Ep. 5 - Back to Give Back: From UCA to Arkansas Children’s

A single thank-you call can change a career. That’s where Corey Hufty first felt the spark that would guide her from UCA grad to executive director of philanthropy for Arkansas Children’s in Northwest Arkansas, translating generosity into real outcomes for kids and families.

We walk through Corey’s path with open notes: the professors who widened her world, the sorority project that introduced her to service, and the hospice mentor who taught her that fundraising is about facilitating impact, not asking for cash. From there, we delve into lessons learned at TheatreSquared during a once-in-a-century disruption, exploring how the arts reduce loneliness, build community, and even enhance bedside communication through a partnership with the Alice Walton School of Medicine. It’s a clear thread in NWA: when arts, healthcare, and business collaborate, solutions scale.

Then we turn to the work at hand. Arkansas Children’s is expanding in Northwest Arkansas with new inpatient and outpatient capacity, an enhanced infusion and hematology-oncology clinic, and the recruitment of 30 providers, bringing specialty care closer to home so families don’t have to shoulder long drives and extra costs. Corey makes the case that every $20 gift matters in an $82.7M campaign, especially as uncompensated care rises. Philanthropy fills critical gaps, keeps care accessible, and turns community values into measurable outcomes.

We also talk about the culture that makes this region special: leaders who model giving, volunteers who run like pros, and a networking climate where a simple hello can change your trajectory. Corey shares practical advice for young professionals and UCA alumni on building cross-industry connections that lead to real partnerships, and why NWA’s welcoming energy makes it easier to start.

If you care about children’s health, the power of the arts, or how communities rally to build what’s next, you’ll find plenty to take back to your team. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves NWA, and leave a review to help more listeners discover the stories shaping our region.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:01

This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast. I'm your host, Paul Gatling, and we are bringing the University of Central Arkansas to Northwest Arkansas. Each episode, we will talk with leaders, alumni, and innovators driving this region forward. People who are shaping industries and defining what is next for our state. Let's get started. Welcome into another edition of Central to NWA, a UCA podcast. I'm Paul Gatling, your host here in Northwest Arkansas. And today, uh really excited about our guest to have Corey Hufty. She is the executive director of philanthropy for Arkansas Children's in Northwest Arkansas. Corey, really appreciate you being here, and it's good to see you.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's great to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yeah, you and I have uh cross paths uh a few times in our in our previous um business career, me at the Business Journal and you at Theater Squared and now Arkansas Children. So uh I'm excited to have you in studio today.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:02

So um first before we get into what you're you're doing now and and your role that you stepped into this past summer, um, you know, I just want to what's one thing that that has stood out to you early on in your um your second go-around at Arkansas Children's, and we'll get into that uh later in the program. But you started at Arkansas Children's in June. So six months in. Give me your give

Six Months Leading Philanthropy

SPEAKER_01 1:24

me your scorecard so far.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Six months in, it's incredible. I have been absolutely blown away by the team at the Arkansas Children's Foundation. There's about 50 team members in total, and they are all brilliant experts. So I go to work every day, and not only am I, you know, executing some of the projects that I'm personally working on, but I'm also just surrounded by experts, and I feel really fortunate. I've got a solid team that I'm working with here, where there's um going to be eight of us in total here in Northwest, and we're just rocking and roll.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Yeah, it sounds like you've learned the landscape and met a ton of people, and uh I'm excited to talk about that and your work and what you do and uh and get into it.

UCA Roots And Campus Community

SPEAKER_01 2:04

So, well, first let's uh rewind a little bit and let's go back to uh your UCA class of 2006. Uh so a proud uh alum of the university. What brought you to UCA originally? You know, what what brought 18-year-old uh Corey Gilmore uh from Lake Hamilton High School in uh in Pearcy, right outside of Hot Springs, right? Tell me the circumstances of how you you wound up in Conway at UCA.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yeah, so um, you know, the short version of the story is that um I was a I was a high school kid that needed financial support. So UCA offered a scholarship, and that paired with student loans made college possible for me. But I will say what kept me at UCA was um, you know, I spent a lot of time thinking back on that experience. And what really kept me there was the amazing professors that I had, the community that they've built there. Um, you feel like you're not just another face in the crowd. You um, you know, you develop real close relationships with your professors. They're looking out for you, they want you to succeed. So that I think is what meant so much to me. And of course, you know, I also built some great friendships while I was there too.

