Mr. Baldwin is a nationally recognized leader in rural community and economic development. His pioneering concept of combining strategic community planning with economic development was recognized by Bloomberg-Business Week Magazine which named him one of America’s top five social entrepreneurs and by the Council of Foundations which presented him with its highest national award - the Critical Impact Award for outstanding community development programs and initiatives. In 2019, the American Bankers Association named Citizens Bank the best bank in America for Economic and Community Development due Citizens Bank’s innovative community development work in support of the Impact Independence County Strategic Community Plan.

With a personal focus on reducing poverty and unemployment, Mr. Baldwin is a champion of innovative education and workforce training programs. He was a key partner in the founding and development of the KIPP Public Charter School in Helena, Arkansas and led the creation of the Arkadelphia Promise in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He is currently Chairman of the Board for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chairman of the Board of Lyon College, a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of Arkansas Community College of Batesville and previously served on the Board of Visitors of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Mr. Baldwin believes in the personal responsibility of helping others and has served for over a decade as a philanthropic leader advocating public and private causes across America and the World. He is a past Board Chair of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and past National Board Chair of United Way of America. He is a founding board member of United Way Worldwide and continues serving on this board as Finance Committee Chair and Treasurer. United Way Worldwide is the world’s largest philanthropic organization providing critical help and assistance to people in 1,800 communities - in over 40 countries and territories across the world.

All people deserve access to quality health care and fair financial services. Each of these is a quality of life pillar. Mr. Baldwin’s involvement with health care and innovative financial services includes current board service with the White River Medical System and AR Health Bio Ventures of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Before joining Citizens Bank, Mr. Baldwin served as Chief Executive Officer of CredAbility, an Atlanta based national nonprofit credit counseling agency and as Chief Executive Officer of Southern Bancorp, the nation’s largest rural development bank. Mr. Baldwin began his career in the banking services group of Ernst & Young and is a certified public accountant.

Kristi Barr is the Director of Workforce Development and Education at the Little Rock Regional Chamber. She works to support the advancement of public schools; monitor and increase the talent pipeline for employers; and increase the labor force participation rate in Little Rock and Central Arkansas. Prior to this position, she worked as the Director of Business Retention and Expansion at the Chamber and is fueled by a passion to help area businesses find the qualified labor and talent they desperately need.

Kristi came to Little Rock 14 years ago from the Carmel-Clay Chamber of Commerce in Carmel, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Purdue University where she participated in a year-long study abroad to Madrid, Spain, at the Complutense University of Madrid. She is a graduate of the International Economic Development Council’s Economic Development Institute and an Education Attainment Fellow from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Little Rock Workforce Development Board.

Kristi is married to Jason Barr and resides in Little Rock, Arkansas.

As Executive Director for the Newport Economic Development Commission, Jon Chadwell is actively involved in helping develop a rural Arkansas community. Through trial and error (plenty of errors) Jon has learned some things that work well and many that don’t. His personal goal is to keep in mind that the end result of developing any community is to improve the quality of life for the people who live there.

Jon received his bachelor’s degree from Harding University in 1985. In 1997 he graduated from Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas. His Master of Divinities degree was completed in 1999 from Harding Graduate School of Religion. Jon is a graduate of LeadAR Class 10. In 2003, he became a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council.

Additional experience comes from Jon’s diverse job background. He has worked in a number of different economic development settings. A grant-writing job required that he lead 18 grassroots community groups through a comprehensive strategic planning process, which allowed the community to receive a major grant. Jon has also worked as a Main Street director, a Chamber Director, facilitator of three adult leadership programs and facilitator of a youth leadership program. The Newport Economic Development Commission is the third economic development group he has guided.

Jon is married to Sheridan Chadwell and together they also own a small business in Newport, Purdy’s Flowers and Gifts. He has two children, Calli Chadwell, an independent insurance agent, and Jordan Chadwell, a computer specialist for Bass Pro Stores.

Laura Fine is State Director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC), which is headquartered in the College of Business at UA Little Rock. The ASBTDC is funded by a statewide network of seven university-based offices in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

She leads a team of more than 40 professionals, support staff and students whose services assist small businesses in generating significant economic impact through capital acquisition, new business starts, and job creation and retention.

