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Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast
Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast is the University of Central Arkansas’ official platform for deepening its presence and building relationships in Northwest Arkansas. Hosted by Paul Gatling, UCA’s Senior Director of Northwest Arkansas Engagement, the show connects alumni, business leaders, and community partners through interviews and relevant conversations.
Some guests will be UCA graduates making an impact in the region. Others will include industry voices, institutional partners, campus leaders in Conway, and community leaders in Northwest Arkansas, all of whom are shaping this region from different perspectives. Each episode explores how leadership, workforce and education intersect in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions.
The goal is straightforward: listen, connect and make sure UCA has a stronger, more visible presence in Northwest Arkansas.
If you want to stay plugged into the people and ideas defining Northwest Arkansas, this is the channel.
Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast
Ep. 6 - Uniforms, HR, and Grazing Boards: Lionel Riley’s Unlikely Path
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What happens when “lead the way” becomes a life strategy? We sit down with Colonel Lionel Riley, Arkansas Air National Guard mission support group commander, CHRO at Riceland Foods, and Bentonville small business owner, to explore how discipline, trust, and preparation scale across an entire career. From his first sense of belonging at UCA to driving a Bradley at 18, Riley shares the moments that forged confidence and the lessons that still guide him as he leads more than 400 airmen through a fast-evolving mission at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
We unpack the base’s transformation from A-10s to ISR and now a Foreign Military Sales program training F-35 and F-16 pilots, and why the River Valley is hearing jets again. Riley connects those operational shifts to leadership fundamentals, earning trust beyond rank, owning mistakes, and staying accountable under pressure. Then we pivot to his HR seat at Riceland Foods, a farmer-owned co-op with 5,500 growers and up to 1,900 employees. He explains how Arkansas rice feeds the world sustainably, what skills are in demand on the mill floor and in the boardroom, and why critical thinking and leadership at every level are non‑negotiable.
Riley also opens up about launching Graze Craze Bentonville with his wife, navigating surge orders, staging labor, and the joy of turning a charcuterie board into a celebration’s centerpiece. We talk about the Future Solutions Now Scholarship for Fort Smith students, embracing trades and certificates alongside four-year degrees, and the role of AI and innovation in both industry and the military. If you care about modern service, Arkansas workforce trends, or practical leadership you can use tomorrow, this conversation delivers clear takeaways with zero fluff.
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Welcome And Guest Intro
SPEAKER_01This 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. All right, welcome into another edition of Central to NWA, a UCA podcast. I'm your host, Paul Gabling, and my guest today is Colonel Lionel Riley of the Arkansas Air National Guard. Now, Lionel has spent decades in uniform, but he also lives and works here in Northwest Arkansas as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Riceland Foods, which of course is in southeast Arkansas. So that makes for an interesting commute, which we will get into among other things. But um, and he also, with his wife, Alicia, owns a Grace Craze charcuterie franchise just down the road uh from Bentonville High School. So we've got a lot to discuss today, a lot to get to, but it's the combination really of military leadership, corporate leadership, um, that I think is going to make for a really interesting conversation. So we're glad you're with us. And Lionel, glad you're with us. Great to see you. How are you doing? I'm doing well, Paul.
SPEAKER_00And hey, thanks for the invite, and I'm excited to be here today.
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, I know you know this, but uh the first question I want to have, and I have many how many miles do you drive in a typical work week? Is as we said, you live here in Bentonville, but you are you've got a triangle going.
SPEAKER_00You're all over the state in a typical work week. I I am. I'm I'm from Bentonville to Jonesboro to Stuttgart, sometimes to Little Rock and back up to Bentonville. So it's about it's about uh about 3,000 miles a month, is what I'm averaging.
SPEAKER_01Holy cow. Okay. All right. Well, I'm sure you've you've got the vehicle for the gas mileage and that, and you know all of the best places to stop on Interstate 40 uh here and down there.
Bentonville Roots And UCA Beginnings
SPEAKER_01So you alluded to it, just for listeners meeting you for the first time. Give us your quick Bentonville backstory. You've lived here about 20 years, right?
SPEAKER_00I have been here 20 years with my family. Uh great place to be. I originally born and raised in Fort Smith, product of Fort Smith education system. Um, but been in Bentonville again 20 plus years, and you know, landed here through uh uh another role, uh small retailer. Some of your listeners may have heard of a small company called Walmart. So I spent 17 years at Walmart Corporate, and um that's what brought uh my family uh here to Bentonville. Uh and it's been it's been great.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. So you're you you qualify for a question I ask people who've been here for a certain age range, 20 years. I mean, what's the biggest shift you've seen in Bentonville from when you arrived to where we are now and not even talking about where we're gonna go in the next 20 years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I you know, I hate to be Captain Obvious, but honestly, it's just it's it's the growth and expansion, um, you know, and just the diversity of opportunity here. Um, but it's it's it's perfect, though. I I love it. Um I know it's uh one of the things that you you look about the at as far as the change is with the growth and the diversity of opportunity. But you know, things that stay the same though is really just the culture. Um the people here in Northwest Arkansas, they're all goal-oriented. Um, they they they they put stake in building relationships. Um and so that's what I like. And the thing I also like is really not about how much has changed with the growth, but how much um the area is being intentional and staying the same, keeping the same culture. So I really appreciate that aspect.