SPEAKER_01 3:14

Yeah, and uh I think mass communications and political science was your uh your double major there. That's a fun combination. What uh what was on your mind uh with that right there?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, well, I started off in mass communications and I really enjoyed it. And I initially had political science as my undergrad. And as I was taking more and more classes, I realized that I I could actually spend another year um focusing on political science and ended up um with a focus on international relations. And what was incredible to me was that I really at that point in my life hadn't ever been surrounded by people who could really um kind of broaden my worldview. They helped me understand what was happening um, you know, across the world in a way that I hadn't ever thought of before. Um, so that I think um, you know, that political science puts together um economics, history, law. And it was, it was for the first time that I really was able to sort of put all the puzzle pieces in together and realize that um, you know, with a little more focus on political science that I could, you know, possibly move that into more of a career. So that's how that's how I landed that.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

What do you remember about you you said you you recalled the strong community at UCA? What do you remember about your um your campus life? Was there uh was there a Greek component? Were you in any student organizations? You mentioned, you know, a strong group of uh some professors that really stuck with you. What do you just recall about campus life?

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, campus life was so fun. So um, and you look, I just look back on it just with a huge smile on my face. Um, I was paired with um a roommate who I didn't know previously. We were just randomly paired. And I remember she came home after um um she was rushing a sorority. She got her bid into the sorority and she said, There's another sorority that actually has a couple of open spots and they're doing an open bid. And I had honestly no idea what she was talking about. I didn't know any of the language. Um, and she said, you should just go for it. So I did. I she coached me up and um kind of taught me, you know, what are some questions to ask and how to be engaged in the conversation? Um, and so I ended up um rushing

Discovering Philanthropy And Service

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Alpha Sigma Alpha, which was one of the best decisions I think I've I've made. I um through that have held on to some great lifelong best friends, um, many of who that I'm still really close with uh today. So that has been really remarkable.

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Did that maybe in some ways lay the groundwork for this um, you know, this development path that you got on later in career? Because, you know, I think when people think Greek life, they think of Greek life, but there's also the uh the altruistic part of it and the you know service over self part of it that you do that, you know, goes unnoticed, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Yeah, yeah. So their um national philanthropy is special Olympics, and I did have the opportunity to work on a couple of um their events and things. And so that was really my first um understanding of what philanthropy was. I remember not even understanding what that word literally meant. Um somebody had to say, Oh, you're gonna come and volunteer for this nonprofit. And I was like, Oh, that sounds incredible. So um, so yeah, I think that really was kind of my my first experience with that.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

I think most college students, I know I would if somebody asked me this question, they if you asked them that one professor that stands out that really kind of put you on a trajectory. Do you have a person in mind? Is there somebody that kind of stands out from your undergrad career?

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Yeah, I had a couple of exceptional, um exceptional professors. One I'll mention in particular, Dr. Mark Mullenbach. Um, he, I felt like was, and I I'm not even sure. Um, let's see how to explain this. He was so engaged, and I feel like he was so intentional with his students and really wanting to make sure that they understood the material, that they were set up for success. Um, you know, some of the the just the overall learn understanding what political science is, some of it is challenging. And it's in philosophy and all sorts of things. And so he was able to um explain it in a way that for uh, you know, still a kid, um trying to learn how to navigate the world and ask all the big questions, um, he really set it up in a way that I felt like was more easy for me to absorb in that time of my life.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

So Mark Mollenbach. Okay, well, I hope he'll be glad to hear me. All right. So you you go from learning out what the word philanthropy actually means and stands for to um, you know, that some maybe thinking of this is my lane, maybe this may be my career. Let's go back uh to when you were in Little Rock, you know, a decade ago and doing this type of work for uh first uh for Arkansas children's. And then I think before that it was um uh Arkansas Hospice. Um so give me, you know, how did how did you get into this type of career? How did you get into this work to make it your your professional life?

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah. So

Early Career And First Fundraising Wins

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I actually started off um right after college working in politics. And um I did that for a couple of years and realized that um, you know, while I have a real interest in politics and current events, that that probably wasn't gonna be the path that was for me. I, you know, was one of those kind of you sort of see behind the curtain and realize that um that that you know there's other other ways that I think I wanted to contribute to society overall. And so um, so yeah, I that was my first step. And then after that, I was at Museum of Discovery for a little while. Um, and then I went and actually got a master's degree in um public administration. Um, and then from there, I think one of the most transformative experiences I had was working for Arkansas Hospice. That was my first experience. Um, that was my first experience in fundraising. I started off as a communications manager and my super as supervisor at the time, her name is Renee Rule. Um, she, I think, saw something in me and took me under her wing and offered me a position on the fundraising team. And that was the first time that I just I was hooked. Um I'll tell you a story real quick. Um I remember she would come and invite me to sit in her office and listen while she made thank you phone calls to donors to thank them for their donation and just say, thank you, Mr. Smith. We are so thrilled that you gave $1,000 today. Do you have any idea how transformational this gift is to our organization? And she was just bursting at the seams with celebration and love for um for the organization. And I, you know, and in that process, you know, the donor ends up telling about why they were um so compelled to give. And then by the end of the phone call, everybody's in tears and everybody feels great. And I was, I realized that that is something that I want to be a part of.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

Wow. That sounds like that really did stick with you to kind of open your eyes. So from there, um, what were the circumstances that led you for the first time in your career to the Arkansas Children's Foundation uh working in Little Rock?

