After 27 years of affiliation with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and the university’s earlier iterations, the Leadership Fort Smith Program will operate as a program of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce beginning June 30, 2015.
The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, the Leadership Fort Smith Advisory Board, and the Leadership Fort Smith Alumni Association “are all in agreement that this transfer will be a positive change for the program,” according to a statement from the chamber.
The transition will begin after the 2014-2015 class graduates.
“We’re fortunate to have strong leaders in Fort Smith and many, if not all, have participated in Leadership Fort Smith at some point in their careers,” Tim Allen, Chamber President/CEO, said in the statement. “We couldn’t think of a more fitting home for the program than the Chamber. We are proud that the University, the LFS Board of Advisors, and the LFS Alumni Association Board have entrusted us with this remarkable community program. We will be ready to hit the ground running, training the future leaders of our community.”
The LFS Program’s stated purpose is “… to provide a program that will build a competent leadership pool for the Greater Fort Smith Region, motivate emerging and existing leaders, and develop the participants for community leadership and decision-making by exposing them to the realities, opportunities, and problems in our metropolitan area.”
UAFS Chancellor Dr. Paul Beran said the move will “enrich the program.”
“I am proud of the long and productive association of UAFS and Leadership Fort Smith. It’s a history that goes back to 1986. The LFS move mirrors the placement of community leadership around the country and also reflects the growing significance of economic development, regional issues, and quality of place on overall community success and achievement. This emphasis is better and more appropriately addressed by the Chamber,” Beran said in the statement.