Northwest Arkansas Council 4100 Corporate Center Drive, Suite 205, Springdale, Arkansas 72762 2012-2013 Annual Report www.nwacouncil.org Members Jay Allen, Jay Allen Communications Peter Lane, Walton Arts Center Rick Allen, Allen Canning Company Randy Laney, Empire District Electric Co. Don Bacigalupi, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Randy Lawson, Lawco Exploration Dick Barclay, Beall Barclay Greg Lee, Tyson Foods (retired) Susan Barrett, Consultant Jim Lindsey, Lindsey Management Co., Inc. Rick Barrows, Multi-Craft Contractors, Inc. Jef Long, University of Arkansas Nef Basore, Cooper Communities, Inc. Bill Mathews, McDonalds of Northwest Arkansas Fadil Bayyari, Bayyari Construction and Properties David Matthews, Matthews, Campbell, Rhoads, McClure & Thompson Rob Boaz, Carroll Electric Cooperative Corp. Wayne Mays, Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce Ed Bradberry, B & B Resources Tim McFarland, Elevate Bill Bradley, Washington Regional Medical Center Dan McKay, Northwest Health System Rosalind Brewer, Sam’s Club Jef Milford, AEP SWEPCO Mary Beth Brooks, Bank of Fayetteville Elise Mitchell, Mitchell Communications Group Tim Broughton, McKee Foods Mike Moss, Moss Financial Group John Brown III, Windgate Foundation Becky Paneitz, NorthWest Arkansas Community College Frank Broyles, University of Arkansas Neal Pendergraft, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation Raymond Burns, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce Gene Pharr, Arkansas Farm Bureau Wayne Callahan, H.J. Heinz Company Buddy Philpot, Walton Family Foundation Steve Clark, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Chip Pollard, John Brown University Ed Cliford, The Jones Trust Ken Reeves, FedEx Freight John Cooper III, Cooper Communities Inc. John Roberts, J. B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Dana Davis, Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce Reynie Rutledge, First Security Bank Rich Davis, SourceGas Arkansas Maggie Sans, Walmart Stores Tommy Deweese, AEP SWEPCO (retired) Nick Santoleri, Rockline Industries Lee DuChanois, APAC-Central, Inc. Archie Schafer, Tyson Foods Eric Edelstein, Rich Baseball Operations Charles Scharlau, Southwestern Energy John Elrod, Conner & Winters Jef Schomburger, Procter & Gamble Danny Ferguson, Southwestern Energy Anita Scism, Endeavor Foundation Greg Fogle, Nabholz Construction Services Lee Scott, Walmart Stores Cathy Foraker, AT&T Mark Simmons, Simmons Foods Alan Fortenberry, Beaver Water District Steve Staford, 1st National Bank of Green Forest Wallace Fowler, Liberty Bank of Arkansas Cameron Smith, Cameron Smith Associates Ed Fryar, Ozark Mountain Poultry Scott Street, Mercy Health Systems of Northwest Arkansas G. David Gearhart, University of Arkansas Philip Taldo, Weichert Realtors, The Grifn Company Stan Green, Lindsey Green Properties Jim Taylor, First Security Bank Mary Ann Greenwood, Greenwood Gearhart Inc. Kirk Thompson, J. B. Hunt Transport Services. Scott Grigsby, Arvest Bank Group Kenny Tomlin, Rockfish Interactive John Paul Hammerschmidt, former U.S. Congressman Walter Turnbow, Beaver Water District (retired) Howard Hamilton, Liberty Bank of Arkansas John Tyson, Tyson Foods Gary Head, Signature Bank of Arkansas Scott Van Laningham, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Dan Hendrix, Arkansas World Trade Center Eddie Vega, EZ Spanish Media Tom Hopper, Crafton Tull & Associates Jerry Vest, Regions Bank of NWA Dina Howell, Saatchi & Saatchi X Fred Vorsanger, UAMS AHEC Board Dennis Hunt, Stephens Alice Walton, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Walter Hussman, WEHCO Media Inc. Jim Walton, Arvest Bank Group Mitchell Johnson, Ozark Electric Cooperative Corp. Rob Walton, Walmart Stores Eli Jones, University of Arkansas Perry Webb, Springdale Chamber of Commerce Robert Jones III, Conner & Winters John White, University of Arkansas James Keenan, The Raven Foundation Wayne Woods, Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods Jef Koenig, Upchurch Electrical Supply Company Dean Worley, Dillard’s Department Stores Peter Kohler, UAMS Northwest Charles Zimmerman, Walmart Stores Bob Lamb, Consultant Randy Zook, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce 2 NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 19 John Tyson, the 2012-2013 presiding co-chair of the Northwest Arkansas Council, is chairman of the board at Tyson Foods. He was chairman and CEO of the company from 1999-2006. Mr. Tyson also served as the Council's presiding co-chair in 2007-2008. Mark Simmons, the 2013-2014 presiding co-chair of the Northwest Arkansas Council, is chairman of the board at Simmons Foods. He has served as chairman and CEO of the company since 1987. Mr. Simmons serves as Chairman of the steering committee for the Greater Northwest Arkansas Development