Committee for the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Project (which he initiated in 2009) and the Arkansas State University Chancellor’s Cabinet.

Thomas has been named the Tourism Person of the Year by the Arkansas Delta Byways and an Honorary Life Member of the Southern Economic Development Council.

He is a native of Lepanto (Poinsett County) and a graduate of Arkansas State University with a degree in journalism/public relations. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma.

| Matt Troup

President and CEO Conway Regional Health System

Matt Troup has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the health care industry, serving in various administrative roles in hospitals in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. He came to Arkansas in 2014 as vice president of ancillary and support services at CHI St. Vincent and was named president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System within one year. Troup is an energetic leader whose five-year tenure has seen historic growth in net revenue and substantial increases in employee and physician engagement.

He utilizes his own extensive experience and focused attitude as a tool to guide the company to new heights.

In his first 90 days as CEO, Troup met with more than 100 physicians on the medical staff and held one-on-one sessions

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with key leaders. He also brought employees to the leadership table and initiated a wave of improvements including a new medical office building, new CCU construction, expansion of Greenbrier Family Medicine Clinic, expansion into Russellville and management of Dardanelle Regional Medical Center.

| Kathryn Tucker Executive Director Arkansas Cinema Society

Kathryn Francis Tucker is an Emmy Award-winning film director, mother of two, proud Little Rock native and sixth-generation Arkansan. She has spent the last two decades working in the film industry in New York, Los Angeles, Louisiana, North Carolina, Hawaii, Iceland and Arkansas as a director, producer and assistant director.

In 2017, Tucker founded the Arkansas Cinema Society.

Founding board members included Mike Beebe, Frank Scott, Mary Steenburgen, Jeff Nichols, Jayme Lemons and Graham Gordy. She serves as the executive director of the nonprofit organization that works to nurture new and existing film talent within Arkansas through educational programs like the Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls, year-round screenings and ACS’s annual film event, FILMLAND.

| Scott Varady

Executive Director/General Counsel Razorback Foundation

Scott Varady joined the Razorback Foundation as executive director and general counsel in December 2015 after serving more than 19 years with the University of Arkansas Office of the General Counsel. In his previous role, Varady provided legal advice and representation to the university including the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. He also consulted with the Razorback Foundation’s outside legal counsel. Previously, he worked as an associate at Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard in Little Rock and with the firm of Swidler & Berlin in Washington, D.C.

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| Darrin Williams

Varady also served as a staff member for the late Sen. Dale Bumpers and former Rep. Bill Alexander. Varady received his law degree from Georgetown University in 1993, graduating magna cum laude. He was inducted into The Order of the Coif and was a member of The Tax Lawyer law journal. Prior to attending law school, Varady received a Master of Science in foreign service from Georgetown, where he also earned the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. A Little Rock native, Varady earned a B.A. with honors in political science from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, in 1985.

CEO Southern Bancorp

Darrin Williams is a banker, securities and consumer protection attorney, former legislator and passionate advocate for financial inclusion. Currently serving as the CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc., Williams oversees the strategic direction and operations of each of Southern Bancorp’s three Community Development Financial Institutions: Southern Bancorp Inc., a bank holding company; Southern Bancorp Bank, one of America’s largest rural-development banks; and Southern Bancorp Community Partners, a 501(c)(3) development finance and lending organization – collectively known as “Southern.”

With more than $2 billion in assets, more than 65,000 customers and 51 locations, Southern Bancorp’s markets extend throughout the Mid-South with a focus on being wealth builders for everyone. A former state representative, Williams received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College in Conway, his juris doctor from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tenn., and his Master of Laws degree in securities and financial regulation from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

| Ryan Watley CEO Go Forward Pine Bluff

Dr. Ryan Watley joined Go Forward Pine Bluff as CEO-elect in May of 2017 and became CEO after the successful passage of the Go Forward Pine Bluff tax initiative on June 2017.

Prior to the passage of the sales tax, Watley served in development and fundraising positions for two universities in Oklahoma. He is past Assistant Director of Development/Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Active in many organizations, including Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, Watley is graduate of Leadership Pine Bluff, a volunteer and trustee for Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, a past United Way Campaign Chair, and a member of the Rotary Club and the Jefferson Hospital Foundation Board. Watley also is a member of the UAPB/AM&N Alumni Chapter and the University of Oklahoma Alumni Chapter. Watley is an alumnus of Leadership Arkansas and has been recognized as a Rubinger Fellow by Rural LISC Inc.

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JA N UA RY 2022

Laura R. Landreaux What’s your secret to success?

A strong work ethic and the support of my friends and family.

What attracted you to your career?

Being part of a company that is so integral to the people and communities we serve. Our vision is, “We Power Life,” and that’s what we do, day in and day out.

How did you get started in your field?

When I was a lawyer in private practice, I represented a company in the electric utility industry. That was my first introduction into this field, and I became fascinated with everything that is involved in ensuring my lights come on when I flip the switch.

INFLUENCER President & CEO Entergy Arkansas

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Shannon Hendrix What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

The first thing I do when I get out of bed is jump on my Peloton.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Yes, and I always keep it top of mind.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou.

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

INFLUENCER

From the time I was in the sixth grade until college, I wanted to be an attorney.

SVP & Administrator Arkansas Children’s Northwest

David Bazzel Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My parents.

In your experience, what’s the secret to inspiring others to action?

Be passionate and outwork everyone you’re leading.

Do you have a favorite quote?

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:11 about being “content regardless of circumstances.”

Which is the last book you read?

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

INFLUENCER

Which source of news do you prefer — print, online, TV or radio?

Entrepreneur/Radio Host KABZ, The Buzz 103.7 FM

I use them all.

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INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

Making a Difference Shannon Hendrix prioritizes ‘well-being’ at Arkansas Children’s Northwest Who wants a career where the main goal is to make others successful? Shannon Hendrix does. As senior vice president and administrator of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, her role is twofold.

She oversees the operation of the entire hospital and drives the facility’s strategic plan. A regular day may involve phone calls or emails relating to the outside community, establishing new partnerships and working with foundations. But, regardless of her demanding schedule, Hendrix prioritizes visiting the staff a few times a week to ask them what’s working, what’s going well, and what are the current challenges.

By Angela Forsyth // Photos by Bob Coleman

INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

For Hendrix, much of her day involves problem-solving. She hears a need, works to fill it — and she loves it.

“From our patients and families to our team members, being in the position to make a difference every day in children’s lives and being in the position to help others be successful in their roles are the best parts of this job,” she said.

When she talks about helping others be successful, she’s referring to every employee at the hospital whether they work with patients directly or not: physicians, service staff, maintenance workers… Hendrix’s goal is to provide whatever resources they need.

“My job is to see others succeed,” she said.

Problem-solving is a skill Hendrix and her team continuously employ, especially when it comes to patient experience. If there are obstacles in the workflow or challenges in the facility, the team asks themselves how they can make the experience better for patients.

“One of the things I think that’s so unique about being in the pediatric world is we focus on the whole family unit,” Hendrix noted. “It’s not just about the child because the family has to be able to take care of that child and provide a safe environment for them. So, it’s exiting when we’re able to identify a way to help a family.”

Recently, the team encountered a family who had just adopted a child and was understandably concerned about insurance coverage. “They weren’t sure how they would be able to pay the medical bills,” Hendrix remembered.

A hospital member sat down with the family and walked them through the steps to ensure they would be covered by insurance and not crippled by medical bills.

“Small wins like that — being able to make that happen for a family — it makes it all worth it.”

Unusual career path

Hendrix took an interesting path toward the job she holds today, beginning with a degree in nutrition. After her first year working for Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock, the young clinical dietician realized she wanted to go beyond that role and found a job with Sysco Foods as a health care specialist. There, she wrote menus for nursing homes, day care centers and prisons. Then, she began traveling for work and was introduced to the world of sales. Intrigued with pharmaceutical sales, Hendrix transitioned into that role while maintaining her dietitian skills as a consultant to local hospitals.

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During one of her consulting interviews, it was revealed that the facility was actually looking for a food director.

Hendrix walked out of that meeting with a job offer that launched her career in leadership.

Eventually, she found her way over to Children’s as a clinical nutrition director. She was promoted to vice president of clinical services a few years later and then gradually learned the ropes before taking over as chief administrator one year ago.

“I feel like my career has for sure been organic. One opportunity led to another,” Hendrix saids. “But I think it has also been about being open to opportunity and really identifying mentors along the way who could help guide me in the right direction.

I think it’s more about being proactive about your future and setting yourself up for success.”

“It would be exciting to be able to conduct clinical trials here eventually.”

Plans for growth

Now, as the SVP and chief administrator, Hendrix has big plans for the future of the hospital. Two years into a five-year plan, the leadership team has been working toward transforming Children’s Northwest from a community hospital into an anchor pediatric institution.

“I think for me, my hope is that we will continue to grow and be able to meet the needs of the community,” Hendrix noted. “And one of the things we’ve been aggressively doing is trying to recruit positions to the area.”

The lack of specialists in NWA forces many families to go out of state in search of doctors.

“One of our goals is to keep kids closer to home so they can get the care they need here without having to travel to Tulsa or surrounding cities,” Hendrix said. “We hope to increase our footprint here in Northwest Arkansas so ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

we’re able to keep kids closer to home.”

Growing the hospital’s reach could potentially mean opening new sites. The team is currently working on a masterfacilities plan for the next three to five years. In the meantime, primary care physician offices have been moved to the office building across the street to make room for growth in the main building.

“We’re starting to have those conversations on what that next phase of growth will look like for Arkansas Children’s and all the plans, of course, have not been completely finalized,” Hendrix said. “We are looking at what our next footprint will look like in this area.”

Another aspect Hendrix feels strongly about expanding is the hospital’s research capabilities.

“It would be exciting to be able to conduct clinical trials here eventually,” she added. “This could include formalizing a research and education department and partnering with professionals in the community.”

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One of the goals at Arkansas Children’s Northwest is to “keep kids closer to home so they can get the care they need here without having to travel…”

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Bill Jones Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My mother, Sissy Jones, is a huge inspiration for our entire family. Her hard work and dedication to building the Sissy’s brand and her deep love for our customers and communities will always inspire me. Working with my mother in Pine Bluff in a 900-squarefoot log cabin made me realize anyone can be successful with hard work and dedication. Through her, I learned to keep doing the best you can, and treat others right, and success will catch up with you.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Each morning, I glance at my wife and realize how blessed I am. I kiss her good morning and praise God for my wonderful family.

Do you have a favorite quote?

My motto when helping our customers is, “The customer is always right.” My favorite personal quote that I remind myself of often is, “The more inconvenienced we are, the more convenient it is for our customer.”

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

I think I would have gone into subdivision development. I love moving dirt and have built two subdivisions during my free time, but I soon realized my place was in the jewelry business, although I loved them both.

In your experience, what’s the secret to inspiring others to action?

When your associates see that you are willing to work as hard as they do, it inspires them. Our quest is not just to sell jewelry, but to build a legacy of being the best jewelry store in the United States. People love to be involved in something that is bigger than themselves. They will work harder to succeed when it really means something. We all do the best we possibly can. Always remember, “The answer is yes, what is your question?”

INFLUENCER CEO Sissy’s Log Cabin

Steve Landers, Sr Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

Roger Penske. I worked for him for about 10 years. He taught me a lot about the business.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Cup of coffee and read the paper.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“If it was easy, anybody could do it.”

Which is the last book you read?

The Babe Ruth Story.

Which source of news do you prefer — print, online, TV or radio?

Newspaper, but I do it on my tablet.

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

My mother wanted me to be a chiropractor, so I could work on her. I think I chose the right path.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone else?

I’ve mentored several young men.

During which part of the day are you most productive?

The first 12 hours.

Is your leadership style more hands-on or hands-off?

Absolutely, hands on.

In your experience, what’s the secret to inspiring others to action?

INFLUENCER CEO Landers Auto Group

I tell people every day, success is not owned. It’s rented, and the rent’s due every day. You’ve got to outwork the guy beside you.

INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

Matt Mosler listened for that “still, small voice” which led him to Pine Bluff.

Forecasting Hope Former weatherman answers call with New Life Church, Home Again Pine Bluff Matt Mosler is still known to many as a weatherman, albeit one of the “whatever-happenedto” variety.

And in a way, he still is, even as he has transitioned to the pastorate full time. The only difference is, instead of reporting on the big winds and mighty earthquakes referenced in 1 Kings, he now listens for the still, small voice that is the Lord.

By Dwain Hebda // Photos by Jamison Mosley

INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

“There’s a story in the Bible about a guy named Joseph whose brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery, and then he’s a prisoner,” Mosler said. “He didn’t quite understand why he was going through what he was going through, but it ultimately prepared him for this position that God had for him decades down the road as the second most powerful man on the planet.

“I feel like everything I’ve learned in television as a reporter, as a meteorologist and as a host, I think all of that has prepared me for where we are right now.”