SPEAKER_01Well, those are all things that um are in your wheelhouse with your career, you know, intentionality, you know, culture, uh, leadership, and the people. And we're gonna get to all of those things, you know, the military and the riceling and the grace, grace craze, but I want to start uh with something that's a little closer to home, and that is your UCA connection, right? Your UCA alum class of 1998, you know, proud Northside high school uh graduate there in Fort Smith. So growing up there, uh what put UCA on your radar for the first time?
SPEAKER_00You know, I was I was a typical kid in Fort Smith. I didn't necessarily have you know the big dreams or saying, hey, I need to go to a big university, um, but I knew I wanted to go to college. Um UCA was on the radar because A, it was it was fairly close, um, an hour and a half away, um, affordable and not too big. I think when I when I landed at UCA was right at 8,000 students, um, which is a nice size population coming from Fort Smith, a little sleepy town and not needing to be um uh you know, such in awe of a lot like the University of Arkansas or other larger universities. But uh and UCA to me was a was attainable. Uh I knew I could probably go there and meet my goal of graduating college. So uh was selected and and attended UCA. Great experience. You know, my quick UCA story is, you know, going up there on my first day and parents and I and dropping me off and got my two suitcases and a footlocker that got me with school supplies. And so we pulled up in front of Arkansas Hall from the other UCA alums are listening in. I was as I lived in Arkansas Hall and we had students come up. You know, they had white shorts on and orange shirts. Uh and on those orange polos had SOS. I was like, what is that? And it stood for student orientation staff. But they came up with big smile, started grabbing bags, asked me where my room was, talking to my parents, escorted me to my room in Arkansas Hall, and said, Hey, one of them said, Hey, you know, there's a mixer at four o'clock. Are you going to the mixer? And I was like, uh, well, yes. Uh, I don't know. And it was like, hey, it's gonna be at the fair center. Uh matter of fact, I'll be back at 3:45. I'm like, okay. So we go and then we unload, and you know, honestly, my parents left. And uh, you know, I really lost track of time. But I'll tell you, at 3:45, I heard a knock on the door, open the door, uh, and it was a student orientation staff member saying, Hey, come on, let's go to the mixer, right? Bringing me along or grab my roommate, and off to the mixer we go. And that right there was just I knew I landed in the right place. That sense of belonging, welcoming, um, and ushering you along, right? Because again, would I have gone out on my own? Probably not. Um, but because um she said she'll be back at 345, she was back. She said, come on, um, I went, had a great time. And I knew right then, I said, you know what, I would want to be a part of this. Uh, and then just fast forward next semester, I applied, was selected, and I was part of the student orientation staff for the next couple of years. Right. And uh it's telling it's one of the best films in the world of being able to just meet people where they are and kind of usher them along, let them know they're welcome and feel belong and say, hey, come with me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, what a great memory. And and you'll love to know they still have those orange shirts. They still do that. They it's one of it's one of the points of pride on move in day there at campus. The whole the whole campus community gets involved um and pitches in. Any other uh memories, or maybe lessons or or um you know professors or classes that stick with you from your your time
Lessons From UCA And Early Influences
SPEAKER_01in Conway?
SPEAKER_00Multiple. I'll tell you another thing. So I I'm a graduate with a BS of community health education, right? And now look at to me today. I'm in human resources and you know in the in the military. But you know, going through that, the the thing I learned and just some of the professors, you know, Dr. Fox uh um over over health sciences that instilled is that, you know, A, show up, do the best you can in class, and the rest will follow. And that's what I did. I wasn't an A student, uh, I didn't have the highest ACT score. Um, but I I showed up every day to class, I turned in my assignments, I took feedback, um, which I think is a critical skill set that everyone needs to know that it's not, it's not, um, it's not critical or it's not putting a thumb on you, but critical constructive feedback is needed for growth. Uh and I and I took a lot of feedback during my days at UCA from from education to organizations. Um, other things that stand out is just meeting meeting lifelong friends. You know, I had an opportunity to to meet um uh meet couples who would invite me to their home, cook dinners, and allow me to see how um other couples and families operate as well, you know, and still give me that homegrown feeling when I was away from home. And I mean, there's lifelong friends that I've created I still stay in touch with today. So I I enjoyed my time at UCA. Um I I tell people today that, you know, if you are going to attend the four-year university and you're in Arkansas, and you might think the other one, the flagship is too big, um, UCA would be the perfect place for you to to attend.
SPEAKER_01I am so um it warms my heart to hear you mention Dr. Fox, Dr. Imogene Fox. She is um uh someone I have known, she has known me since the day I was born. I grew up in Baldnob, she was from Baldnob, drove back and forth to Conway every day, and is still um feisty as ever, and is still uh just I see her two or three times now a year through my job now at UCA and at a football game and or just here and there at a scholarship reception. That's wonderful that you still remember her and reference her all these years later, and the impact she had on you.
SPEAKER_00The intentional um effort to to really have that one-on-one connection with students, right? Again, I was a number one of 8,000, but again, I felt like I was one of one um as she was leading me through the health education system. Right.
SPEAKER_01Great, that's great, uh, Lionel. So as we mentioned kind of off camera, your career path does not really follow a um a straight line, uh
Enlisting In The Army And Finding Purpose
SPEAKER_01right? You it it really goes um uh from here to there and a lot of different places. And honestly, those are the great stories that that I love to tell. So you enlisted in uh in 1992, enlisted into the army, right? What was the initial draw there?