Strategy. Ofcers of the Council Position Held Ofcer Presiding Co-Chair (2012-2013) John Tyson Presiding Co-Chair (2013-2014) Mark Simmons The World Trade Center Arkansas is located in a thriving retail area west of Interstate 540 in Rogers. Opened in 2007, the center helps Arkansas Past Presiding Co-Chair (2011-2012) G. David Gearhart companies do business around the globe. Vice Chair Scott Van Laningham Secretary / Treasurer Mark Simmons Table of Contents Chair Emeritus Alice Walton Entrepreneurs 4 Chair Emeritus John Paul Hammerschmidt Northwest Arkansas creates excellent environment for new, rising companies EnergizeNWA 6 EnergizeNWA sets out to make healthy choice into easy choice Members of the Executive Committee BRE Update 8 Type of Appointment 2012-2013 Companies expect to provide 965 jobs, increase payroll (term of appointment) Executive Committee Presiding Co-Chair John Tyson Mid-Point Review 10 (1-year term) Council on course toward 55 actions; mid-point review on the agenda Vice Chair Scott Van Laningham (indefinite term) Graduate NWA 12 New program sets out to increase college degrees Secretary / Treasurer Mark Simmons (indefinite term) RazorCOACH 13 President of NWA Perry Webb Team helps 323 students in first year; two years to go Chambers of Commerce (through January 2014) Infrastructure 14 Co-Chair’s Appointees Rick Barrows Council plays key role in sharing Issue No. 1 facts with voters (1-year term) Cathy Foraker Nominating Committee Becky Paneitz Honorary Lifetime Members 17 Representative #1 (3-year term) (term expires in 2014) Clinton, Walton, and Hammerschmidt honored by Northwest Arkansas Council Nominating Committee Cameron Smith Leadership 18 Representative #2 (3-year term) (term expires in 2013) Transition puts one of region’s top businessmen in charge for 2013-2014 Nominating Committee Chip Pollard Representative #3 (3-year term) (term expires in 2015) Members 19 Council’s members include region’s top business, civic leaders 18 NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT 3 Entrepreneurs Life Members Northwest Arkansas Creates Excellent Honorary Lifetime Members Environment for New, Rising Companies Northwest Arkansas is on a good course for startups, and mentoring and expertise to help entrepreneurs with new outsiders are starting to notice the region’s fast developing technology companies that support retail, logistics, and food The Northwest entrepreneurial support system. processing become successful long-term businesses. Arkansas Council Evidence of that arrived in a single week this spring when “When we looked at our two-year proposal, part of our has three people three out-of-state venture capital firms invested nearly $100 proposal was to create 60 jobs,” said Balleza Collins, who said The who were million in three Northwest Arkansas companies. ARK Challenge is on course to meet the 60-job goal. “We’re The region is also successfully building on the regional, continuing to create these jobs. We count that as a win. People selected as national, and international success achieved by startup companies have options to come here from other places, and they are honorary lifetime mentored by Carol Reeves in the University of Arkansas graduate staying here because they see opportunities.” members of the entrepreneurship program. Reeves’ program is one of the most Members of the second ARK Challenge class were announced organization. successful graduate launchpads for scalable ventures in the this month. The 10 teams selected will present at Demo Day on nation. This year, four of her teams received numerous business Sept. 5 where they’ll describe what they accomplished, show of plan competition wins, and two — HomeDX and Picasolar — their work to potential investors, and try to win one of the two received early-stage $150,000 top prizes, Balleza Bill Clinton Alice Walton John Paul Hammerschmidt investments. Collins said. The region as a whole is In addition to The ARK The Arkansas governor was The first chair of the Northwest Hammerschmidt served in the building the kind of Challenge, there’s also elected U.S. president in 1992 Arkansas Council’s Executive U.S. House of Representatives economic assistance and business expansion and and served two terms. In 2010, Committee when the from 1967-1993 and become the mentorship that small growth assistance coming former President Clinton was organization started in 1990, Council’s chairman soon after company founders didn’t find from Innovate Arkansas, an named the Council’s first Walton founded Crystal Bridges leaving Congress. He served as in Northwest Arkansas just a Arkansas Economic honorary lifetime member. Museum of American Art in 2011. the Council’s chair for 13 years. few years ago. Development Commission- She was named an honorary He became an honorary lifetime Jef Amerine, the supported efort