Jeff Richardson is a busy man.
Not only is he involved in his daily job as senior vice president of commercial lending at Bank of the Ozarks in Benton: he is also busy with the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Richardson, 42, assumed responsibilities as president of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on Jan. 1 and hit the ground running. His first official duty was presiding at the chamber’s annual awards luncheon Jan. 11.
February has been busy as well, as he and other chamber leaders hosted the First Thursday Lunch on Feb. 1, with Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, as guest speaker, and Bingo on Feb. 8, which drew more than 700 people to the Benton Event Center.
“Our next big event is our annual banquet,” Richardson said. “Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays With Morrie, will be our guest speaker at 6:30 p.m. March 13 at the Benton Event Center. Tickets still remain but are selling quickly. This will be a great evening.”
Richardson joined the chamber in 2011 and became a board member in 2013, serving as secretary, vice chairman and now chairman.
“Jeff is a great addition to the list of past board chairmen,” said Gary James, president and CEO of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s refreshing to see somebody so young come in with new ideas and new thoughts in a long line of successful past board chairmen.”
Richardson said plans for this year include emphasizing the chamber’s Shop Local campaign.
“We see a lot of online shopping today,” he said. “We want to help our local businesses maintain their growth and success. We want to keep Saline County businesses in the marketplace.”
Richardson said the chamber supports several annual events to promote businesses.
“Our annual Glitz and Garland is designed primarily for our retail members,” Richardson said. “It is the premier shopping event of the holiday season. It will be held this year Nov. 1-3 at the Benton Event Center.”
The annual event features specialty shopping in one location. Merchants offer jewelry, children’s clothing and items, accessories, collectibles, clothing, home decor, specialty food and more.
“Savor the Flavor highlights our food and restaurant members,” Richardson said. This event is usually held in
October and features more than 30 restaurants and caterers set up in the Benton Event Center, where attendees can sample selections of food from all of the establishments.
“The Saline County Business Expo is aimed at our industry members,” Richardson said. This event provides an opportunity for businesses to make contact with potential new customers and to network with each other. [The expo] normally has more than 65 vendors and is attended by more than 900 people.
“Our newest event, bingo, is tailored for all chamber members,” he said. “The response has been enormous.
“Last year was our first time to have bingo. We had more than 500 people attend. It attracted people of all personalities. This year we have expanded it to two nights. We held the first one Feb. 8. The next one will be held Aug. 23.”
Richardson said the chamber still has weekly focus meetings as it increases its knowledge about starting a career-technology center.
“The land has been donated, and a feasibility study has been completed. The next phase would be financing the project,” he said.
“This center will change the whole county,” he said, adding that the Saline County Career and Technology Center would serve several school districts. “We support it.”
Richardson said the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce also supports the Arkansas Scholars recognition program, which is sponsored by the Arkansas Business and Education Alliance and chambers of commerce throughout the state. He said the Benton Chamber also provides three scholarships to deserving high school seniors.
Richardson said the chamber will focus on three committees to help promote its members in 2018:
• The Civic and Governmental Affairs Committee will help educate the community about the political process.
“We will hold a class in
September or October and invite members of the community to attend,” he said. “I would love to see 40 to 50 people in it. This will be the first time we have
done something like this.”
• The Economic Development Committee will focus on retention and expansion of the businesses in the community.
“We want all 700 members of the chamber to still be here next year,” Richardson said, smiling. “And if they have expansion in their future, we want to help with that.”
• The Ambassador Committee features approximately 20 to 25 chamber members who serve as “the face of the chamber.”
“These ambassadors represent the chamber at various functions, such as ribbon-cuttings,” Richardson said. “They are a big part of the chamber. It takes a lot of people to make functions work. For instance, it takes more than 50 volunteers to make bingo happen. We have to continue to have personal contact with our members, and the ambassadors help us do that.”
Richardson said that among the newest chamber projects is the business education video library the chamber offers its members.
“We make more than 500 videos available weekly for our members to check out,” he said. “These videos help our smaller businesses that do not have HR (human resources) departments be able to get help on various topics, such as the new tax deal that goes into effect this year.
“These videos are all online, free of charge to our members. This is just another benefit of being a member of the chamber.”
Richardson will serve as chairman of the chamber board for one year; he will then serve a year as past chairman. Other 2018 chamber board officers include Steve Brown, vice chairman; Rick Bellinger, secretary; Jordan Woolbright, treasurer; and Leigha Jones, past
chairman.
Richardson was born in Little Rock. He graduated from Hall High School in 1993 and from John Brown University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management. He attended classes at the university’s off-site location in Little Rock, “but I did go to Siloam Springs to walk in graduation ceremonies,” he said.
“I went to college part time while I was working,” he said. “I started working in the banking industry in 1995. I started as a bank teller.
“I have been in the banking business now for 23 years.”
Richardson and his wife, Julia, have one daughter, Jenna, 8, who attends Arkansas Christian Academy in Bryant. Julia Richardson works in information technology at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The family attends Family Church in Bryant, which operates Arkansas Christian Academy.
“We are very involved in our church,” Jeff Richardson said. “If the doors are open, we are there. I work with the technical arts team — audio, lighting and visual.
“I am also on the advisory committee for Second Chance Youth Ranch, which provides a home and services for children in foster care and is also affiliated with Family Church.”
Richardson is a son of Pat Richardson of Little Rock and Jim and Carol Richardson of Rockwall, Texas. Jeff has one sister, Shawna Reed of
Benton, and two stepsisters, Dana Bonds of Bentonville and Ami Nix of Buckner. He is a grandson of Sibyl Maddox of Little Rock, who just celebrated her 100th birthday in October, and Vera Richardson of Leesville, Louisiana.