SPEAKER_00I'll tell you, so the army, I I I was not recruited. I recruited and have to come looking for me. My my my father served in the army uh and I knew I wanted to serve in the army. And I'll tell you the the discipline, the accountability, um, the challenges that it brought all were just perks. I was following in the footsteps of my father. I knew I wanted to serve. So um I enlisted in the army. And a quick story about that is uh I was at the recruiter, and the recruiter said, Hey, you know, you want to be a driver, you're gonna drive officers around and and um drive drive uh troops around. I was like, okay, that sounds good. Again, I just wanted to enlist. And so fast forward, I graduate high school three days later, I land at uh Fort Bennon, Georgia, and was the name of the time, home of the infantry. And uh lo and behold, I had signed up to be 11 Bravo Infantryman. And uh, you know, I wouldn't I wouldn't trade that training for anything in the world, honestly. But it was a little bit of shock when I went and told the drill sergeant I was supposed to be a driver. And he said, You're gonna drive these feet. And so that but the infantry, you know, it's uh we have a motto of lead the way. And that that mantra sticks with me even today, even in my current role as mission support group commander. But back in the day, uh when I first enlisted and and saw that sign and and you know, was awarded that infantry blue cord, uh, that lead the way slogan has has stuck with me and I utilize it all the time.
SPEAKER_01So after Fort Benning and and those memories and that quick introduction to what we were doing here, what do you recall about just really your your career as an enlisted man the next you know six, eight years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was great. Uh just being able to come out of that shell. You know, I was a young kid when I joined, um, and it it humbles you real quickly, but it also instills a level of confidence beyond whatever you think you could accomplish. You know, back in the day, I'll date myself and I'm an 18-year-old kid and I'm driving a Bradley fighting vehicle. I'm at the controls driving and operating this, you know, $10 million piece of machinery. Um, and and for that to even resonate, it's like, wow, I am doing it. I can do it. My battle buddies are telling me that I can do it. They're showing me that I can do it. And so again, I have the confidence and the discipline to operate that. And so I have numerous stories of that um where I've just accomplished more than I ever thought I could um throughout the military. You know, I've had the opportunity to travel and deploy um with the Army and Air Force and see the world. Um, and it's just a priceless experience.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's gotta do, that's gotta take whatever confidence you have to a different level, right? Whether you have high confidence already, uh getting to do those types of things has to have an immediate impact. So in 2000, you left the Army, right? And then you commissioned up two or three years later into the Arkansas Air National Guard. Talk about that transition.
SPEAKER_00Uh it it I'm gonna sound very hypocritical, but again, best decision of my life. Army training wouldn't trade it for the world. Um, but transferring to the to the air guard um has just been one of those, you know, career trajectories, uh changing initiatives that's that I'm just super proud of. Um my army unit was disbanding and they were separating. Um, had an opportunity to go to a unit in Lake Village. And again, I'm like, Lake Village, that's four and a half. Now that's nothing to me. But then I was like, who wants to travel way down there for that? Um growing up in Fort Smith, uh, I knew about the air base. My sister was a part of the
Transition To The Air National Guard
SPEAKER_00the uh the 188th. And so I started having conversations with the recruiters. Um, and I interviewed, and I happened to uh interview with a uh Colonel Dallas was the base commander at the time, and we had a services commander position open, um, and he selected me, and that started my career in the uh Air National Guard. So I led services, which is dining hall, uh lodging, mortuary affairs. So we we, you know, we service everything we call from the beginning to the ending of your military career. And you know, and from there, um, you know, I had several other roles with equal opportunity uh intelligence, which is our current mission set um that we operate out of. Um and now I'm currently the uh mission support group commander on base.
SPEAKER_01Right. And and last year, your most recent promotion um big one to colonel, you know, taking over the mission support group, about a hundred, three hundred and fifty four hundred plus. 400 plus now. Okay. All right. The website is outdated that I saw that you need to update that number. So, yeah, talk about that role, what it means to you, and uh just the overall work that you do down at Ebbing.
SPEAKER_00I'll tell you, it's a it's a huge privilege, and it's not lost on me the responsibility that I have. Now, you know, and the privilege to lead 400 plus airmen. Um it is a huge mission set. The mission support group is consists of five squadrons. So civil engineering, force support squadron, communication squadron, security forces con uh squadron, and a logistics readiness squadron. And every one of those squadrons touches every part of that base, every part of that base, state and national level. Um, and again, it's not lost on me to have the privilege to lead, but we're we're doing a lot of great things down there. If some of your audience knows that we used to be uh a fighter base because we had those aircraft down there. Uh, the most recent aircraft um we had was the A-10. Um then we transitioned to uh ISR mission, which is intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance group. Um, and then now we have FMS, which is the foreign military cells. So for people in the River Valley, they're starting to see and and hear the sounds of those jets again as we're um we're partnering and training in national uh F-35 pilots, and we'll have some F-16s back on the ramp here real soon. So it's it's been incredible. Uh the landscape of that base has just changed. It's kind of like Northwest Arkansas. The growth has been tremendous. We've added headcount, we've added a lot more infrastructure to be able to support the aircraft that's coming back online. Um, and it it's a lot going on down there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. You've got uh from Singapore and just all over the world that uh are gonna start, you know, branching out and touching every part of everyday life in Fort Smith uh and that metro. So 33 years now, Lionel in the military, 33 years. That's a good age. Hey, we're both good age. 33 years. How has that just kind of encapsulate that? How has that shaped your uh leadership philosophy, whether it's your military leadership or what we're going to get into a little bit later, your your corporate leadership, you know, the private sector.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'll tell you, you know, from the from the military standpoint, and and it sounds cliche, but just the discipline that that is needed, the discipline that is instilled, um, it just pays true dividends. Discipline, I'll tell you also as an officer, you know, trust. I mean, of course, you look at titles and rank
Leading The Mission Support Group
SPEAKER_00and say, hey, you, you know, you must follow me because of my rank I have on my chest, or the title that I hold. But I'll tell you, um, it's it's much greater than that. It really comes with trust. Um, the trust that the airmen and soldiers have in you, um, the trust that they know you have their back, and the trust that they know that anything that you are requesting them to do is something that you have either done yourself or will be right there shoulder to shoulder doing it with them. Um so trust has been really big, discipline, and then just also accountability, you know, self-accountability to raise my hand when I make a mistake, um, to raise my hand when I may have misspoke, um, and just hold myself accountable because I want my squadron leadership and my airmen to hold themselves accountable as well.
