Fort Smith city directors opine on new chamber president

The City Wire asked the seven members of the Fort Smith Board of Directors four questions relating to the hiring of Paul Harvel as the new president of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce.

The questions were:
• If you could have 30 minutes of one-on-one time with Harvel, what advice/direction/information would you give him?
• If you could have 30 minutes of one-on-one time with Harvel, what would you want to hear from Harvel in terms of his vision for the chamber and the community?
• What do you think Harvel’s challenges will be in his first 6 months?
• What do you think Harvel’s opportunities will be in his first 6 months?

Don Hutchings and Directors Cole Goodman and Don Hutchings responded.

GOODMAN
“I would first like to know what he knows about Fort Smith. I’d like to know if he is coming with the commitment that the next 5 years (which is probably all he’ll work) Fort Smith will see the Chamber with a real push to develop our riverfront and renew our downtown as an arts, entertainment, dining destination. At the same time, aggressively recruiting new businesses for our region.

“As far as advice, it would probably be inappropriate for me to give any advice except that I believe more of the same won’t get the job done.

“Challenges will be to move beyond the mind set that has existed here for so many years.”

“Opportunities abound. Fort Smith has a lot going for it. Our workforce has a tremendous work ethic. The Riverfront, Uniform Development Code soon to be put in place, and the potential at Chaffee Crossing, Marshal’s Museum certainly provide a ripe environment.”
 
“There has to be continued and strengthened interaction between the Chamber and City Government as well as the surrounding region to foster the environment that will make businesses and their employees want to move here.”

HUTCHINGS
“I would love to see Paul work to unify the strengths of our leaders involved w/ our local cities, counties, & the Chamber. There is so much more that will be done when we become a team. There is a sleeping giant that is being awakened in the Fort Smith Region.”
 
“We need Paul to be very vocal about I-49, & our potential at Chaffee Crossing. We are seeing the infant stages of these great dreams coming into reality.”
 
“There is another hidden treasure that doesn’t get talked about much. We have hundreds of churches in the Fort Smith Region, with thousands who are heavily involved. We need to stop being afraid of their potential impact on the economy & quality of place. We still live in a "Christian nation," & seem to ignore the enormous impact of our religious institutions.”