June 23, 2026 • 42 mins
Domestic markets only tell part of the story. Staying localized limits your growth potential, locks you out of massive consumer bases, and leaves your business vulnerable to regional economic dips. In today’s interconnected environment, hiding behind state borders means leaving substantial revenue on the table. We sit down with Jonathan Bricker, Vice President and Commercial Relationship Manager at Regions Bank, to unpack exactly how regional operations can pivot toward international expansion.
We get into the tactical mechanics of mitigating risk when shipping overseas, handling high-level supply chain disruptions, and managing global capital. Jonathan Bricker shares his unique framework for identifying accidental exporters businesses that fall into international sales by chance but lack the infrastructure to scale them. We also explore the intersection of civic responsibility and economic development, detailing how local chambers and specialized bank infrastructure work together to support medium sized entities looking to cross borders.
Forging a career path in international finance is rarely a straight line, and the logistics behind trade compliance require absolute resilience. It takes continuous adaptation to handle unpredictable tariff adjustments and fluctuating shipping networks without disrupting your bottom line. Viewers will walk away with a clear blueprint on how to turn localized manufacturing into a highly diversified, global operation that drives job creation and commands higher corporate wages.
If you care about commercial finance, economic development, and scaling international logistics networks, you’ll get a lot from this conversation. Make sure to subscribe to the channel and share this episode with someone looking to grow their business.
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SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward.
People who are shapingindustries and defining what is
next for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
All right, we are back now withanother edition of Central to
NWA, a UCA podcast.
Paul Gallon here with you.
And my guest today is somebodythat I have known for uh a
while.
Our paths crossed uh a fewtimes.
I was the Northwest ArkansasBusiness Journal, but um, it
wasn't until we sat down uh atuh, well, right next door.
(00:44):
He rose coffee uh here fromPodcast Videos Studios.
And uh after I joined UCA,really got to hear his uh full
story.
Little Rock Native, UCA alumni,uh played soccer for the Bears,
also student athlete, uh, thenspent 14 years in investment
banking, built a career incommercial uh finance with uh a
(01:05):
specialty that um you know mostbankers in this market don't
really have.
Yes.
And now is doing some of themost uh, I think, most important
work, uh, economic work in thestate of Arkansas.
So Jonathan Bricker, vicepresident at Regions Bank,
joining us today.
Welcome to Central DWA.
Well, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (01:22):
Um, yeah, that was quite the intro.
Congratulations to you on the uhsuccessful podcast.
Yeah, it's been fun.
Yeah, it seems fun.
I love watching them.
And uh, I mean, you've had somany just influential people and
uh important people.
It's uh congratulations.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
I think you are uh episode 16.
I think we're up to now since westarted uh uh let's see, Aaron
Nolan was number one.
That was late October, I think.
Wow.
Wow, and here we are in thesummer.
SPEAKER_01 (01:49):
Yeah, well, I guess I guess the rest of your VIP
list was on vacation this weekbecause I don't know what I'm
doing here, but we're gonna telleverybody what you're doing
here, and I'm gonna telleverybody what you're doing
here.
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
So uh, and like I said, you know, Jonathan, if
somebody met you today, um, youknow, they'd see you know
commercial banker, someoneheavily involved uh in
international trade, chair ofthe Arkansas District Export
Council, right?
So I'm sure if you start peelingback all those things, it seems
like a very, you know, nonlinearpath, right?
(02:21):
And and I'm sure looking back onit now, it seems like it all fit
together, but um, yeah, it'sprobably not the way it felt at
the time, did it?
SPEAKER_01 (02:28):
No, I in fact, I mean, I felt like I didn't
really have a path.
Uh and then once it kind ofshowed itself to me, I, you
know, I've really come toappreciate it and and love it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
Yeah, well, you've come to thrive in it as well,
you know, uh servant leadershipwith the deck and then you know,
Regions Bank and all the workthat you're doing, not just here
in Northwest Arkansas, but uhthroughout the state.
So let's go back to thebeginning.
Like I said, Little Rock kid,you know, Little Rock guy, uh
Catholic high school graduate.
That's right.
I believe right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
You're raised in Little Rock, graduated Catholic
high in '95.
95.
Tilling, tilling on myself thereif the gray hair didn't already
do it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
That's right.
Yeah, you and me both with thewith our gray hair.
So when you were growing up, youknow, uh, what did your future
look like?
I mean, did you have a plan?
Did you as a Catholic highschool, you know, teen, what did
you figure you were going to bedoing?
SPEAKER_01 (03:16):
That's a really good question.
It took me a while to uh mature,might be the right word, you
know.
My grandmother, I was, you know,basically raised by my
grandparents.
