Opinion

The Heartland and the Delta

Now we’re not just located in the Delta, but we’re also in the Heartland. Congress in 2000 created the Delta Regional Authority, the agency whose mission is to help improve…

Maps and globes

I’m a big fan of Seth Godin’s work. Seth is an author, entrepreneur, and most of all, a teacher. His one-liner bio simply reads “30 years of projects.” He’s written…

What you should know about Arkansas’ growing apprenticeship efforts

Under the leadership of Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the number of apprentices in Arkansas has increased from roughly 3,200 apprentices in 2015 to over 6,300 in 2019. Now, these aren’t all…

Cyber attacks: Think damages

Hackers are finding it more and more difficult to compromise larger enterprises and are shifting their attention elsewhere. Guess where they are lurking now? It may surprise you to know…

Open enrollment begins: What you need to know about health insurance

At AFMC, we know how important it is to have health insurance. If you need medical attention, insurance protects you against expensive costs and you can focus on getting well….

A son of integration remembers John Walker

Sometimes in political reporting, you just get lucky. You’re in the right place at the right time. I sat down on August 1, 2019 for a lengthy public conversation with…

Riff Raff: The return of Jerry Mack

There were several hundred folks at Jerry Mack Garrison’s funeral. Few there knew him. But he was a Lamar kid and most of us grew up there and we know…

Wealth building basics for young professionals

One of the things I enjoy sharing with young professionals are steps to consider to help them start their financial journey to reach a successful end result. Each person has…

Wealth-based taxation would change financial advice

With our national debt recently passing $22 trillion, politicians are searching for ways to fund existing and new government programs. Democratic presidential candidates such as U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and…

Workforce development for every Arkansas student

If I had 20 minutes with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, I would explain how we lift Arkansas out of poverty in two generations. In Arkansas, we invest more than $150,000 in…

Mistakes business owners make

In my role as a management consultant working for nearly 40 years with owners of architecture and engineering firms throughout the U.S., and as an executive in-residence teaching entrepreneurship in…

My 50 years of Delta reflection

There’s nothing like a class reunion to put one into a reflective mood. My first thought was gosh, it doesn’t seem like it has been half a century since they…

Women leaders have helped build Northeast Arkansas

Sept. 10 was a highlight of the year as 10 women were recognized by Talk Business & Politics as Northeast Arkansas Women in Business. Some would say, “I know we…

Seeds are planted at A-State Innovate, but seed money still needed

Arkansas State University Innovation System — A-State Innovate — is an entrepreneurial and industrial resource operated as a part of the Delta Center for Economic Development. The goal is to…

Congressional redistricting: 10 years of political change

For the last 10 years, Arkansas’ population has been slowly growing, becoming more suburban, and shifting from the southeast to the northwest. The effects have been broad and obvious. But…

Tax reform continues: A spotlight on Arkansas

With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in late 2017, most of the talk regarding tax reform has focused on the changes to the federal tax…

The LRSD reconstitution framework is a responsible path forward

Being responsible isn’t easy. In deliberating the future of the Little Rock School District (LRSD), responsibility is a key consideration of the Arkansas Board of Education. People generally agree on…

A unified path exists for Little Rock schools

Regardless whether you believe the education policy underlying the framework proposed by the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Education Commissioner is sound, the reality is that this plan…

Selling Arkansas overseas

Today I want to report on my current international trip as I make the case that Arkansas is a great place to do business. This trip has taken me to…

Rigged in your favor

One of my favorite people is Arianna Huffington, the creator of The Huffington Post and successful in multiple business ventures. While starting The Huffington Post, Arianna passed out from exhaustion,…