Frank Scott: An Independent View And Voice

When you have been blessed to stand and serve in the providential intersection of business, politics, and faith, you learn to navigate these routes with an independent voice and viewpoint.

Arkansas is in the midst of a new and evolving era in business and politics. Everything from next generation leaders taking the helm in business and industry, technology start-up companies rushing to market and scale, to the forthcoming and massive change in this state’s political structure. While our state’s future is not known, opportunities abound for leaders who choose to focus their time and energy on centrist and common-sense strategies to continue to push our state forward to even better days with a sense of swagger – Yes, we are from the great state of Arkansas.

To the Talk Business & Politics followers who are reading this, my name is Frank D. Scott, Jr., a native of Little Rock, where I serve as a bank executive with First Security Bank focused on commercial lending, new business development, and market strategy. I’m also an ordained minister serving on my church’s pastoral staff. I am looking forward to contributing to TB&P on TV, radio, and the web.

I’m a member of the Arkansas Highway Commission, appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe and I serve on the Little Rock Port Authority. Prior to joining First Security Bank, I served as a senior advisor to the governor in the dual roles of Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Deputy-Director of Policy. My first leadership experience in business was as a distribution manager for the Target Corp.

As a banker for one of the state’s largest financial institutions, I continue to gain an understanding of our state’s economic pulse on a daily basis.

You can expect me to bring a perspective that capitalizes on the experiences I’ve had. There’s a great interest in private-public finance as a means to grow and retain Arkansas-based companies. Could there be an opportunity for an Arkansas Business Expansion & Retention Fund?

With workforce education being so critical to our state’s economic development efforts, it’s important for stakeholders to search for actionable steps to present to state leaders — like incoming Senate President Jonathan Dismang and former Senator Michael Lamoreux (Gov.-elect Hutchinson’s Chief of Staff) — who have a reputation for listening and identifying win-win solutions, while maintaining their values.

Since skillfully brokering a bipartisan and business-centric Medicaid Private Option, these legislative architects should be ready to start the design of a new workforce system that’s responsive and adaptable to the constantly changing economy. And maybe they could go to the drawing board and sketch out a strategy to rebrand the trades industry to make it cool again for our state’s youth? I’m sure ideas will be forthcoming.

I’ve been fortunate to be involved in the implementation of both transformational and transactional policies for the greater good of our beloved state and I look forward to sharing my opinion and thoughts on current events related to business and politics with an independent viewpoint with TB&P followers.