SPEAKER_01All right, let's go to Riceland Foods now. And then this part of your life, you know, you mentioned, you know, 17 years with Walmart, a lot of HR strategy, recruiting strategy at the highest level uh with that organization, a couple of other stops, but then you went to Riclin, what I think it'll be uh three years next year coming up. Three years in May. All right. So how did you land there? And for people who may not know Riceland, other than just the the bag in the pantry, you know, how did you get to Riceland Foods and what is the overall scope of that company that's based in Stuttgart, which is about four hours away? Exactly.
SPEAKER_00So I it's it's it's typical, right? The the the recruiters uh reached out. If I you get those in your in boxes sometimes, some you entertain, some you don't. Um I entertained this one uh even before I knew it was Riceland just because of the scope of the way the job was described. Uh it was a CHRO opportunity. Um prior to that, I was a vice president uh of People and Culture, HR role as well for a fintech company. But um I I this was opportunity, it was local, in-state Arkansas. And so I had those conversations, and those edge as those conversations advanced. Um the CEO at the time uh was was looking for good HR support to help build out the the structure and be more of a strategic partner. And so I I accepted the uh the challenge. You know, uh HR to me is kind of agnostic, right? It doesn't matter what industry in. You know, I've never farmed before, I've never been part of a co-op model. But again, people, resources, culture, engagement, all of those are consistent within human resources.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, what what is universal, um, I guess, about Arkansas workers? I mean, you're you're bouncing between pretty three pretty distinct regions, right? You know, Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas, and then down to Stuttgart, you know, Southeast Arkansas, and then the Jonesboro is pretty much your triangle that you spend a lot of your working time in. What is what is universal about uh the workforce, and then also what is distinct about those workforce.
SPEAKER_00So, you know, what I believe is universal is just, you know, people, people, people want to work, uh, people want to traditionally do good and be good at their job. And then also people also want to be able to to have uh a mission that resonates with them, the why behind it, you know, more than the paycheck, right? And so for Riceland, again, our our tagline is you know, we're feeding the world sustainably. So when you have um people in those areas that support all those 5,500 farmers that make up our co op, they know that those farmers are out working hard, bringing their rice, their soybeans to our plants to be milled. They know they're a part of that. And they know that. That you know, the key tag, and we talk about feed the world sustainably, but I don't, I just I want to foot stop the world. I'd feed Arkansas, I feed the United States, but we're trying to feed the world sustainably. What they're doing, putting their hands on every day is going out to kids and families throughout the world. Uh, and that's an Arkansas product.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm glad you said that. Um, the world, I mean, that's the bigger picture of Roseland Riot. I mean, and I think most people who live here know, but then there are others who don't know. You know, rice equals Arkansas and vice versa, always has been. So give us, you know, give me the scope of, you know, the number of employees, just the footprint of your company, how your company touches uh different parts of the world every single day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So we're made up of, like I say, the co-op is made up of
Leadership Philosophy: Trust, Discipline, Accountability
SPEAKER_00about 5,500 farmers uh throughout Arkansas and the boot hill of Missouri. Uh we've probably run anywhere between 1700 to 1900 full-time employees. Uh, and that is located in Stuttgart, Jonesboro, Little Rock, and we have a dryer network throughout. Um, we got about 16 plus dryers um that host uh employees as well. So we're touching a lot in Arkansas. Uh we're we're we're we're producing a lot of uh of bushel, millions of bushels of rice coming through annually. And and again, from that, um it's not just an Arkansas product. It's great to be an Arkansas product, but again, to be able to see that blue and white label on the shelf, or if you're out at one of your restaurants, you know, you don't see it in the blue and white label, but you're probably it's probably about an 80% chance you're eating some Arkansas rice when you're eating rice out at a restaurant.
SPEAKER_01From a purely uh HR perspective that you bring, what are the the skills or the mindsets that you uh or that the company is finding most in demand as you grow and as you as you hire people and look at new college graduates? What are the skills that are in demand?
