Area Mayors Talk About Keys To Regional Success at Tomorrow's Leadership Seminar

ROGERS -- Northwest Arkansas mayors talked about communication, leadership and relationships at a conference Thursday.

"Folks moving into this area don't have any idea where the city boundaries are," said Mayor Greg Hines of Rogers. "We don't need to compete with each other, and we all don't need to have everything."

Mayors Bob McCaslin of Bentonville, Doug Sprouse of Springdale and John Mark Turner of Siloam Springs joined Hines during the Tomorrow's Leaders of Northwest Arkansas conference. A personal matter prevented Lioneld Jordan, Fayetteville mayor, from attending.

The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce's decision to hold its annual event at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers is an example of regionalism, said event emcee Blake Woolsey, senior vice president of Mitchell Communications Group.

"I want to commend the chamber because they wanted to make this a regional conference and were willing to take it outside of Fayetteville," she said.

Steve Clark, chamber president and chief executive officer, said about 400 people from business, government and nonprofit organizations attended the event designed to help leaders succeed. The conference drew 320 attendees last year.

"We believe in leadership," Clark said. "And we can't have economic development without strong leadership."

McCaslin said each city has multiple strengths that need to be used and highlighted. He pointed to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in Springdale, Crystal Bridges in Bentonville and shopping in Rogers as examples.

"We all play on each other success," he said.

Turner agreed, saying it's important for towns to develop and sell their uniqueness.

Hines said he remembers talk of regionalism as far back as 1999, but at that time it was all just talk. Projects such as the Razorback Greenway, a 36-mile trail that will run from north Bentonville to south Fayetteville, and work of the Northwest Arkansas Council are bringing communities together. The council is a private, nonprofit organization that collaborates with business and civic leaders to work on regional economic development, community vitality, educational excellence and infrastructure.

"We are not just blowing smoke, and we do support each other," Sprouse said, recounting a time when area mayors and chambers of commerce worked together to promote Northwest Arkansas, and not just the individual cities, to a company looking for a new site.

"That project did not come through, but there will be a lot more opportunities," he said.

High-tech jobs and health care are two areas of potential growth, the mayors said.

McCaslin said Northwest Arkansas has the three things an area needs to grow: employment opportunities, excellent educational system and good quality of life.

"We are ready for anything," Turner said.

The conference featured keynote speaker David Horsager, author of "The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships and a Stronger Bottom Line." It also offered breakout sessions in communication, leadership and relationships. The mayors spoke in the leadership area.

Alex Baldwin, an agent for State Farm Insurance and Financial Services in Fayetteville, said he attended Tomorrow's Leaders both years because he enjoys hearing experts talk about leadership.

He attended a breakout session on communication by motivational speaker and author Kim Hodous of Fayetteville. Baldwin said she talked about the importance of body language and using specific words.

"It reinforces what you know and is a good reminder to put it into practice," he said.

NW News on 03/14/2014