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Yeah, so I had heard, you know, I had um attended some fundraising professionals meetings, um, and I had heard that the fundraising team at Arkansas Children's was essentially the premier place to learn how to fundraise at the highest possible level. So um, whenever the opportunity presented itself um to go and work there, I I jumped at it. And um it was it was remarkable.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

So I was reading some of your career highlights about uh one and a half million dollars in 2019, 500 volunteers. Tell me about that. How does I hear 500 volunteers and I think, my goodness, that is an event planning. That's event planning and wrangling that and getting that all together. Tell me that story. How did that come together?

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Yeah, so um during that time, I was working with the um auxiliary, which is a group of women and but the this was based in Little Rock, and they are they're volunteers, but they are rock star fundraisers. They are so committed to the organization. They are event planners,

Lessons From Volunteers And Events

SPEAKER_00 11:05

they um are errand runners, they go and pick up silent auction items, they set very, very high standards for themselves. And just being able to support the work that they were doing was amazing. Um, I feel, and a lot of them are still my friends now. Um, you know, whenever you're working on special events together, you really get to know each other at a very deep level. Um, you know, the stress and fun of it all comes together. And so yeah, that was that was a great experience.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah, the stress and the fun are kind of like go hand in hand when you get into it. What is something else that maybe people don't realize about philanthropy um until you're right in the middle of it and you're you're you know you've you've grown your career there from uh the museum and and hospice and now at Arkansas Children's. Um, what did you learn in those early first few years once you were involved in it?

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Yeah, so I think you know, people often will say, I could never ask people for money. And while that's part of it, the true, the true role that I have is a facilitator for the impact that they want to make. You know, so many, so many donors, they've come to me and said, you know, I I have, you know, $100 and I want to leave a legacy and, you know, I want to make an impact. Tell me, you know, and then I get the opportunity to share all about the amazing work, um, the mission that the organization is accomplishing, and really get to tout the the people who make that mission happen every day. So I feel like I'm the sort of the facilitator and sort of the the um the sherpa to help to help make it happen. Um so I think that's probably a big misconception. Um so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Do you miss living in Little Rock? Do you like it?

SPEAKER_00 12:46

I loved Little Rock. I think Little Rock is fantastic. It it was a it was a great place, um, especially in my um mid-20s. You know, the music scene there is great, the food scene there is great. Um, I really uh had an

Fundraising Misconceptions And Purpose

SPEAKER_00 12:58

amazing neighborhood. We lived in Hillcrest. Um, I loved the community aspect of it.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

So there's a lot of things about it that's yeah, and you were also involved um in a community sense. I think you had a lot of some junior league uh involvement, which I think you've continued up here today, but um how important was that to you to get involved?

SPEAKER_00 13:15

I would say that was probably one of the biggest um one of the biggest decisions that I made in terms of contributing to my leadership skills, because when you're working for working with an organization of women and you're all solely focused on doing great work, and it's one of those no-ego kind of situations. Everybody's learning as they go. Um, you are a volunteer, so you know, if you have to get up and speak, if you are holding a meeting, that's where I gained a lot of those skills, you know, how to work closely with a team of 15 people who all have different ideas of the direction the way things need to go. And um, that to me, I was I had the opportunity of, you know, serving on the board in a couple of different roles. And I think um, and again, learning from the people who are amazing leaders in their own right, you know, various community leaders. So it was great. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

