Kick off Back to School season with Shop Local BINGO!

Back to School season is here and it's the perfect time to Shop Local for all your supplies and gear! To celebrate and support our local businesses, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber is excited to launch our Shop Local Bingo game. This fun and interactive challenge encourages you to explore the community, visit local shops, and complete bingo squares for a chance to win great prizes. It’s a simple way to make back-to-school shopping more exciting while giving back to the businesses that make our region unique. Grab a bingo card and start playing today!

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Shop Local!

Sponsoring the Shop Local Bingo Game is a great way to show your commitment to supporting local businesses while gaining valuable exposure

for your own!

As a sponsor, you’ll have the opportunity to align your business with a campaign that supports the local economy and builds stronger community connections. We’re also seeking contributions for our grand prize, so if your business would like to donate an item or gift card, it’s a great way to increase visibility and add even more excitement to the campaign!

Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2025 Commencement and Class of 2026 New Class Reception

On July 17th, we celebrated Leadership Fort Smith with the Commencement of the Class of 2025 and a New Class Reception for the Class of 2026. It was a special evening recognizing the accomplishments of our graduates, the potential of our newest class, and the ongoing impact of leaders who are shaping the future of our region.

We also had the honor of presenting the 2025 Jack White Community Leadership Award to Eddie Lee Herndon. This award recognizes an outstanding individual who has made a meaningful impact in our community. For over 30 years, the Leadership Fort Smith program has proudly upheld this tradition of celebrating exceptional leaders while honoring the legacy of Jack White.

Thank you to our Sponsors for supporting our incredible program!

Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 Sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor - Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Partner Sponsors - BHC Insurance, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith

Leadership Fort Smith Class Announced

We are thrilled to introduce the newest members of the Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2026! Join us in celebrating these exceptional individuals.

A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor Arkansas Colleges of Health Education and our Partner Sponsors BHC Insurance and Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.

Junior Leadership and Career Academy New Class Reception

Only July 22nd, we celebrated the new JLCA Class X at their New Class Reception! We are so excited to get our 10th class started with our first official session in September!

Thank you so much to our sponsors of this program:

Presenting Sponsor: OG&E 

Annual Lunch & Break Sponsor: Georgia-Pacific 

Platinum Sponsors: AT&T, Silgan Plastic Food Containers- 

Gold Sponsors: ABB, Hytrol, First National Bank of Fort Smith, RightFiber, Mercy

Junior Leadership and Career Academy Opening Retreat

On July 24th, we held our Opening Retreat for Class X!

We kicked off the year with fun team-building activities and had a blast getting to know each other. Thank you to McClure Professional Services for a great day!

Thank you to our Sponsors for making this program possible!

Presenting Sponsor: OG&E  

Annual Lunch & Break Sponsor: Georgia-Pacific  

Platinum Sponsors: AT&T , Silgan Plastic Food Containers- Fort Smith

Gold Sponsors: ABB, Hytrol, First National Bank of Fort Smith, RightFiber, Mercy Hospital

Session Sponsor: McDonald's

Business 2 Business Luncheon

We had a fantastic time at our third quarter Business 2 Business Luncheon on July 10th! Members networked, shared their business, made connections, and enjoyed a great lunch.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Hosting Sponsor: Area Agency on Aging of Western Arkansas, Inc. 

Lunch Sponsor: Fort Smith ER & Hospital, Newk's Eatery, SERVPRO of Fort Smith 

Location Sponsor: The Resolve Center

Business Brew

We had a great time building connections at our March Business Brew on July 15th! Attendees started their Tuesday off strong with netwroking, sharing their business, winning door prizes, and building relationships.



Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Red River Credit Union

Hosting Sponsor: Kids Unlimited Learning Academy

Breakfast Sponsor: The Fort Smith Convention Center

July Ribbon Cuttings

Congratulations to the members who held ribbon cuttings and celebrated milestones with us this month! 

New Members in July

We are so excited to welcome these businesses as members!

Savvy Social Creative

Unified Inspection Services

Digs

HomeNet Solutions

Bare Beauty Salon & Spa

Long donuts

Wingstop

Arkansas Family Alliance

Dark Halo Tattoo

Valley Urgent Dental

ZenBusiness

Knight Sales and Manufacturing

Scouting America, Natural State Council

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH

June 2025

We would like to congratulate Kim Nemeth with Univision Arkansas on being chosen as our June Ambassador of the Month.

We would also like to recognize and thank the companies that allow their BEST to be a part of our ambassador team!