It’s a fair bet there are few pastors whose training for the pulpit included meteorology, let alone achieving the kind of success and recognition Mosler did in his previous career. But as the fast-talking, bottomless pit of energy will tell you, there’s more alike in the two fields than one first imagines. Being face-to-face with the awesome power of nature will provide a reality check on just how smart and in-control humans really are, for instance — lessons equally apt concerning the Almighty.

“I use weather a lot in my speaking. There are a lot of things that are outside of your control. The weather’s going to do what the weather’s going to do,” he said. “Well, God’s going to do what God’s going to do. The key to Christian life to me is submission. Total submission.”

Born and raised in California, Mosler spent time living in Germany with his family before attending the University of Alabama. The connection to the deep South

for the California kid was through his mother. (“As they say in Alabama, ‘All my mother’s people were from Mobile,’” he quipped). While there, he immersed himself in three things — the weather, a campus ministry group and getting on television.

“I wanted to be famous! I’m type A. I look like a little boy, I sound like a little girl. I didn’t have a whole lot of tools to attract women, man. I needed some outside force,” he said, laughing. “Seriously, I never really considered going into the ministry as a profession. I loved doing the TV thing, reporting and doing the weather.”

While in Alabama, Mosler accomplished his professional goal as well as another important element in his life’s overall mission. That came when he first set eyes on his future wife, Camille.

“I knew the first moment I saw her,” he said. “I went to church Sunday evening and afterwards, they had a college career gathering. She was standing on this staircase in this townhouse, and I was like, ‘Wow!’ It was like in the movie, The Godfather, and Michael sees Appolonia, and he gets hit by the thunderbolt. That was it; we had one date, and we knew that we were going to get married.”

Arriving in Arkansas, Mosler became a popular figure on Little Rock ABC affiliate KATV, building speaking appearances at churches on the side a part-time ministry that, at its peak, encompassed 150 engagements a year.

And although God kept asking for his full-time attention

Using local volunteers, Mosler’s recently launched Home Again Pine Bluff has already renovated two homes in Pine Bluff for families in need.

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— once, he said, “in a clear, tenor voice in the choir loft” — Mosler resisted.

He’d eventually move to NBC affiliate KARK, which embraced his side light ministry while putting him in front of the camera. He enjoyed it until the still, small voice became too loud to ignore.

“Eric Liddell, the Chariots of Fire guy, had a great quote, and I’m going to paraphrase this: ‘I know that God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast,’” Mosler said. “That was kind of the way I felt. In retrospect, I can see God had something for me 10, 20 years down the road that I never would have been able to do had I not taken this really stupid, crazy step of faith back then.

“When they say, ‘Whatever God feels,’ I think that’s God giving you passion, giving you vision. He gives you ideas. I don’t want to say I’m self-taught because I seek out a lot of people’s advice and instruction, and that helps me understand. I want to know why I believe what I believe and then, I think I’m a pretty good communicator of the truth.”

Still, Mosler had many of the same growing pains of any new clergy. Jumping in with New Life Church, he had fire and enthusiasm for Sunday to burn. It was the things most congregants don’t see about a life in ministry that took some getting used to.

“There’s a big difference between being a preacher and being a pastor,” he said.

“I thought I was a pretty good preacher, what I’m doing when I’m speaking to an audience. The pastor side is totally different. Being a pastor, dude, that was hard.

“When I first got to New Life in 2014, I’m like, ‘When’s my day off?’ In television, I got two days off where I could go play golf. Being a pastor is a 24/7 thing, and there’s always something. You have to embrace that; it’s the honor bestowed upon us to help people through some of the highest and lowest moments of their lives. You can’t schedule those.”

Still, Mosler never shied away from the big challenges. When he’d developed to the point where New Life leadership was ready to put him in charge of his own congregation, they had a couple of locations in mind. Matt and Camille had ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

“They asked if I would consider being a campus pastor... I said, ‘If you want me to be a campus pastor, I’d really like to go to Pine Bluff.’” other ideas.

“New Life Church had begun to think about opening other campuses, and they asked if I would consider being a campus pastor, which is the lead pastor at a location,” he said. “I said, ‘If you want me to be a campus pastor, I’d really like to go to Pine Bluff.’ They looked at me and went, ‘Ha, ha, ha...really?’”

Mosler was dead serious about the assignment, despite its steep challenges. Not only had poverty, addiction and various social problems eroded the onceproud community from within, but New Life would be competing in a crowded faith marketplace. In a recent study, Pine Bluff was listed the 16th most heavilychurched city in America, boasting between 300 and 400 houses of worship, many of them well-entrenched for generations within the city’s predominantly Black population.

In many minds, that made for a recipe for disaster; to Mosler, it was an incubator of grace.

“I think God wants His city back,” Mosler said. “There is a lot of power that is derived from keeping people in need.

This community has been exploited for a long time, and it’s led to the malaise that’s here. These are people who God created with a purpose and a plan in mind, and it’s being warped. It’s being twisted, and 57

they’re being robbed of the life that God created them to live.”

What started with 50 congregants each Sunday grew tenfold until COVID, from which it’s slowly building back.

Mosler also launched an outreach ministry, Home Again, which purchases and renovates dilapidated residential properties. The homes are rented to qualifying families below market rate, with the opportunity to purchase the house at a discount in as little as three years.

“The two biggest problems in Pine Bluff right now are the dissolution of the family and the lack of hope,” Mosler said. “As somebody who’s got the spirit of God living in me, I want to go help them. If I truly believe what I believe, then it’s my job as a follower of Jesus Christ to fight for those who can’t fight, to free the oppressed.”

These days, Mosler feels the breeze under his feet, lifting his spirit and carrying him forward. Bit by bit, family by family, he’s seeing faith made manifest in the community, in the pew and in himself.

“When Jesus was starting his ministry back in the Gospels, the challenge was simple: Help the homeless, clothe the naked, feed the hungry,” he said. “That’s our job, to bring freedom to those who are in bondage. That’s why we’re here.”

JA N UA RY 2022

Travis Hester Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

I grew up on a small farm in East End, Arkansas, with my Pawpaw and Mawmaw. Eat My Catfish began with their family recipes. However, years into running the business, I learned that the biggest thing they taught me was how to treat others — with respect and empathy no matter their gender, skin color, financial status or beliefs.

Through my involvement in the Workmatters Institute, I have learned how much stronger of a leader I can be by using my faith in my leadership.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

Exercise, then straight to coffee. My wife, Jessica, likes to make fun of my homemade “bougie” coffee. First inspired by Fayetteville’s own Arsaga Coffee, I like to use my $10 Amazon frother, then pour in some extra dark roast, top it with whip cream and sprinkle it with some high quality cinnamon. The morning just isn’t the same without it.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet” — Gandhi

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

Chief Data Geek — if I could have my way, I would dig through stats and financials all day, every day.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone else?

I decided three years ago to surround myself with people who were more intelligent and successful than me.

Having a unique group of peer mentors from various backgrounds has been a game changer, not only in my business, but also with my faith and my personal life. In my younger days, I was a teenage punk, unable to realize my full potential. I am forever grateful for my cousins, Michael and Ashley, for helping me realize I was capable of so much more.

INFLUENCER Founder Eat My Catfish

Dr. Chris Jones Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

I tend to find inspiration in most everything. A flower pushing through concrete shows me resilience. My parents giving their last to provide for us shows me sacrifice. A child facing cancer shows me courage. My wife going to fight in Afghanistan or save lives in the ER shows me love for others. I am inspired by all of that and more, but the source is God because I believe that it all comes from Him and His creation.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone else?

INFLUENCER

Mentorship comes in many shapes and sizes. As a result, I’ve been blessed to have countless mentors and to have mentored quite a few individuals.

Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidate

Tommy Keet Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

I am inspired daily by the people I work with and their commitment to excellence.

What’s your “go-to” first thing in the morning?

I check all of our sales numbers from the previous day and then start planning my day… and of course, coffee.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.” ―—Vince Lombardi

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INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

Paragould Partisan William Brewer stayed home, stayed in banking and thrived William Brewer intended to make his fortune in the gasoline industry, but history butted in, and he found his fame in banking instead.

Brewer’s family had owned gasoline and propane distributorships in southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas as well as Searcy and Pine Bluff for years, and it was a natural procession for Brewer to enter into the business.

By Kenneth Heard // Photos by Ebony Blevins

William Brewer didn’t go to school for banking and said he had to work through his mistakes.

“But banking is like any other business. I learned from our employees and went to peer-to-peer group meetings to learn.”

INFLUENCERS OF THE YEAR

But the United States was mired in an oil embargo in 1974 when Brewer graduated Arkansas State University with a sociology degree and an original intent to enter law school. The embargo, proclaimed by Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), caused gas prices to skyrocket.

Then President Richard M. Nixon urged consumers to curtail fuel purchases with many gasoline stations banning weekend sales and cities across the country demanding cutbacks in energy consumption.

“It was a turbulent time to be in the gas business,” Brewer said.

His father, Larry Brewer, disenchanted by the embargoes, began dissolving his gasoline business and retired in Heber Springs. Brewer sold the remaining gasoline distributors but kept the family’s propane business. He also began working at First National Bank in Paragould, where his father had served on the bank board for many years.

Brewer saw the banking business was taking most of his time, and he gradually focused all his attention on his bank. In 1988, he succeeded his father as bank chairman.

Now, nearly half a century after the embargo, Brewer, 69, has seen his success grow in banking.

He’s the CEO of a $2.3 billion financial institution that owns 24 banks in northeast Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas and, most recently, Nashville, Tenn.

Brewer was born in Paragould and grew up in the Greene County town of 29,000. He jokes when asked if he’s lived his entire life in the town.

“Not yet,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ve got a few more years left.”

The bank began in March 1889 as the Bank of Paragould. It was granted a national charter in 1903, eventually changing its name to First National Bank and opening three offices in Paragould. In 1984, the bank expanded to Corning.

Then, under Brewer’s leadership, the bank grew rapidly. The first Jonesboro bank opened in 1998, and there are now three offices in the Craighead County town, including the 60,000-square-foot First National Financial Park in the thriving Hilltop area of northeast Jonesboro, which opened in January 2019.

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The bank expanded west, opening centers in Heber Springs and Rogers in 2014, and in four locations a year later, in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Springdale and Johnson. In 2018, the institution opened banks in Little Rock and North Little Rock. Earlier this year, First National Bank bought the former Citizens Banks in Hartsville, Gallatin and Hendersonville, Tenn., all suburbs of Nashville.

“There’s a dynamic economy in Nashville,” Brewer said. “We thought it was a real good opportunity for us. A lot of [Arkansas] banks were going into the Dallas area. But Nashville is more dynamic, and it’s closer to us than even Fayetteville.”

He downplayed the strategy of buying the three Tennessee banks, crediting “luck” over his business savvy.

“It was one of those things,” he said. “Somebody you know knows somebody else who knows someone else. We saw that Nashville was a natural fit for us.”

While admitting to reading business books, including Jim Collins’ Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t, Brewer remains grounded on his reading fare.

His favorite book is David Hill’s The Vapors, a historical look at the rise and fall of Hot Springs gambling from the 1930s to 1960s.

Brewer also took a lesson from Wallace Fowler, another banking pioneer from Jonesboro. Fowler, who owned Liberty Bank in Jonesboro, bought the naming rights for Arkansas State University’s football stadium in 2012. It was named Centennial Bank Stadium a year later after Liberty Bank was bought by Centennial Bank.

“He did a wise thing,” Brewer said of Fowler’s marketing decision. “We kicked it around and contacted ASU to see if they were interested in [more naming rights].”

The university announced on Oct. 19, 2017, that the Convocation Center, ASU’s facility for basketball games, graduations and other events, would be named First National Bank Arena in recognition of a $5 million donation to the Red Wolves Foundation. The rights went into effect Jan. 1, 2018, and will extend to Dec. 31, 2029.

“The fact that a strong business leader in our

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First National Bank remains connected to its Paragould origin story but has expanded across Arkansas and even into Tennessee.

region chose to co-brand with our university speaks volumes about our emerging brand,” former ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said in a news release announcing the name change.

Brewer said of the naming rights, “We’re happy with the money we spent.

We got a lot of bang for our buck on that.”

Brewer said he learned while on the job at the bank.

“I had to work through my mistakes,” he said. “I didn’t go to school for banking.

But banking is like any other business. I learned from our employees and went to peer-to-peer group meetings to learn.”

He said he made sure to hire “quality people” and gave them a chance to do their jobs.

“I didn’t want to make the mistake of

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micromanaging them,” he said. “I used talent like the old day farmers. They got the best horses and mules and paired them with the best wagons and plows.”

His business plans have worked, propelling him and Paragould into the banking spotlight in the Mid-South.

“Mr. Brewer and his family have contributed for many years to the betterment of our community,” said Paragould Mayor Josh Agee. “They set the gold standard as to what makes a great community member and corporate partner.”

Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Allison Hestand credits Brewer with making Paragould “one of the best communities in the state.” “[Brewer] is as humble as they come, but his contribution to our community

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and the state of Arkansas deserves much recognition,” Hestand said. “We are proud and fortunate he calls Paragould home.”

The chamber awarded Brewer with its Lifetime Achievement Award in October.

Like his father, Brewer has brought his son into the banking business. Will Brewer serves as vice chairman for the First National Bank.

“Good things are happening in Paragould,” Brewer said. “I think we’re going to see a lot of things coming here faster.

We’re proud of our area.

“I don’t think Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas necessarily snubbed their noses at northeast Arkansas, but I don’t think they thought of us newsworthy. I sure think we are now.”

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Adam Mitchell Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My wife, Kristie, is a source of inspiration for me. She is my best friend and is a wonderful mother to our two daughters, Quinn and Peri.

Have you ever been mentored or mentored someone else?

Yes. As leaders, one of the most important duties is mentoring someone else. Fortunately, I had my father as my mentor during most of my career.

Is your leadership style more hands-on or hands-off?

INFLUENCER

My style of leadership is more handsoff. I trust my team.

President & CEO Citizens Bank

WHERE TRADITION & INNOVATION COME TO DINE

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Scott Copas Who or what has been a source of inspiration for you?

My wife is my daily inspiration. I have not ever known anyone in my life with so much passion for what they do. I think that is what made us the perfect fit for each other. I was always intrigued by her outlook on things and impressed by her drive to reach goals. Shayla has been diligent during her career and it is paying off. I am also inspired each and every day by God’s grace and His love.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“We make a living by what we get.

We make a life by what we give.”

– Sir Winston Churchill

What’s an alternate path you might have taken if things had played out differently?

I do not regret a day that has gone by. Each step we take prepares us for what is ahead of us. However, when I was a child I wanted to be an architect. I think that is why I am now in the design industry as COO of my wife’s company, Shayla Copas Lifestyle. I am excited to spend each day in an industry that was once a childhood dream. Shayla Copas Lifestyle now has under its umbrella Shayla Copas Interiors, Shayla Copas Travel, Copas+ Co Construction Consulting and The Hive Marketing & Public Relations.

In your experience, what’s the secret to inspiring others to action?

It is not what you say, it is what you DO! I believe that people are inspired by what they see, not what they hear.

During which part of the day are you most productive?

Morning is definitely when I shine because I am refreshed and thinking ahead.

INFLUENCER COO Shayla Copas Lifestyle

Shayla and Scott Copas

MEDIA/CONSTRUCTION

All in the

FAMILY Shayla Copas Lifestyle Adds Familiar Face as COO

By Dwain Hebda Photography by Jamison Mosley

S

hayla Copas Lifestyle has grown from a single idea into a thriving collection of national lifestyle brands. Built by its namesake, the venture has blossomed into five branded startups leading Copas, a well-known Little Rock entrepreneur, author and style agent, to expand her executive leadership team to help shepherd the enterprise into the future.

She didn’t have to look far for the perfect leader to manage the day-today of her consortium, Shayla Copas Interiors, Shayla Copas Travel, Shayla Copas Collections, Copas & Co. Construction Consulting and The Hive Marketing & Public Relations.

In December, it was announced that Scott Copas, her husband, longtime construction executive and member of AMP’s 2022 Influencers of the Year list, would serve as COO of the burgeoning business.

“Shayla Copas Lifestyle is a brand I’ve built on my own for so long,” Shayla said. “I’ve earned every dollar that this company has ever made on my own, starting from the bottom up.

Scott’s always been there as a support and as that financial brain behind the brand. But because he was running a $300 million construction company, he didn’t have time to handle it to the extent that the brand really needed.

“The lifestyle brand has really exploded in the last couple of years, and we are excited for what the future holds. Now that Scott’s integrating full time, we’re going to be able to really fast-track things.”

Scott Copas distinguished himself

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“The lifestyle brand has really exploded in the last couple of years, and we are excited for what the future holds. Now that Scott’s integrating full time, we’re going to be able to really fast-track things.” with Baldwin & Shell Construction Co. for more than 40 years, starting as an estimator with the firm in 1977. The University of Arkansas graduate would quickly begin his rise in the company, eventually ascending to president and CEO in 2014.

Under his guidance, Baldwin & Shell prospered mightily, growing annual profits from $80 million to more than $300 million on his watch.

Scott said the decision to leave and join his wife’s firm, years in the planning, was the right move at the right time for Shayla Copas Lifestyle.

“This is not something that we just now thought of; it’s something we’ve been talking about for three years,” he said. “I’ve always admired what she did. I love going to market. I love going to watch her speak. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

It gives me a whole different kind of feeling than working 70 hours a week with a construction company.”

Scott said the final nudge was when Shayla published her first book, Four Seasons of Entertaining, in 2019, and he saw the time it would take her away from home on a book tour. While the pandemic ultimately cut into many of those appearances, Scott was convinced it was time to leave construction for a new challenge in support of his wife and her company.

“She was going to be gone eight or nine months of the year, and I’m thinking, I hate that she’s going to be gone all

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the time,” he said. “I’m very excited about being in this role to be able to be a part of things, day-to-day.”

The roots of Shayla Copas’s business empire extend well past the seminal interior-design business that put her on the map. The survivor of a difficult and abusive childhood, Shayla has always had to rely on her entrepreneurial grit and hustle to survive. At 19, she started selling silk plants in an era when such things weren’t as readily available through established retail. Relying on her wits, she negotiated with manufacturers and was so good at customer interactions, she brought the thriving business with her to Little Rock.

In 1997, she and Scott were married after a three-year courtship, and Shayla launched her interior design firm, Shayla Copas Interiors, another venture born and built by sheer will and the quality of her work.

“I think as an entrepreneur, you decide what your life is going to be, and you make it that. That’s what you do, and you go after everything that you have a passion for,” she said. “I was arranging things in my house since the time I was a little girl, rearranging the furniture. My parents might come home, and the sofa would be in a different place. I just really loved design, and it kind of radiated out of me.”

Her combination of astute eye for design and untiring work ethic soon built a solid book of clients in the lux-

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Shayla Copas said she sees more opportunities than challenges ahead for her company.

ury market, eager to adopt her “Southern glam” aesthetic. Industry awards soon followed, further establishing her reputation and putting her in demand throughout the South. Today, her portfolio of projects includes gubernatorial inaugurations, fundraising galas, luxury homes and commercial work.

From there, she successfully launched a high-end lifestyle goods collection for the home, published her book and established a marketing/public relations firm specializing in construction, design, architecture, medical, culinary

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and retail clients. And there’s even more ahead in the new year, including a travel agency specializing in design-inspired tours and a construction-consulting business.

“I see far more opportunity than challenges,” Shayla said. “We don’t really have a problem with people purchasing, because people are now putting their money into their homes because they’re home more. That’s where all their extra income is going. They’ve continued to see their home as a place to unite people and a place to center their families and

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center themselves, so they’re willing to invest in that.

“They’re also ready to put money into travel, because they’ve realized that experiences are more important than materialistic items. They’re investing in trips because trips are experiences, and that’s something that you take with you the rest of your life.”

As for shifting from steel beams to occasional chairs and other aspects of the company’s myriad brands, Scott is equally confident about the future.

“Shayla has done a great job of incorporating different aspects into her design. She has furniture, she has hard goods, she’s working on soft goods. She’s fitting into several different categories,” he said. “I am convinced that the boom of people going back and recentering their lives around their home and their family is a pent-up demand that’s going to go on for a long time.

“I know how to run a company. I don’t know how to create what she creates — that’s her gift — but I know how to manage it, license it, sell it and so on. That makes us a good partnership, and working together is something that I’m just really excited about.”

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A tomahawk steak cooked to perfection from Allsopp and Chapple.

RESTAURANTS

BY DWAIN HEBDA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMISON MOSLEY

n America, a good steak represents something. Perhaps it’s because it’s not eaten every day, unless you have the bankroll of a galleon and the hull to match. Steaks are celebration food, recognizing first jobs landed, big deals closed or maybe just the Fourth of July.

People say burgers are the quintessential American dish, and a fine invention at that. But as culinary

surge in the popularity of their favorite protein. According to Statistica, Americans are on a 13year bull market when it comes to beef consumption; putting away 27.6 billion pounds of it, the highest total since 2007, and the seventh straight year of consumption growth. The USDA reports Americans account for 21 percent of beef consumed globally, sev-

“I TAKE A VITAMIN EVERY DAY; IT'S CALLED A STEAK.” — ROBERT DUVALL eral billion pounds and percentage points ahead of second-place China.

Arkansas is blessed with many fine purveyors of bovine’s crowning contribution to humanity, and AMP set out to find a few of them.

Seek them out for your next celebration or just a special evening out.

sources place chopped beef entrees around 1834 and the modern sandwich incarnation around 1885, steak’s running head start as the favored cut of the New World is clear.

And even with the ups and downs of culinary fashion — right up to current trends of vegetarianism and veganism — American red-meat eaters are enjoying a

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RESTAURANTS

ALLSOPP & CHAPPLE LITTLE ROCK

Like all restaurants, Allsopp & Chapple took it on the chin during the pandemic. But it’s survived, bringing back droves of diners to fresh, delicious fare in a casually elegant downtown setting. The establishment’s steaks are a big reason why, with USDA Prime beef available in three cuts – 8-ounce filet, 16-ounce New York strip and a 45-ounce tomahawk ribeye that steals the show.

There are plenty of places that will throw a slab on a plate as a gimmick, but that’s not the case here.

The tomahawk gets the same gourmet treatment and expert preparation as the smaller steaks, making it as impressive to eat as it is to look at, paired with delicious sides (don’t pass on the smashed potatoes) inventive appetizers (the scallops are mandatory eating) and house-made desserts (if you can).

“We treat it the same way as our strip and our filet,” said Executive Chef Bonner Cameron. “We apply our coffee cure rub, which is what really sets our steaks apart. It’s a combination of coffee, porcini power, onion power, garlic power and sugar. We dry-age it in that rub in the walk-in, and they get a really nice, distinct flavor, a really earthy flavor, compared to a place that just puts salt and pepper on there.”

When pressed, Cameron admitted his personal favorite steak entrée is the decadent filet, if only because of the ribeye’s Jurassic proportions.

“It’s really made for a couple of people, but I’ve seen people tear it up by themselves,” said Cameron with a chuckle. “I don’t know how they do it. Maybe if I was younger, I could do all that, but not now.”

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SONNY WILLIAMS’ STEAKROOM LITTLE ROCK

Few establishments in town look and feel old-school steakhouse cool like this River Market institution. Sonny Williams’ was never the only game in town, nor was it the largest, cheapest or easiest to get into. But if you want a place where all the elements of food, wine and ambiance come together perfectly, Sonny’s is the place.

and that’s what really sets the food apart, I think.”

Dustin Ballentine, executive chef, professes no particular tricks in preparation.

“It’s all USDA choice Angus, high-quality beef,” he said. “All of our steaks are aged at least 21 days. Typically, we like to have it closer to 30 or 40, but the supply chain has been a little bit difficult for that. Other than the aging, it just takes a proprietary blend of seasoning and that fat and butter to make it so delicious.

I catch all the oil and fat that comes off every steak and that goes right on top of the next steak, every time.”

Sonny Williams’ suffered during onset of the pandemic, but 2021 has seen the highest sales in three years, attesting to the fine reputation the restaurant enjoys.

“As far as steak goes, it is a celebratory thing,” Ballentine said. “I don’t think a lot of people get to go out every day and eat steak. People come in here just juicin’ at the mouth wanting that meat.”

“We do have our own Sonny’s seasoning that is just ours,” said Amanda Gunter, general manager. “We cook all steaks on an open-flame broiler at 500 degrees. We butter the plates and use our seasoning on them.

Our kitchen staff is extremely experienced,

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JA N UA RY 2022

RESTAURANTS

THEO’S BAR & DINING ROOM FAYETTEVILLE & ROGERS

Todd Martin doesn’t pull any punches talking the quality of dining at either of the Theo’s locations in Northwest Arkansas he owns with his wife, Marti, particularly when it comes to the company’s signature steak.

“We don’t do a lot of things to try and ‘chef’ it up,” he said. “The beef itself is the star of this play. It’s an exceptional cut, and there’s not really anything you can do to dress it up beyond what it is — a tender filet you can literally cut with a fork.”

Filets are hardly a best-kept secret, as Martin said the dish sells “hand over fist.” And that’s saying something, serving a clientele full of Arkansas transplants and business people entertaining clients from around the world.

“The challenge is fun,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to experience exceptional restaurants all across the country — New York, Washington, the West Coast. I go in and I compare something we prepare to something someone else prepares. If I can say, ‘Wow! Ours is better,’ that’s a pretty good day.”