All right. So let's go to the year 2020. Uh, we all

TheaterSquared And Arts In A Pandemic

SPEAKER_01 14:12

remember that year. You remember it for maybe something else. You came to Northwest Arkansas with your husband, Evan, also UCA graduate. So talk to us about the circumstances of making your big professional move to Northwest Arkansas.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Yeah. So um I accepted the job um at Theater Squared in December of 2019. And we all know what happened um shortly thereafter. So it was definitely a wild time to, you know, take a new job, move to a new part of the state. Um, but you know, in taking that job, I had no idea that the doors of the theater would close for several months after that. Um, but I also came at an incredible time um during Theater Squared's growth. So they had just opened the building in August of 2019. They had an amazing donor base, people that had supported the organization for the 15 years that they had been there. Um, so I was be able to, you know, organize a team, um, build on this uh incredible success that they had already experienced. Um in that short, you know, in that five-year span that I was there, we um built a solid um annual fund campaign, a robust stewardship program. We created a corporate council, and year over year we were, we continued to build on that. So um I feel fortunate that I got to work with such um an amazing team and um just be part of be part of um the amazing mission there.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Yeah, and I'm sure you've reflected on it this past summer as you change jobs, but just like what you said, what what what a fantastic time to be part of Theater Squared and really that rise. I mean, we've all seen the rise of arts in Northwest Arkansas as a whole. And Theater Squared is a big um name, brand, part of that, really part of the fabric of Northwest Arkansas's art scene. And you were right in the middle of that. I mean, that has to be uh, I'm sure it was bittersweet, but also incredibly rewarding to look back on those five years.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Yeah, absolutely. And and what I came away with was a new and profound respect for artists who are doing the work. So, you know, we get to see the final beautiful um product and it all is perfect, but just being able to work alongside those um amazing artists and technicians every day and see the um the amazing work and the craft that is behind it all um was just really neat. And I came away also just um feeling that art isn't just a nice thing to have because so much it's you know, there's many important nonprofits, so many important causes. Um, and art is another one of those. Theater squared is another one of those. Um, so one thing that I always wanted to hit home was that, you know, the true cost of a ticket at Theater Squared is $125. And um, you know, most people are paying about $40 for a ticket. So the difference is the flant is philanthropy. So when um, you know, when individuals are supporting philanthropy that keeps those tickets affordable or affording or um supporting an organization that keeps tickets affordable. Um, but I think also art is what makes a place worth living in. Um it's what gives the place its character and its soul and sets it apart from any other place that you can live. Um, it's truly the fiber that kind of keeps us all connected. So um, yeah, I'm I'm really proud of that.

SPEAKER_01 17:37

It sounds like you, I mean, you I would think, you know, there are certain principles of philanthropy and fundraising that transfer, whether you're doing it for healthcare, whether you're doing it for the arts. Yeah. Um, but that is, as you probably learn, an entirely different um muscle. Now, you didn't get to do it probably as the way you envisioned because of COVID in 2020. But what did that um fundraising for the arts, what did that that point of your career teach you about what is transferable for philanthropy?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Yeah, I think I think one of my um the main things that it taught me was the importance of community partnerships. Um, and I'll tell you a quick story.

Art, Access, And Community Health

SPEAKER_00 18:15

So um I had done some research on the um social isolation and the loneliness epidemic, and um learned that, you know, by watching a play, um, people feel more connected to um the people sitting in the audience. They feel connected to humanity um as a bigger picture. So I thought, I wonder if there's a way that we can take sort of the science behind um art and the loneliness epidemic and sort of mental health and physical health and put that all together in a panel discussion. And so we brought together some mental health experts, um, some um some physicians, um, local physicians. And the response was I was blown away by the response. The community showed up for the event in a way that I was not expecting. The buzz after the event, people were just overwhelmed with um the conversation and just like having the opportunity to talk about social isolation at a deeper level. Um, and through that, long story short, was that um now Theater Squared has a partnership with the Alice Walton School of Medicine, where they are working together on curriculum that uses theater techniques to better engage with patients and essentially better health outcomes. So amazing stuff. Only in Northwest Arkansas. I got the chills just talking. Yes, I know, exactly. Only in Northwest Arkansas. Um and along with that, we connected with a group called the Vibe Tribe, um, which their whole goal is to fight social isolation. Um, and we got to host events for people in the community connect. So I'm just really um proud of the um the foundation that sort of set. And with that, that put back into my mind, you know, the importance of healthcare. So that sort of was the To my next um step going back into Arkansas Children's Foundation.

Returning To Arkansas Children’s

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Right. Well, you should be proud of that. Great five years there. And uh you make a great segue just for me because that's where we were headed. So you started in June as the executive director of philanthropy for Arkansas Children's here in Northwest Arkansas. So, how did that job transition come about? Tell me the circumstances of how you uh began to pursue this opportunity and land there.

SPEAKER_00 20:25

Yeah, so I I had started um, you know, just thinking about what what were my next steps. And honestly, the the conversation around healthcare just kind of re-sparked my interest in it. And the opportunity kind of um presented itself. It's one of those things I've I feel like throughout my life, most things have happened really serendipitously and just the timing just worked out. And that's kind of when you know it's it's time to make the move. Um, and so yes, I took the job um this summer and um my team, we again, my team is incredible. We oversee um two of our flagship events, which is Will Golf for Kids and Gala of Hope. And then um that also includes um the ACNW Auxiliary, which is uh members of 150 members who organize four different fundraising events um and also have various um volunteer opportunities in the hospital. And um that includes Children's Marical Network Partnership, which is our national partnership with um various companies across the country. And the biggest partner, of course, is our Walmart and Sam's Club partnership. So it is um an incredibly um powerful and important job, and I feel so lucky that I have it.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Yeah, and that hospital is only getting bigger too. Now, you don't work on the construction side at all, do you?

