Forty Under 40: Martine Downs Pollard, 37

A life built around pubic policy may have been inevitable. After all, Martine Downs Pollard went to high school at Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock — home of the Senators.
“It was an omen,” she said. “Politics was my destiny, I suppose.”
An employee of the Rogers Chamber since 2006, Pollard spends her days overseeing government affairs and advocating for a strong local, regional and statewide economy. That means traveling to Little Rock and Washington D.C. to promote Northwest Arkansas, supporting infrastructure improvements and job growth, and battling bills that could injure local business.
“I’m humbled to serve as a voice for the Chamber and the region and have a seat at the table,” she said.
After college Pollard spent five years working for the city of Conway, which taught her “how government works.” In 2004 she returned from a detour to the private sector when she went to work for U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, serving as aide on Third District issues as well as special projects and grants.
Eventually a role at the Rogers Chamber (and her future husband) lured the government affairs specialist to Northwest Arkansas.
Pollard — born in Germany, reared in England — is passionate about making a difference.
“I want to leave things better than the way I found them,” she said.