Theo’s culinary skill shines throughout the menu, and Martin is quick to point out the restaurant is not a steakhouse, per se.

But he’ll go toe-to-toe with anyone claiming a better filet than his grass-fed, USDA Prime black angus cut, aged 30 days.

“I have to tell you right now, and I will probably p--- off a lot of people on this, but I would put our filet against any filet I’ve eaten anywhere in the country,” he said. “There is not a doubt in my mind; I have yet to find one that will match it.”

Photos by Bob Coleman.

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BUENOS AIRES GRILL LITTLE ROCK

Follow the aroma of grilling meats to the far eastern edge of Little Rock’s River Market District, and you’ll find the Bruzatori family, Argentinian immigrants and owners of Buenos Aires Grill, home to some of the best steaks in Central Arkansas.

“Because of our heritage, we are different than any American steakhouse,” said Flo Bruzatori-Miller, general manager. “We’re always looking for the best meat that’s available. In Argentina, the

beef is so great you really don’t have to do much to alter its flavor. Our approach is always, if you have good quality meat, all you really need to do is let that speak for itself.”

In addition to the strip and ribeye, Buenos Aires Grill offers cuts that are less familiar to many Americans such as flank and skirt steak.

“We wanted to have cuts that are traditional to our cuisine and our heritage, and the skirt and the flank are the typical cuts you would find at a grill house back home,” Bruzatori-Miller said.

“However, we also have to compromise because we are not in Argentina, we are in the United States. So, we have steaks that are popular and familiar with our customers.”

Bruzatori-Miller said having so many family members directly involved — in addition to herself, her twin brother, little sister and parents all pitch in — underscores a cultural emphasis on hospitality. Diners are treated less like customers than honored guests in the Bruzatori home, and the food reflects that.

“The other aspect of this that I don’t know if people ever think about, is having passion for what you do,” she said.

“That really shows in your food.”

RESTAURANTS

RED OAK STEAKHOUSE The restaurant has every reason to look or taste like old Vegas, being located steps off the casino floor, but the vibe is contemporary, and each dish shows genuine artistry.

Red Oak is one of just a handful of American steakhouses to serve wagyu and A5 Kobe beef along with its USDA Prime beef and bison selections. And, there are also some exciting new

PINE BLUFF

It’s been just over a year since Red Oak opened to great fanfare inside Saracen Casino Resort, but the high-end restaurant has made the most of its short tenure. Almost immediately recognized as the state’s best steakhouse, management has its sights set even higher.

(Courtesy of Red Oak)

“I love that we’re voted the best steakhouse in Arkansas, but we’re the best restaurant in Arkansas,” said Todd Gold, food and beverage director.

“There’s no doubt about it, from all four corners of this state, through Northwest Arkansas down to the south. We just put our flag in the ground and said, ‘We’re here.’”

Normally a new spot takes a little breaking in before it achieves such accolades and brand loyalty, but Red Oak is proving the exception.

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menu options coming in 2022.

“We’re not going to take off a bunch of things but just enhance it,” Chef Joe Coleman said.

“We’ll be taking a little bit more risk with the menu, maybe some items that people don’t recognize, such as beef cheek. I want to play around a little bit more with some foie gras. It’s very important to me that people are like, ‘Wow! They’ve got amazing steaks. They have the Kobe, but you have to try X, Y and Z.’”

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PETIT & KEET/ CYPRESS SOCIAL LITTLE ROCK

These two well-known spots, owned all or in part by legendary Arkansas restaurateurs Jim Keet and family, couldn’t be more different. Petit & Keet, the elder of the two, lends a contemporary flair to the surroundings and an eclectic touch to the fare. Cypress Social takes familiar Southern cuisine and elevates it with special twists all its own.

In fact, if you didn’t know better, you’d see no hint of these fraternal twins in each other, save for two things — both insist on the highest quality of food and experience for their guests, and both anchor a creative and varied menu with a fine steak.

“In Arkansas, it’s such a meatand-potatoes state,” said Alan Napier, Petit & Keet general manager. “I think that’s a benchmark that people set a long time ago for restaurants to have great steak. Chefs pride themselves on it, in fact. If everybody’s doing it, how do I make mine better?”

As with many of the best steaks, simplicity is often the secret weapon. Napier said the quality of the meat and the skill of the chef are far more important than any dress-up when it comes to the restaurant’s cuts.

“We finish ours with some compound butter that goes on top of all of our steaks,” he said. “That’s the best way to finish the steak. It’s not an overpowering sauce that takes away from the meat; it adds flavor while still getting the flavor of the beef.”

Cypress Social Executive Chef Aaron Fowler said, “My approach depends on the cut of the meat. We have a six-ounce filet that literally just gets salt and pepper. It’s relatively untouched by any seasoning;

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it’s just the quality of the meat that really shines through.

“On the other spectrum, we have a 16-ounce ribeye that gets salt, pepper, and then we smother it in a chipotle butter to finish. The ribeye is a high-quality meat too, but that chipotle butter brings a different level of savoriness, spice and a little bit of sweetness too.”

When asked to describe its enduring appeal, Fowler said steak has retained its popularity for its hearty flavor and versatility, as dressed up or dressed down as you want it. He said he often runs steak as a weekly special and is never disappointed in people’s enthusiasm for the classic night-out entrée.

“Steak is totally a blank canvas,” he said. “You can do so many things with a good steak. A ribeye is my favorite cut of meat, so I was excited to bring the tomahawk in recently.

It was really well-received; we did about 140 tomahawks in a week, which blew my mind. I’ve tried to do a couple pasta dishes, and I don’t think that’s who we are. But bring out a 40-ounce tomahawk, and we’ll sell a ton of them.”

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JA N UA RY 2022

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Arkansas is a meat-and-potatoes state, so it stands to reason that the Natural State is filled with many places to get great meat. What follows is by no means a comprehensive list — not even close — but is a list of some of those more wellknown places across the state where a great steak can be had, off the beaten path and right on it.

Whether they offer valet service or a gravel parking lot, these establishments offer a fine cut of meat.

REGION

CITY

Delta

Colonial Steak House

Pine Bluff

Delta

Red Oak Steakhouse

Pine Bluff

Delta

Taylor's

Dumas

Delta

The Village Steakhouse

Star City

Wright's Ranch House

White Hall

LR/NLR

Arthur's Prime Steakhouse

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Cache Restaurant

Little Rock

Delta

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STEAKHOUSE

LR/NLR

SO

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Capers

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Doe's Eat Place

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Riverfront Steakhouse

North Little Rock

LR/NLR

Allsop & Chapple

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Sonny Williams' Steakroom

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Table 28

Little Rock

LR/NLR

Faded Rose

Little Rock

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REGION

STEAKHOUSE

CITY

Northeast

Best Dam Steakhouse

Batesville

Northeast

Don's Steakhouse

Northeast

Jerry's Steakhouse

Walnut Ridge Trumann

Northeast

Omar's Uptown

Jonesboro

Northeast

501 Steakhouse

Jonesboro

Northeast

Tamale Factory

Gregory

NWA

Callahan's Steak House

Siloam Springs

NWA

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Rogers

NWA

Ella's Table

Fayetteville

NWA

Gaskins Cabin Steakhouse

Eureka Springs

NWA

Herman's

Fayetteville

NWA

Renzo's

Fayetteville

NWA

River Grille

Bentonville

NWA

The Boardwalk Bistro

Jasper

NWA NWA

Theo's

Rogers

Tusk & Trotter

Bentonville

River Valley

Brangus Steakhouse

Russellville

River Valley

Kasper's

Clarksville

River Valley

Mike's Place

Conway

River Valley

The Rialto

Fort Smith

River Valley

21 West End

Fort Smith

Southwest

Banderas Steakhouse

El Dorado

Southwest

Ironwood Grill

Texarkana

Southwest

Cattleman's Steak House

Texarkana

Southwest

Chopping Block Steakhouse

Mena

Southwest

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Benchmark

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Texarkana

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THE DIGS OF THE DEAL

By Katie Zakrzewski

TAYLOR’S STEAKHOUSE EVOLVES, SATISFIES

T

he small town of Dumas has a population of just over 4,000 people. Though the town’s population is small, any one of its inhabitants could readily point you in the direction of the best steakhouse for miles around.

Taylor’s Steakhouse is run by Pam and Chuck Taylor. Pam runs the front of the store, while her husband Chuck works in the back.

The Taylors opened Taylor’s Grocery in 1954 in Mississippi, according to Kat Robinson, noted Arkansas foodie and author of Tie Dye Travels. The original building was small but functioned like a traditional country store. Folks would come in to buy dry goods and foods, as well as chat about the weather.

In 1961, the Taylor family moved their business closer to town and into a larger building. They sold that store in the 1970s and opened up a third spot. Finally, in

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1983, the Taylor family moved to the current location, just outside of Dumas.

Chuck Taylor explained the evolution of the family business.

“In the ‘90s, grocery business started going away from country stores, and we started cooking instead,” he said. “My mother has always made barbecue. We branched out and bought equipment. In 1996, we put in a lunch menu with hamburgers and fish and po’boys and cheese dip and bread pudding.”

The lunch menu also included a large burger called the “Double Bertha” that guests would try to eat in one sitting.

Taylor’s cheese dip grew so popular that guests would come to pick it up on their way in and out of town.

But the Taylors wanted to do more.

Pam Taylor explained that lunch got smaller and smaller over time.

“We’re out off the beaten path, three miles west of Dumas. We had been think-

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ing about doing away with lunch and replacing it with steak dinners. In 2012, we did just that.”

Pam explained that Chuck had started cooking at nearby duck lodges in the winter time, gaining valuable information about dry aging beef. As his knowledge of beef grew wider, the Taylors’ youngest daughter grew up.

“In 2012, our youngest daughter was a senior in high school,” Chuck recalled.

“When she went off to college, we decided to transition to dinner service to focus on the steakhouse.”

The Taylor family completely remodeled the insides and connected them.

The process took several years. Since that time, the aged steaks at Taylor’s have quickly grown popular for their flavor and size.

Kansas City bone-in ribeyes and Tbone steaks run 25-28 ounces. There’s also a 31 ounce Porterhouse steak for two.

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The aged steaks at Taylor’s have grown popular for their flavor and size. (Photo by Jamison Mosley)

Once the day’s supply is gone, they’re out. The Taylors serve other great dishes, pulled from the family cookbooks and the previous lunchtime menu. Some of those classics include the crawfish enchilada plate, bread pudding and a chocolate bread pudding.

Word of mouth has been a powerful tool for Taylor’s Steakhouse. Folks from as far as Fayetteville and Pine Bluff will stop in for a bite. And the next time they stop by, they bring friends.

Pam Taylor said that being a mile away from the Dumas airport has helped business over the years, especially during the

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economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We get people from all over the state and from out of the state. I have a guest registry; we’ve had customers from South Africa and a guy from Japan. I have a good customer from Texas, too.”

She said the first weekend during the pandemic, the Taylor’s dining room was closed. She was shocked to step outside and find cars full of customers, waiting to place an order, silverware ready in their passenger seats.

Notably, as things begin to return to normal, the Taylors find many recogniz-

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able faces from state politics, law and business in her dining room.

“One of our frequent customers is Rep. Les Eaves from Searcy. He usually brings a group of political friends with him to discuss and do business,” Pam Taylor said.

A host of other state representatives, members of the Arkansas Department of Transportation and other business professionals stop by to eat and do business.

At any given time outside of Taylor’s, you might see a pickup truck parked next to a limousine.

Pam offered a few reasons why she thinks that professionals and small-town families alike are drawn to the place.

“It’s the food. That’s the bottom line.

If we did not serve a wonderful product, people wouldn’t come by. Chuck is very particular about his meat. People leave satisfied and feel the need to come back.”

For his part, Chuck Taylor credits the ambiance.

“We have a very laid-back atmosphere, and we love it,” he said. “You’re not piled up on top of each other in our place. Our tables were already spread apart when COVID allowed us to reopen. Our atmosphere is very laid back. When you come out to the country, you don’t need to be in a hurry. This environment makes politicians and lawyers and lawmakers more efficient. I think having a good meal and an at-home atmosphere makes them better public servants.”

JA N UA RY 2022

HEALTH CARE

Filling the Gap State’s osteopathic schools of medicine sending doctors where they’re needed

By Sarah Coleman

The majority of students from the first graduating class at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine stayed in the region to start their careers.

(Photos provided)

Q

Quality health care is a concern no matter the medical schools, UAMS serves as the only alloplace of residence. While conventional allopathic pathic teaching hospital in the state, offering dual medicine remains widely available in urban setenrollment programs. tings across the state, Arkansas has continued to “My personal opinion is that we want edugrow the number of physicians available to serve cational opportunities broadly,” Susan Smyth, rural areas by training of doctors of osteopathic M.D., Ph.D, dean of the College of Medicine at medicine (DOM) in addition to those trained as UAMS said. medical doctors (MD).

