NEA Women in Business: Allison Hestand

Allison Hestand
CEO/Director of Economic Development
Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce
Residence: Paragould
Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, minor in economics

What was your dream job and why? I think I’m in it. I always knew I wanted to help make Paragould better. I just didn’t know what career that would lead me to. I never really had a dream job as a child. I think I just wanted to keep being a kid.

What’s the next big personal or career challenge you plan to take on? I will get the opportunity to test for both my Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) certification as well as the Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) certification next year. Both have taken several years of classroom instruction and require years of experience to be able to sit for the exam.

What character traits do you feel have benefited you in your success? I think most would say I am organized and dedicated. I think it has helped me in this career. In the chamber and economic development world, you can wear a lot of hats in one day and be working on several projects at once. You won’t survive if you aren’t organized, and your volunteers will burn out if they feel the chaos. Being organized at the start of each day is my highest priority.

How do you spend your time away from work? What are your hobbies? I love to travel with my friends and family and I am always up for a new experience. I enjoy anything on the water, walking our 8 Mile Creek Trail in Paragould, and hanging out with my goldendoodle, Gatsby.

What advice would you give young women who are at the beginning of their careers? Don’t doubt yourself. Confidence can and will set you apart from everyone else at any table you are invited to.

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? Currently, to finish out visiting all the presidential libraries and travel out of the country. I had a trip booked to Germany in 2020 and we all know how that ended, and to learn a foreign language. I’d like to learn Spanish. I took 15 hours of it in college. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library is next on my list. I plan to visit it this fall. My favorite so far has been the Harry Truman Presidential Library. There are only 13 presidential libraries, so why not?

What’s your favorite app at the moment? Our new trail counter app. A nonprofit I work with recently purchased a counter for Paragould’s new trail system. I love checking the app everyday to see how many are using the trail. The first week it was installed, in the heat of July, it had 957 clicks.

Who have been mentors who’ve influenced your professional career? My parents. They were both very involved in the community while I was growing up. My dad volunteered and ran the local pee-wee sports program and my mom helped run the campaign for a school millage that expanded the sports facility at my high school. It was always evident to me that if I wanted my community to be better, it took a lot of grit and determination to be a part of the change.