My mom was definitely in thepicture, but you know, she was
working multiple jobs to try tomake ends meet.
And my grandmother stayed home.
Um, so that's kind of where I'veI've picked up my manners and I
(03:41):
pick up after myself.
I make my bed in the mornings,you know, all those kind of good
things.
Right.
So the if you were to ask her,it was it was pretty strenuous
on her.
SPEAKER_00 (03:52):
As as a young teen boy would be on most
grandparents, I'm sure.
So how does uh a Little Rock kidend up uh at UCA in Conway?
Was that always on the radar orjust uh how did you how did you
end up in Conway?
SPEAKER_01 (04:06):
Yeah, honestly, um college wasn't even on the radar
for me.
I uh I struggled in high school.
Um I just I didn't apply myselflike I should have, or like I
could have.
I was more uh interested infriends and soccer.
Okay.
Um that was my life.
In fact, the guys that I playedsoccer with at Calicond are
(04:28):
still some of my deepest andclosest friends.
SPEAKER_00 (04:31):
Right.
You probably needed a goodconversation with with Father
Tribu, right?
Oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:35):
He uh he sent me straight a couple of times.
I bet.
I bet I bet it needed to happen.
Right.
So, you know, eventually mygrandmother was adamant that you
are going to college.
You know, against my against mydesires, I did, but then at the
same time, I was really excitedto move out of the house.
Uh, you know, I want to be myown man and uh forge my own
(04:58):
path.
Right.
And so it sounds like she helpedput you on that path.
She did.
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:03):
Absolutely.
She kept me on the straightnarrow.
Um, so that's that's how I endedup at UCA.
Not too far away, right?
Uh, but still somewhat on myown.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:14):
And soccer, is that something you started as a kid?
I mean, you grew up playing thesport?
Correct.
Since uh first grade.
And back in those days, soccerin Arkansas wasn't really a
thing.
Um, and then you know, atCatholic, I played all four
years and then got to UCA, andUCA didn't even have a soccer
team.
SPEAKER_00 (05:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Um, so there was so you're on the first team.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
Correct.
Okay.
Correct.
So what year was this?
Like you said, soccer has come along way.
Right, it really has, especiallyin Arkansas, the last 30 years.
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
Let's see.
So, I mean, I started in '95.
It was probably the 96, 97 team,somewhere around there.
Okay.
Um, it was kind of a I want tosay it was a hodgepodge of a
team, but we were the all-starsof Arkansas.
But Arkansas as a whole was sofar behind that.
(06:06):
That was a low role bar.
It was.
But you know, guys that we raninto in high school that we were
competing against, we were nowplaying with.
Right.
So it was kind of a strangedynamic.
And then, you know, we were allgoing through the same things
together, you know, freshman orsophomore year of college, first
team, never traveled, never gotto go, you know, eat at Western
(06:30):
Sizzling on the university'sdime.
That was crazy.
You know, that was worth itright there.
SPEAKER_02 (06:35):
Right.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (06:36):
I mean, so paint that picture.
That what who were you playing?
Where where did you travel to?
What was the uh what was theschedule like?
I mean typical game we like.
SPEAKER_01 (06:45):
Right.
Oklahoma.
I felt like we went there quitea bit.
SPEAKER_00 (06:49):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
Um, you know, again, studies weren't my priority,
right?
But soccer was um during thesuburbs.
Uh I lived on campus because asa student athlete, we got uh to
eat in the dining hall, uh,which was great.
And we were practicing threedays a week.
Yeah, or sorry, three times aday.
(07:10):
Okay.
And uh, and then you know,started just uh living in the
fraternity house.
Yeah again, that's where thesocial aspect kind of uh soccer
and social.
SPEAKER_00 (07:20):
Right.
So you weren't taking advantageof those long bus and van rides
with uh you know uh book in yourhand, nothing like that.
I was definitely not doing that.
So yeah, you were a uh a SigmaNU, correct, I believe.
And uh I think you still are ontheir for alumni board.
That's her.
Yeah, so I mean that's that'snot nothing.
(07:40):
That's a real ongoingcommitment.
What did that brotherhood mean?
What did the Sigma Newfraternity mean to you?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (07:46):
It really, I mean, when people think of a
traditional fraternity orfraternity house, it is, it's
really what you make of it.
And it's kind of who you aregoing into it.
Um, you know, I was I didn't seemyself as being uh a fraternity
guy, but at UCA, once you're outof the dorm, it was a little bit
(08:08):
challenging at the time.
It was a smaller school andpeople kind of disappeared on
the weekends.
Well, at the fraternity house,you know, everybody stayed put
and had a good time.
Um the times that I were there,I found myself in more of a
leadership role as the vicepresident of the active chapter
(08:28):
at a time.
