Front and center

Arguably, the most effectively outspoken chairman of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in recent history was Emon Mahony Jr., who once unapologetically alleged during a speech to a Fort Smith civic club that one of the audience members was a damned liar.

Now comes John McFarland, the chairman and CEO of Fort Smith-based Baldor Electric Co. — a global manufacturing company that posted $1.95 billion in the sales of electric motors and associated components in 2008, employs about 8,000 in 28 plants and has operations in more than 80 countries.

McFarland brings his type-A leadership personality full of can-do attitude and go-make-it-happen expectations to the chairmanship of a chamber that just less than 12 months ago could have competed well in a contest for the least credible and most ineffective organization in the region.

The general chamber membership got its first sampling of a sometimes edgy and frequently humorous McFarland during the chamber’s First Friday (Jan. 8) breakfast. The meeting served as the chamber’s first public unveiling of its 2010 goals.

There are two valid reasons to be surprised at McFarland’s decision to take the top volunteer leadership post at the chamber.

The first and primary reason is that Baldor is less than two years removed from effectively doubling the size of the company with its $1.8 billion acquisition of Rockwell Automation. Any large purchase and eventual integration of a company is tough, but shortly after the deal was consummated the U.S. economy tanked faster than sales of Rush Limbaugh Web site subscriptions at a birthday bash for Al Gore.

A second reason is there is a good chance the board chairman of an active chamber  will be placed smack in the middle of explaining and/or justifying a controversial chamber decision. For example, the chamber in the next 12 months might be asked to support an up to $40 million package of quality of place improvements financed with a short-term sales tax increase and a hamburger tax.

McFarland, like his legendary predecessor at Baldor, Rollie Boreham, doesn’t scare easy. Furthermore, he has taken a liking to Chamber President Paul Harvel. The jury is out as to if Harvel can turn the chamber into an effective organization with a foundation for long-term sustainability, but he has an impressive track record and is probably one of the top 10 most respected chamber executives in the country. (Why Harvel decided to take on the challenge of reinvigorating the Fort Smith chamber instead of taking a well-deserved and uber-comfortable retirement is a bigger mystery than why McFarland is the chamber chairman.)

“I’m here because of the leadership change,” McFarland revealed Friday morning. It was the first public confirmation that a key member of the Fort Smith business community was pleased with the chamber’s progress following the departure of former chamber president Tom Manskey.

McFarland further revealed that Baldor chose not to participate in the 2003 effort by the chamber that eventually raised about $4 million to support economic development efforts and chamber programs. Why no support? Because someone representing the chamber showed up in Baldor’s blue-collar manufacturing executive offices back in 2003 saying the chamber needed the money to move the local economy away from blue-collar jobs, McFarland explained. That’s like showing up at the local Baptist church seeking money to burn Bibles.

But that was then.

“I think we find ourselves in a very good position,” McFarland said after praising the past few months of work by Harvel, outgoing board chairman Roger Meek Jr., the chamber division chairs and the chamber staff.

Improving that position involves two of McFarland’s three self-imposed goals for his one-year term as chamber.

The chamber, according to McFarland and several of the other chamber division chairs who spoke Friday morning, needs to again raise money to support economic development efforts. But McFarland pledged the new funds will go for job recruitment and not to support ongoing or new chamber programs.

Another goal is to pursue the notion to create a regional economic development alliance. This is possibly a Harvel-driven goal. Harvel is credited as being part of a Little Rock leadership group that created a functioning alliance of chambers and communities in central Arkansas near the end of this more than 20 years as president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

McFarland appears to see his one-year term as chamber chairman as a chance to get the community more engaged in state and federal politics. His most interesting and animated moments Friday morning involved political commentary. His top goal among his three goals is to develop and implement a governmental affairs program at the federal level.

“We’ve (the Fort Smith area) been underrepresented at the state level and at the federal level,” McFarland said, saying that improved federal connections could help secure money for Interstate 49 and the U.S. Marshals Museum project. “We also need them to stop doing some of the things they (Congress) are doing.”

Continuing, McFarland noted he should not make further comment, but then confidently barged ahead in wondering if people “get a lobotomy when they go to Washington.” The audience responded with laughter and heads nodding in the affirmative.

Attempting to keep the chamber centered, McFarland quickly responded by affirming the chamber will “be very careful to be non-political” in its efforts to improve connections in Washington and Little Rock.

To that point, McFarland opened his comments by noting it was so cold Friday morning that he saw two politicians with their hands in their own pockets. The laughter continued when McFarland noted that he wanted to say the politicians were Democrats, but his wife told him he shouldn’t single out one party because the Republicans are just as bad.

“So don’t tell my wife I said anything about Democrats,” McFarland said through a grin.

There were few grins years ago in that civic club meeting when Mahony was arguing his case for a $200 million expansion of Lake Fort Smith.

In the mid- to late-1990s, the crowd of folks uncomfortable with big ideas was larger than it is today. Mahony had a tough time convincing folks of the economic feasibility and community benefits — we hadn’t yet heard of and overused the “quality of place” catch-all phrase — of an expanded Lake Fort Smith. Now, with an expanded lake that promises 10 more years of meeting water supply needs than originally expected and home to a beautiful and expanding state park, it’s easy to forget the leadership struggles required to make it happen.

McFarland’s grin and edge and passion may be what Harvel is after. Harvel seems to have high expectations for this community and the chamber, and his decades of experience tell him such expectations often require leaders who aren’t afraid to get in the ring.

If Friday morning is any guide, McFarland’s term will be fun to watch, relatively fearless and potentially fruitful.

Or maybe that’s wishful thinking. It’s always possible we end 2010 with me being the damned liar in the room.