Laura joined the ASBTDC in 1989, initially serving in training and communications roles. She was Assistant and then Associate State Director prior to being named State Director in 2017. Actively engaged in America’s SBDC, the national network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Laura currently serves on the Operations Committee and previously served on the Accreditation Committee.

Laura earned her master’s degree in Public Administration from UA Little Rock and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas. A native of Mayflower, she and her husband, Milton, have one son and live in Little Rock.

Jeff Forsythe has more than twenty years of experience in location consulting and economic development. As the President of Forsythe & Associates, Mr. Forsythe provides leading global companies with location advisory services at the highest standards of excellence, ethics, and professionalism.

Mr. Forsythe's experience predominantly includes location consulting throughout North America for manufacturing, distribution, and office projects. Responsibilities commonly include: feasibility studies, detailed site/infrastructure and community evaluations, labor market assessments, comparative financial analyses, risk assessments, and strategic real estate and incentives negotiations.

He has managed projects for Asian, Australian, European, and North American clients that have resulted in more than $2.6 billion in capital investment, 13,000 full-time jobs, and 15 million square feet being developed. Mr. Forsythe has secured more than $1 billion in realizable incentives support for his clients.

He has assisted companies in a variety of industries including: advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, batteries, chemicals, consumer products, forest products, logistics/distribution, machinery manufacturing, metal fabrication, plastics, renewable energy, textiles, and many more.

Prior to founding Forsythe & Associates, Mr. Forsythe was a Principal with McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC) where he assisted clients with site selection and incentives negotiations for fifteen and a half years. His experience includes serving as the project manager on multiple competitive expansion projects for Aerojet Rocketdyne, a sulfate turpentine distillation plant for DRT America, an engineering center and an aircraft assembly project for Northrop Grumman, a carpet tile manufacturing facility for Shaw Industries, and multiple distribution center projects for Dollar General. Other notable project management experience includes: a carbon fiber production facility for SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (joint venture between SGL Group and BMW Group), Alstom Power's first United States wind turbine manufacturing operation, and PACCAR's first engine production facility in the United States.

Mr. Forsythe holds a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University. He is an advisory council member for the European American Investment Council, a graduate of the Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute, and maintains a South Carolina real estate license.

Dan is an accomplished design architect and master planner with a personal interest in urban and campus projects. He has been actively involved in numerous urban projects and is heavily involved in the redevelopment and preservation of historic downtown areas in Arkansas. Dan is the lead architect and developer for the Paint Factory, a mixed-use development that will be home to Cromwell's new headquarters as well as retail space, loft apartments, and a restaurant. The project is part of a larger revitalization of East Village, a historic industrial neighborhood in downtown Little Rock.

Dan joined Cromwell Architects Engineers as an intern at 19 years old, and now holds the position of Chief Operating Officer, managing financial and business operations of the company. During his tenure at Cromwell, he has instituted various programs and initiatives that strengthen the balance between Design, Project Management, and Business Management, providing a symmetry that is so integral to a building services company.

Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Arkansas in 1997 and is a registered Architect in Arkansas certified through the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

Jim Fram is a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) through the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) with 30+ years successful economic development and senior level chamber of commerce management experience in Little Rock, AR, Bartlesville, OK, Killeen-Fort Hood, TX, Lincoln, NE, Tulsa, OK, and most recently Hot Springs, AR capping a highly successful career that began in Harrison, AR in the early 1980s.

Jim led (3) three Chambers of Commerce to Five Star Accreditation by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce (Lincoln, NE, Tulsa, OK, Hot Springs, AR). He also led (2) economic development organizations to accreditation by the International Economic Development Council (Tulsa, OK, and Hot Springs, AR).

In January of 2018, he fulfilled a longtime dream and founded Community Growth Strategies, LLC., a consulting firm that focuses on small to medium-sized communities as well as regional economic development efforts. His office is in his home at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri where his wife, Kelli is the Director of the Lake of the Ozarks Columbia College Campus.

Jim is the firm’s only employee and restricts his client base mostly to Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas focusing on bringing success to small and medium size communities. Jim maintains professional working relationships with a myriad of consultants he has worked with over the course of his career who can be called upon when needed for their specialized skills.

