Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part series on the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District.
Patrecia Hargrove was happily living in Greenwood, Miss., where she was a grants administrator. But her son was growing up and wanting to play team sports, and suddenly all of the travel she was having to do was getting in the way of a productive home life. That's when she started looking around for another job.
When a position at the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District came along, Hargrove applied for it. And when former executive director Glenn Bell offered it to her, she had one question.
"Do I have to travel?" she remembers asking.
"Not between 8 and 5," Bell answered.
"I said, 'OK, good!'"
And to Pine Bluff she went.
That was 2002, and now she's the boss. And like a lot of good administrators, the reason she got to the top spot was because she understands everyone else's job at the district, which, broadly speaking, facilitates employment and economic growth, as well as dealing with solid waste issues, across a 10-county area of southeast Arkansas.
Her first position was working in the workforce department where her goal was helping people go to school. But having been a grants administrator, she couldn't help but notice when the grants administrators at SEAEDD were in need of help.
"When I saw they were getting swamped, I would offer my services," she said. "I reached over to help them, and eventually I just ended up over there in grants administration."
About five or six years ago, she moved up to the position of director of grants, a position that was created for her.
"I enjoyed every second of it," she said. "My vision was to grow that department, and it was growing."
And then director Bell decided to retire.
There were a couple of transition directors, but Hargrove, 49, became the interim executive director in August 2018 and was voted in as executive director in April 2019.
"That was a real surprise," she said. "That was not my intention because I enjoyed where I was. I loved the area. I loved the district. I loved the job. And I just wanted to make sure we continued to succeed."
As the director, Hargrove's life has gotten busier -- mainly because she has continued working as a grants administrator.
"There's just not enough hours in the day," she said, "and that goes for about any position we have. There's so much need out there. We try to help as many cities and counties as we can. And if we're not able to help them, it hurts me personally. But sometimes you just can't do it all."
That work overload is just now moderating a bit. Hargrove has hired a new grants administrator, Hayley Brakebill, who is "coming along very quickly."
But Hargrove said "there are so many variables" in the administration of grants that it's hard for a new person to handle it all alone.
"Grants have so many details to keep up with," she said, "especially when you're dealing with state and federal dollars."
And because she has been overseeing grants for so long, the mayors and county judges that make up the SEAEDD board continue to call her with requests even though they all know she has moved on -- or is trying to move on -- from the grant writing area.
Chicot County Judge Mack Ball calls her asking for grant money -- and he's the president of the board.
"Even I do it," Ball said with a big laugh. "I can't break old habits."
Ball had high praise for Hargrove.
"She's bold and progressive and smart," he said, "and she approaches the job the same way."
Ball compared her to Bell, saying Hargrove was continuing to move the district forward.
"Glenn Bell was good," Ball said, "and she's standing on his shoulders and doing an outstanding job. That keeps the district up to date and modern."
Hargrove may be helping a mayor of a small town that just needs a culvert, or in the case of Ball, she may be working on a grant for more than a million dollars to help a business modernize and expand what it does.
"These are rural areas," she said. "They are needing everything."
Many times, she said, when calamity strikes, such as when there's flooding or a tornado, the incident uncovers other deficiencies.
"It brings major focus onto issues they didn't even know they had," Hargrove said. "And they're all needing help now. Some can't wait on help for six months. If I can't get that issue resolved, I really take it personally."
Not surprisingly, Hargrove gets the most satisfaction from her job when she is able to help cities and counties no matter what that entails.
"When there's a problem and we played a part in finding a solution, it's so gratifying," she said. "That's why we are here – to help them. It's these small victories that help you keep your focus."