Northwest Arkansas Council
New Appointments at Grand Savings Bank, Stephens Insurance, ASU-Beebe & More (Movers & Shakers)
Key Arkansas appointments include Aubrey Blackmon’s Agriculture Hall of Fame induction, Laura Landreaux as State Chamber chair, and leadership changes in banking, energy, health care, and more. read more >
Stefanie Pawluk on Advancing Value-Based Care & Improving Care in Northwest Arkansas
Pawluk joined the Northwest Arkansas Council after three years as policy director of the Heartland Whole Health Institute. read more >
Appointments & Awards Announced at Lexicon, SAU, Arkansas Farm Bureau & More (Movers & Shakers)
New leadership across Arkansas: Randi Strode at Lexicon, Connie Wilson at SAU and Stefanie Pawluk at NWA Council. read more >
Philip Taldo Elected Chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission (Super Mover)
Taldo succeeds Alec Farmer, who announced that he is stepping down as chairman at the end of the year. read more >
Northwest Arkansas Council Names Stefanie Pawluk as Executive Director of Health Care Transformation
The former Heartland Whole Health Institute policy director will lead implementation of Vision 2030, focusing on improving regional health care access, reducing outmigration for specialty care and advancing value-based care initiatives. read more >
Trading Up: Arkansas Looks to Expand Workforce Training with Lottery-Funded Scholarships
Arkansas voters overwhelmingly approved using lottery funds for vocational scholarships, enhancing workforce development in high-demand trades. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Northwest Arkansas Seeks Health Care Improvement
The region has reduced the outmigration of health care by $255 million since 2018, but a new report says there's more work to be done. read more >
Northwest Arkansas Home Prices Surge as Equity Investors Move In
One company, HomeSource Property Management of Charlotte, North Carolina, owns about 200 homes for rent in Washington and Benton counties. read more >
by Marty Cook -
StartupNWA Hub to Support Entrepreneurs in Northwest Arkansas
A new online platform has been created to connect northwest Arkansas entrepreneurs with support and resources. read more >
Northwest Arkansas Healthcare Struggles to Keep Pace with Population Growth
Health care officials say the strain on northwest Arkansas’ workforce is improving, but the area’s continuing growth will keep the demand for medical workers from slowing down any time soon. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Ryan Cork Named Vice Chancellor of UAMS Northwest Region
He formerly served as chief operating officer and institute administrator for international operations at Cleveland Clinic. read more >
Reading The Future: Economic Development (40 Years of Arkansas Business)
Investments in roads, bridges and water infrastructure must be a key priority and include developing new and coordinated transit systems. read more >
by George Waldon -
Arkansas Pharmacists Association Names Michael Morrison as Senior Adviser (Movers & Shakers)
He previously served as the deputy communications director and director of visual media for the Arkansas attorney general’s office. read more >
Rising Lot Preparation Costs Propel Housing Prices in NWA
According to the Northwest Arkansas Council’s workforce housing council, the region will need 90,000 more homes in the next 20 years. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Career Realignment: Report Calls for Fine-Tuning Workforce Training Programs in NWA
The study by the Walton Family Foundation said that many of the programs taken by high school students are in career pathways that are not the region’s high priorities. read more >
by Marty Cook -
USL Arkansas Scores Big: Bringing Pro Soccer to NWA in 2026
The teams don’t have names, the ownership group isn’t finalized and designs for the new stadium in Rogers haven’t been completed, but USL Arkansas aims to bring soccer to northwest Arkansas in 2026. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Arkansas Leaders See Utah’s High-Tech Success as Model for Economic Transformation
Utah, with its emphasis on research, entrepreneurship and quality of life, has become one of the top states for high-tech industries. Arkansas is looking to borrow from the western state's playbook. read more >
by Lara Farrar -
Rising Rent Prices Mean More Homes for Rent
The surge in housing prices in northwest Arkansas is attracting investors buying houses to turn them into rental properties. That has meant a drop in the percentage of owner-occupied houses, a decline taking place for at least a decade. read more >
by Marty Cook -
NWA Leaders Work to Fix Lack of Affordable Housing
The expanding population in northwest Arkansas has put stress on the region, nowhere more so than on its housing market. read more >
by Marty Cook -
‘Big Emma’ to Bring Affordable Housing to Downtown Springdale
The 77-unit development is funded by a $6.75 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation. read more >