Jim maintains a membership in the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) where he serves on an accrediting Board. He is also a member of statewide professional economic development organizations in Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. He is an Honorary Life Member of the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) and a Fellow Member (FM) of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He is also a frequent instructor, moderator, and guest speaker for many economic development and Chamber of Commerce organizations, conferences, and events across the country.

Ben France is the Vice President of Economic Development for the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, Ben leads economic development work for the chamber including new business recruitment. He leads a team of three people that focus on workforce development and education, small business and diversity initiatives, and business retention and expansion. Last year, Ben served as Director, Business Attraction and Expansion for the Chamber. Prior to that, Ben spent 5 years as a Senior Project Manager in Business Development for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). His duties included managing corporate client new location and expansion site needs in Arkansas while also providing site selection and incentive negotiations with site location consultants across the world.

Prior to his work at AEDC, he worked in the banking industry gaining vast knowledge of the financial sector. Ben France graduated from the University of Memphis and received his MBA from the University of Tampa. In 2014, Ben completed Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute.

Danny Games is the Director of Business & Economic Development for Entergy Arkansas. Based in Little Rock, Entergy’s team of economic development professionals focuses on assisting the state and local communities in becoming more competitive for attracting new businesses and supporting existing businesses throughout the Entergy Arkansas service territory.

Games comes to Entergy from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) where he served as the Executive Vice President of Global Business under Governor Asa Hutchinson. He directed the Business Development, Business Finance, Community Development, Existing Business, and Women & Minority Business divisions at the AEDC.

Games has more than 15 years of economic development experience at state and local levels, and over 16 years of experience in management positions with BHP Billiton, Chesapeake Energy, AEDC and Entergy Arkansas.

He holds a Master of Science degree in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned his Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification from the International Economic Development Council and Economic Development
Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from the National Development Council. In 2006, Games served as president of Arkansas Economic Developers (AED) and is a former Arkansas State Chamber and Metro Little Rock Alliance board member.

Edward Haddock is the District Director for the Arkansas District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. As District Director, he is responsible for the delivery of all SBA programs and services as well as coordination between the SBA, the district’s Small Business Development Centers, SCORE chapters, and the Women’s Business Center throughout the state. Programs and services delivered by the SBA include the loan guaranty program, which is delivered through more than 50 eligible lenders, assistance in government contracting, export development and entrepreneurship training. He brings with him a diverse business background in both non-and for-profit businesses with a concentration in finance.

Edward started his SBA career in 2011 as an Economic Development Specialist in SBA’s Newark, New Jersey Office where he led the delivery of Veteran Business Development programs throughout New Jersey. While there he created the export outreach team and instituted a multifaceted program called Grow NJ Strong, a targeted recovery effort for small businesses impact during Hurricane Sandy. Edward has led projects in roles as the Women’s Business Center grant technical representative and International Trade Representative.

In 2013, he was promoted to serve as the Senior Area Manager in Fayetteville Arkansas where his efforts led SBA development with partners across the northwest Arkansas community and was appoint to serve as a regional representative to the White House Initiative Asian and Pacific Islanders. In May of 2015, Edward was appointed as the SBA’s Arkansas deputy district director. In that position he directed the agency’s operations of its programs and services through the state where he oversaw program development and rollout of programs like Boots to Business and SBA Emerging Leaders.

Prior to the SBA, Edward served on active duty with the U.S. Air Force. In his last assignment, Edward was instrumental in the development and implementation of several international aircraft maintenance training programs. Edward’s 12 years of active duty service included several deployments spanning the globe supporting both humanitarian and combat operations.

Mr. Haddock holds a MBA from Rutgers University and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from John Brown University. He is married and lives in the Little Rock area.

Brad Henry is the Vice President of Development Finance for the Arkansas Development Authority (ADFA). ADFA is a statewide housing and economic development finance organization. In this role, Mr. Henry is responsible for staffing, operation and management of ADFA’s development finance programs. These include a combination of programs that supply funding for state sponsored venture capital investments and lending initiatives that provide access to affordable financing utilizing guaranteed bonds, loans, and other forms of credit enhancement.

Prior to joining ADFA, Mr. Henry worked in equity research at Stephens, Inc. and a for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).

Gabe Holmstrom has been the Executive Director of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership since 2015.

Prior to joining the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, he was chief of staff to the Arkansas House of Representatives for the first Republican Speaker in 138 years.

