Jim Gaston*

Jim Gaston always wanted to be in business. As he followed that path, he became an ambassador supreme for Arkansas tourism and transformed Gaston’s White River Resort into a world-class destination for trout fishing.
"The resort is me," Gaston said. "It's not an investment. It's me. I can't ever see me giving it up.”
Those words, uttered more than 23 years ago, still ring true today for the 69-year-old commissioner emeritus for the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation & Travel Commission.
The once rustic resort consisted of a boat dock, six cottages and a few acres when his father, Al, bought the property in the winter of 1958.
Today, Gaston’s covers more than 400 acres with amenities galore: a dock facility supporting 70 fishing boats, 79 cottages, a 125-seat conference center and its own restaurant, private club, a 3,200-feet airstrip and more, backed by a seasonal staff of 75 to 100.
The resort wasn’t in such good shape after a hard winter in 1965, with damage that included a sunken, washed-away boat dock. Added emotional challenges came during the first six months of 1966 with the death of Gaston's father and best friend mixed in with a bank trying to foreclose.
In his early 20s with little business experience, Gaston developed a plan to rebuild that involved getting a $15,000 loan from a Mountain Home bank. After making his pitch, the banker gave him the loan without objection. Gaston went to his car and sobbed with relief.
Over the years, Gaston has held various leadership positions with the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce.
He serves as a volunteer at the Bull Shoals State Park visitor center that bears his name and as president of the Arkansas Tourism Development Foundation since its founding in 1970.
His credo is to "simply make the world a better place however I can." Gaston certainly has helped make Arkansas a better place.
"I love what I'm doing," he said.

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