Trammel Triumphs- Rogers? Rainmaker Shines in Community

Dick Trammel said he can get a pretty good feel for a town after spending just 30 minutes checking out the community. It takes far less time to realize the Arvest Bank executive vice president is doing yeoman’s work to make sure people get a positive feeling about Rogers.

rIn a poll conducted by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, Trammel got overwhelming support from a score of prominent business people who agree he is Rogers’ Rainmaker — the businessman who makes things happen. Mayor Steve Womack echoed many citizens’ feelings about Trammel, who was actually tabbed as the Rainmaker in several fields of business.

r”Dick Trammel is the most prominent individual that comes to mind as far as civic interest,” Womack said. “He is involved in just about everything. He’s kind of our icon for civic duty. He is in a class all by himself. I’m just glad he’s from Rogers. A lot of people would like to imitate Dick Trammel in terms of service, but he’s in a class of his own.

r”When it comes to civic pride and civic duty and giving back to the community, the competition is fighting for second place.”

rIn addition to his job at the Rogers bank, Trammel wears enough hats to make Minnie Pearl proud. And although he’s originally from Pocahontas, it’s quite apparent Trammel has his heart — if not his roots — planted deep into Rogers’ soil.

rOther Business Journal Rainmaker selections include: State Sen. Dave Bisby as the most powerful person in politics; Pauline Whitaker as the most popular philanthropist; Arvest Bank president Rob Brothers as the top banker; Susan Barrett, CEO of Mercy Health Systems of Northwest Arkansas Inc., as the top person in the health care field; and Lindsey & Associates Senior Vice President Meza Harris is the top individual in real estate and development.

rIf the proof is in the pudding, Trammel has baked a quite impressive pie.rHere are some of his involvements in the community:

r• Past president and current member of the advisory board of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce,

r• Past chairman of Downtown is Uptown and Leadership Rogers steering committee.

r• Twice the drive chairman for the Rogers-Lowell United Way.

r• Recipient of the Chamber’s “Good Neighbor Award” in 1982 and the “Pride of Rogers” award in July.

r• Past president of the Rogers Rotary Club; Past governor of Rotary International District 6110; member of the 2000 Rotary International District 6110 group study exchange team to the Ukraine.

r• Founding director of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County, receiving one of its Tribute awards for 2000.

r• Founding director, director emeritus and past chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (NARTI); received the 1997 Distinguished Service award from the Arkansas Hospital Association for his work with NARTI and the Northwest Arkansas medical community; member University of Arkansas Medical School Foundation board of directors.

r• Member of the UA Medical School regional programs advisory council and the UA Medical School Area Health Center Northwest board of directors; Chairman of the Ozark Aging Foundation; Board member of The Cancer Challenge and the Challenge of Champions Tennis Classic; Board member of the Ozark Natural Science Center.

r• Charter member, past chairman and current member of the board at Northwest Arkansas Community College; Board member of the Arkansas Association of two-year colleges; founding board member and current treasurer of the Rogers Youth Center; Board member of Northwest Arkansas Head Start and the Rogers Razorback Club; Founding board member and treasurer of the Law Enforcement Assistance Program of Benton County.

r• Past chairman and board member emeritus of the Arts Center of the Ozarks; Member of the board of Mid-America Arts Alliance; Current chairman of the Arkansas Arts Council.

rTrammel, who said he’s “very windy” on the phone, has helped raise money for numerous Rogers causes. He credits Rogers’ citizens for making him look good.

r”A lot of good people in Rogers have been so good to me,” he said. “The thing about Rogers that’s so different from other communities is we have to do things as a community effort instead of just one or two individuals.

r”When we started the youth center 16 to 18 years ago and we needed funding we just pulled up our britches and went wading in the water. Our people are very giving. Our average giving to the United Way is twice as much as the national average.”

rTo show the growth of Rogers, Trammel notes that when he was first named the drive chairman for the United Way his goal was $120,000. The next time he served his goal was $900,000.

rHe would visit the plants after midnight shifts, others at 3 a.m., even more at 5 a.m.

r”I went to the people who really make our community,” Trammel recalled. “I can’t say enough about the people in the plants, the industrial workers. It takes the little guy to do what we’ve done. Our people have never turned down a school or a college millage. There are not many people that can say that in state of Arkansas. Our people step up to the plate and hit home runs.”

rTrammel said Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce president/CEO Raymond Burns has helped the chamber become “one of the finest in the country.”