Before that, he spent over a decade running campaigns, working for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, the Arkansas Attorney General, and the U.S. Congress, both in Arkansas and in Washington, D.C.
And, just like almost every other communications professional in Little Rock, he spent a few years working at CJRW.

Gabe also serves on the State Board of Finance, the Quapaw Quarter Association board and the Little Rock Sister Cities Foundation Board.

He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he studied political science and lives in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District with his wife, Katherine, and son, Gus.

Katherine Holmstrom is a Senior Project Manager in the Business Development Division at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). Her primary responsibility is facilitating the growth of both new and expanding companies in Arkansas including recruitment and expansion projects. Since becoming a project manager she has worked with companies such as Mars Petcare, Simmons Foods, Walmart, Tyson, Aerojet Rocketdyne, SAF Holland, FMH Conveyors and American Airlines to help them expand or locate within the state.

Katherine has 12 years of community and economic development experience in Arkansas. Prior to joining AEDC in 2011, Katherine worked for Arkansas Congressman Marion Berry in several distinct roles including constituent services, appropriations management, community development, and intergovernmental affairs.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Ag Business from Arkansas State University. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, the University of Central Arkansas’s Community Development Institute and the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Leadership Institute. She also serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors of Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives (AEDCE), the professional association of economic developers in the state.

Devin Howland is the Director of Economic Vitality for one of the most consistently ranked best places to live in the nation, Fayetteville Arkansas. In a community growing at a rate of a new business coming online each day, he manages Fayetteville’s economic development contracts as well as it’s BRE, Marketing, Workforce Development, Entrepreneurial Development, and Business Attraction efforts.

Devin’s career in Economic Development began in 2012 at the Institute for Economic Advancement, where he would go on serve the communities impacted by April 14, 2014, EF-4 Tornado as their Disaster Recovery Manager, through an Economic Development Administration Grant. He then served as the Workforce Development Director for the Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, leveraging the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to create a talent pipeline for employers in the region by aligning program funding with the needs of business and industry before the Department of Labor sector strategies mandate took place.

Devin has served on the State of Arkansas’s Sector Strategies Committee and currently serves on IEDC’s Education and Certification Committee. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and is a Certified Economic Developer.

Crystal Johnson is the CEO of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, a 500-member organization dedicated to community and economic development. She celebrated her 9th year at the Chamber in July. Her job responsibilities include providing strategic leadership and vision for the chamber as well as facilitating the IMPACT Independence County, community and economic development strategic plan.

She is a certified professional community and economic developer, PCED. She is also a 2018 graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, IOM, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Institute is the premier nonprofit professional development program for association, chamber, and nonprofit professionals fostering individual growth through interactive learning and networking opportunities. During her time at the Chamber, she earned a Master’s Degree in Community and Economic Development from the University of Central Arkansas. Crystal is a graduate of the Leadership Arkansas and a graduate of the Community Development Institute, CDI.

Due to her leadership, she was recognized in the twentieth annual Arkansas Business 40 under 40 publication. Crystal was also recognized as one of the top 200 most influential people in the state of Arkansas. She was chairman of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives and helped lead the merger of the newly formed Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives (AEDCE).

Her most recent accomplishments include the development of a countywide strategic plan for Independence County, known as IMPACT. The grassroots initiative was developed with community input of more than 1,500 citizens and was released in 2016. IMPACT addresses four main areas of community development including tourism, economic development, education, and healthy living/wellbeing.

Crystal is a native of Fayetteville, Arkansas but has called Batesville home for the past 15 years. She is married to Damon Johnson, City of Batesville Engineer. They have one child, Hattie Claire Johnson, who is a 7th-grade student and self-professed crazy cat lady. They enjoy kayaking and fishing on the beautiful Polk Bayou in Batesville.

Linsley Kinkade, Deputy Director, U.S. Programs, is responsible for developing, managing and implementing entrepreneurship, innovative ecosystem, community and workforce development projects for Winrock’s U.S. projects.

Kinkade has worked directly with rural municipal and Native American tribe leaders in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma to build their capacity to improve their communities. She has mentored more than 60 community organizations across the three-state region. Kinkade’s development projects work directly with disadvantaged populations seeking training and support to enter the workforce and have led to the employment of more than 200 previously unemployed or underemployed Arkansans.