Shane Speights, D.O., is the dean of NYITCOM Osteopathy is recognized as a specific philosoin Jonesboro — the second medical school and the phy integrating a holistic approach to traditional first osteopathic college of medicine in Arkansas. medicine. There may be a difference in philosophy, He stressed the importance of creating opportunibut osteopathic medical schools operate similarly ties to place more physicians in Arkansas. to how allopathic (traditional) medical schools function. Traditional colleges of medicine include four years of study with clinical rotations and licensure.

While medical doctors must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam, doctors of osteopathic medicine must pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, both tests being three parts.

The 2020 U.S. census revealed 3.3 percent growth in population for Arkansas. The University of Arkansas’ Rural Profile in 2019 determined that rural areas of the state show an aging population. Along with aging areas, the UA study also reported a steady increase in infant mortality rates, rising highs in adult obesity as well as health risks that seem to disproportionately affect those residing in rural areas.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has long been the only teaching hospital in the state, and has graduated physicians since its founding in 1879. While medical school acceptance is traditionally and increasingly competitive, the emergence of osteopathic programs such as the New York Institute of Technology College of Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM) in Jonesboro and the Arkansas College of Medicine at Arkansas College of Health Education in Fort Smith (ARCOM) is providing greater ARCOM student Savannah Phillips options for students pursuing mediprepares to deliver a COVID cine, and in return more physicians to vaccination to a local patent at a graduate in state. community health fair.

Even with the addition of two new

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HEALTH CARE

Vicki Oladoyin, a second-year medical student at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State, teaches a Nettleton High School student to suture using a skin-like silicone pad.

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“Historically, osteopathic medicine produces more of the frontline physicians needed in the United States ... which is what we need here in our own state.”

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“By design, osteopathic medicine is geared to meet the needs of the rural and underserved areas of our state and country. That’s why you see more colleges of osteopathic medicine being started in states like Arkansas,” he said. “Historically, osteopathic medicine produces more of the frontline physicians needed in the United States — physicians trained in family medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, internal medicine, OB/GYN, emergency medicine, psychiatry — which is what we need here in our own state.”

ARCOM dean Rance McClain, D.O., said the surfacing of osteopathic medicine is impacting Arkansas in important ways. According to McClain, osteopathic medical schools are more likely to be private institutions that aren’t affiliated with a large tertiary-care hospital, meaning that these programs are more likely to partner with multiple communitybased hospitals and clinics.

“I believe we are making an enormous impact in these areas,” McClain said. “These facilities are a great opportunity for rural areas to highlight what life could be like for these students should they decide to return and set up a practice in the area.”

Exposure to these communities is crucial to improving the access to health care in rural areas, he said.

“The majority of [ARCOM’s first] graduating class pursued training in this state or the surrounding states, which are included in our service area. Following national trends, we know that a student who attends medical school in a region, then stays in that region for GME training, is around 70 to 80 percent more likely to remain in that region for their clinical practice upon finishing their residency training.”

Speights thinks Arkansans can expect to see more physicians practicing in those areas that need them now that two osteopathic medical schools are complementing the graduating classes at UAMS. “Pulaski County has lots of doctors. So does Craighead County, Washington County and Benton County. We need doctors in Mississippi County, Crittenden County, Clark County, Polk County, Ouachita County, Chicot County, Phillips County, and the list goes on,” he said, adding that in order to improve ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Yash Makkapati and Makayla Goggins, both second-year medical students at NYIT in Jonesboro, practice intubation techniques on a medical task trainer.

Vineet Mohanty, a fourth-year medical student at NYIT, performs Osteopathic Medical Manipulation (OMM) on a patient while Dr. Brianne Wehner, assistant professor of OMM, observes and instructs.

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HEALTH CARE access to health care in underserved areas, students need to experience these communities while they are still in school.

Both NYITCOM and ARCOM have created environments in which students experience hands-on health care in their communities.

According to McClain, this approach has led to the overwhelming evidence of the promise of more practicing physicians in Arkansas.

“We are giving local students additional options to continue their education in Arkansas, and with the GME programs we are developing in conjunction with community hospitals in the state of Arkansas, they are also receiving more options to pursue residency training in this area,” McClain said, adding that this will improve health care.

Speights has emphasized the importance of NYITCOM being involved in its community. The Project H.E.A.R.T summer camp is hosted annually by NYITCOM in order to educate high schoolers about the opportunities for careers in health care. In addition to this, NYITCOM also plays a significant role in working vaccine clinics in rural areas as well as building relationships with school districts in surrounding areas to help educate and advise for COVID-19.

“We train our students where the health care is being delivered and where it is needed. In addition, we don’t just send them to a rural or underserved area for a one month rotation; they are assigned to those communities for the entirety of their third and fourth years of medical school. They live, buy groceries, shop and go to church in these communities,” Speights said “The in-

tent is that they consider these areas to live and practice, and we’re already seeing that happen.”

NYITCOM sends students to several small communities for clinical rotations, including Mena, Benton, Camden, Batesville, Monticello, Paragould and Gravette, among others.

Speights believes there is a great opportunity for medical schools to do great things in Arkansas by addressing the needs of the state. For NYITCOM, this means staying focused on its mission and working so it doesn’t become “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

McClain said the key is showing potential students that ARCOM’s mission and vision align with their desire for a career in medicine. ARCOM also is focused on recruiting potential physicians from the area who might be more apt to stay home and practice.

The majority of graduating DOs are going into the areas that meet the immediate needs of the state, according to Speights, including family and internal medicine.

For NYITCOM specifically, Speights said 98 percent of students in the first two graduating classes received residency placements with 80 percent being matched in family and internal medicine.

Similarly, ARCOM has seen the majority of its graduates pursue training in Arkansas and in surrounding areas that are still included in ARCOM’s service area. According to McClain, judging by national trends, students who stay in the area of their medical school for GME training are 70 to 80 percent more likely to stay in the area after their residency.

More Than A Medical School New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) at Arkansas State University is committed to training talented physicians who aspire to become servant leaders that positively impact their communities.

Located in Jonesboro, NYITCOM at Arkansas State is uniquely situated to improve access to health care and health education in the state and the greater Mississippi Delta region. NYITCOM students are eager and ready to address the region’s significant health care needs through research, outreach, wellness initiatives, and superior patient care.

Training Physicians In Arkansas, For Arkansas JAN UA RY 2 02 2

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP/NONPROFITS

Buzzing in Argenta Stanger Hopes to Expand Innovation Hub’s Role

BY EMILY BEIRNE // PHOTOS BY JAMISON MOSLEY

Errin Stanger of the Innovation Hub

ENTREPRENEURSHIP/NONPROFITS

If

history has taught humanity anything, it’s that innovation is continually progressing. From the discovery of fire to electricity, an idea is always brewing in someone’s mind. For the modern-day inventors, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers in Arkansas, there’s a place solely dedicated to helping ideas become realities. Welcome to the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Opened in 2014, the local makerspace is a direct product of North Little Rock’s downtown Argenta Arts District, where it is located. Errin Stanger, the recently named director of the Innovation Hub, has been around since the birth of both. Stanger believes the Arts District and the Innovation Hub are so closely intertwined that one story cannot be told without the other.

“John Gaudin is a gentleman who moved here from New Orleans, and his goal when he moved into the area was to make Argenta a walkable, livable, beautiful community. That’s just what he’s done,” Stanger said. “[Gaudin] created a large team of individuals, business owners, volunteers and community members from all over to help with his master plan for the neighborhood. I had a chance to be a part of that team.”

Through the planning of the neighborhood and how to incorporate the charm of the historic buildings with the atmosphere the team was wanting to create, the idea for the Innovation Hub came about.

“Of course, the Arts District was the focus for bringing in galleries and artists for a beautiful, creative vibe in Argenta, and we wanted to be inclusive and attract as many different people as we could. There was this building that we looked at and asked, ‘How could this building be used to be a place of creativity and inspiration; a place for entrepreneurship for young and old in the neighborhood?’ So, we came up with the Innovation Hub,” she said.

The Gaudin team traveled around the country visiting different makerspaces to gather ideas on what it wanted Argenta’s makerspace to be. After visiting numerous organizations, each focusing on a different craft or business, the consensus was that the Innovation Hub needed to be a place for all ideas.

“The idea was hatched that the Innovation Hub could do it all. Let’s throw it all in there and see how this works for our community because, really, we need all ideas to grow and thrive in not only downtown North Little Rock, but in the state of Arkansas. This would be the first of its kind in the state,” Stanger explained. “I was so excited to be a part of those beginning efforts because it really married several things that I am passionate about. Community building, creative spaces and providing a place where people feel welcome to come in and use our resources, create their own businesses or jump into a hobby.”

The Innovation Hub offers classes on learning new skills, different workshops for all ages, after-school classes and field trips for students, as well as private instruction and special programs for aspiring entrepreneurs and people looking for job opportunities.

“Our ‘Skills to Launch’ program is kind of a new initiative,” Stanger said. “It is basically a pre-apprenticeship program that’s 10 weeks long.

Students who are accepted into the program, ages 18 and up, get a chance to jump in and pick between a track of welding, HVAC, industrial maintenance and many more trades. Of course, the program is free for them, and they also get an OSHA certification and soft-skills training. The neat thing is that we have employers lined up, so at the end of their training, they have the availability to take their new skills and go on these interviews to hopefully receive a job.”

The idea was hatched that the Innovation Hub could do it all...

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Winrock International, the Little Rock-based nonprofit that has become a global leader in business development, recently joined forces with the Innovation Hub. It announced Stanger’s appointment as Hub director in December.

“I think that 2022 is going to be a dynamic year,” Stanger said. “We are welcoming home Winrock International, and our entire building is becoming the headquarters for Winrock.

We’re going to see some remodeling happen within the building to accommodate some new office spaces for our Winrock team.”

More updates are coming to the Innovation Hub in the form of new opportunities for the community.

“We’re also going to see Stanger said the the creation of the first Best Innovation Hub could Buy Teen Tech Center in add music programs Arkansas, and that is going in 2022. to be a free program for high school students after school and on the weekends, with Best Buy providing state-of-the-art technology,” Stanger said.

Regarding new interest areas, Stanger said the Innovation Hub has always wanted to include music, and 2022 could see that dream come into fruition.

“It’s art right now that’s not represented, but in 2022, it will be,” she said. “We’re looking to create a digital recording studio and teach children how to make music and think about ideas around music and technology. Currently, [the community] doesn’t have anything that exists outside of the school system. Some schools have podcasting rooms or they have different recording rooms available for students to use, but this is going to be special because it’ll be free.

“A lot of changes are coming. I think our community will see that we’re going to be able to continue to provide the excellent programming that we offer, but then we’ll have some ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

new stuff available as well, which will be of more benefit to the community.”

Stanger has been involved in nonprofit development for more than 20 years, and during that time, she has witnessed countless success stories.

“We recently graduated the third class of our ‘Skills to Launch’ student cohorts.

Our cohorts are around 20 students each time, and we have a 79 percent job placement rate, which is of course a dream come true,” Stanger said. “Three students spoke at our latest graduation, and one said, ‘The Innovation Hub and Ms. Mary [staff member] has just changed my life.

You have seen me at my worst, and you have pulled me out of a pit and led me onto a pathway to a career.’

That was an emotional moment for me because we did that. We, as a team, helped someone get on their pathway to their career.

“Being in the profession that I’m in and in this beautiful nonprofit, I get to see people find their confidence and faith in a career pathway or even just their confidence in learning a new hobby. I love that ‘aha’ moment people have when they learn something new and realize they could really enjoy doing it.”

More opportunities are on the horizon at the Innovation Hub. No matter the age, resources are available for anyone interested in honing new skills or joining the workforce.

“I want to encourage our community to come and visit us at the Innovation Hub so people can see this beautiful building filled with friendly staff and all the amazing tools, resources and equipment we have to offer,” Stanger said. “I’m so excited for how far we’ve come in just seven years, but I think what is ahead of us is a new chapter for the Innovation Hub that will be even better.”

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Razorback players hoist the Outback Bowl trophy after their New Year’s Day win over Penn State.

(Photos courtesy of Arkansas Athletics)

SPORTS

Where the

RAZORBACKS’ Long, Hard Road Out of Hell Leads Next

A 24-10 Outback Bowl win is just the beginning

By Eric Bolin

C

onfusion occasionally arises when the discussion about whether college football bowls “matter” comes up. In the grand scheme of things, no. They don’t. The difference between 8-5 and 9-4 is negligible. It always has been, too. The proliferation of other TV viewing options in the last 10 years has also made the bowls even less relevant to the average college football fan. With so many other things to choose from, rare is the Joe Schmo who will choose to watch as many bowl games as he can. The notion that players should play in the game instead of opting-out to prepare for their professional future is dated to the point of being archaic.