SPEAKER_00You know, critical thinking. Um the the the jobs at Ricelin, um, a lot of them are hard and they're manual and you're in that meal, right? When it's cold, it's cold, when it's hot, it's hot. Um, and then it but there's a lot of automation that comes with it too. So critical thinking is huge. Um, leadership at all levels, you know, leadership is not just based on a title or position, but we need people who can come in, uh, who can think critically and also lead where they are in each and every position. Um so leadership, critical thinking, and then, you know, just the personality piece of it. We're in a generation today where we have multiple generational workforces together from the from the baby booners to Gen Z to Gen Y, all hodgepodge together, right? And so from an HR standpoint, it is kind of zooming out and saying, ensuring that all are working and getting along and engaged and understand the why and how do we have the resources and perks needed to maintain the retention that we need to keep processing those millions of bushels of rice annually. Right.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, Riceland is um, you know, one of those Arkansas brands, you know, Arkansas brand name, uh, great company. Uh, you've got a really interesting job, I'm sure. Uh, like we say, it'll be three years for you coming up in the spring. But just to keep life a little more interesting, you and uh Alicia, your wife decided, you know, I think we need to have a small business in Bentonville. We want to open a uh
HR At Riceland And Arkansas’ Workforce
SPEAKER_01a franchise. So uh small business ownership, you own a Graze Craze charcuterie franchise on uh Southeast J Street in Bentonville. Tell me how that came about and when that opened.
SPEAKER_00You know, I was kind of full circle. Uh the idea came about through a uh a military transition uh program. So I signed up uh and they were talking about, hey, what do you do after the military or what opportunities are available? We looked into franchising um out there a few assessments and some vetting. Uh we kind of whittled it down to three opportunities, and and Graze Craze kept hitting at the top. Um so I went and made the visit to uh the founders founded in Oklahoma by a veteran, an Air Force veteran. Uh, and this was about four and a half years ago when I started the conversations. And so we're still at the ground floor. Those are the good things for me that one, it was a business model that I knew was sustainable. It was a business model that I knew would do well in Northwest Arkansas. And then three, it was it was brand new. Uh so we're on the ground level. Now, fast forward to today, I think Ori, we just hit a hundred stores. The the franchise has hit a hundred stores. So again, two years ago when we started, we were store number 38. Wow. So if you think about that growth, that's great. It's going to be booming. Yeah. But it is, it's a labor of love.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I tell you, it's a labor of love. What's it like to start and um and operate a business as a as a husband and wife team?
SPEAKER_00Uh it will make you stronger. I I know there's a lot of sayings out there they say about if a if a if a husband and wife can get through building a house together and canoeing together, they can get through anything. And I like to add the third thing is if they can start a business together and work together, they can get through everything. So it's been good. And you know, I I'd be remiss if I wouldn't give a shout out to my wife, Alicia, who currently, as I sit here today talking to you, she's in that store right next to her. And and she does a tremendous job, a lot of hours, Paul. Nobody, nobody loves your business more than you do. Uh so you're you're everything from from the from the from the janitor to the to the to the delivery driver to the dishwasher to, I mean, you're doing it all. Uh, it is a labor of love, but I will tell you, to be able to say that we own and operate a business in Bigdale, Arkansas is priceless to me. Um, to be able to afford opportunities for others to employ them, priceless. And the third thing is it's really priceless, is just getting the feedback from our customer base uh on a product that we deliver um consistently. It's priceless.
SPEAKER_01So, in terms of growth and business ownership for your franchise, any any growth opportunities elsewhere in Northwest Arkansas, are you still focused on the one store or are we 100% focused on that?
SPEAKER_00But like any business, as you think about scale and market share, I am looking in to expand and open up our second store in Fedville. So uh actively looking for the right spot um that makes sense. Um we currently service Northwest Arkansas today out of our Bentonville. But again, as as as as market share and the demands become more prevalent, that's going to be a second location where we can just expand our offerings even more.
SPEAKER_01You know, one thing I remember about um the first time you and I met um in downtown Bentonville last year. Um, well, two things. I I remember, and this speaks to your this speaks to your military precision and your customer service of your Graze Craze. You had Alicia deliver us a small graze craze uh board while we were meeting at the ledger in downtown, just like that. I still remember it, obviously. I I remember that that uh great touch. But really, besides that, you know, we had a great conversation. You have a deep sense of responsibility to uh kids in Fort Smith, Northside High School. You and Alicia uh have a scholarship for Northside High School seniors, right? Why is that important to you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's super important, Paul, because I know there are students who were just like me. Again, I state I didn't have the highest ACT score. I didn't graduate with honors. I didn't have a four-point O GPA when I graduated, but yet I still wanted to pursue education. Um, and I didn't know what that was or how I was going to do it. So it's important for us to be able to give back because again, you know, the name of the scholarship is the Future Solutions Now Scholarship. And on the application, it says we're looking for students with grit and determination. You know, there's no minimum GPA requirement to apply, there's no minimum ACT requirement to apply. There is an essay to tell us how you're going to use the funds, but everyone's not going to go to a four-year university. And in today's world, um, the trades are just as important: barber school, cosmetology, medical assisting, graphic design, the welding, the plumbing, the HVAC. And I don't want students to be limited to say, you know what, I don't want to attend a four-year university, but I may want to go to this community
Owning A Graze Craze Franchise
SPEAKER_00college or I may want to obtain a certificate in X. And I don't want them to be stifled by lack of funds, resources, or money. I want them to know that it's completely acceptable as long as you continue to show up with that grid every day and do what you're supposed to do. Um, if we can help support that in any way, um, that's the goal. So that's why it's important to you.
SPEAKER_01Do you think does that message resonate with them? I mean, maybe that they haven't heard that. Like people think of college, they think of, you know, four-year option. Does that resonate with them when you talk about uh and encourage them to pursue higher education uh or UCA, whatever that looks like, does that message resonate with them?
