Honors Picnic

On April 24th, we hosted our annual Honors Picnic for Northside and Southside High School seniors graduating with honors and/or as Arkansas Scholars!

Congratulations to the amazing students!

We had a blast celebrating with delicious hamburgers, hotdogs, and fun games. Your hard work and dedication have paid off, and we are so proud of your achievements. Keep up the great work! 

Thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for helping us celebrate these students!



Presenting Sponsor: Sam's Furniture- Fort Smith

Honor Sponsors: Andy's Frozen Custard, ArcBest, Bullfrog Bouncers LLC, Candy Craze, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Hiland Dairy, Hytrol, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Lunch Sponsor: Tankersley Foodservice

Dessert Sponsor: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Activity Sponsors: 1st Choice Pregnancy Medical Center, Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Chambers Bank, Firstar Bank, Gerber, H&R Block, Penmac Fort Smith, Pepper Source, Ltd.

Friend Sponsors: Action, Inc., Our Blood Institute, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative, Harps Food Stores, Rheem, Valley Behavioral Health System, Weldon, Williams & Lick

Junior Leadership & Career Academy Class of 2027 Commencement

Congratulations to the graduates of the JLCA - Junior Leadership & Career Academy Class X!

We are so proud of each of the students who completed this program and can't wait to see what the future holds for each of them.

As part of their commencement event, the students presented group projects that they had been working on all year about local companies. Shout out to the Blue Team for winning first place for their presentation about Mercy Fort Smith! Thank you to Armstrong Bank for providing a prize to the winning team.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, speakers, and volunteers who supported JLCA this year!



Presenting Sponsor: OG&E

Platinum Sponsors: AT&T, Silgan Plastic Food Containers

Gold Sponsors: ABB Motors and Drives US, First National Bank of Fort Smith, Hytrol, Mercy Fort Smith, RightFiber

Annual Lunch Sponsor: Georgia-Pacific / Dixie

Leadership Fort Smith

Leadership Fort Smith class of 2026 experienced Healthcare in our community on April 9th.

We started our day with a great breakfast at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, followed by an overview of their current operations, future plans and investment in our community. We got our hands dirty at various stations, and learned about advanced healthcare technologies. 

Methodist Village Senior Living welcomed us to tour their assisted living and memory care center, and discussed their plans for the learning center opening in 2027! 

For lunch, we transitioned to the UAMS West Regional Campus - Fort Smith where we were greeted for a tour and lunch while learning about their teaching processes to provide local comprehensive care for our community. 

After lunch, we visited with the girls at Johnson Dermatology about their advanced technology, medical, and cosmetic offerings. Thank you for sponsoring our day! 

We closed the day hearing from Fort Smith ER & Hospital and Fort Smith EMS! 

Thank you to our annual sponsors for your continued support of the program!



Presenting: Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Partners: BHC Insurance, Mercy Fort Smith

LFS Alumni

On April 2nd, we hosted our first LFS Alumni Event!

We enjoyed a great afternoon grazing over a charcuterie board, sharing beverages, and refreshing headshots.

Stay tuned for details on our next alumni event!

First Friday Breakfast

On April 10th, we hosted our First Friday Breakfast featuring a keynote message from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

It was a fantastic morning of delicious breakfast, valuable networking, and pertinent updates from our Attorney General's office. 

Congratulations to Dustin Booth - State Farm Agent on being the winner of the $100 free play incentive drawing provided by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts!

Thank you to everyone who attended and to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting: First National Bank of Fort Smith 

Hosting: Littlefield Companies

Buffet: BHC Insurance  

Coffee Bar: Landmark CPAs 

Incentive Drawing: Choctaw Casinos & Resorts

Washington Fly-In

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce and a small group of Chamber Members participated in our 67th Annual Washington Fly-In, where we had the opportunity to advocate for Fort Smith and strengthen key relationships.

One of the most meaningful highlights of the trip was delivering care packages to the Arkansas National Guard currently deployed in Washington, D.C. filled with locally made products and donated items from our incredible Chamber members. 

Thank you to Congressman Steve Womack, Senator John Boozman, and Senator Tom Cotton for your time!

Thank you to our sponsors and Congressional Delegation for making this event possible! 

Capitol Sponsor: Littlefield Companies

Patriot Sponsor: Lockheed Martin

Congressional Sponsor: Rheem

Delegation Sponsor: FORSGREN INCORPORATED, Ghan & Cooper Commercial Properties, Mercy Fort Smith

Advocate Sponsor: ArcBest, Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp

Friend of DC Sponsor: ABB Motors and Drives US, Arvest Bank, OG&E

Business Brew

We had a great morning at our Business Brew at StoneHouse at Chaffee Crossing on April 21st!

Attendees enjoyed light breakfast, coffee, and new connections!

