Danny Riggan can be found just about anywhere around his community. He is always on the go as the principal broker and owner of McClure Real Estate in Malvern. He is also very involved with the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce, serving as this year’s chairman of the board of directors.
Riggan, a native of Malvern, is the 2014 Chamber Member of the Year.
“He is an invaluable resource to this community,” said Nikki Launius, executive director of the chamber, in introducing him to the audience gathered for the annual chamber awards banquet earlier this year. “His contributions to the Economic Development Corp., the chamber and school sports programs are just a small portion of his talents.
“Offering behind-the-scenes details and otherwise missed opportunities for volunteerism, this Member of the Year always steps up, such as helping the Malvern Downtown Merchants, Operation Clean Sweep, Brickfest, Chamber bingo and the Lions Club.”
Riggan, 62, was born here in 1953.
“And here I am,” he said with a laugh. “That’s my life’s history.”
Riggan is the son of the late Murl Riggan and the late Coy Mae Parker.
“My father died when I was 17,” Riggan said. “My mom passed away five years ago.”
He has two sisters — Dian Howell of Malvern and Vickey Riggan of Oklahoma.
“They’re both older than I am,” he said. “I’m the pup.”
Riggan has two sons, Jason and Blake.
Jason Riggan, 38, lives in Glen Rose with his wife, Dede, and their daughter, Sydney, 9. Jason works for Hilbilt Manufacturing Co. in Benton, and Dede is the assistant to Malvern Mayor Brenda Weldon.
Blake Riggan, 34, lives in Midway with his wife, Michelle, and their children, Hannah, 10, and Blakelyn, 4. Blake is the Hot Spring County assessor, and Michelle is employed by the Ouachita School District.
Danny Riggan graduated from Malvern High School in 1971 and from Henderson State University in 1974 with a degree in education. He said the time during which he did his student teaching “was a prime time for social change.
“Discipline had loosened up in the schools, and the dress code was so
different from when I was in school. They all wanted to wear T-shirts with holes in them, and they didn’t want to get haircuts.”
He decided teaching was not for him.
Riggan found a job with an insurance agency operated by the George McClure Sr. family; Riggan had grown up with members of the family. That job eventually evolved into him selling real estate.
Riggan bought McClure Real Estate from the family on Sept. 2, 2011.
“I kinda like what I’m doing,” he said with a smile. “Real estate has been a pretty good ride for the past 26 years.”
Riggan is a graduate of the Realtors Institute, sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, and uses the designation “GRI” after his name.
“Business is a little slow now and has been since we had the financial crisis in 2008,” Riggan said.
“It affected everything,” he said. “It really hit us hard. We are at about 60 percent of where we need to be.
“The city’s tax revenues are holding up pretty well. Anytime you have a Walmart, that generates business. One thing that has saved our city is the 1-cent sales tax we passed back in 1983 or ’84. That’s really kept the city afloat.”
Riggan said that although Malvern has lost some businesses during the past several years, there are others that have set up in the community, such as the Ouachita River Correctional Unit, the Sykes call center and two power plants.
“We still have the timber industry, and of course, we are the brick capital of the world,” he said, noting that there are three brick plants in the area. “And we have the hospital (Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Spring County) and the college (College of the Ouachitas).”
Riggan said he has been an active member of the chamber for several years.
“You know how it is in a small town. You have a small group of people that works in the community,” he said.
“Volunteerism is waning. You can’t seem to get people to commit to do anything, so the same ones keep doing it from year to year,” Riggan said. “I guess a person should just pick two real good organizations and stick with them, but it’s hard to say no.”
Riggan is on the board of directors for several organizations, including the Hot Spring County Economic Development Corp., Brickfest and the Hot Spring County Hospital Foundation. He is a past president and an active member of the Lions Club. He is also a member of the Hot Spring County Leadership Forum.
Over the years, Riggan has supported the Malvern Leopards and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“Beginning in 1971, a group of us started attending all of the Razorback football games,” he said. “I did that until about two years ago, and I just got tired of going.”
Riggan said he is a “news junkie.”
“Conservative to the bone,” he said with a smile, adding that he reads the newspaper daily.
He attends First Baptist Church in Malvern.
Riggan said he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren.
“The older girls play softball,” he said.
“Hannah is very involved in 4-H, too,” he said. “She raises goats — Toggenburgs and Nubians. They have a small farm and have horses, cows and chickens.
“I’ve become a big supporter of 4-H,” he said. “It’s not all about bringing stuff to the county fair. It’s a life-teaching organization.”
He said Hannah is a student in the Ouachita School District, and Sydney attends school in the Glen Rose School District.
Riggan said he doesn’t think he will ever retire.
“I can’t,” he said, laughing. “I still enjoy selling real estate.
“I’ll retire at Don Rash’s funeral home (Regency Funeral Home).”
Riggan said the Malvern Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its annual Bingo Bonanza fundraiser from 6:30-9 p.m. April 17 at the Malvern Community Center, 1800 W. Moline St. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
“It’s a good fundraiser,” said Riggan, who will work at the event. “People have a lot of fun.”