SPEAKER_00It it does because it gives them a different signal of like, I thought this, but is it okay? Is it acceptable or is this what the world says I should be doing? So it it does resonate. And you know, for me, the challenge for me is how do I make it resonate to more um to the masses to let them know again, there is multiple opportunities out there for success. Um, it's not, as you said, a straight line for four-year university all the time. However, that's fine too, right? And that's perfectly fine. And one of the things is we were um, I know I was coming over and prepping for this. I didn't want to make it too prescriptive and say, hey, this is for four-year university, but I am thinking now, my wife and I was talking the other day of, you know, maybe adding another resource to say, hey, this is for UCA potential students now. So if you're going to use virtual central Arkansas, you have another path here to get some financial support.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'm sure, I mean, you some of those kids have probably asked you the question, you know, where did you go to school? And you say University of Central Arkansas, and they say, Oh, tell me about UCA. What do you tell them?
SPEAKER_00Well, I tell them, you know, it's, you know, people talk about staying in your lane, and this is the lane for you. And UCA is a launch pad. It's it's not a specific lane. Um, and and I'm dating myself, but I had the best, you know, four and a half, five years at the University of Central Arkansas, um, just the foundation of education, work study jobs, you know, again, being held accountable to be where you're supposed to be on time, providing customer service to other students, et cetera. But I tell them you can do anything you want to do. Look at me today, yes, as a chief human resource officer for a billion-dollar company, uh, as a Fulbird Colonel in the United States Air Force, as a business owner in Bentonville, Arkansas, with a Bachelor of Science of Community Health Education from the University of Central Arkansas. So you you can do whatever you want to do. Um, and UCA is is a great place to start your post-secondary education.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you just you ticked off uh three pretty big things right there, you know, Full Bird Colonel, you know, HR, the billion-dollar company, and small business owner. Let's talk about where those things intersect, you know, your military leadership versus your corporate leadership. And you talked about your, you know, your 17 years at Walmart and then a couple of other things um at the corporate level. What um leadership strategies or what leadership muscles uh translate through all of that? Whether it's whether it's down at uh ebbing or whether it's uh at Riceland Foods on Monday morning in the in the boardroom. What are the what's the through line through all of those?
SPEAKER_00For me, it's it's it's it's execution. Um you're you're gonna be assigned multiple tasks no matter what role you're gonna be in. Um and if you're assigned those tasks and you don't execute, then you're gonna fail. Um high level of execution is one. Discipline. Uh again, it sounds cliche and it can be overused a lot, but the discipline to prep and be prepared, the discipline to be where you're supposed to be on time, the discipline to lead others effectively and manage the resources that you have. So for me, it is it is it's a discipline that just translates all areas, um, whether it's military, civilian, personal, et cetera.
SPEAKER_01So what then on the flip side, what does not translate? You know, what requires you to maybe shift gears from, you know, this setting to uh the other setting?
SPEAKER_00Well, I'll tell you, in the military, again, you know, by achieving the rank of colonel, there are some things that get done just because you get you're the colonel.
Giving Back: Scholarships And Grit
SPEAKER_00And that doesn't necessarily translate all the time into civilian life. Right. Honestly, I don't abuse that that power um by any means, but you know, sometimes I do have to shift. I do have to have a little bit more patience and the communication and explaining the why and and you know, providing um a little bit more roadway on some deadlines, right? Um because again, the civilian makeup, you're there for for your job. There are people who have a lot of responsibilities. You still have your families and all those other things that you're responsible for. Um, and you only have a certain finite, I know I have a finite mind of time. You have to get things accomplished. Um, but that that's one where I kind of sometimes have to step back, take the ego off my chest, sit back, be a little bit more collaborative, um, and and talk about those deadlines on a little bit more open set.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. What what is the biggest misconception um about the guard or just about the modern military uh right now?
SPEAKER_00You know, I'll tell you the guard, the old saying, update myself again, but it's hey, one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. That's all we require. Right. Come on, you can do it. Uh I'll tell you, that's not so much true. It's it's a lot. Right. Uh it's more than that one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. Even though for anyone is thinking about joining, yes, that is 90% of the time of your commitment. But honestly, the the higher you go and the more responsibility you have. Um, you you there's no way you can do it one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer. But I would say that's the that's the biggest myth. And then also, too, is that you you you can't be a full-time member in the guard. The the guard, there are so many ways and opportunities for you to flourish within the guard. You can be the traditional guard, where it is the one week in a month, two weeks in the summer, you can be a federal technician, you can go AGR or active guard reserve. Um, so there are multiple pathways for you to serve depending on your time. If I had more time, the guard would eat up more time. There is only a certain amount of time that I have to do.
SPEAKER_01You don't have more time. I know that. Yeah. Well, I'm I'm glad you said that too, the time. So your your travel schedule and your your your your week to week and your day-to-day um, you know, really fascinates me. The the travel itinerary. I think you told me you you leave Bentonville at 5 a.m. every Monday and you're bound for Stuttgart. And then on Tuesday, it's up to Jonesboro for the Riceland operations there. And then I think you you point back towards Northwest Arkansas Wednesday or Thursday. So just, you know, how do you manage the uh not just the time, but how do you manage just the really the mental mental and physical side of your of your schedule week to week?
