Discover Fort Smith

Jessica Hayes has spent nearly 20 years helping Fort Smith nonprofits find their footing, starting with the early days of the U.S. Marshals Museum. She joins Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn to talk about turning around the Literacy Council, building the new Longevity and Living Well Alliance, and working to reopen Lincoln Child Care Center. She also shares her advice for anyone thinking about startin...

Nathan Marcotte, president of the Western Arkansas Tennis Association (WATA), sits down with Emily Horn to talk about the growing tennis scene in Fort Smith. He covers the easy ways to start playing, including the $80 Tennis Apprentice program, kids’ clinics and the new novice league. He also explains the push toward 20 public courts at Creekmore and Ben Geren, which could bring state tournaments...

Martin Mahan, Superintendent of Fort Smith Public Schools, joins Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn to share his 34-year journey in the district. He started as a substitute and taught at the juvenile detention center before working his way up to the top job. He breaks down the district's innovative academies, including the Health Science Academy with Baptist and Mercy, the new Computer Science Acade...

Dr. Sandy Johnson of Johnson Dermatology joins Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn to share how a blind date brought her to Fort Smith, and how she and her husband built a 12-provider practice that's celebrating 20 years. She breaks down the two skin care habits that put you ahead of most people, clears up myths about Botox and fillers, and explains why getting a skin check matters as melanoma rates...

Chris Kelly, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Marketing at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, joins Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn to share how a drive down from Kansas led him to buy a house and fall for Fort Smith. He talks about his 20 years in radio, reading graduates' names at commencement, and what's ahead as UAFS gets ready for its centennial in 2028. Chris also covers new programs...

DeAnne Hankins, Executive Director of the Greater Fort Smith Association of Home Builders, joins Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn to talk about how the association advocates, educates and networks for the local building industry. She explains their free, two-year residential construction apprentice program at Peak Innovation Center and how to use the member directory to find trusted, licensed contract...

Plus Grand Media founders Kane and Carlos join Discover Fort Smith to talk about turning a chance studio meeting into a business partnership. They dig into balancing creative work with the discipline it takes to run a company, why they've chosen to keep building in Fort Smith instead of a bigger market, and how events like Cameras and Coffee and Artist Connects are growing the local creative c...

This episode features Bryan Alexis, professor of graphic design at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and the artist behind nearly 50 murals across the region, including Fort Smith favorites like the Gutenberg mural, Alfonso Trent, and the Woman of the River Valley series. Bryan walks through how a mural class born out of the 2015 Unexpected festival turned into a two-decade career, and gets...

Episode 87 sits down with T. Ray Grandstaff, longtime director with River Valley Fellowship of Christian Athletes and film producer behind Woodlawn, End of the Spear, and the 2025 animated feature Light of the World. Ray shares how a simple invitation to FCA as a sixth grader in Greenwood set the course for a career telling faith-based stories on the big screen, and why he and his family chose For...

Dr. Phillip McClure, founder of McClure Professional Services, joins hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink to break down what separates healthy workplace culture from "command and control" leadership. He shares his path from music school and 30 years in pastoral ministry to full-time leadership coaching, unpacks his "tell-ask ratio" framework for delegation, and weighs in on perso...

Crystal Eckles, Strategic Partnerships Lead for Ronald McDonald House Arkansas & North Louisiana, joins the Discover Fort Smith podcast to explain how the Fort Smith house has offered families a free home away from home since 2021. Hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink hear personal stories from families who stayed there during NICU and ICU hospitalizations, plus how the nonprofit relies on donor...

TK Rakoski, owner of River Valley Art and Dance (and founder of the River Valley Dance Society), joins Emily Horn and Joe Cline to talk all things ballroom dancing in Fort Smith. TK shares how a Houston dance studio closed by COVID led him to fall in love with Fort Smith five years ago, and breaks down what ballroom dancing actually is — from two-step and swing to salsa and bachata. The conversati...

Kara Branton and Joyce Simpson join the podcast to share the story of the Nurses Honor Guard of the River Valley, an organization Kara founded in 2021 after seeing a Facebook video and losing her grandmother, a lifelong nurse. The group performs Florence Nightingale tributes and lamp-extinguishing ceremonies to honor nurses at their funerals, has completed over 130 tributes since becoming independ...

