SPRINGDALE -- Attorney General Leslie Rutledge was among the more than 450 people to attend the annual "Chickin, Peelin' and Politickin'" event co-hosted by Tyson Foods and the Springdale Chamber of Commerce at the Arvest Ballpark on Thursday night.
"It's the biggest similar event outside of the Coon Supper," said state auditor Andrea Lea, when asked why she attended. Lea referred to the Gillett Coon Supper in east Arkansas, one of the state's oldest and largest low-key gathering of state business and political leaders.
The Springdale event is an informal gathering where political leaders from both the state and local level can mingle with business and community leaders.
"We've had a lot of support from the community and from the state, and this is a great opportunity to meet with them," said James M. Phillips, chairman and CEO of NanoMech, a nanotechnology firm. His company wouldn't exist without a good working relationship with the rest of the community and the state's political leaders, the kind of relationships built at events like Thursday's get-together, he said. For example, the state's been vital in supporting nanotechnology research at the University of Arkansas. "Springdale's been the perfect location for us," he said.
Northwest Arkansas isn't only vital to the state but to the rest of the world, as a food source, Rutledge said at the event. Protecting the poultry and other industries here is vital, she said.
State Rep. Lance Eads, R-Springdale, is both a chamber official and a state senator-elect. He said the outdoor dinner and social gathering was important to election officials and businessmen because it was a "casual chance to interact and network" for people who usually get together only at government meetings or conferences to discuss something specific or take formal action. Thursday's event allow them to discover shared interests in a more relaxed, open setting.
"Everyone seems to want to come back," Eads said. Perry Webb, chamber president, said the event had about 450 present, near last year's record of more than 500.
Lea said it was also an opportunity to conduct state business. Springdale, for instance, and a local, private business were each owed unclaimed property administered by her office. The state auditor's responsible for finding the true owners of assets such as abandoned bank accounts and safe deposit boxes.
Lea was able to hand-deliver assets to those rightful owners before coming to the event that evening. "People think the 'Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt' is just for individuals, but businesses and government entities are eligible too," she said.
NW News on 09/16/2016