New Downtown Bentonville Inc. director ‘listening and learning’

Monica Kumar wasn’t sure about moving from the Silicon Valley to Bentonville after her husband was offered his dream job at the Wal-Mart home office.

A year a half later, Kumar, 41, has found Bentonville to be “unique and exceptional because it’s so collaborative. The decision makers work together to benefit all. That’s the heart of Bentonville.”

She was recently named executive director of Downtown Bentonville Inc. (DBI), an independent nonprofit downtown association that inspires, unifies and champions the downtown Bentonville experience, as described on the organization’s website.

“Right now I am listening and learning,” Kumar said.

DBI is under the direction of a 14-member board of directors representing businesses and other community organizations. Brenda Anderson of Community Development Corp., is the board president. Ex officio board members include Benton County Judge Bob Clinard, Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin, Bentonville employees Troy Galloway and David Wright, Kalene Griffith of the Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Paul Stoltz of the Bentonville School District.

“Community is a space with an open door, welcoming, collaborative connectivity. It’s a natural state for a human to connect naturally and gravitate to the community,” she said. “I love Bentonville. It’s a melting pot of culture, art, food and music but it still has a small town feel.”

Kyle Kellams, news director at KUAF National Public Radio in Fayetteville, met Kumar shortly after she arrived in Bentonville as part of her Bentonville Project, a web-based collection of short stories about people in her newly adopted community.

“She has the most infectious personality of any person I have met,” Kellams said. “She has the ability, within 30 seconds of sitting down, you knew she would be a great friend.”

As she settles into her new position she will oversee a continuation of DBI’s work and team while also continuing to help promote the impressive downtown development, and ensure the area is a connector for the community to meet and share ideas.

On the Bentonville Project website, Kumar wrote, “I have always believed that more than anything else stories hold the power to change. Change our perspective, our beliefs, our values, our lives.”

The website also describes her as “a self professed positive psychology and well being junkie.” She is certified in the Science of Happiness from the University of California, Berkeley. She also advises and conducts trainings on how to measure well being and utilize happiness tools to achieve organizational and individual goals.

Kumar praised Wal-Mart for “being a connector” in the region and its influence with area organization and attractions like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American and the soon-to-open Amazeum children’s museum.

Kumar was born and raised in London, where she met and married her husband. She is a graduate of the University of Law in London and practiced several years. Her sense of community evolved during her practice of family and human rights law. They lived in California for six years before moving to Northwest Arkansas.

The Kumars purchased a home in downtown Bentonville, close enough to walk to work, she said. One of the concerns before moving to Northwest Arkansas was the educational opportunities for the couple’s young son. The now five-year-old boy is settled in Walnut Farm Montessori School and his transition to his new school has been “flawless.”

“That’s an attribute to the community,” she said. I can’t think of a better place.”