Herbie McGill has spent his life in service to Fort Smith — as director of the Elizabeth McGill Drop In Center, a nonprofit his grandmother founded in 1961, and as the driving force behind the Charlotte Tidwell Community Garden (Antioch Discovery Garden), a free 2.9-acre garden he took over after a 27-year friendship changed his life. Joe Cline and Emily Horn talk with Herbie about mentorship, gro...

Talicia Richardson calls herself a "replant," not a transplant — after 20 years away in Phoenix, Lexington, Dallas, and Atlanta, she and her husband moved back home to Fort Smith to be near family. Hosts Emily Horn and Joe Cline talk with Talicia about going from a "taker" in other cities to a builder and creator in Fort Smith, from neighborhood block parties in the Belle Grove...

In this episode of Discover Fort Smith, hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink sit down with Sam Sicard, President and CEO of First National Bank and the fifth generation of his family to lead it since 1872. Sam shares how he stepped into the role in 2011 after his father passed away, what sets a community bank apart from a national one, and why he sees First National's growth as tied directly to...

In this episode of Discover Fort Smith, hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink talk with Morgan O'Neal, District Executive for Scouting America, covering eight counties across the River Valley. Morgan breaks down what Scouting America actually is now (it's not just Boy Scouts anymore), how the program runs from Cub Scouts through Eagle Scout, and how volunteers keep the whole thing funded and...

In this episode of Discover Fort Smith, hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink welcome Douglas Beinenfeld, the new Director of Sales for Discover Fort Smith, fresh off a move from Detroit, Michigan. Douglas shares his 20 years in hospitality and tourism, what a CVB and director of sales actually do, and how Fort Smith's 100%-lodging-tax funding model works. He talks about exploring Arkansas with h...

In this episode of Discover Fort Smith, hosts Emily Horn and Josh Buchfink sit down with Nick McKelvain, a Northwest Arkansas transplant who's spent the past year discovering everything Fort Smith has to offer. Nick shares why he and his girlfriend traded NWA's traffic and rising home prices for a slower pace of life, the misconceptions he had about the city before moving, and how his fami...

Nick Maestri, owner of Superior Pawn & Jewelry, turned a casual conversation about opening a pawn shop into one of Fort Smith's most recognizable luxury brands — built on trust, high-end items, and a no-junk policy. He joins Josh and Joe to talk about redefining an industry, building a massive social media presence with his videographer Larry, and why he believes Fort Smith is the best pla...

Rachael Graham, founder of Arkansas Vascular Solutions, is bringing transcranial Doppler ultrasound to Fort Smith — a non-invasive scan that detects stroke risk by imaging the small vessels inside the head that standard carotid ultrasounds miss entirely. A Van Buren native and UAFS grad, Rachael built her career the hard way and is now filling a critical gap in local healthcare. She joins Josh and...

From a high school role as Pinocchio after a knee injury to helping lead the oldest community theater in Arkansas, Tina Dale’s story is one of creativity, volunteerism, and community. In this episode of the Discover Fort Smith Podcast, Tina shares how Fort Smith Little Theatre has thrived for nearly 80 years, powered entirely by volunteers who build sets, create costumes, direct productions, run l...

In this episode of the Discover Fort Smith Podcast, Jasmine Williams , Executive Chef and General Manager of Uncork’d , shares her journey from Fort Smith to California’s farm-to-table culinary scene and back home again. Along the way, she developed a passion for food, culture, and community that now influences every dish she creates. Jasmine discusses how travel, music, and cultural exploration h...

In Episode 72 of the Discover Fort Smith Podcast, Josh and Joe sit down with historian, professor, and preservationist Tom Wing to explore the deep historical roots of Fort Smith and Van Buren. From growing up around Westark College and Fort Chaffee to becoming a park ranger and director of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site, Tom shares the experiences that shaped his passion for history. The convers...

In this episode of the Discover Fort Smith Podcast, Josh Buchfink and Emily Horn sit down with Stephanie Freeman, Director of Career & Technical Education at Peak Innovation Center. Stephanie shares how Peak is transforming education by connecting high school students with hands-on career training, industry partnerships, and real job opportunities before graduation. From advanced manufacturing...