She is a certified professional community and economic developer, earning her certification in 2012. She also serves on the Community Development Institute-Central Advisory Board. Prior to joining Winrock, Kinkade spent a number of years on Capitol Hill working for Rep. Vic Snyder and Sen. Blanche Lincoln. She has an in-depth understanding of the federal government grants and appropriations processes and has testified before Congress on rural development issues. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of Arkansas.

Gary Newton, former executive vice president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, was recruited by Luke Gordy, founding executive director of Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation (AERF), to create and become the first president and CEO of what has become Arkansas Learns. Upon Gordy’s retirement, he also assumed management responsibility for AERF.

Talent now drives economic development. And the biggest piece of the talent pipeline is K-12 public education.

Arkansas Learns is the Voice of Business for excellent education options - including industry-relevant career pathways - for all students, no matter their culture, economic status, or ZIP Code. The business member-supported 501(c)6 organization advances the core principals of student-focus, transparency, accountability, rewards and choice in public education.

The son of a public school superintendent and a guidance counselor, Newton’s public education advocacy began with his own children’s journey in the Little Rock School District. Faced with an absence of secondary school options in the only growing area of Little Rock, Newton was instrumental in the approval of an open-enrollment 6-12 public charter school which became the catalyst for creation of the Little Rock School District’s Pinnacle View Middle School.

An eighth generation native of the Arkansas Ozarks, Newton attended public schools in Mountain Home, Fayetteville and Lebanon, Missouri. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, from 1983 to 1988, he served as executive vice president of the then-Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. In his combined twelve years with the Chamber, he was instrumental in the creation and implementation of enduring Chamber initiatives, such as Leadership Greater Little Rock, Create Little Rock, and the Arkansas Production Alliance (arfilm).

He is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, University of Oklahoma Economic Develooment Institute, and is a Certified Chamber of Commerce Executive (CCE).

Newton spent 17 years in the entertainment industry in New York and Los Angeles. In 2013, he and his partners - Daniel Campbell and Graham Gordy - created Mortuus Pater Pictures, LLC, which just completed its first feature film, 'Antiquities.'

Lou Ann Nisbett is President/CEO of the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, AR since September 2006. As CEO of The Alliance, her duties include overseeing the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson County Industrial Foundation (and its Jefferson Industrial Park), the Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Port Authority (and its Harbor Industrial District), Development of the Bioplex (a technology park in northern Jefferson County), the Jefferson County Manufacturing Council, and the Alliance’s contract with the Economic Development Corporation of Jefferson County (economic development sales tax board). Prior to her work in Jefferson County, Lou Ann served as Executive Director of the Marshall (TX) Economic Development Corporation from 2002 to 2006.

Lou Ann received a bachelor’s degree from Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas and is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). She was a Fellow of the Ford Foundation Regional Sustainable Development program (2008-09) and a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Arkansas, a program of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

She is a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and frequently serves as a grader & orals judge for its Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) exams. Lou Ann serves on the board of directors or task force of several organizations including the State Legislative Task Force on Intermodal Transportation and Commerce, the Governor’s Military Affairs Steering Committee, the Arkansas-Oklahoma Port Operators Association (AOPOA) (Past
AOPOA President (2013-15)), the Arkansas Waterways Association (AWA) (Past AWA President (2010-11)), Metro Little Rock Alliance, and Go Forward Pine Bluff strategic planning initiative.

Lou Ann is a member of Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives and served as president of the organization from 2013 – 2014. She was also named “Arkansas Economic Developer of the Year” in 2012. She and her husband, Tom, are parents to four grown children and 7 wonderful grandchildren.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Michael “Mike” Preston executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) in March 2015. Preston is highly regarded as a leading advocate in economic development.

Since that time, Preston has made successful business recruitment trips to Japan, China, France, Germany, Israel, Cuba, Mexico, Italy, United Kingdom, New York City and Silicon Valley. The trips continue to play an important role in the state’s economic development efforts and have led to more than 300 companies signing agreements with AEDC to locate or expand in Arkansas. These companies are investing $8.06 billion and creating more than 16,000 new jobs.

Before joining AEDC, he served six and a half years as the Vice President of Government Relations for Enterprise Florida, the state’s primary economic development organization. During his tenure at Enterprise Florida, he was part of the team that helped create more than 147,000 jobs, paying an average wage of $56,437, and generating $10.07 billion in capital investment.

