Downtown Bentonville Inc. hires Aaron Nolan as communications director

Bentonville nonprofit Downtown Bentonville Inc. (DBI) announced Thursday (March 9) the hiring of Aaron Nolan as communications director.

Nolan is a native Arkansan (Maumelle) who previously worked as an on-air television personality.

“There is no better fit for this role than Aaron Nolan, and our organization is thrilled to add him to our team,” DBI Executive Director Dana Sargent Schlagenhaft said in a statement. “Aaron works with the tenacity of a journalist, has a passion for telling stories about our downtown, and may be one of the most enthusiastic cheerleaders for Bentonville I’ve ever met.”

Most recently, Nolan was a national correspondent in Northwest Arkansas, covering stories for NewsNation, Texas-based Nexstar Media’s national cable news network. Before that, he worked for the company in Chicago as a weekend breaking news anchor. Nolan also worked on-air roles at KARK-TV in Little Rock, KNWA-TV in Fayetteville and KOLR/KOZL in Springfield, Mo.

Nolan covered two Olympic Games (Rio de Janeiro and Pyeongchang), and his work has earned multiple awards, including an Edward R. Murrow regional award for innovation for NewsfeedNow.

“I moved to Bentonville [in 2021] not knowing what was next for my career,” Nolan said. “It didn’t take long for my family to realize we were home. Now joining the amazing DBI team, I am ready to be a champion for Downtown Bentonville. Sometimes you work to live. Other times you love to work. It truly is the latter for me.”

DNI produces public events throughout the year, including First Fridays, the Bentonville Farmers Market, the annual Lighting of the Square and the Bentonville Christmas Parade.

Nolan will also guide the organization’s weekly television show “DWTN Now.” It will move from KNWA and air at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday on KFSM-TV (CBS) beginning in April.

DBI kicks off its First Friday season on April 7 and Bentonville Farmers Market on April 8.