SPEAKER_00 21:45

I don't, I don't, but I can't really anticipating it. Yes, yes, yes.

Expansion Plans And Regional Impact

SPEAKER_00 21:49

But that is that is our primary focus right now for fundraising, is our expansion project. So that is an $82.7 million project. Um, and the first phase of it will be done very soon. Um, it'll also include um 16 new inpatient beds, 30 new outpatient beds, an expanded infusion and hematology and oncology clinic. Plus, um we're looking to recruit 30 new providers. So, you know, expansions always sound fun and they are incredible, and it'll be amazing to see a new building. But the true impact is are going to be the kids of the Northwest Arkansas region who will have better access closer to home. So, you know, right now so many of our patients are driving or flying to Little Rock to receive care. And um, we feel like that's something that we can address with philanthropy. We need more, we need more patients staying here because what happens is when they do have to drive to Little Rock, they're spending money on gas and food and hotels. And it it creates a financial burden that is unsustainable for most families. So this really is a way for um for us to provide the Northwest Arkansas community what it needs next for pediatric health care.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Yeah, you mentioned Little Rock, and for folks who may not know, I mean, Arkansas Children's is a Little Rock-based um enterprise. I mean, it's a statewide um healthcare organization, but um statewide impact, obviously. But what is unique about um, you know, raising support? Your work is focused strictly on Northwest Arkansas. Like my work for UCA and Conway is focused strictly on Northwest Arkansas. What is unique about raising support uh in this region? Uh we all know there's so much nonprofit support, there's so much philanthropy, there's so much uh giving. What is unique about Northwest Arkansas?

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Yeah, I think what sets Northwest Arkansas apart are the community leaders, um, the the companies and the individuals that um really prioritize philanthropy and they lead, they lead the charge. And I think, you know, with them leading the charge, it really sets the tone for what what is um what's the expectation to be a citizen in Northwest Arkansas? And to me, that means if you if you have the means, um, you should be supporting the nonprofit that is closest to your heart. Um, that no one just gets to sit back and um kind of just passively take advantage of all of the things, the

The Culture Of Giving In NWA

SPEAKER_00 24:14

great amenities that we have here. Um so I think I think that's um probably probably the key thing.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

What does it mean to be a citizen of Northwest Arkansas? I like that. I mean, that would give anybody uh enough to think about. And there is something, because we said there's so many nonprofits and areas to give, um, you could find something that's close to your heart no matter who you are, no matter uh what that might be. What are the big opportunities for for Arkansas Children's uh Northwest in 2026 that people should know about?

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Yeah, so um it's funny that I'm here today because today is actually Giving Tuesday, which is um the one of the biggest um days to donate. Probably it's Giving Tuesday and um you know December 31st are the days people people like to give. And so um I know the listeners won't hear this um today, but um I think it it regardless of whenever you decide to give, every single dollar makes such a difference. And you know, we're working on this $82.7 million expansion, and you can hear that and easily think my $20 will be a drop in the bucket to that. And that's absolutely not true. It literally will take thousands of people coming together to make that goal attainable. So um, you know, I think expansion is the is the thing that I will underline. It is um our biggest and most important project. It's the one that's gonna have the most major impact. Um, and and yeah, the the other thing I'd like to mention is that, you know, right now um with, you know, and everybody's aware of this, the overall cost of everything is going up: housing, health care, um, groceries, child care, all of it. Um, that's also gonna cause an increase in uncompensated care. So, you know, Arkansas children's will absorb those costs for for families that um don't have the ability to pay. But again, it takes philanthropy to make sure that we can offset that and still um keep keep the incredible care level um

Giving Tuesday And Why Small Gifts Matter

SPEAKER_00 26:10

to the highest standard.

SPEAKER_01 26:11

I want to get your take on a couple of leadership questions now that you I mean you you've been in a leadership capacity for some time uh with Theater Squared and and now with Arkansas Children's here and the teams that you lead. Think about the last 10, 12, 15 years or so. Who has helped shape your leadership style? Who is uh really, you know, is it a boss or a mentor or family member? Who who do you think about most when I say leadership?