In 2018, Preston was selected to join The Wall Street Journal’s prestigious CEO Council. It is an invitation-only group that connects some of the world’s most ambitious and influential leaders to discuss the issues shaping the future. The members lead companies that collectively employ more than eight million people, generate $2.9 trillion in annual revenue, and represent 20 countries in a wide cross-section of industries.

A 2005 graduate of the University of Florida, Mike and his wife Anne are proud to call Arkansas home. They both volunteer in the community in a variety of ways, including the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Shelle Randall is a Certified Economic Developer and staffing professional with over 16 years of experience in workforce development, talent attraction, project management, human resources, strategic planning, and business retention and expansion.

Since 2010 she has served as the Director of Workforce Development & Existing Industry for the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and Jonesboro Unlimited. Shelle is accountable for building employer engagement, managing business retention and expansion, cultivating opportunities for collaboration between industry and education, and driving workforce development and quality of life efforts as they serve Jonesboro's overarching economic development strategy.

Prior to joining the Jonesboro Chamber team, Shelle was Branch Manager for multiple offices of a national staffing service. Key responsibilities included managing operations and growing existing business by developing strategic partnerships and securing new business. She was responsible for annual revenues in excess of $10 million.

Shelle was employed by a boutique investment banker in Fort Worth prior to moving to Jonesboro, and previous to that she worked for a defense contractor in Washington, D.C.

Shelle earned a BS in Journalism and General Science from the University of Central Arkansas. She served on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives (AEDCE), is a graduate of Leadership Jonesboro, and is a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club.

James Reddish joined the Little Rock Regional Chamber in March of 2018. In his capacity as Executive Vice President, James has responsibility for the chamber’s full suite of programs, events, communications, sales and member relations. He also provides strategic guidance to the chamber’s economic and workforce development team.

James came to the chamber from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) in Chicago, IL, where he worked in over a dozen states with communities of every size, on issues ranging from comprehensive supply/demand analysis to career pathway mapping. He helped multiple regions structure industry sector partnerships and collaborated with community leaders in their efforts to drive deeper alignment between educational offerings and economic growth.

Prior to joining CAEL, James served as Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development for Greater Louisville Inc., where he led the organization’s program of work within economic development as well as education and workforce development. In 2014, James guided GLI through a fundamental redesign of its economic and workforce development efforts, creating a new approach to regional economic development which included fifteen counties across two states.

In his time at GLI, James was involved in several significant initiatives including the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Business Plan for Louisville/Lexington as well as co-chairing the certification of Jefferson County Public Schools as a Ford Next Generation Learning community. As a project manager, James assisted 86 companies who combined to invest over $1.4 billion dollars in new capital and add nearly 5,000 new jobs within the region.

A native of the Washington, DC metro area, James holds a bachelor of science degree from James Madison University and a master’s of arts degree from the University of Louisville.

Bryan Scoggins serves as the Director of Business Finance for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and has been in that role since 2001. The division’s primary activities are concentrated on providing financing for expanding businesses through our Industrial Revenue Bond Guaranty Program, the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund, the Community Development Block Grant Loan Program, Amendment 82 Agreements and benefits from the Equity Investment Incentive Act. In addition, the division is responsible for implementing the New Market Jobs act of 2013.

Prior to joining AEDC, Bryan was employed by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority where he focused on structuring and closing Industrial Development Bond Issues as well as becoming the Export Finance Manager in 1995. In that role he concentrated on facilitating international transactions by leading small, Arkansas-based exporters through working capital insurance, guarantee and lending programs offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Small Business Administration.

Bryan is a 1980 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a degree in Banking and Finance. Before beginning his service with the State of Arkansas, he worked in the banking industry in Pine Bluff and Sherwood.

Shelley is responsible for the development, management and execution of the chamber’s programs and strategic partnerships. She also serves as the executive director of Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives (AEDCE), the professional association of local chamber executives and economic developers in the state. Shelley is a native Arkansan with more than twelve years of economic development experience, most recently serving as the Director of Marketing for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission before joining the State Chamber in 2015.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Management from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas. Shelley serves on the Arkansas Department of Education State Coalition for Family and Community Engagement, the Board of Directors for the MAKO Conference, and is a member of the Heart of Arkansas United Way Campaign Cabinet. She is a member of the International Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic Development Council and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.

Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Elizabeth Small has resided in Little Rock, Arkansas since 1981. She is a graduate of Hendrix College and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Elizabeth is the Real Estate Instructor in the College of Business’ Finance Department at UA Little Rock. Elizabeth is actively creating a Real Estate Center in the College of Business and relishes the opportunity to be a part of the Mid-South Basic Economic Course. She has 32 years of experience in the real estate development, management, and construction industries with responsibilities covering a wide array of tasks. Elizabeth was instrumental in PDC Companies’ origination of numerous properties, and maintaining relationships with agents, landowners, mortgage lenders, title companies, city planning and zoning departments, city boards, city code enforcement and public facilities offices, chambers of commerce, community organizations, banks, syndication firms, federal/state/local governmental agencies, and industry organizations.

Elizabeth is often asked to serve on industry panels, create presentations, serve as a session leader for Leadership Greater Little Rock or report to various community or business economic development related groups on a variety of topics. She is a former Chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors and is a past President of Fifty for the Future.

Elizabeth is married to Tom Small, a commercial real estate appraiser, and appraisal review officer with Bank of the Ozarks. Their daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons live in Little Rock. Gardening is a favorite hobby of the Smalls.

Dr. Jeff D. Standridge helps organizations and their leaders generate sustained results in the areas of innovation, strategy, profit growth, organizational effectiveness and leadership. Formerly a Vice President for Acxiom Corporation, he has led established and startup business units in North & South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Jeff serves as Chief Catalyst for the Conductor (www.ARConductor.org), is Co-founder of Cadron Capital Partners, and teaches in the College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA.edu).

Dr. Standridge has been an invited speaker, trainer and consultant for numerous companies, institutions and organizations across five continents. He and his wife, Lori, make their home in Conway, Arkansas.

In addition to his executive coaching and custom-tailored consulting, he has received accolades for his World Class presentations, training programs and workshops.

Bentley Story is the Director of the Business Development Division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). A native of Forrest City, Arkansas, Bentley began working at AEDC in 2007 as a Project Manager working with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Dillard’s, Windstream and Kimberly-Clark. In 2012 he was promoted to Division Director, where he oversees the work of a professional team of project managers, international representatives, and community developers who are responsible for recruiting new business to Arkansas, helping existing businesses grow, and preparing communities to take advantage of economic development opportunities.

Under Bentley’s leadership, the Business Development Division has seen project announcements resulting in more than 25,000 jobs statewide, and more than $13 billion in investment in the state of Arkansas. In 2013, Bentley and the AEDC team oversaw the state’s first Amendment 82 project, resulting in the completion of a $1.3 billion steel mill in Mississippi County that employs more than 500 people who earn an average salary of $75,000 per year. This project remains the largest investment to date in Arkansas. Other companies that have located or expanded in Arkansas since 2012 include Sprint, Remington, Sig Sauer, J.B. Hunt, HanesBrands, TrinityRail, and MISO.

Prior to coming to AEDC, Bentley worked as a budget analyst with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, where he analyzed and reconciled state budgets totaling over $4 billion. He has also worked in Tyson Foods’ Corporate Strategy Division and served as a consultant to the Northwest Arkansas Museum Foundation.

Bentley has served as a member of the Arkansas Economic Developers Board and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. In 2015 & 2017, he was selected by Consultant Connect as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers. Bentley is a member of the Baptist Health Foundation Associate Board, has been a frequent volunteer for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and has served as a judge for the Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition.

Bentley is a graduate of the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Little Rock with their daughter, Virginia and son, Bentley.

Cody Waits, a native of Fort Smith, Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Arkansas has both public and private sector experience. Currently serving as Deputy Director for the Department of Career Education, Office of Skills Development, he oversees 3 divisions dealing in workforce development. Secondary Technical Career Centers which focus on providing career and technical education courses that aligns with regional and state workforce priorities. The State Office of Apprenticeship which oversees DOL Registered Apprenticeship programs in the state of Arkansas as well as the Arkansas Apprenticeship Commission Steering Committee. The last program, Workforce Training Grants, assists companies with training their incoming and incumbent workforce and partner with local chambers of commerce and economic developers to fund programs that assist companies who do business in the their respective communities.

