Class XXXII Welcomed by Windstream Operations President & Local Officials 

 ####

Harrison, AR, August 28, 2020. Melissa Collins, Chair of the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce and Principal Broker, Weichert, Realtors-Market Edge, led off a round of welcome remarks to Class XXXII of the Boone County Leadership Institute (BCLI) on Tuesday, August 25th. BCLI -- presented by Kinetic by Windstream – got underway at the John Paul Hammerschmidt Conference Center with the sixteen participants and their supervisors and managers learning what was in store for the group of emerging leaders over the next nine months.

Collins said, “You are here because your supervisor or manager believes that you possess the talent to become a true leader, with all the honors that title brings. Just know that leadership is not easy. It’s multi-faceted and fast-paced. It’s full of challenges and the unknown.” She added, “BCLI is geared to allow you to engage with leaders from across the community to learn about what makes it tick and what makes them successful.”

County Assessor Brandi Diffey, representing the elected officials of Boone County, added her welcome to the group, encouraging them to “become engaged in the community” with the knowledge they learn in the program. 
 

Windstream Operations President Brad Hedrick joined the group via video conference from his headquarters in Lincoln, NE. “Welcome to BCLI, a learning experience designed to give you the foundational components to become a leader, and the insight to be a better one. Kinetic by Windstream is pleased to present the program for a second year.” Hedrick then provided an overview of the company, its operations, and the investment made in Boone County, noting, “We’ve expanded our Harrison operations to support the overall corporate backbone, with over 185 employees today. We’re proud to be engaged with and support this outstanding community.” 
 

Randy Zook, the President and CEO, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, also spoke to the group via video conference, providing an overview of the importance of effective leadership to the State’s economy. He also noted the need for the state’s General Assembly to pass a hate crimes law, “As one of only three states without one, it puts a target on Arkansas as a state that isn’t concerned about equality, and we know that’s simply not true,” adding, “The Governor challenged the Boone County community to take the lead in these efforts last January, so for you, this is important.” 
 

Other presenters during the orientation included Nita Cooper, retired University of Arkansas Extension Service agent and BCLI founder, Joan Bell, BCLI alum and owner, Joan Bell Shelter Insurance, Kris Greening, NorthArk College Director of Human Resources, and Bob Largent, Chamber President/CEO. 
 

BCLI Class XXXII participants are Derek Simpkins, Joe Faria, Matt Schaffer, Clint Davis, Kevin Waldon and Ben Seymore from FedEx Freight; Ashley Martin with First Community Bank; Kelsea Lowery, Dr Josephine Kershaw, Kyle Evatt and Brittany Harris from NorthArk College; Melissa Trenchik with the National Park Service’s Buffalo National River; Jake Gray with Vikki Hudson State Farm Insurance; Evan Savells of The Point Financial Group; Todd Ayers from Wabash National Corporation; and Wilson Marseilles with the Harrison Chamber. 
 

The class has BCLI alumni Andy Kaufmann and Wade Edwards, both with FedEx Freight, as their co-facilitators this year. They will lead participants in Leadercast 2020: Positive Disruption, engagement with government and business leaders and other entities that make up Boone County, and hopefully a three-day trip to Little Rock for the 4H Center’s ROPES Course and meeting with the Governor and other state officials in the Spring. 
 

About Kinetic by Windstream 
Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: WIN), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions. Windstream provides data networking, core transport, security, unified communications and managed services to mid-market, enterprise and wholesale customers across the U.S. The company also offers broadband, entertainment and security services for consumers and small- and medium-sized businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. Services are delivered over multiple network platforms including a nationwide IP network, our proprietary cloud core architecture and on a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 150,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com or windstreamenterprise.com. Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @Windstream or @WindstreamBiz.

About the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce
The Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce promotes the economic and business well-being of the greater Harrison and Boone County, Arkansas area.  The investor-driven Chamber also recognizes, values and promotes the outstanding quality of life locally that encourages people to live, work, invest and retire in the area.  For more information, please visit www.harrison-chamber.com