Our Vision is for the Rogers-Lowell Area to be the center of world-class business, welcoming communities, and opportunities for all. This Vision drives our mission-work.

The Mission 5 Report is a new quarterly report highlighting our results, accomplishments and other outcomes from the Chamber’s efforts to be influencers, catalysts, and conveners: the trusted source for growing business, activating leaders, and building community.

The Chamber’s five key focus areas for its mission-work, called the “Mission 5”, include Economic Development, Community Development, Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development, Advocacy & Government Affairs, and Destination Marketing & Management.

Whether you are an investor in our mission-work through Vision 100 or through membership in the Chamber, or both, you are helping to fuel these important outcomes for the Rogers-Lowell Area. We thank you for your investment in our community’s future and taking time to learn more about our mission-work highlights in this report.

Advocacy & Government Affairs

This mission-work serves as the regional link between business and government to ensure that the Voice of Business is represented and heard. We engage the community in the political process by educating voters, providing contacts for legislators, and influencing the community to get registered and vote.

Q2 2022 Highlights:

• The Chamber’s President/CEO and Board of Directors began the process of searching for a new Advocacy and Government Affairs staff person in the 2^nd quarter to lead this key focus area of the Chamber’s mission-work. The process included holding focus groups during the quarter with Chamber members and stakeholders to determine a future path for the program.
• Chamber staff helped gather data and input on the future Benton County Jail project. A county criminal justice committee recommended earlier this year that nearly $250 million be spent on a jail expansion and a courts complex. Justices of the peace previously set the rates for a proposed one-eighth percent sales tax increase to pay for the bond for the expansion and a one-quarter percent sales tax increase to pay for the operations and management of the jail. Money from the one-eighth percent increase would be used to pay off the bonds that would finance the jail expansion. The tax will end when the bonds are paid off. The ballot measures will only concern expanding the jail because justices of the peace plan to pay for the courts project with existing county money. The estimated budget for the jail expansion project is $206.2 million.
• During the 2^nd quarter much progress was made collaborating with local leaders to lay the groundwork for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Agenda for the 2023 legislative session.

View our other Mission 5 Reports here:

Economic Development

Community Development

Small Business & Entrepreneurial Development

Destination Marketing & Management