And yet.

Bowls help programs develop. Especially programs like Arkansas. The result of the Razorbacks’ Outback Bowl against Penn State – a 24–10 win – is irrelevant. But the weeks of December that led up to it, and the game itself, are far from it.

The Razorbacks are still a program searching for an identity. Not in the sense that Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman and Co. are lost, mind you. Far from that. But one year does not a successful program make. Dynasties are built on consistency. Consistency is built on returning players improving and finding replacements year after year who can carry the torch for those who have left. And that is what December brought.

ARKANSAS FOOTBALL RETURNS A LOT Consider Arkansas’ best players in the Outback Bowl. Only a few of the most important were seniors.

KJ Jefferson, as if there were any remaining doubt, proved his place in Arkansas football history after just one season. He threw 21 touchdowns and just four interceptions in leading Arkansas to that 9-4 record, its best since 2011. He ran for more than 650 yards

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Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson ran for more than 100 yards and earned MVP honors in the Outback Bowl.

(the most by a Hogs quarterback since Matt Jones in 2003) and six scores, including 110 and a touchdown against the Nittany Lions, with almost the entirety of those yards coming in the third quarter alone after blocking scheme adjustments at halftime. He carried the Razorbacks on his formidable back – just ask anyone who tried to tackle him this season – all year long.

“I said, ‘KJ, you can go left or right,’” Pittman said. “‘No, no, no. Got to make a statement.’ That’s a little bit of physicality of who he is and hopefully what our team is about.”

Behind Jefferson, who was named Outback Bowl Most Valuable Player, sophomore Dominique Johnson and freshman Raheim “Rocket” Sanders ran for a combined 164 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. In all, the Razorbacks had four players each run for more than 500 yards in the 2021 season. Jefferson, Johnson and Sanders will all be back in 2022. Senior Trelon Smith, who started three-quarters of the season, made an announcement on Instagram in the hours following the Outback Bowl to indicate he’s moving on.

Up front, Arkansas will return four of its five starters on the offensive line.

Center Ricky Stromberg is the best of the bunch and will likely be a frontrun-

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ner for the Rimington Trophy. He, along with tackles Dalton Wagner and Myron Cunningham (who projects as a midlate round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft) and guards Beaux Limmer and Brady Latham, and Ty Clary, who played all three spots on the line this season, paved the way for 361 yards rushing against Penn State. That ties the Arkansas football record for most yards in a bowl game.

The Hogs also rushed for 361 vs. Tennessee in the 1990 Cotton Bowl.

The other side of the ball is a bit of a mixed bag. The secondary should be in good shape with the return of Jalen Catalon, an All-American back at safety. Safety Joe Foucha entered the portal, thoughcornerback Montaric Brown, a first team All-SEC selection, announced he was entering the 2022 NFL Draft.

“These past four years have been challenging and the best times of my life,” Brown wrote on Twitter. “I’m thankful for the relationships I have built and the opportunities given to me to receive my degree from the best university in the world.

“I’m thankful for my family, academics staff and coaches for the support they have given me and for God to put me in this position. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for giving a kid from Ashdown, Arkansas, an opportuni-

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ty to showcase his talent and live out his dream. I will forever be a Hog! I will be declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.”

Up front, Zach Williams and Eric Gregory provide building blocks for a competent defensive line, though the return of defensive tackle John Ridgeway, who was arguably the team’s best linemen this season, would help a ton.

RAZORBACK LINEBACKERS: THE BIGGEST QUESTION MARK Most important is linebacker, about the only position on the roster that looks shaky heading into the next phase of Arkansas’ power rise. Grant Morgan and Hayden Henry will exit. Morgan’s six seasons with the Razorbacks ended with a Burlsworth Trophy as the best player in college football who started as a walk-on.

Henry’s five tackles against the Nittany Lions provided the Hogs with three players all registering 100 or more this season, along with Morgan and linebacker Bumper Pool.

Pools return was the key. Even Pittman mentioned in the post-game press conference after the Outback Bowl that he wasn’t about to stop talking to Pool about a possible return. In fact, as he had mentioned before, it’s arguably the biggest recruiting job he’ll have this winter. Pittman looked over at Jefferson

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Coach Sam Pittman addressed the team in a pre-bowl practice held at the University of Tampa, then took a Gatorade bath on the sidelines in the closing moments of the 24-10 win.

in the conference room afterward, hinting he needs his leader to help him in that regard.

“With Grant, Hayden and Bumper – and I’m not giving up on Bumper now – I want him back,” Pittman said. “It’s amazing how those guys rotate, and they love each other. Never happens like that. How they go in there and they play together like that, it’s amazing. Really great to see and shows a lot about their character.”

Outside of Arkansas and Pennsylvania, relatively few eyes were on the Outback Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl with No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 5 Notre Dame kicked off shortly after Arkansas and Penn State began. Even the Citrus Bowl, between Kentucky and Iowa, featured two ranked teams. To much of the coun-

try, Arkansas doesn’t register as a power.

Not yet.

But for Pittman and the people of Razorbacks Country, the Outback Bowl wasn’t just an Outback Bowl. It was the culmina-

SAM PITTMAN

ADDRESSES RAZORBACKS AFTER OUTBACK BOWL A R M ON E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

tion of a long, hard road out of hell.

“Our state is hungry for football,” Pittman said. “We’re a proud state. No disrespect to any other sport, football is big in the state of Arkansas at the University of Arkansas. There’s always folks that want more, and one of them is me.

But it’s over now. To be Outback Bowl champions with nine wins, I’m really really proud of our teams and what we’ve accomplished.”

Now, for the future. ,

“To the [super] seniors. I hope you coming back was worth every practice, every workout this offseason, everything. Because we had three rivalry games, and we won all them trophies. We just won the Outback Bowl. 9-4? We’re going to end up in the Top 20 in the country, right where Arkansas belongs!”

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SPORTS

ARKANSAS has had a

Dollar General Store coach for long enough: THAT STIGMA NEEDS TO CHANGE

By Brent Birch

T Sam Pittman

JAN UA RY 2 02 2

iming is everything. Poll most Razorback fans about the timing of Sam Pittman’s changing agents and asking for a bigger salary, and you will be hardpressed to find an overwhelmingly positive response.

Granted, Pittman is paid well below the SEC average base salary. Only ahead of South Carolina’s Shane Beamer (who also overachieved in 2021) and probably Vandy’s Clark Lea (that amount is unpublished since Vanderbilt is private).

Big dollars weren’t always so important to Pittman. He reportedly said “yes” without asking what the contract paid.

His current 5-year, $15 million contract

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was littered with incentive-based clauses, which kicked in with the Hogs’ successful 2021 season. The Hogs’ regular season earned Pittman a $750,000 bonus with those eight wins in the books. Pittman has been nationally recognized for his “affordable” base salary and agreeing to all those incentives.

He has to be the best bang-for-yourbuck coach going in all of Power 5 college football. If there was some metric that considered wins, difficulty of schedule and salary, who did a better job? I didn’t have time to nerd out and come up with a formula, but I would be willing to bet Pittman would be way up there based on 2021 results.

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Lane and Jimmy Other coaches have cashed in as well. Rival Ole Miss boosted Lane Kiffin nearly $3 million after the Rebels went 10-2 and secured a Sugar Bowl date with Baylor. Kiffin will now make $7.5 million a year through 2025, and one has to believe some of the current brand-name school openings played a role in that.

He also has incentives for victories, academics and ticket sales.

For reference, Lane Kiffin is also repped by Pittman’s new agent, Jimmy Sexton. Sexton is “the man” when it comes to coaches landing big pay raises and long-term agreements. Some of those have panned out and earned their big bucks. Others have failed miserably and cost various universities and

were coming after him. And with that, he got a new 10-year, $70 million dollar deal out of all the hubbub. Rumors ran rampant about Michigan State’s Mel Tucker being a candidate at LSU, and that prompted the coach with a 7-12 record before this year’s 10-2 to get a ludicrous 10-year deal for $95 million deal.

What’s going on with Coach Pittman and his contract isn’t odd or unusual. These types of things are going on Jimmy routinely in the big Sexton business that is college

Still, let’s be clear about one thing that Pittman knows as well — “with the big dog salary comes a sizable jump in expectations.”

their boosters millions upon millions of dollars.

His current client list includes Kiffin, Alabama’s Nick Saban, former Florida coach Dan Mullen, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. His agency also counts Kendal Briles among its clients. Mullen obviously got canned at Florida and Sarkisian struggled mightily in his first year in Austin. Clearly, Jimmy Sexton representing a coach doesn’t guarantee success.

Coincidentally, Pittman’s opposing coach in the Outback Bowl, James Franklin, is also represented by Sexton and changed agents midseason. That fueled speculation LSU, USC and others

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football. And keep in mind that Razorbacks Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek hasn’t agreed to Sexton’s first shot across the bow, an ask that would nearly double his salary, reportedly a seven-year deal worth more than $50 million.

Negotiations will continue before everything gets lined out. With the amount of success Pittman had resurrecting the Arkansas football program, this was inevitable. But why now?

While negative takes and speculation proliferate on this, I’m going to look for silver linings.

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Lane Kiffin

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SPORTS Why now?

One thought is Pittman better strike while the iron is hot. Who knows all the reasons why he went from just happy to be here and thankful for the opportunity to “Pay me what I’m worth.” Health issues? Nest egg? Not planning to coach as long as he thought? Wants to go buy a stable of racehorses to go watch while visiting his Lake Hamilton vacation

home? Only those in his true inner circle really know.

Whatever the reason, now is the time to renegotiate so he is on a more level playing ground with his peers and rivals.

As cutthroat as college football recruiting is, I would imagine other coaches use Pittman’s lower tier salary as a commentary on the University of Arkansas’ unwillingness to invest in its football program or

Mike Irwin on Hunter, Jimmy and Lane Pig Trail Nation’s Mike Irwin told an interesting story about Hunter Yurachek and Jimmy Sexton. It stems from the Razorback football coaching search after the firing of Chad Morris. Either before or after Yurachek apparently made an offer to Mike Leach, he made an offer to Lane Kiffin.

Hunter Yurachek “Supposedly, Yurachek had a verbal agreement with Lane Kiffin, and when Yurachek sent him the contract, he calls up and says, ‘Hey, have you signed that yet?’” Irwin said on a recent “Ask Mike” episode. “And supposedly, he got referred to Jimmy Sexton, who then said, ‘Well, wait a minute. OU is in the mix, and blah, blah, blah. They’re offering this,” and Yurachek’s like, ‘See you.’”

As Irwin sees it, Yurachek isn’t a fan of Sexton anyway. “So, Pittman says he’s not going anywhere. Sexton says, ‘I want $7 million for my client.’ If I’m Yurachek, I’d go, ‘Nah, I’d give you 5. I’ll put some improved performance-based incentives in here, but I’m not just going to give you an extra $3 million. I’m not going to do that.’

“Sexton has this reputation of just tearing ADs apart, just squeezing them and getting all these money out of them in big buyouts.

And then his client crashes and burns, and he is like, ‘Ok, bye. I’ve got all my money. I’m gone. I’m leaving with all kinds of wads of money. I’m going to Central Florida [referring to Gus Malzahn].’”

— Brent Birch

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that he’s a discount coach. For the last couple seasons, his salary has essentially made him the Dollar General Store in a shopping center full of Whole Foods and Fresh Markets.

The U of A needs to show Pittman is the guy and that he has the backing of the administration. Not that they aren’t already doing that in a myriad of ways, but money talks and you know what walks. They took a gamble on hiring a career assistant coach, and it actually panned out. It’s hard to understate what he found when arriving in a program that had gone from the hype of “Left Lane, Hammer Down” to upside down in a roadside ditch by the time Chad Morris was canned after the blowout loss to Western Kentucky.

An 9-4 record against the toughest schedule in the country and the Outback Bowl in year two? And now, only the third signing class in modern Razorback football history to land in the Top 20 nationally. Not sure how much of the fan base realizes how remarkable these deeds are.

Kendal and Barry Another possibility is Pittman is trying to secure some improved deals for his coaching staff. In the fine print of Kiffin’s new deal is a guarantee that the salary pool for paying assistant coaches support personnel will remain at or above league average and will stay at a minimum of $3.5 million per year. For reference, Arkansas’s salary pool for assistants was just above $5 million with defensive coordinator and former Missouri head coach Barry Odom taking in $1.75 and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles at $1 million.

No major Power 5 coach believes he will retain his entire coaching staff year to year. Some climb the ladder, others are no longer wanted and cast off. Both coordinators for the Razorbacks have been, and will continue to be, courted by some other schools. That’s just how the business works. Odom turned down several premier coordinator opportunities last year to stay with his pal Sam Pittman.