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland

Hosting & Breakfast Sponsor: StoneHouse at Chaffee Crossing

Coffee Sponsor: The Fort Smith Convention Center

Foodie Friday at Chick-Fil-A Century Drive

We had a fantastic time during our Foodie Friday at Chick-fil-A Century Drive on April 17th!

Thank you to everyone who joined us to support a local restaurant and Chamber member. Congratulations to the giveaway winners!

Foodie Friday takes us to various Chamber-member restaurants, coffee shops, and dessert spots to support, network, and enjoy great food. This is a fun, casual way to show some love to our local food and beverage members while building stronger business connections across the community.

Stay tuned for our next Foodie Friday meetup announcement!

April Ribbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings

Congratulations to the members who held ribbon cuttings with us this month! We are thrilled to celebrate these milestones with you! 

New Members in April

We are so excited to welcome these businesses as members!

Harlow

Ibison Realtors & Co. Keller Williams 

Farmers Insurance - Aneisha LeMonier Agency

National HVAC Service

Extermco Pest Control 

Peerless Potty Sanitation

DeeDee's Balloons

Fusion Heat And Air

AlliancEdu, Inc.

Text a Handyman

Fifth J Marketplace LLC

Rainbow Restoration

Natural State Inspectors LLC

Jiffy Trip 71 HWY

THE DRIP BaR

Starlite National Sub-Contractors

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH

March 2026

We would like to congratulate Alex Hagag with Dobson Fiber on being chosen as our March Ambassador of the Month!

Alex Hagag has worked at Dobson Fiber for 2 years as a Business Sales Consultant in the river valley. His role is to serve small and medium sized businesses in the community by providing them top quality fiber internet and phone services. Alex has over 10 years of sales and consulting experience primarily in the tech industry and enjoys solving the daily issues that many people face regarding the rapidly growing world of technology.

Dobson Fiber is a fiber internet company based in Oklahoma City with an office here in Fort Smith at the Greenpoint Shopping Center. In addition to serving businesses in Fort Smith with internet and phone service, Dobson has recently expanded their footprint into the residential market with the same fast reliable speeds that businesses have come to rely on for years.

"I am a transplant from out of state, so when I moved to the River Valley, I had no network to grow professionally. The chamber has been an integral part of my development and growth as a sales professional and a representative of the community I am now a part of. Whether it is connecting with new businesses at ribbon cuttings, or developing a referral network through networking events, I can't attribute my own professional success without including the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce in that conversation. I am grateful for everyone who works for and supports the Chamber in their mission."

Congratulations to Alex and all of our Ambassadors on another great month!

Thank you to Fig and Fern Floral for helping celebrate our Ambassador of the Month!

Join us TOMORROW for our 2026 Business Expo & Career Fair!!

THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

Come connect with over 100 businesses, enter to win amazing door prizes, and check out open job opportunities in the area. This highly anticipated event brings together local organizations in a vibrant business-to-business setting.

Don’t miss the leading Expo in the Greater Fort Smith Region, where opportunities for growth and connection abound!

2026 Business Brew Series: May 19th

Held every third Tuesday, our monthly Business Brew event happens from 8:00AM to 9:00AM at a new space each month. This month, we will be at Arkansas Valley Habitat for Humanity.

This casual event provides a refreshing way to kick off your day and expand your network!

2026 Partners in Education Luncheon

Each year the Chamber hosts the Partners in Education Luncheon in coordination with Fort Smith Public Schools and the Partners in Education Board. Local businesses that participate in the PIE Program are invited to attend with their partner schools to celebrate their efforts with local students. The Chamber is proud to support this event year after year because of the generosity of our members.

Limited sponsorships are still available!

Foodie Friday at Village Inn

Join us for lunch at Village Inn! It’s the perfect mix of networking, community support, and delicious food.

Enjoy connecting with fellow Chamber members, enter to win a few door prizes, and be part of our Foodie Friday group photo!

Friday, May 29th

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Nominations Open for the 2026 Jack White Community Leadership Award!

For more than 30 years, we have honored community leaders who have gone above and beyond to impact our region in a positive way. Nominate a local leader for this prestigious award today!

Leadership Fort Smith Applications are Open!

Our motto "Learn. Connect. Lead." states our goal very simply - to give participants learning opportunities, connect them to the community, and give them the tools to lead. We also use the phrase "back-stage pass" because our sessions give the class an amazing behind the scenes experience. It is both a professional development and community leadership program like no other!

Does your business offer a military discount?

Does your business offer a military discount? Fill out the form linked above and your business will be listed on our website and will receive a window sticker!

View our military discount directory here: https://www.fortsmithchamber.org/military-discounts/.

Thank you to all of our area businesses who offer discounts and support our military members!

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