Listed are the TOP 5 out of 55 ambassadors who were extremely engaged with our new members, volunteered at events, and had a great online presence this month!

Kim Nemeth - Univision Arkansas

Jerry Lovins - Drivers Select and Direct Staffing

Jill Golding - United Federal Credit Union

Steve Jackson - Lamar Advertising of Fort Smith

Laura Asbill - Hampton Inn by Hilton Fort Smith

“As a national and local agent for Pinnacle Media, LLC, I bring over 30 years of experience in radio and TV media, with two decades dedicated to helping build Arkansas’s leading Spanish-language television presence through Univision Arkansas and Telemundo Arkansas. Representing these stations across Fort Smith, Northwest Arkansas, and Little Rock, I’m a bridge between businesses and one of the state’s fastest-growing communities.

With over 70,000+ Spanish-speaking followers across social platforms and a decade of trusted local newscasts, my work champions access, representation, and opportunity. I’m a proud advocate for education, and along with other staff members are celebrating 14 years of the Univision Arkansas Scholarship program, and in changing the lives of many individuals through their receipt of the scholarships. Several were awarded this year to students from Fort Smith.

I’m a breast cancer survivor and committed philanthropist and pour my heart and efforts into causes like Paint Chaffee Pink which benefits Donald W. Reynolds Cancer House and its efforts of support and education for cancer patients and survivors. I am also involved in other various community initiatives—all while celebrating life with my beloved family, including my three adored grandchildren.

I love being an Ambassador with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce. It has allowed me to witness firsthand the power of community, the resilience and can-do attitude of the local businesses, and the genuine love of the people who work hard every day into making Fort Smith a great place to live.”

Congratulations to Kim and all our Ambassadors on another great month!

Ambassador Meeting

We had a blast at our quarterly ambassador meeting at Club House Kitchen on July 23rd!

Ambassadors got updates abot the program, played Chamber trivia, and got more insight on how they can utilize Chamber tools in their business!

We awarded prizes from Bullfrog Bouncers LLC, Lamar Advertising of Fort Smith, Bare Beauty Salon & Spa, Sonic Drive-In, Hummingbird Boutique, Club House Kitchen, Endless Nutrition of Barling, Malco Fort Smith Cinema, Chick-fil-A, Chuy's Fort Smith, Pinnacle Media, Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Chrissy Nguyen, CRPC, CRPS, Backwoods Bougie FSM, and Crumbl Kindy to several ambassadors as rewards for their hard work with the Chamber! 

Thank you to all of our ambassadors for your hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm. We loved getting to celebrate you! Thank you to all the businesses for sharing your wonderful people with us!

August First Friday Breakfast

Join us on August 1st at 7:30AM at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center! This month our featured guest speaker is Superintendent, Marty Mahan.

Whether your looking to expand your network, gain valuable insights, listen to an informative program, or simply enjoy a delicious breakfast among peers, this event is for you. 

2025 Business Brew Series: August 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 with Phillip McClure, of McClure Professional Services, at 9000 Dallas Street in Fort Smith, AR 72903. This casual event provides a refreshing way to kick off your day and expand your network!

Feel free to bring your business cards, brochures, and any materials that tell your story! Wear your name tag and bring a door prize (optional).

Nominations open for 2025 Physician of the Year award!

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce's "Physician of the Year" Award recognizes a local healthcare physician (current or retired) who has made significant contributions to healthcare in our region. A winner will be chosen based on demonstrating excellence in areas of (but not limited to) quality, service, people, growth, and community. 

Please complete the form below to nominate someone for this prestigious award. 

Does your business offer a military discount?

We have put together a tab on our website that features businesses in our area that offer military discounts! This page is shared with the community and military members. Click below to fill out the form and tell us about the perks and discounts you offer!

Submit Your News

Share your news with us and it could be included in the next Chamber Connections newsletter!

This feature is to celebrate company milestones, employee recognition, promotions, or other accomplishments. Please utilize your Chamber Master account for events, deals, or general news releases.

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Center for Economic Development Hosting Introduction to Government Contracting and Certifications for Small Business

Ready to grow your business through government contracting? Learn how to navigate the complex world of government procurement with confidence by understanding these four essentials: obligations, registrations, certifications, and solicitations.

Kimberly Randle of the Arkansas APEX Accelerator will explain the various small business certifications available and highlight the free resources available to support you. You'll gain practical insights into federal and state regulations, rules, and processes you need to know for your business to sell products or services to government entities.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the world of procurement possibilities.