Joey Dean, 34, says he and others at the Arkansas Department of Eco-nomic Development are “like salespeople who have a really great product to sell.” <p>
Since joining ADED in January 1996, Dean has helped bring Nestlé USA and Denso Corp. to Arkansas, and he has worked to grow existing industry in the state.<p>
Dean was part of a recent state delegation that traveled to Japan to thank Japanese industries for doing business in the state. The delegation also worked on solidifying relationships to encourage further development, Dean said.<p>
Following his graduation in 1991 from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Dean went to Washington, D.C., to serve as an intern in the office of Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark. The summer internship turned into a permanent position that kept him in Washington until 1996.<p>
Dean said working in a place like Washington “opens your eyes to the fact the world is very small and not as large and imposing as you might have thought.”<p>
Dean is a member of the Arkansas Economic Developers and a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock.