SPEAKER_00You know, I it it it does go back a lot to that to that military training, again, with just discipline. Um I've always had the the fortunate enough to to be able to get up early um and not necessarily need an alarm. So that's that's been instilled in me since I was 17 years old. So that's natural for me. And then the second is just planning and prep. Um, you know, prepping um the calendar, looking at the week ahead, what what deliverables do I have? Where do I need to go? I do get a lot of windshield time, and I'll tell you so take a lot of phone calls from multiple entities in the in the truck while I'm driving uh to maximize that time. And then it's just, you know, home prep, the packing, um, being able to spend family time together and kind of box that and um, you know, put some parameters around it time and dedicate time to that, um, as well as also running operations for the store. Again, my wife is there 105% of the time. And we're talking about titles. You know, I do have another title there, it's CDO. And, you know, a lot of people think that's chief diversity officer, but it's uh it's the chief dishwashing officer at Grays Craze. So if you're eating in our product, I would tell you those dishes are the cleanest that you'll ever uh see uh because I'm at the ham of washing those on the weekends and at nights when I'm at home. Right. But you know, it just goes back to prep. Just if I if I take it in uh uh charcuterie means, you know, the key to effective getting boards out on time is the prep, having those items prepped.
Time Management And Preparation
SPEAKER_00Um, and it it's the same thing with me and my travel schedule, having my bag prep, having my calendar prep, having more time I know I need to hit and be on the road and be back and all of that. So uh preparation is key.
SPEAKER_01What does a typical Sunday night in your household look like as you're getting ready to start it all over again?
SPEAKER_00Right, right. Well, in this season it is busy at the store, I tell you. It's a double-edged forward. You want the business, and then sometimes you're like, geez wee, can you slow down? But next month we'll be crying for the business. So I'll I'll take this where it is. But usually it's it is spending time um with family, and it also is getting that bag packed for the week. Make sure I have everything I need for what is scheduled and also what could be scheduled. Um, and that's also keeping, you know, a military uniform in my truck, too. You never know um at what point I may be able to have to stop in um to be seen, or maybe I can make a meeting on base in person that normally I couldn't if I'm in transit. So um it's just about being prep, really looking at that calendar and the way ahead where I can be ready and as prepared as to be.
SPEAKER_01Prepared and efficiency and discipline, all things you're familiar with on multiple fronts. Well, let's talk about some Arkansas workforce issues and then kind of UCA's role in those things. So, where do you see um, you know, kind of a two-part question, I guess. Where do you see Arkansas workforce um trending in the next 10 years, just as far as uh the skills?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so tech enabled. Um technology is here, innovation is here. Um, if you don't have the aptitude for that, be careful because you may get left behind. Now, I don't say that as a scare tactic for those who are, you know, a little bit skeptical of AI or innovation, but technology is key. Um we we run uh a manual process um at Riceland, but we're highly efficient and we are also operationalizing that with innovation. Um same thing with the military. Gone with the days of the old get your rucksack and it has everything in. I mean, we laptop enabled, phone enabled, computer enabled, communication, satellite, all of that is very pertinent um for those planes to fly, for our mission to in the in the intel uh to continue to be successful. Um, technology is at the forefront of all of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So then what the the second part of my question is what is pertinent for um higher education as a whole, and then specifically the University of Central Arkansas, what is pertinent? Uh what's a pertinent reaction to that? What should they be doing uh between uh the instructors and our students to prepare uh the workforce for those things that you just described, the next 10 years or so?
SPEAKER_00You know, innovation and and and technology, again, every every part of a core study has to have, I think, uh AI element to it. Uh again, not for that to be utilized as scary or invasive, but to embrace it. Um, because A, um it's faster, B, um a lot of it is accurate. Um, and then C, our competitors are doing it and utilizing it and mastering it right now. So we for us to remain that competitive advantage, we have to embrace the use of technology and innovation today. Um and I'll tell you on the softer side of that uh skill set is again just leader leader. Ability and communication is important. You know, we're we're I talked about we're in a tech world today, and and young kids today, I can say that. They're they're they're in their phone or talking. You know, when they put that phone down and say, hey, now we have to have a face-to-face conversation. Let's talk about that. Can you communicate and effectively articulate your goals or what needs to happen next? So uh communication is key. And then again, just leading where you are, um, not waiting for someone to necessarily hand hold you and walk you through A, B,
Tech, AI, And The Future Of Work
SPEAKER_00and C, but being able to be proactive and take on um immediate leadership opportunities.
SPEAKER_01What is the best way a student can improve their leadership aptitude? Uh it may be just as simple as what you just said, putting your phone down for five minutes uh or 30 minutes or whatever. What's the most important thing or or how can a student, um, let's say a sophomore, uh finding their footing in college, uh, how can they improve their aptitude on becoming a better leader?
SPEAKER_00Get out your dorm room if you're if you're staying on campus and get on campus if you're staying off campus. Um, the the good thing about UCA and other colleges and universities, there is a plethora of organizations and affiliates and all of that. And each one of those has an opportunity to serve. So if you're in opportunities to serve, volunteer, that right there to me is training that leadership muscle. Because again, you're owning a task or a project, whether it's a sign-up sheet, a volunteer to be somewhere, to hand out things, to donate, to recruit, all of those will flex that leadership muscle and take ownership of, hey, I'm responsible for this goal. It's my job to achieve that goal. And this organization, I have the opportunity to do that. And it doesn't matter what. Doesn't have to be this big thing, don't have to be responsible for the budget or all of that, but there are tasks. The work has to get done. Right.