With that, Pittman is trying to get this deal done ASAP to retain both of them,

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as there is some solid momentum on both sides of the ball. As much as fans like to question Briles’ playcalling, he’s done an outstanding job with quarterback KJ Jefferson. Not many saw the kind of year Jefferson produced. Not inside the program and definitely not outside. Odom’s defense is still building talent and depth but has been serviceable.

He’s done a really good job working with pieces and parts that don’t really resemble an SEC defense.

Can Briles keep it going with no Treylon Burks next year? Can Odom put anything on the field that remotely resembles this year’s defense made up of a ton of COVID seniors and grad transfers? Time will tell.

Some recent transfer news with former OU wideout Jadon Haselwood and former LSU defensive end Landon Jackson choosing Arkansas, plus this solid recruiting class, show help is on the way.

The timing of Pittman’s move to Sexton and a big pay raise felt a bit yucky given all the positive energy around the program nowadays when the focus should be on recruiting coup and the bowl game. But business is business, and not many of us writing about or reading about all this know how these deals really get done.

The common complaints are that he’s only 11-11 in two seasons or that he’s only got a two-season track record. As Mel Tucker shows, however, that doesn’t matter. Nobody can predict the future of the program, but the Hogs were 9-4 against the toughest schedule in the country, and Pittman led them there. Those facts merit a discussion about getting him paid like his rivals. The same logic would apply to your job if you overachieved and had positive momentum.

My gut says nothing has changed with Pittman, and his desire for the University of Arkansas to be his last job is still very true. Him going against that would be

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Barry Odom (left) and Kendall Briles have helped make Pittman’s first two years successful.

counterintuitive to everything he preaches and built his career on. I truly don’t believe he is “that guy” who is looking to get paid and then bail or take his foot off the gas. He wants to build the program more.

He wants to win more. He wants to be mentioned in the same conversation with Frank Broyles, Lou Holtz and Ken Hatfield and at times, Houston Nutt, when his coaching career is over in Fayetteville.

In the SEC, it is very rare for the basketball coach to ever make more than the football coach. The Arkansas basketball coach, Eric Musselman, coming off an Elite 8 appearance in his second year, makes $4 million, for reference. All of this is just to get things in alignment with how SEC football programs are treating coaches nowadays.

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Still, let’s be clear about one thing that Pittman knows as well — with the big dog salary comes a sizable jump in expectations. Think about all the ridicule Jimbo Fisher got at Texas A&M with a soon-to-be colossal $9 million annual salary after losing to the $3 million Sam Pittman. That pressure shifts to Pittman if and when a deal gets done. He’s been around long enough to know that is coming, and he’s mature enough to handle it.

Regardless of timing, a new contract for Sam Pittman was inevitable. What’s a few million here and there when private boosters will willingly step up to make up the difference anyway?

Time to get Pittman paid fairly and let him get back to the business of running the Arkansas football program.

JA N UA RY 2022

POLITICS

GET TO KNOW THE CANDIDATES KELLY KROUT, LESLIE RUTLEDGE, CHRIS BEQUETTE, DOYLE WEBB, JOSEPH WOOD, EDDIE JOE WILLIAMS

By AMP Staff

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KELLY KROUT

Kelly Krout (D) officially announced her bid for the Arkansas Lieutenant Governor’s Office in September 2021. Krout, a Russellville native, resides in Lowell with her husband and their sons.

She and her husband have served as foster parents for several years and have helped reunite many children with their families. They have seven sons, two of which were adopted out of the system.

While working with the child welfare system, Krout gained unique insight into how these systems work and where they need improvement. She cares deeply about helping families navigate the foster care system, which is why she wrote children’s books to help kids and families understand the process. While her books have been used by counselors and therapists to help children, she feels she needs to do more for her community. She is now studying to earn her graduate degree in social work, which has helped spark her passion for policy.

AMP: Why are you running? What are some of your goals?

Krout: I’m running because Arkansas deserves leaders who are willing to do the right thing. I’m running because I have seen firsthand how people are struggling in our state, and I know we can do better. I want to advocate for improving systems like the foster-care and criminal-justice systems, so families and children can do well here. I’m also excited to get people involved

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who maybe feel like politics was not accessible to them. I find that when people know what’s going on and how to get involved, they will. That’s part of how we change the electorate –– by adding to it.

AMP: What will you bring to the field that your opponents will not?

Krout: I bring a unique perspective as a former foster parent. I’ve seen how families and kids struggle within some of these clunky systems in our state and how we need true systemic change to make opportunities accessible for everyone. I understand how trauma can impact someone and perpetuate difficult situations, and we need to be more sensitive to that. I bring creativity not just in my campaigning style, but in outside-the-box ideas for improving our state. We can’t keep doing things the same way it’s always been done. It’s just not working for everyone.

AMP: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment, personally or professionally?

Krout: I have enjoyed campaigning so much, and part of what makes that so rewarding is hearing that I helped encourage and empower someone to run for office. I’ve had several people reach out and tell me that I am the reason they decided to run, and a couple of them have already won seats. It really feels like I am getting to be a part of a movement, and that’s an amazing thing. I truly believe that our government needs to be accessible to everyday people, and that it should be representative of who it is serving – everyday people.

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LESLIE RUTLEDGE

Leslie Rutledge (R) is the current Attorney General of Arkansas.

Sworn into office in 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected to the office. Rutledge is a lawyer and former prosecutor whose law practice focused on administrative law, state and local government, and election law. A seventh-generation Arkansan, Rutledge grew up on a cattle farm and attended school at the Southside School District in Independence County. She learned the importance of hard work and service from her mother, an elementary school teacher, and her father, a lawyer and a judge.

Rutledge graduated from the University of Arkansas and the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. She is admitted to practice law in Arkansas, Washington D.C., and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Her service has extended to community organizations including the Junior League of Little Rock, Alpha Delta Pi Alumni, National Rifle Association and Women in Networking in Central Arkansas.

Rutledge is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, UALR Bowen School of Law Alumni Board, Federalist Society and Republican National Lawyers Association.

AMP: Why are you running? What are some of your goals?

Rutledge: I am running for lieutenant governor to continue defending Arkansans’ constitutional rights, such as the Second Amendment and religious liberties – protecting the rights of the unborn, creating jobs by eliminating over-regulation, decreasing taxes and ensuring every child has a quality education. As lieutenant governor, I will use my experience as attorney general for the previous eight years to support the conservative policies of my longtime friend, Sarah Sanders, as governor, and the members of the General Assembly.

AMP: How does your extensive political experience give you an advantage over your opponents?

Rutledge: Having served as the attorney general for eight years, I have gained immeasurable knowledge and experience regarding the day-to-day work of the State of Arkansas and have been intricately involved in all major legislation since 2015. Likewise, I have traveled the state each year working side-by-side with local officials in all 75 counties to make our communities stronger.

AMP: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment, personally or professionally?

Rutledge: When it comes to accomplishments, nothing will ever surpass becoming a mom to Julianna in July of 2018.

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Having been elected as the first woman and first Republican ever to become attorney general, the expectations were high, and my team met them all at full speed. During my tenure as attorney general, Arkansas was named the most pro-life state two years in a row; we had the largest consumer lawsuit in the history of Arkansas and more Medicaid fraud convictions in our first four years than the previous 16 years combined; we won unanimously at the Supreme Court of the United States in the landmark case of Rutledge v. PCMA; carried out four of eight executions scheduled in the spring of 2017; secured hundreds of millions of dollars against bad businesses; drafted laws to protect young girls in sports and the elderly from abuse; supported veterans and law enforcement officers with millions in resources and countless hours of free training; protected Arkansas’ farmers and small businesses; raised awareness of missing persons and prescription drug abuse; produced and distributed hundreds of thousands of “Laura’s Cards” to support victims of domestic violence; beat illegal federal mandates from the Obama and Biden administrations; personally argued and won a criminal case at the Arkansas Supreme Court, assisted 10 times more Arkansans than previous years; and decreased the budget 10 percent.

CHRIS BEQUETTE

Chris Bequette (R) followed his parents to the University of Arkansas where, like his father, he played football for the Razorbacks.

A four-year letterman as an offensive guard and defensive tackle from 1983-87, the Hogs went 35-13-1 and appeared in four straight bowl games including the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day, 1987. He earned his undergraduate degree in three years and over the course of his final two seasons on the team, attended law school. He graduated with his law degree from the UA in 1989 and is licensed to practice in Arkansas and Missouri.

After coaching football for two seasons at Appalachian State University, Bequette returned to Arkansas to work as a deputy prosecuting attorney in Little Rock. In 1995, he entered the financial services industry, and since 2007 has been the owner of a wealth management practice. Bequette lives in Little Rock and is engaged in various charitable endeavors including Knights of Columbus. Bequette is the uncle of fellow Razorback football alum, Jake Bequette, who is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent John Boozman.

AMP: Why are you running?

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Bequette: After nine years of Republicans controlling state government, all I have seen is, with few exceptions, Republicans governing like Democrats. Everywhere I look, again with few exceptions, I still see the Democrat Party version of state government firmly in place. Republicans have utterly failed to reverse, unwind, undo, cut and dismantle this Democrat version and implement a Republican version of state government with winning Republican policies and principles.

AMP: Roughly 10 years ago, legislation was introduced but not advanced to abolish the lieutenant governor’s office. Why is this office important?

Bequette: So long as the Lieutenant Governor’s Office exists, I see it as a tremendous public platform to advocate for winning Republican policies and principles while holding Republicans accountable for governing like real Republicans, so these winning policies are implemented everywhere to unleash liberty, safety and prosperity like never before in our state’s 185-year history. I should also note that I am the only candidate for lieutenant governor who will not take a salary, have an office budget or any staff, nor receive any type of taxpayer reimbursement for expenses. The cost to run the office for each year I serve will be zero.

Lastly, I will allow my physical office in the State Capitol to be turned into the State Capitol Chapel, since there currently is not one.

AMP: What distinguishes your candidacy?

Bequette: Since I’m a businessman and not a career lifetime politician, I’m not looking for my next taxpayer paycheck or desperately trying to remain in office and relevant as a politician. That would be the rest of the field. Moreover, I’m the only candidate in this race who is calling out and exposing the Republicans governing for the last nine years who have implemented very few Republican policies.

While they pat themselves on the back and sing, “Kumbaya,” for keeping in place the Democrat Party version of state government, I’m detailing how this is a massive betrayal, a real “emperor-has-no-clothes” moment. As I’ve said, Republicans have governed like Democrats, merely content to manage what Democrats built up over the previous 140 years, and have barely done anything to implement Republican policies. I truly believe Republican voters are sick and tired of these fake, phony, Democrat-Lite, big government, RINO [Republicans in Name Only] Republicans.

They want Republicans who have an “R” behind their name not out of convenience but out of a deep-abiding conviction in Republican policies and principles of governance.

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DOYLE WEBB

Doyle Webb (R) is the former head of the Republican Party of Arkansas, a former state senator, and he served as chief of staff to former Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller. He earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1981 and became the first Republican justice of the peace and state senator elected in Saline County.

Webb served as chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas from 2008-2020, where he would run for re-election five times unopposed. When he was first elected in 2008, Arkansas Republicans held 28 out of 100 seats in the state House and eight out of 35 seats in the state Senate. At the end of his tenure, those numbers were 78/100 and 28/35, respectively. Every congressional, senatorial and constitutional office was also held by Republicans for the first time in the state’s history.

In addition, Webb was the longest serving party chairman in the nation, in addition to serving as Republican National Committee’s general counsel from 2017-2021.

AMP: Why are you running?

Webb: I am running to be lieutenant governor because I believe Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders needs a reliable conservative in her corner. We face the threat of federal overreach every day from the Biden Administration. Now is not the time for big egos — we need people who put service above self. I know that my record reflects that value and many others. My ethos has always been fighting to preserve life, liberty and lower taxes. That vision is one that Arkansans support overwhelmingly. We need a lieutenant governor who can be a fair arbiter day in, day out, presiding over the state Senate.

We need a lieutenant governor who will work with our new governor, not at odds when the doors are closed. I know that I am the most qualified person in this race, with legislative experience in county and state government, time spent in the Office of Lieutenant Governor, and executive experience as chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas when we transformed Arkansas to being a bright red state. Many people may not know, but I have also practiced law for 25 years, owned a family flower shop business and managed an extensive real estate portfolio in my home of Saline County. I know that I am the right candidate for such a time as this.

AMP: Roughly 10 years ago, legislation was introduced but not advanced to abolish the lieutenant governor’s office. Why is this

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office important?

Webb: When I think about the importance of the lieutenant governor’s office, a particular day comes to mind. On 9/11, while I was serving in the state Senate, I received a phone call from my future boss, the late Lt. Gov. Win Paul Rockefeller. At the time of the attacks at ground zero, Gov. Mike Huckabee was out of state at a Southern governor’s conference. Under the law at the time, that made Lt. Gov. Rockefeller the acting governor. He wanted to know immediately what legal grounds he had as governor to protect the state of Arkansas. Those were serious times that called for serious leadership. For over 1,500 days, I served as chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Rockefeller, and every day we had to be prepared for what could happen at a moment’s notice. The lieutenant governor has a tremendous responsibility in advising the governor and legislators in both chambers.

