Jim Dailey

 Harrison, Arkansas … A city that has it together !!!

49 years ago my wife and I spent the first night of our honeymoon in Harrison, Arkansas. Obviously it’s only natural Patti and I still hold a special place in our hearts for Harrison.  Through these five decades we traveled highway 65 more than 100 times in route to visit friends in Missouri.  Harrison was our restaurant, our service station, our grocery store, our rest stop, our meeting place.  Whether floating the Buffalo, enjoying Dogpatch or attempting to ski icy slopes at Marble Falls, the city of Harrison played a role or served as home base. 

Flash forward to 2007 … life after politics.  My brother in law invited me to become part of Flake & Kelley Commercial.  I did and almost immediately hit the road meeting with Mayors promoting Retail Business Development.  The timing was right, I was hired to do some work for Harrison and began introducing prospective retailers to the market.   Of surprise to me I found resistance … not based on market analytics … based on the history of racism and prevailing  tales of the KKK leadership in the area. Your Mayor will well remember a meeting with two restaurant franchise owners expressing concern for the perceived culture of racism in the community. 

During the past seven years I have come to appreciate a new Harrison Culture …  a culture of leadership, a culture of openness, a culture of discussion and learning from the past, a culture of team building and working together, and  a culture of announcing to the world there is a new Harrison, a new attitude, a new vision and the doors of Harrison are wide open for all.

Harrison, Arkansas … I’m proud of you and proud to be your friend.

Jim Dailey