Profiles with Clay: Michael Hadley
by February 14, 2010 7:44 pm 1,235 views
Editorās note: Profiles with Clay is intended to provide information about those in the Fort Smith region who find themselves ā purposefully or via promotion ā newly engaged in a business or civic leadership role. Furthermore, they have demonstrated the capacity and willingness to improve some aspect of their community, and have expressed a desire for regional leadership that is more active, aggressive and accommodating. The profiles will be posted on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.
story and interview by Clay McKinney
The name Michael Hadley came up several times in discussions of who to interview for this series of articles. His name had always been linked to the McDonaldās name in our region but a quick Google search turned up much more. The top search results were not related to McDonaldās but of community involvement and charitable activity.
As a 33-year-old owner of three McDonaldās franchises and the father of three (with another on the way), itās hard to believe Michael had the time for all of this. Within minutes of our first meeting, it quickly became apparent that if anyone could juggle such a variety of activities, it was Michael Hadley.
Hadley, a native of Fort Smith, graduated from Southside and the University of Arkansas School of Business with a degree in accounting. His father (Jim) already owned multiple McDonaldās franchises throughout the region so following graduation Michael began the long and tedious process of training to become a franchise owner himself. After several years of training (even though he had worked at McDonaldās since childhood) Michael made it through the qualifications to be a franchise owner. He and his wife searched the country to find franchises for sale and found many opportunities from California to St. Thomas Island but ultimately decided to stay in Fort Smith, mainly due to the family-friendly environment.
With money saved from a parking lot striping company, started by Michael and his wife, Michelle, in college, Michael was given the opportunity to invest in cell towers by J. Lee and Joyce Didier. Once he decided to move into the family business, Michael sold the cell towers and used the money as a down payment on his first McDonaldās franchise and has added two more since.
Our region has special meaning for Michael and he was eager to expand on my list of questions.
THE INTERVIEW
Clay McKinney: Tell me about some of the activities, groups or organizations you are a part of that help shape the Fort Smith regionā
āRight now Iām on the board of the Fort Smith Arts Center. Iām also on the Wine and Roses committee which is a board for the cancer support house. They hold the Wine and Roses event each year which raises money for the cancer house.
āIām also involved in and very passionate about our local Ronald McDonald House chapter. We donāt have a house yet but I think the area needs it and I think itās big enough to have one. With the start of the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) at St. Edwards and with the help of Dr. Coloso (the Neonatologist who helped start the NICU department) weāve been working to get this ball rolling. I can see it in the near future, weāre getting really close. It would provide a place for families to stay while their newborn is being cared for in the NICU.
āAlso, I serve as the vice president of the Fort Smith Public School Foundation board. They give teachers grants once a year and itās amazing the technology thatās going in the Fort Smith Public Schools because of these grants. We get to tour the schools once or twice a year and Iām telling you Southside, from when I was there, it looks like a small university.
āLetās see, Iām a member of YEL (Young Emerging Leaders group of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce) and Iām also the vice president of the Riley Farms Property Owners Association, which is very personal to me. Itās a way to voice your opinion about your neighborhood and learn about what going on in it.ā
CM: What would you say a young leaderās role should be in our region?
āI really think they need to get out and give back to the community. I know so many folks who gripe about something but they donāt get out and do anything about it. Theyāre not a part of any organizations; theyāre not out volunteering their time. You donāt have to be on a board, you can be on a committee.
āWhen I say give back, get involved to give back. Thatās probably one of the weaknesses of the younger group is that theyāre still trying to get settled and may not have as much to give as someone older might, but just give back one way or another.ā
CM: Some might say there is an underlying āold vs. youngā theme around here. Do you believe it exists and what are your thoughts on bridging this gap?
āYouāve got to have a mix of both. The older will bring ideas of what didnāt work in the past, but then youāll have the young trying new things and bringing them together works. A lot of the boards Iām on, I see the young and the old so I really donāt see a āyoung versus old.ā I donāt see the problem because every board Iām on, there are both and I think youāve got to have that.
āFrom the governmental side, it is mostly the older generation. Iām not sure the younger generation knows how to get involved in that.
