Northwest Arkansas Council Seeks Leaders

It’s easier than ever to make noise, but harder than ever to really be heard.

With the rise of egocentric racket via every conceivable mode of communication, it can feel like your voice is lost in a chorus of clutter. That goes for individuals, and for communities vying to attract top companies and talent.

That’s why the Northwest Arkansas Council is trying to give leaders like you, and our region as a whole, a bullhorn to use for our future.

The council (www.nwark.org), a nonprofit group of influential business and community leaders, is actively seeking participants to serve on workgroups for its 2010 Strategic Economic Development Plan. The aim is to engage difference makers who have a passion for the ongoing success of Northwest Arkansas and want to turn ideas into actions.

Information about the initiative, research findings and contacts for volunteering may all be accessed via www.greaternorthwestarkansas.com. One of the four main goal areas includes building a region-wide brand, which makes more sense than anything.

We have a great product to sell as a region. We can market regionally and still land prospects locally, as each community gets to put its best face forward. Comparative markets that are winning, such as Gainesville, Fla., Lexington, Ken., and Huntsville, Ala., – not to mention central Arkansas – already beat our britches off at this.

If our area lands a high-wage business cluster, it really doesn’t matter who has prettier trees or who beat whom in high school football. We all win.

The final plan will be a vision for the area’s economic future and a roadmap on how to get there. Research began last winter, and consultant Market Street Services Inc. of Atlanta delivered a competitive assessment in May.

The assessment outlined positives and needed improvements. Now leaders are being sought to help figure out how to maximize our strengths and get creative on the weaknesses.

Mike Malone and Mark Simmons recently extended this invite to past and present honorees at the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal‘s annual Forty Under 40 luncheon.

Malone is the council’s executive director. Simmons, besides being chairman of Simmons Foods Inc. in Siloam Springs, is the council’s secretary and treasurer. Simmons also chairs the strategic planning initiative.

Malone said reaching out to the Forty Under 40 family was “the perfect opportunity because there are so many leaders in the room.” (Forty Under 40 annually recognizes 40 up-and-coming leaders who are under the age of 40 and are over-achievers at work and in the community.)

But there’s plenty of room for additional influencers and decision makers who are passionate about growing area jobs and opportunities. So if you’re not under 40 or haven’t been an honoree, you can still participate.

The overriding mission is to have Northwest Arkansas ready for smart growth when the economy finishes turning around. The goal areas that will serve as the framework for workgroups are:

• Infrastructure – Invest in physical infrastructure that will enable sustainable, long-term growth and improve economic competitiveness.
• Regional Economic Development – Develop a comprehensive, regional approach to proactive economic development in Northwest Arkansas.
• Community Vitality – Ensure that Northwest Arkansas remains a vibrant and attractive community for businesses, residents, families and retirees for decades to come.
• Education Excellence – Elevate educational attainment and workforce skills so that Northwest Arkansas can more effectively compete for 21st century jobs.

Interested parties should identify an area in which they’d like to help, and communicate that via the “Greater Northwest Arkansas” website listed above.

Malone said it will be helpful to have workers or volunteers who are already active in some way relative to the area they choose. The actual level of involvement and time requirements will vary depending on the action item.

It’s been 10 years since the region last commissioned a similar economic study, and a few things have changed.

What hasn’t is the need to promote Northwest Arkansas deliberately, and regionally. And to get involved.