SPEAKER_01There are things you can be responsible for. It doesn't have to be the great big thing. So all right, I've got a few questions here. I just want to throw at you real quick. We talked about one a minute ago, how you spend your windshield time. You take some phone calls, but aside from that, do you listen to podcasts or do you listen to music?
SPEAKER_00Well, let me tell you, here's the honest truth. 90% of the time, uh the radio's off. Okay. Uh, but I'll tell you the 10% of the time I'm listening to central to northwest Arkansas.
SPEAKER_01Oh, there you go. There you go, Lionel. I love it. What's the best uh road trip snack on Interstate 40? Where's the place you stop at? You I I'm gassed up and I'm rolling.
SPEAKER_00I don't stop to my destination. Okay. And uh have me a uh chocolate peanut butter uh protein bar and a Jack Lynx turkey sack.
SPEAKER_01That should get you all the way to Stuttgart. Yeah, it gets me there. Hardest most challenging part of running a charcuterie business.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness. The attention to detail uh and the timing, right? So we we love customers who order ahead because we can plan our labor, um, but we know uh the world doesn't operate like that. So there's impromptu orders, there are people who forgot, there are events that come up that they're in charge of getting the food, and it's like, hey, I need this real time right now. And as a business owner, my first response is yes. My wife's is like, what are we doing? Do we have time? But it's it's really just being able to stage um and plan out the labor for the orders. What's the best part of running that business? Feedback. Um, you know, our the the best thing about being a local business owner is, you know, it's not it's customers, but our customers, we literally know they're our neighbors. And to be able to get that feedback uh about our board presentation for maybe it's a celebration of life, maybe it's a birthday, maybe it's a baby shower, maybe it's a family homecoming. But to get that feedback uh about how beautiful, how fresh, how the board um was presented, it's a wow factor and a centerpiece. That's the most rewarding.
SPEAKER_01What is a book about leadership or a leadership lesson that you're constantly going back to, constantly in your head, constantly guiding you? Atomic habits is one.
SPEAKER_00Um just, you know, it it it keeps you ingrained on how small, repeatable habits lead to big success. Um, you know, another one from a military standpoint
Building Leadership As A Student
SPEAKER_00is just make your bed by Admiral William McRaven. Again, it just talks about mental toughness, grit, determination, um, and and for all those skills that you need um innately and also that you need to be aware of that you'll have opportunities um that every day is not gonna be easy. You're gonna get knocked down, um, but get back up and fight and continue on. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So we're gonna we're gonna close this out here. I want to find out what's next for all of your big three things for your Riceland, for your family, and for your military career. I want to start first with uh Riceland. What's next for Riceland Food? And you could say it'd be three years in May that you've been there.
SPEAKER_00Three years in May. Yep. Riceland for me next is just A, we want to continue to be able to feed the world sustainably. Um we want to be able to be good partners with our farmers and let them know that we are maximizing their yield of that rice that they're entrusting us with uh for the world. Um, we also want to make sure that we're focused on the next generational workforce. Make sure we have the right labor mix. You know, today everything is so expensive. There's no labor cost, resource, et cetera. Um, everything has just gone up exponentially. So we want to be mindful and and good stewards of our financial resources.
SPEAKER_01What is next for the 188th and and your military career? 33 years.
SPEAKER_0033 years. I I can say this with great pride that I am on the downhill slope. Uh, you know, I probably got another couple of years max left in me. Uh, and what's exciting for me is just to continue with the uh FMS missions to get more F-35s on the ramp, more F-16s on the ramp, and supporting that flying mission. Um, I think it's just gonna be great uh for the River Valley and the state of Arkansas.
SPEAKER_01Right. And what is next for the Rileys in Northwest Arkansas?
SPEAKER_00You know, for my wife and I, hopefully just to be the best grandparents that we can be. You know, we're grandparents to to twin, three and a half-year-old boys, uh, which is just a great job. And uh we want to continue to do that, continue to be good neighbors in the community and hopefully be able to grow and expand uh a Grace Graze business.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, good segue. How can listeners support you in your work, whether it's the guard, whether it's Rice Land Foods, or maybe more importantly, uh Grace Graze?
SPEAKER_00I'll tell you. So if it's the guard, if you're if you're 17 years to 31 years old and you thought about joining the military in general, do it. Uh it it's it's changed the trajectory of my life. It's been one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. So don't be scared. There's a lot of opportunity,
Rapid-Fire: Habits, Snacks, And Challenges
SPEAKER_00uh a lot of tuition assistance, a lot of perks to join in the military. And there's no better place um to be a member of the National Guard than the state of Arkansas. Um and second for for um the uh For Riceland. Yeah, for Iceland, again, um, I'm just gonna continue on to make sure that our workforce is set um and that we have the procedures and the culture in place um to make sure we're maximizing engagement and uh keeping the best workforce possible.
SPEAKER_01Right. And what's that website for Grace Craze? If I'll get home tonight and I want to order me aboard, grayscraze.com slash Bentonville-AR.
SPEAKER_00Order it up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. All great stuff. Lionel, great to visit with you. Uh it's great to know you, and it's great uh to have you as an ally and an alumni of the University of Central Arkansas. So continued success to you and all of your endeavors. Thank you, Paul. I really appreciate it. All right, very good. And then that'll do it for this edition of Central to NWA a UCA podcast. 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.