Prior to his role as Deputy Director for Department of Career Education, he worked with the Governor’s office as a Legislative Liaison to State Agencies and House Rules. Before becoming involved in public service, he managed multi-million dollar accounts and directed the sales efforts in multiple states in the Information Technology and Transportation Logistics industries.

With more than three decades of experience, Jim Walton is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading experts in economic development marketing. A powerful ally for economic development professionals, Brand Coach Jim is regularly invited to share his knowledge about community branding and location marketing at conferences and meetings. Audiences appreciate the practical, actionable advice he delivers.

Active in many state, regional, and national economic development organizations, Jim is a graduate of the Basic Economic Development Course at Ball State University.

He is currently teaching the marketing sessions for the Indiana Basic Economic Development Course, the Ohio Basic Economic Development Course, and the Mid-South Basic Economic Development Course.

Amy Whitehead is the Assistant Vice President, Community and Workforce Development in the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement. Outreach programs Amy oversees include the Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), the Community Development Institute (CDI), the Arkansas Coding Academy, and all workforce initiatives within the division. She is a graduate of both the Community Development Institute and UCA’s Master of Science in Community and Economic Development (MSCED), where she then went on to serve as an adjunct faculty member. Amy is a certified Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED), designated by the Community Development Council. She holds several state-wide leadership roles, including serving as board member of the Arkansas Community Development Society, member of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension’s Breakthrough Solutions Advisory Council, and the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Board. On the national level, Amy serves as treasurer of the Community Development Council, and in 2016 she was appointed to a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Community Development Advisory Council. She is also an Arkansas Municipal League City & Town magazine contributor.

Tim Wooldridge is Director of Outreach for the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA).

A native of Paragould, Wooldridge served 16 years in the Arkansas House and Senate.
His career includes serving as Vice President of Crowley’s Ridge College, Vice President of Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, President of the Arkansas Assoc. of Public Universities, and Executive Director of Crowley’s Ridge Development Council.

He is married to Lisa Woodson Wooldridge, and they have two adult children and 3 grandchildren.

An avid Duck Hunter and Jeep enthusiast, Wooldridge is a huge St Louis Cardinal Fan…(he can name the starting Lineup from the 1968 World Series) and fan of the Andy Griffith Show.

Awards have included being named Statesman of the Year by the Arkansas Hospital Assoc. and Senator of the Year by the Arkansas Municipal League. His most cherished title is being called Poppy by grandchildren Max, Finley Grace, and Jax.

He holds a degree in Communications from Arkansas State University.

Mark Young is President and CEO of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, serving in that capacity since April 2006. The mission of the Chamber is to enhance the quality of life in our community through service, leadership and economic development. Mark also leads the economic development organization, Jonesboro Unlimited, serving as President. Jonesboro Unlimited has recently embarked on a bold five- year strategic plan to increase prosperity in Jonesboro.

Prior to being named President of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Mark served as Executive Director of the Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State University from 2000 to April 2006.

Mark has provided economic development leadership in four other communities. He served as the Director of the Cross County Business Development Center in Wynne and as Director of the East Arkansas Community College Business Development Center in Forrest City. He then left Arkansas to serve as Executive Director of the Miami Area Economic Development Services, Inc. in Miami, Oklahoma, and served as Executive Director of the Richmond Economic Partnership in Rockingham, North Carolina.

Mark received his B.S. in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations from Arkansas State University. He is a Certified Economic Developer, receiving that designation in 1994.

Mark serves on the Arkansas District Export Council and is currently the Chairman of the Northeast Arkansas Economic Development Coalition.

Mark is married to Mitzi. They have two sons- Adam and Alex.

Randy Zook is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas. Prior to taking the helm of the State Chamber/AIA, Randy was the Deputy Director of Administration and Finance for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. For 34 years, he worked for Atlantic Envelope Company of Atlanta, Georgia, a $200-million manufacturer of custom-printed envelopes and business products, serving as President and CEO of the company from 1989 to 2004. He is currently serving on the boards of KIPP Schools in Helena-West Helena, Economics Arkansas, and McGehee Farm & Real Estate Co. He and his wife, Diane, have three grown children and five above-average grandchildren.