āI guess I just donāt see the gap because Iām involved and Iām in these organizations and I see both sides there. The gap may exist but I donāt think itās as bad as some people make it.ā
CM: A lot has been said over the past few years about the importance of keeping young professionals in our region and its pivotal role in the future success of our region. What are your thoughts on this?
āI definitely think itās important to keep young professionals in this community. Opportunity must be here for them to stay and opportunity comes with the bigger cities and the bigger companies and unfortunately weāre still a smaller town in that aspect. I think itās important to keep them here but itās hard unless you grow.
āI donāt think the college kids want to necessarily move away but I think there are better opportunities elsewhere. Unless we grow and become a bigger town the opportunities are going to be limited.ā
CM: How do you envision our community when the next generation is in your position?
āI think it will be larger and nicer than it is now. I think the downtown area will have changed a lot. With Chaffee Crossing and everything going on out there it will probably be more spread out more down Highway 71 toward Greenwood. I think it will have a similar atmosphere that it does now but it will be bigger. I think it can get bigger but still have the same, pleasant feel to it.ā
CM: Some believe that the young leadersā needs to lie in the political arena in order to bring about change. Do you believe this to be the case?
āIām not into politics but I feel Iām making a difference. Iām not making as much a difference as I would like to make, itās a little change here, a little change there but hopefully, in my lifetime, they will all add up to bigger changes. For example, being a part of the (Fort Smith) Arts Center. Itās a small part but how many lives is that going to change over time? It could. It could change quite a few kidsā lives when they come in and see the art.
āAnother example is the Ronald McDonald House. It could change a lot of lives. Itās all great but itās not enough for me. Iām lucky to have such a supportive wife; it seems like every night Iāve got a meeting, or event. But you donāt have to be in politics to do it. Bill Gates is changing lives everyday and heās not a politician. I think doing little things in the community helps and it adds up.ā
CM: Our region has a long history in manufacturing but many would like to see us move away from this. How do you feel about this and what do you feel are our obstacles?
āOur core is manufacturing and it always has been but I think you need a mix of both manufacturing and high tech. A few years ago I thought Whirlpool was gone. I thought we were going to be a ghost town because of all the companies that supply Whirlpool here; it would be a domino effect. Now weāve got Mitsubishi and Mars coming and I see weāre still on a good path and I think the future of Fort Smith still looks good.
āI keep thinking that we will get some spillover from Northwest Arkansas. Weāre only 45 minutes down the road and eventually someone will say āHey, the cost of living is ridiculous here (Northwest Arkansas). Iām going to move down there.ā I keep thinking it will happen, and it might, I just donāt know when.ā
CM: Some say the young leadership groups within our community are simply social groups and that they really donāt have a productive function, what is your reaction to those who believe this?
āWell, in social groups you meet people and make connections and thatās the most important part, making the right connections. Letās say one member gets on a board and is making a difference and they are looking for more board members. They can use those connections to find others to help make a difference.
āI can see where some people would say that but at some of these functions I see young professionals that I donāt normally see, that I havenāt met. From that aspect the social part is great. You get to know some young professionals your age in the community wanting the same things. I donāt know where else I would go to meet these folks.ā
CM: If you were āKing for a day,ā what one thing would you change about our region, and why?
āI think I would change to year-round school. Iāve seen some studies that show these communities are better educated. Maybe that would be a kick start, pulling more people into our community. If people want to come to Fort Smith we have to show that the education is better here than somewhere else. You have to have the statistics to show and for that you have to have the test scores. Itās not like it would change things overnight but if those studies are right, I would change that.
āFor example, one study showed how the wealthier kids have better educations and get better jobs. It showed when poorer students went home for the summer they donāt continue their education where the wealthier families have their kids in bible study or some type of class, they are continually learning. So when they come back in the fall, the poorer students, whose families couldnāt afford that kind of stuff, were left behind, even though they may have all ended the school year at the same level. If that could make a difference, I think that would be good for the area.ā
About Clay
Clay McKinney is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Heās lived in Fort Smith since 1999 with his wife and two daughters. His short story, āDuplicity,ā placed third in the National Writerās Association Short Story contest in 2007. Heās working on a book with an attorney friend about an arbitration case against the New York Yankees.
You can reach Clay at mcclay001@gmail.com