Forty Under 40: Michael Clark

Michael Clark, 39, said he’s always become a life-long salesman for the companies where he’s worked.

A military kid, Clark moved a lot but called Little Rock home. He graduated in 1988 from Southwest Missouri State with a degree in public relations. After interning with Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., he took a marketing job for Up With People, the international nonprofit that promotes diversity.

Clark traveled the world but settled in at production management firm Bylites Inc. of Little Rock. There he managed accounts like the Southern Living Home tour, presidential campaign events and ESPN’s Fright Night boxing shows. He was the stage manager for President Clinton’s election night acceptance speech in 1992.

Clark later developed and edited the Village Life newsletter for Cooper Communities. He was operations manager for the Hugg & Hall equipment company from 1996 to 2002. That’s when he joined public relations and marketing firm Sells/Clark to help serve its growing Northwest Arkansas accounts.

The accredited professional serves as president of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and volunteers for a variety of church and youth causes. He also collects old telephones.