Chair of Easterseals gala gets friend's help for his big finale

Sheffield Nelson is chairing Easterseals Arkansas’ 2019 Arkansan of the Year gala May 9 at the Little Rock Marriott. It marks the seventh time he has chaired the event. Nelson was the 2010 recipient of the award.
Sheffield Nelson is chairing Easterseals Arkansas’ 2019 Arkansan of the Year gala May 9 at the Little Rock Marriott. It marks the seventh time he has chaired the event. Nelson was the 2010 recipient of the award.

Sheffield Nelson is hoping seven is his lucky number.

On May 9, Nelson will chair his seventh -- and his final -- Arkansan of the Year gala for Easterseals Arkansas and he hopes to raise $500,000. This year's honoree is his friend Walter E. Hussman Jr., chairman of WEHCO Media Inc., the parent company of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Nelson himself is a recipient of the award. The two-time gubernatorial candidate, lawyer and former president and chief executive officer of Arkla Inc. was presented the award in 2010.

He also is part of a small group of business leaders who decide each year's Arkansan of the Year. He says he tried to talk Hussman into accepting the award in the past, but the newspaperman didn't want to be "pushed out as a high profile person."

"When he said yes, that tickled me immensely because he really deserves it and he has always given to us in all of the years that I have chaired the event," Nelson says. "He's given us a lot of publicity, a lot of free press and he has given us money. Walter was right on line to come in and is a real good one to follow Bill Dillard."

William T. Dillard II, chairman and CEO of Dillard's Inc., received the honor in 2018.

In 1986, Walter Smiley, founder of Systematics Inc., was the award's first recipient.

"Mr. Hussman was chosen for his business leadership through the years as well as his philanthropic endeavors," says Jillian Jacuzzi, marketing and public relations coordinator for Easterseals Arkansas. "The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has always been a big supporter of ours."

Nelson met Hussman in the 1970s when Nelson headed Arkla and Hussman and his family bought the Arkansas Democrat.

"I've got to observe him as one of the finest businessmen I've ever known," he says. "But I've also got to run into him in the community. He has done a tremendous amount with various organizations with his emphasis on education. He has done a lot to help education in Arkansas and done a lot to help the state in general through the great newspaper that he puts out."

"When I go visit other cities and states and see the various newspapers they put out and compare them to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, there's just no comparison," Nelson adds. "This is a fine newspaper and I hope it will be here for many years to come just as it has been from the time Walter and his family bought it."

Hussman's father, Walter Hussman Sr., was publisher of the Camden News. His grandfather, C.E. Palmer, was publisher of the Texarkana Gazette. In 1974, Palmer Newspapers bought the afternoon Arkansas Democrat and Hussman, then 27, became publisher. Hussman switched the Democrat to a morning paper in 1979 and directly took on the rival Arkansas Gazette.

The newspaper war ended in 1991 when Gannett, then owner of the Gazette, closed the Gazette and Hussman bought the assets, merging the two newspapers into the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

"I never thought I would be named Arkansan of the Year," Hussman said last month at an event announcing the honor. "I have always supported Easterseals because I know they are the premier organization in America that helps kids with disabilities. A lot of kids with disabilities will grow up and have productive lives, and I am glad this institution helps make that happen."

Nelson and his wife, Mary Lynn, are longtime supporters of Easterseals. He says he got involved after witnessing the work Easterseals does for children and adults. The mission of Easterseals is to empower children and adults with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

About 10 years ago, Mary Lynn -- an artist -- brought the A.R.T. (Artistic Realization Technologies) program to Easterseals Arkansas. A.R.T. provides hands-on creative expression for children and adults with limited use of their arms and hands. The artists use "trackers" and a laser attached to a headpiece or other methods to create paintings. The trackers are volunteers who become the hands and arms of the artists. Mary Lynn trained the trackers to work with the clients.

Between 700 and 750 people are expected to attend the Arkansan of the Year gala. By the end of the second week of April more than $300,000 had been raised through corporate sponsors and ticket sales. Nelson hopes to raise around $500,000 through the event.

In its early years, the event would raise less than $100,000. That changed in 2009 when Nelson, as chairman, convinced his friend Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to accept the award.

"I said I would do it if I could change the format and see if we could make more money because $100,000 was simply not enough," he says of his agreement to chair the 2009 event. "So we changed it with Jerry being an excellent person to put out there, who people wanted to see and visit with. We were able to fill the house up and we made the most we've ever made -- around $500,000.

"From that time on we've had very successful years," he says. "We are already at $300,000 plus with Walter. We are going to have a very successful event with Walter Hussman."

During his first six years as chairman, Nelson says, the event raised a total of about $2.7 million for Easterseals. After he finishes chairing his seventh event, Nelson says, he is retiring from the duty.

"I am 78 years old. I am not 40 years old anymore."

Easterseals Arkansas' 2019 Arkansan of the Year gala is at 6 p.m. May 9 at the Little Rock Marriott. More information is available at easterseals.com/arkansas/.

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/JOHN SYKES JR.

Sheffield Nelson is — once again — chairing Easterseals Arkansas’ 2019 Arkansan of the Year gala, honoring his friend Walter E. Hussman Jr., chairman of WEHCO Media Inc., the parent company of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The event is May 9 at the Little Rock Marriott.

High Profile on 04/21/2019

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