AMP: How can your experience leading the RPA give you an advantage?

Webb: I believe my experience as chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas for 12 years gives me a great advantage when it comes to laying out and delivering on a vision to move Arkansas forward. When I was first elected RPA chairman in 2008, Arkansas was a dark blue state. We controlled zero election commissions, no statewide offices and were actually in debt.

My vision was one of transparency and moving Arkansas to be the bright red beacon I knew it could be. We transformed Arkansas and now have all statewide and federal offices with Republican officials, have produced 12 balanced budgets and clean audits and built a multimillion-dollar party headquarters, debt free. I also never used party money to advance my political career, and Arkansans have my commitment to never use taxpayer money for personal benefit. All of these achievements at the RPA we accomplished together, and that is how we will win this race as we continue to move Arkansas forward.

JOSEPH WOOD

Joseph Wood (R) Washington County Judge Joseph Wood and his family moved to Washington County in 1997. Wood previously served Arkansas as the Deputy Secretary of State for Business and Commercial Services and Education Divisions. In this role, he helped Arkansans turn ideas into businesses and worked to remove government barriers and red tape to make the state more business friendly. Wood previously served

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as the head of International Recruiting and Staffing for Walmart, as the District Human Resources Director for Home Depot, and he also launched his own career consulting small business.

Wood is an advocate for children in foster care. He was born in Chicago and placed in an orphanage at birth, and then adopted at age 10. He grew up with two brothers and a sister in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago, where his adoptive mother was an educator and his adoptive father a construction worker. They instilled in him the values of a good education, hard work and community service.

Wood wrote the foreword to America’s 20/20 Vision: The Plan, and authored two children’s books, Saving Joey and Adopting Joey, based on his true-life story.

AMP: Why are you running? What are some of your goals?

Wood: I am running to bring my real-world executive experience in both private and public sectors, with a proven record of success, to all of Arkansas. My goal is to increase leadership and opportunities through cutting government waste, reducing red tape for businesses to grow, managing budgets and infrastructure and improving veteran services, as I have done in my role as deputy secretary of state, and continue to do now in my second term as Washington County Judge.

My focus as Washington County judge has been on bringing economic growth and cutting waste within Arkansas’ fastest growing county. In the first two years, we cut $1.75 million from the budget, saving taxpayers hard-earned income, which is especially critical in these tough economic times. My goal is to bring this same commitment to economic growth to all Arkansans while also decreasing the tax burden. Arkansas has a large surplus in the budget at the moment, and as the next lieutenant governor, my focus will be on returning some of that back to our citizens.

During the 2016 election, I received a record number of votes, becoming the first African American county judge in Washington County’s history and the first Republican county judge in 39 years. I have worked hard to represent all people in Arkansas as deputy secretary and now as Washington County judge. I will focus on bringing that same commitment to leadership to everyone as lieutenant governor.

Federal overreach into private life and private business is at an all-time high. As Washington County judge, I was the first elected official to stand up and stop federal mandates on county employees. I have a proven record of supporting business, and as the next lieutenant governor, I will continue to stand up to support the choices of all Arkansans and businesses AMP: What will you bring to the field that your opponents will not?

Wood: My leadership experience as an executive in both the private and public sectors make me uniquely qualified to be the

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next lieutenant governor. Every day, as the county judge of our state’s third-largest county and one of the fastest growing counties in the country, I work on issues important to all Arkansans.

My role is very similar to the role of governor: My daily focus is on developing and improving infrastructure, presiding over the quorum court, managing budgets, leading through disasters and crises, election security improvements, driving efficiencies in departments, ensuring public safety and leading 3,100 counties in the country as chairman of the Community, Economic and Workforce Development Committee for the National Association of Counties.

As the former head of International Recruiting and Staffing at Walmart, my job was to find the right talent for the opportunity, then put them in the position to be successful for both them-

selves as well as for Walmart. The lieutenant governor position is one that requires skill in working with people and ensuring Arkansans are in the right position to be successful in the future. I have unrivaled experience working with people from all backgrounds, bringing them together, and producing a successful outcome. I am able to bring substantial executive experience by leveraging my corporate executive experience and my experience as deputy secretary of state as well as Washington County judge. As the only candidate working with the federal and state government through the pandemic, I focus every day on protecting our citizens and businesses. Currently, I am working to drive economic development to get our citizens back to work. As Washington County judge, I will be ready on day one to step into the executive leadership role.

SECRETARY OF STATE EDDIE JOE WILLIAMS

Eddie Joe Williams (R) is a former Arkansas state senator and mayor of Cabot. He was appointed by former President Donald Trump to represent the White House on energy issues related to 16 states including Arkansas, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Williams was first elected to the state Senate in 2010 and was the first elected Republican Majority Leader since Reconstruction. He served as chairman of the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs and on the Governor’s Transformation Team to further efforts in working to reduce the size of state agencies. As a state senator, he sponsored legislation targeting cost savings in state agencies and restructured government departments to increase efficiency.

Before election to the Senate, Williams was elected to three terms on the Cabot City Council and served as mayor from 2007-2010. He worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 35 years where he wore many hats, working his way up from laborer to Regional Director of Transportation. A veteran of the U.S. Army and Air National Guard, Williams has served on several boards including Lonoke County Safe Haven, a domestic shelter; Cabot Parks and Recreation; Swamp Angels, a board to support retired ministers; Child Advocate Centers of Arkan-

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sas; and numerous church boards.

AMP: Why are you running against a same-party incumbent?

Williams: From being elected mayor of Cabot to state senator and becoming Republican Senate Majority Leader, I have fought for the growth of the Republican Party and the election of its candidates for as long as I can remember. A Republican Party has won the House, Senate, governorship and seven constitutional offices within the last decade.

As I traveled the state fundraising for candidates and for the Republican Party and meeting voters from every corner, I felt as though they needed someone to be their voice. We don’t need people who run because no one else will or people who run because it’s convenient; we need true leaders who run to change their state government for the better. We need leaders to change state government to work better and more efficiently for the people who elect them to office. As Republicans, we have the opportunity through primaries to put that best candidate forward from any given field. I would not be running in the Republican primary if I and my supporters didn’t feel I had the best private- and public-sector experience, that my post within state government and working on behalf of an appointment within the federal government, were essential and valuable tools to lead as their secretary of state.

What many people forget is that the Republican Party has not always been the dominant party in our state. It has only been since 2015 that the House, Senate and governorship have all been led by Republicans. When I began my political career in

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2003, the political landscape was much different than it is today.

My fellow Republicans and I had to face an uphill battle as we campaigned, fundraised and talked to supporters. Of course, I am proud and thankful for the successes and dominance of the Republican Party in Arkansas today, but these supermajorities have made us too comfortable.

It was not that long ago that Republicans were the minority party, and it could happen again if we get too complacent and lose our drive and determination. We can no longer, as a state, as a country or as elected officials, sit back in comfort when the people elect us to do a job. We must work harder than ever before to restore their faith in their elected representatives. I will reinvigorate the Secretary of State’s Office with a renewed commitment to conservative principles and improved government responsiveness for Arkansans.

AMP: Should the role of the office be modified or expanded in any way?

Williams: Our government and constitutional offices shouldn’t be expanded; they should be prioritized and run properly within the state constitution and the duties they are assigned. We should have effective leaders who are responsive to the environments and changes around them and leaders who don’t hesitate to act quickly and intuitively when dangerous situations occur to protect our capitol grounds and all personnel, property or visitors within them.

As secretary of state, I understand the constitutional responsibilities and duties, and I will not hesitate to make the right choices, reach out to our fellow constitutional officers and elected officials to solve the tough issues and make the hard calls. A secretary of state should not wait for hours as the property we are elected to defend is defaced and vandalized as our police force is overrun, as it was recently. I understand the role of secretary of state is clearly defined. The person our fellow Arkansans elect should speak with and defend the voters who choose them as their elected leader. I will work hard every day to assure Arkansans the mistakes or inexperience of my opponents do not define who I am as a man. The will of the voters and their voices will be heard and valued.

AMP: What distinguishes your candidacy?

Williams: My supporters, family, longtime associates and others within the Republican Party whom I have campaigned alongside and worked with for decades feel as though we need someone not only with experience but with character and leadership.

I have 35 years working in the private sector with the railroad, where I worked my way up through the company thanks to a strong work ethic and eagerness to succeed. When I retired, I was regional transportation director. I feel as though my many decades in leadership within the private sector, and as the Republican Senate Majority Leader in 2012, the first one since reconstruction, have given me the tools to best manage employees and budgets.

Being married to my wife of 49 years, a father to four beautiful daughters and a grandfather to 11, explains my character to those I have come across in my lifetime.

As a Christian, my family, faith and foundations within my church are paramount to my life. Being appointed by then President Donald J. Trump, one of two constitutional officer candidates running in Arkansas to have worked for the previous president, gave me the insight on energy issues that affect Arkansans each and every day. My almost three and a half years DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE appointed to the Southern States Energy Board by the president helped lead our Today’s Power, Inc. strives to improve the quality of life of the communities it serves by providing leading technologies and country to energy independence and gave services in sustainable and fiscally responsible manner. every Arkansan the ability to have more By using the highest quality materials, building to utility grade expendable income with lower energy standards, and knowledge of how utility rate structures work, we can customize systems to extract maximum value for our prices during my appointment. customers. This knowledge has been key in setting TPI apart

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THE LAST WORD

POP THIEVES

By Dustin Jayroe

“A thief believes everybody steals.”

This pertinent proverb, credited to the late novelist and editor, E.W. Howe, has been bouncing around my brain a lot lately. It’s just one of those maxims that seems to only get better the longer it marinates, the more its relevance registers to, well, almost everything these days.

I suppose I could rest my case at simply that, “these days,” with plenty of examples understood at just those two words. But I won’t.

Like Drake said on Scorpion, “I’m upset.” And like Frank Costanza said in Seinfeld, “I got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re gonna hear about it.”

“A thief believes everybody steals.”

It’s probably the most suitable phrase imaginable to sum up the modern-day political landscape.

Like when reports surfaced in December that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) took issue with extending monthly child tax credit payments into 2022 because parents might waste the money on drugs. This despite the fact that tax credits for parents continue to exist; the changes initiated during the pandemic were to increase the amount available and, most notably, an option to receive the monies monthly rather than in one lump sum during tax season. Almost all analyses identified that child poverty in America was greatly reduced as a result of this, by as much as 40 percent according to some accounts.

Regarding negotiations for American workers to be guaranteed at least some amount of paid leave — such as for new parents, medical emergencies, or time off while sick — the senator reportedly told colleagues that people would just fake being ill to “go hunting.” According to UCLA’s World Policy Analysis Center, the United States is one of only six countries worldwide without a federal paid leave program, and a CBS poll found that approximately 73 percent of Americans support the legislation.

“A thief believes everybody steals.”

Why does it seem like some elected officials, the ones charged with legislating and governing the country, always appear to assume the worst in their constituents? Could it be that some of their

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motivations, writ large — to acquire power, to appease donors, to attain wealth — are not always of the utmost ethical fortitude, and thus they presume we’re the same?

A few years ago, mandating drug tests of adults involved in federal assistance programs found its way in vogue. A handful of states adopted such policies, which were being billed as a way to finally get all of these low-income “thieves” off of the government’s dime. Arkansas was one of those states. We were sure then, like some are now, that the safety nets of the country were being abused by the chronic cheaters that live below the poverty line.

The drug tests turned up overwhelmingly clean (in at least a few states, data found that Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients were actually less likely to use drugs than the general population). The only significant result was the wasting of millions of tax-payer dollars on all these tests, when the whole point in the first place was to save money.

“A thief believes everybody steals.”

Maybe — just maybe — the world doesn’t consist only of people hell-bent on lying, stealing and cheating their way to taking a half-day for a doctor appointment, or applying for disability because of a debilitating injury, or using an EBT card for dinner because he or she is a single parent with two jobs and more kids. I’m not in any of these demographics, but I’d prefer to live in a country that provides these programs if I ever am. And I’d also prefer that my “rights” be determined fairly, not by those who think me a swindler for no reason other than out-of-touch elitism.

For the thieves who do walk among us, they’ll be judged for those sins one day — be it Mother Karma, Lady Justice or a Father who art in Heaven. The book of Matthew teaches us to not bother ourselves with the speck of dust in a neighbor’s eye in lieu of the plank in our own; perhaps that verse should be etched below “In God We Trust” in capitol buildings across the country. Next to that, all the congresspeople who’ve been convicted of insider trading. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

But these days, the plank-eyed folks are content to just accuse everyone else of smuggling ocular timber. The price of lumber has risen, after all.

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