V. Dexter Doyne grew up on a farm in College Station and founded Little Rock’s Doyne Construction Co. Inc. in 1983. Doyne was an member of Arkansas Business‘ first class of 40 Under 40 honorees in 1993.
Background: Doyne has been president and CEO of Doyne Construction Co. Inc. in Little Rock for almost 30 years. His company’s projects include the Clinton School of Public Service and the Clinton Presidential Library’s water feature.
Education: Doyne received a Bachelor of Arts in motion picture producing and directing from San Francisco State University. Though his professional career led him elsewhere, he has been involved in filmmaking ever since.
Q: It’s been almost 20 years since your profile in our first 40 Under 40 issue. What have been some of your professional highlights since then?
A: I have been blessed to receive numerous awards and recognitions from our community. These include the Arkansas Business Executive of the Year award, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce Minority Small Business of the Year and the Small Business Administration Prime Contractor of the Year award for Region IV. In order to satisfy my passion for filmmaking, I was also the chairman of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute between 2002 and 2004. However, I am quick to remind everyone that I am only a representative of the God that I serve and my wonderful wife, family and dedicated staff that supports me.
Q: Did being named a 40 Under 40 honoree put you under pressure to perform?
A: No, not really, because I have always been under pressure to perform since being born into a farming family in my College Station community. Working from sunup until sundown every day for a very demanding father prepared me to tackle life’s challenges head on. Receiving the 40 Under 40 recognition helped me to understand and appreciate my father’s wisdom to instill a persistent work ethic in me at an early age.
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years?
A: Actually, my five-year exit plan conveys that I will retire from the daily operations of Doyne Construction Co. Inc. and devote more of my time to my family, my church, my community development in College Station and producing film projects.
Q: How have you been able to realize your dreams of being involved in filmmaking?
A: In 1995, I was commissioned by North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays to produce a documentary film about our trip to South Africa. The 10-day trip was sponsored by Sister Cities International and included six other U.S. mayors who toured the cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Soweto and Cape Town. While there we all met with city, state and national dignitaries to promote cultural and economic development opportunities between our countries. The film was featured at the 1996 U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C. I also served 10 years on the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute board of directors.
Q: How has the filmmaking environment in Arkansas changed since you got started?
A: For many years Arkansas has been near the bottom of the list when it came to promoting filmmaking in our state. However, through the efforts of the Arkansas Film Commission, the Arkansas Production Alliance and the Little Rock Film Festival, great strides have been made to create film production incentive packages and to showcase the filmmakers’ products. Arkansas and its filmmakers can now be more competitive when trying to attract film production opportunities to our state.
Q: What advice do you have for our current 40 Under 40 honorees?
A: Stay prayerful, stay focused and stay in Arkansas – we need you here!
Sign up for Daily E-news