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Yeah, so um one position that I um hadn't hadn't mentioned yet was I also um briefly worked at the administrative office of the courts. And while I was there, I um one of my jobs was to work on exhibits of past judges, um, you know, important moments in history that had to do with the administrative offices. And so um, you know, I spent, I got to spend a probably a week solid with former Arkansas Chief Justice Jack Holt. And he would come to my office and and part of it was, you know, I was creating a timeline and I had all these things that I wanted to do for this exhibit. But he would just come into my office and tell me the story of his life. And it was one of the most transformative experiences that I had as a young person because he, well, let me just tell you, and I've I've got this written down here, so um, so I'll refer to my notes, but um he actually is responsible for a landmark lawsuit um against the Arkansas Penitentiary. Um, because so I'll I'll cite the Encyclopedia of Arkansas here. Yeah. Um, a landmark lawsuit against the Arkansas Penitentiary that caused the Arkansas prison system to be declared unconstitutional,

Leadership Influences And Mentors

SPEAKER_00 27:58

triggering judici judicially inspired prison reforms in many states. And it's hard to even fathom something that significant happening, period, that someone made that, you know, made sure that you know they saw all the injustice happening in the prison systems and decided that they were gonna tackle it, and that I got to sit in front of him and hear it from on a firsthand basis. Um there's that story, but there's many other stories of his incredible life. Yeah, yes. So I would highly encourage anyone to Google um Arkansas Chief Justice Jack Holt. He was brilliant. And um, again, it's just one of those things where you're like, I can't believe that I get to sit in front of him and listen to him tell the story. Um, so he was one. Um, another one um was um Deanna Courti. So she um ran an organization called Riverfest, which was a huge music and arts festival in Literacy.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Yes. And I was a volunteer for Riverfest for 10 plus years. And I got to see her in action every, well, we had several meetings throughout the year, but every summer during that week, the she was just absolutely inspirational. She was so hardworking. The appreciation that she had for the volunteers doing the work, the love that she had for the mission, that stuck with me. Um, and you know, I think it it was hundreds of volunteers that came together every year to pull that off.

SPEAKER_01 29:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

She, I think, was the only paid employee, and she relied so heavily on the volunteers, and you could tell that she genuinely appreciated and admired the work that they were doing to pull it off.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

Well, you you're pulling your your Little Rock card with the Riverfest reference. That's a good one. That's uh that's an old school Little Rock reference. So uh so you moved here five years ago, Northwest Arkansas. You live in Fayetteville. Fayetteville. Okay, so you're Fayetteville, Funky, Washington County, I guess. What is what have you seen? I guess, I mean, you've seen everything evolve fast in one in five years. What what maybe stands out as far as uh, you know, what's been the most impactful change in Northwest Arkansas in five years?

SPEAKER_00 30:14

Yeah, yeah. So I think, you know, as we continue to experience exponential growth, um, there's also been an exponential need that's followed that. So, you know, all I would say most nonprofits are working harder than they've ever worked. Um, you know, everyone is sort of spreading out their philanthropic dollars differently. Um, so that that's a big one. Um, but I think at the heart of it, something that I've noticed at the at the core of what makes Northwest Arkansas special are um honestly the people who are working in restaurants, the teachers, the the artists, the small business owners, the healthcare workers, all of the people that um, you know, are often in some thankless jobs behind the scenes, making the place that we live special. Um, so that that to me is um something that I maybe didn't pay as much attention to that I feel like now is just more front

Growth, Need, And Everyday Builders

SPEAKER_00 31:08

and center for me.

SPEAKER_01 31:09

Right. And now that you've got five years of perspective to see some things and kind of learn some things about Northwest Arkansas, what is what is something that um, you know, outsiders, you know, from Little Rock or Hot Springs or wherever in Arkansas, what do, what do they still not get about Northwest Arkansas? What do they what do they miss about this place? Maybe what's a common uh misconception about Northwest Arkansas?

SPEAKER_00 31:32

I'm not sure. Um I think I think most people have a pretty good understanding of what Northwest Arkansas is about and what what it stands for and what you know kind of how we're evolving over time. Um and I think so many people, you know, people who maybe aren't planning to move here love to come here just for a for a weekend away. Um so I think it's cool that, you know, this has kind of become a little bit of a vacation spot for people too. I mean, obviously you have um, you know, football and all of that, but there's just so many other great things to that are worth making the trip for.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yeah, the food and the art and the uh just uh the everything. I think my eyes were first open to that. This was probably about 10 years ago when the preacher's son, um, and it was called the sanctuary then in Bentonville had had was opened. And and this is a story given to me secondhand from a guy who was sitting at a table, but they were sitting, he and his wife were sitting in there Friday night and had met a couple sitting next to them uh from Kansas City, and they had just flown down to have dinner at uh the sanctuary, and then we're gonna fly back. But we're fleet people flying to Bentonville to have dinner and then flying back home. This, I mean, and it's only just gotten more um um unique, let's say, uh, as the years have gone by. So uh truly, it's a great place to to be a uh a philanthropist and a fundraiser and a and a citizen uh as you've discovered, you and Evan have discovered the past five years. So let's talk about UCA and us showing up here and and um you know my job of of connecting with alums and kept connecting with business partners up here. Where do you see opportunities for UCA? If you could have an audience with uh, you know, the president or whoever your your favorite professor about how we need to show up up here, what would what would your advice be? Where do you see opportunities

Networking, UCA, And Alumni Connections

SPEAKER_01 33:20

for UCA to expand our presence here?

