Hot Springs Village General Manager Emphasizes “Future”

At the Hot Springs Village POA Board meeting on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, General Manager Kelly Hale reported on recent accomplishments and activities, with a theme of the “future” interlaced in his presentation.

Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Commission

“As mentioned in my September report, Business Development, Land and Public Affairs Director Kevin Sexton, and Mindy Maxwell, Business Development and Client Relations Manager, were putting together a tour and dinner for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Commission. The dinner was held at the DeSoto Club on October 16, and it was a feather in the cap of Hot Springs Village to be able to have this group here. The POA is now in the Department’s budget for tourism advertising, helping to draw more people and visitors to our spectacular community. I’d like to thank both Mindy and Kevin for their efforts in putting this event together; it will have long-lasting effects on our development in the future.”

“This is another avenue that I have spoken for the last three years on – leveraging state money that we have not had access to in the past.”

2024 Highway Commissioners’ Luncheon

“I attended the 2024 Highway Commissioners’ Luncheon at the Oaklawn Track Kitchen, along with my leadership team and several members of the Governmental Affairs Committee and Board. This annual event is a place for our Staff to make crucial contacts with both local and state officials. We are becoming known in this state; we are asserting ourselves; we are getting in the view of people who make things happen and can assist us in the future.”

“This does not mean that we will allow the Highway Commissioner to come into our community; we are a private, gated community. What it does is enhance our ability to get vastly improved roads for our travels to Benton, Hot Springs, or other locations. These are very critical to not only our travels but to our community as a whole.”

2024 Simmons Bank Championships PGA Tournament

“My hard-working staff were lucky recipients of tickets to the 2024 Simmons Bank Championships PGA Tournament in Little Rock on October 25. Tom Heffer, Director of Golf, and Karen Kitchens of JP Morgan Chase Bank kindly provided us with this opportunity to have an outing to see how the pros do it. I did not attend, but I am told that the course at Pleasant Valley Country Club was immaculately groomed for the event, and it was a perfect day to be outside and enjoy some time together to do some team building in a fun atmosphere. I’d like to thank Tom and Karen for providing these tickets to the staff; they had a fantastic time and were able to spend some time relaxing and networking. Opportunities like this allow my team to become more cohesive and enhance their performance in marketing our community. This event will be in the Little Rock area for the next several years and we plan to use this to help promote our community in the future.”

HSV Canine Police Officer Nala Receives Medal

“October is the month for Saint Francis of Assisi. Nala, the canine member of the Hot Springs Village Police Department, was blessed and given the St. Francis Medal by Fr. Keith Hearnsberger in October. We as a community are blessed to have this addition to the force and we hope she is with us long into the future.”

Tipping Point or Turning Point for the Future

“If you have listened, you have heard the theme of the future in my report today. I want the community to understand the gravity of the Board’s selection of who will fill my seat. We are in one of two places: a tipping point or a turning point. I have eaten, slept, and breathed HSV POA staff development and standard operating procedure for almost three years now. I have been setting a course for the future sustainability of Hot Springs Village. I do not want my time to have been in vain. I have a vested interest and will be watching with hope for all of our futures.”