Gov. Hutchinson to kick off NWA Emerging Leaders program Monday in Bentonville

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will be in downtown Bentonville on Monday (July 31) to kick off an event sponsored by the Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders.

The series is called “Ready to Run” and is designed to educate and answer questions about running for political office.

“That’s everything from school board to the state legislature, or even Congress” said Jon Moran, vice president of government affairs for the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, which is also supporting the event. “It’s for people who are thinking about running for office, or who are running, and want to learn some basics about some important areas of the campaign process.

“Or, if you’d simply like to hear the governor speak or you’re just interested in the political campaigning process. We’ve got plenty of room.”

The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Record in downtown Bentonville. There is no cost to attend, although registration is encouraged.  Moran said the series is held every two years in the “off-year” preceding an election year. He said about 20 people attended in 2015. This year’s event already has about 50 people registered.

The event will conclude with a keynote speech over lunch from Talk Business & Politics Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock.

Moran said there are several experts who are scheduled to talk about the finer points of campaigning, specifically in four main areas: campaign communication, fundraising, social media and connecting with voters.

Presenters expected to attend include:

• Matt DeCample, a spokesman for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe who will present on effective communication strategy;
• Stephanie Funk, the founder and former CEO of Acorn: An Influence Company and now owner of Funk & Co., will discuss social media strategy in campaigns;
• Margie Omero and Kristen Soltis Anderson, professional pollsters and co-hosts of the weekly bipartisan podcast The Pollsters, will discuss polling and data-driven research
• Marie Holder, finance director of Gov. Hutchinson’s 2018 re-election campaign, and a former executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, will discuss fundraising;
• Cale Turner, a principal in the tax practice of public accounting firm HoganTaylor, will discuss the compliance and reporting aspects of fundraising.

State Representatives Grant Hodges (R, Rogers) and George McGill (D, Fort Smith) will also speak to attendees via Skype. The two legislators will discuss effective speechmaking, and are singled out, Moran said, largely based on speeches they made on the House floor earlier this year in Little Rock, regarding legislation to separate a holiday that has for decades celebrated both Martin Luther King Jr. and Gen. Robert E. Lee in the state.

“[Hodges’] remarks, on their own, would have passed the bill, in my opinion,” Moran recalled. “And George came across with one of the most eloquent speeches I have ever seen in any chamber, federal or state. His words were that powerful.

“It was a textbook example of how to present legislation in a controversial environment to present a persuasive political argument for your point of view,” he said. “It should be taught.”