SPEAKER_00 33:22

Yeah, I think I think for me, um, and I I know everyone says this, but it is so true. The continued need for networking and building, you know, close, close professional relationships with people across sectors. So um, you know, being in the fundraising sector, I am familiar with, you know, a lot of the amazing people that work in fundraising, you know, go to the association meetings and all these things, but I don't often have the opportunity to to visit with people that are in the you know financial industry who are doing, you know, work in wealth management or um, you know, someone who you know is working in the technology field. I mean, there's so many other um little industry, not little big industries here. Um, and I think, you know, having the opportunity to, you know, connect with other alum in a way that uh there just isn't there isn't that space already set for that kind of conversation. Um, and I think whenever you're be up, whenever you're able to build those connections, so many organic partnerships will come from that in ways that if you know you passively see someone on LinkedIn, they it's just it just won't happen. Um being able to share ideas and figure out how we can um partner and work more effectively and efficiently together, I think, um, I think that is key.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Right. Are is there are there things about UCA that are going on um on campus that you would like to know more about? Is there something you've learned about maybe as you've thought about UCA a little bit more than maybe you have coming onto this podcast, anything that maybe piques your interest about I'd like to learn more about that or I'd like to learn more about this program or or what's happening on campus?

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yeah, you know, I think I'd like to say um after, you know, having this conversation, um, you know, and being able to reflect on um my time in the political science department and the mass communications department, I kind of realized that I should probably spend some more time reconnecting with some of those um professors and you know former colleagues um just to kind of see what they're up to and um you know, again, how we could possibly work together.

SPEAKER_01 35:27

Well, you mentioned networking and working together. I mean, we've got about 4,000 alums in in Benton and Washington County. Um so there's plenty of opportunity. Do you do you feel like networking is is maybe uh a skill or or a habit that is uh maybe most impactful for young professionals to have right now?

SPEAKER_00 35:46

I do, I do. And and honestly, I will say that that I feel like has been the key to um a key to my success is being able to walk into a room and introduce myself to anyone who's in there. Um it may be the CEO of the organization and feeling comfortable enough just to introduce myself and say hello and carry on a brief conversation. Um, I I think that those moments do add up because as everyone is well aware, the job market is challenging. And so, you know, any job that I've ever had that I have posted, you know, you get a hundred applicants and you know, being able to decide who you're gonna interview, unless you've had a, you know, a personal interaction with someone, you're probably gonna look to, you know, hire just the person who on paper has the most experience. Whereas the person with the most experience may not necessarily be the best fit. But if I if I had the opportunity to meet that person, you know, maybe through an internship, or maybe they volunteered at some point, or um, I said to high, you know, they introduced themselves to me at a at a chamber event or something like that. Um, being able to make just those like brief connections are, I think, key to stand out in the crowd.

SPEAKER_01 36:56

Well, brief connections can lead to uh lengthy connections too, as well, right? So I think we're at um to me, that's one of the differentiators of Northwest Arkansas and other regions, uh, not just in Arkansas, but anywhere. The, the um, the networking climate here, the um some people call them business collisions here that just happened, whether you're at this event or or this lunch or this networking event, are just um they're robust. I I heard a guy um he works for um New Road Capital Partners, and

Family Life And Serendipity In Fayetteville

SPEAKER_01 37:30

he was being interviewed on one of their podcasts, and he had relocated here from New York. And somebody was asking him, you know, how do you describe Northwest Arkansas? I mean, the guy, you know, came from New York. He was a professional in Manhattan. I mean, he was an investment professional, but he'd moved his family here to work here. How do you describe Northwest Arkansas to people that you used to work with in New York and uh his description that I've never forgotten because it makes so much sense uh as it relates to networking and meeting people? He equated it to it's like the first year uh of college. Everybody that's come here from all over the country, and in some instances the world, uh, they're just trying to meet new people. They're trying to make friends, they're trying to make a new network. And so everybody is just eager to do that, whether you're in a dorm as an 18-year-old or as a as a 37-year-old professional moved here from whatever the case is. And I thought that is a that's about as apt a description as I could come up with uh for how do you describe Northwest Arkansas? Because there are people moving here from all over the country and and even the globe to um um bring their families here, bring their work here.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

Yeah, that's exactly right. And I think the welcoming spirit, um, the spirit of everyone, you know, wanting to make sure that Northwest Arkansas is the best place that it can be, and that, you know, everybody's looking to, you know, help each other out and to partner together and to collaborate and share resources and connections. Um, it is a place where um I feel like people will set their ego aside and they they just say, yeah, come on, I can introduce you to to so-and-so standing next to me here. Um, I think that that is something that definitely sets this space apart.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

Well, that's why we're here. We need we need to be here. UCA needs to be uh plugged into the um the business engine of of Arkansas. And so uh I'm excited about um uh the new year coming up. It'll be my second year working for the university uh and excited about it, excited to meet and continue to meet alums like you. Tell me a little bit more about you and Evan. Do you guys mountain bike? Do you play golf? Tell me what you like to do in Northwest Arkansas when you're not working.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

Yeah, so um we have a beautiful six-year-old son. His name is Bertram, and we love to visit the art galleries. We love to go to theater. We um actually just went to um, I'm so proud of this on Sunday night. We took Bertram to his first rock and roll show. Um, it's a one of my favorite local bands, Benjamin Del Shreve, who I've listened to um since I Was in college and um we got to take him to that and he you know got to have that experience with at Georgia's, which was so cool. Um, so you know, I think one of my favorite things is that you just never kind of know where your um where your day is gonna lead when you're in northwest Arkansas. So funny story. Um, a couple

Favorite Concerts And Local Arts Magic

SPEAKER_00 40:20

of weeks ago, we um it was on a Saturday night. Um we all we went to go eat at Rolando's in Fayetteville, and we stepped outside and we heard a drum circle playing. We walk over the drum circle. There's probably 20 people on drums and you know various percussion instruments. And this lady walked up to Bertram and she said, Here, you want to play? So he is playing the tambourine. They hand Evan and I maracas and Evan and me maracas, and then we are in the middle of the drum circle dancing and playing, and it was so fun. We we probably danced for 30 minutes um until it got late. And then we were about to leave and we noticed that the Walton Arts Center just had a new art gallery open. The the door was open. We walked in there, that was just like a very unexpected. Then nobody were gonna have that that moment. Um, so just like again, the cool things that can happen whenever you're least expecting it.

SPEAKER_01 41:10

Well, your son's career path has probably been set in stone now, right? You realize that. I mean, percussion drums.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Right. We hope.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Yeah, what an event. What a what a what a fun event. What's your favorite concert you've ever attended?

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Ooh, ever?

SPEAKER_01 41:24

Ever.

SPEAKER_00 41:25

Oh, gosh, that's tough.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

Um it's the most memorable.

SPEAKER_00 41:28

One of the most memorable was seeing John Batiste at the momentary. He plays every genre of music. He is I I can't even put it into words. He's just overall an incredible human being. But the most amazing part was that he actually walked off the stage into the crowd, led sort of a um New Orleans style parade through the crowd. He was um playing some funny instrument and had a little crew around him, but he walked right in front

Gratitude, Reflections, And Closing

SPEAKER_00 42:00

of me and back in front of me, probably three or four times. He's just right there, just playing this instrument. And I mean, he's a Grammy Award-winning artist, uh, you know, formally trained. The guy is brilliant. And just to be able to literally see him so up close and personal was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

Yeah, here in Northwest Arkansas and right out there on the green. Yeah. I mean, so yeah, that the stuff like that are the stories that you know uh all of us can tell here in Northwest Arkansas. And now that uh that this home for you and your family, uh, only more stories like that to come. Uh I love the Rolando story. That's great. Um, well, listen, this whole thing has been great. I really appreciate you coming in. It's been great to visit with you.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

Yes, thank you. And I appreciated this opportunity because I really got to spend, you know, from day to day, you're just blowing and going and you you just sort of head down in the work. Um, but it was nice to have the opportunity to actually kind of look back and reflect. And um, it really filled my heart with gratitude for the experiences that I had at UCA, the amazing professors that I had, um, the friendships that I gained. And um, yeah, it it just feels great. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 43:09

Well, there's a lot of great at UCA, and there's a lot to be proud of, and there's a lot to look forward to. So um, I'm excited and very happy to have you as a UCA ally in Northwest Arkansas and just wish you continued success in and all that you do for Arkansas children's and and all that you're uh going to be doing for us as as a as a partner and ally for UCA. So thanks very much. Thank you so much. All right. Well, that is a wrap on this edition of Central to NWA, a UCA podcast. Appreciate you tuning in. Until next time, go bears. That's it for this episode of Central to NWA, a UCA podcast. I'm Paul Gatling, Senior Director of Northwest Arkansas Engagement for the University of Central Arkansas. Be sure to subscribe to the show and follow UCA on all the appropriate social media. I'll see you next time on Central to NWA.