So I held multiple leadershippositions.
So I would always be the onethat would go out and speak to
the lovely police officers if uhthey were to somehow the
spokesman.
Right, right, exactly.
Or if you know we did anythingand uh interviews needed to be
had, that's that was the rolethat I kind of stepped into.
SPEAKER_00 (08:48):
Okay, so yeah, so and I would imagine kind of like
um, you know, Catholic High gaveyou lifelong friends, soccer
gave you lifelong friends, yourfraternity experience has given
you lifeless.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (09:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (09:01):
And so you left uh UCA with uh I think marketing
and management correct degrees,right?
So what were you expecting yourcareer to look like?
Um, I mean, did you have anyidea you'd spend the next you
know 20 some odd years workingin finance and working your way
up in finance?
Oh, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
That was the last thing that I thought I would I
was gonna do.
Um I really didn't know what Iwanted to do.
I just knew that I wanted tofinally graduate.
You see?
I know.
Right, right.
That's my uh yeah.
It's it's been quite thejourney.
Um I just knew I needed thatpaper in hand.
SPEAKER_00 (09:35):
Yeah, so I wanted to ask you about that.
I mean, obviously you're uh Ithink a you know May 2001
graduate.
So yeah your viewers can do themath.
Yeah, that's right.
Well, yeah, yeah, that's fit onthe blank years.
But you know, so yeah, May 2001,and then uh, you know, several
months later, as you're gettingyour career started, we have you
know, 9-11.
(09:55):
That's when you're starting yourcareer.
That's when you're trying tofind out what you're gonna do.
Where were you and what were youdoing?
SPEAKER_01 (10:00):
Absolutely, and I think everybody knows right
where they were and what washappening.
I was starting my first job outof college, and I went to work
for U.S.
food service.
SPEAKER_00 (10:09):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (10:10):
Um, and I was on my way to training and didn't get
much training done that day.
We were all just glued to thetelevision, right?
Not knowing what was going onand just wanting to be
surrounded by your people, youknow, making sure everybody's
safe.
SPEAKER_00 (10:26):
Right.
Okay.
So your finance career startswith um a long stretch at
Cruising Associates in LittleRock doing investment banking,
um, fixed income work.
At what point did um I think youspent 14 years there.
I did.
Right.
What point did NorthwestArkansas enter the picture for
you?
SPEAKER_01 (10:43):
Not until well after that.
Okay.
Um, you know, I was I was atCruising Associates for, you
know, 14 years, and it wasprobably the most rewarding and
educating career that I couldhave ever had.
Um, you know, my careers up tothis point had kind of taught me
more of the social aspect,everything from you know,
(11:04):
managing Shorty Small'srestaurant in Little Rock to
manage people um and processesto finally, you know, becoming a
a big kid and getting a a realjob.
Right.
But just being surrounded by umyou know educated people that
(11:25):
were willing to take personalrisks because it was a
commission-only position.
So it was uh you eat what youkill.
Yeah, if you're not at the desk,you're not making money.
Um, fortunately for me, I had auh trading assistant that I had
full faith in and that I knewthat if I were traveling, um I
(11:47):
knew that she could hold downthe fort.
Okay.
Um so I covered Connecticut andBoston and Ohio.
So it was a challenge for me tobuild relationships outside of
easily travelable areas.
Um but I did that, and then oncethat kind of took its toll on
(12:11):
me, I said, you know, marketsare changing, I need to change a
pace, um need to take a stepback.
And that's it, it was more liketwo steps back to take one step
forward.
Yeah.
Step back from the travel.
Step back from the travel, stepback from the risk reward of
being a commission only uhbroker.
(12:34):
But um, yeah, I finally madethat move.
I went to work for Rvest Bank.
It was kind of neat.
Um my my boss at the time askedme if I had any international
experience.
And uh I said, actually, yes,sir, I sure do.
I said, I uh sold some bonds toa lady in Singapore.
(12:55):
Does that count?
And he just started laughing.
He's like, Bricker, no, thatdoesn't count.
He's like, but you know, we wecan teach you everything that
you need to know as far as thatgoes.
Yeah, and so that's the movethat precipitated you to
Northwest Arkansas.
Correct.
I was uh I was lucky enough tocover the entire state of
Arkansas, and it was fun to beable to spend my time forging
(13:16):
relationships and partnerships,I guess locally, compared to
what I was normally doing.
So um it had me coming up hereto the you know Northwest
Arkansas area about once a week,once every two weeks, uh, to the
point where, you know, just likeeverybody else, you fall in love
with it.
Yeah.
(13:37):
You know, and then I got tiredof sleeping in hotel rooms by
myself and I wanted my family tobe up here with me.
So I rolled out the red carpet,didn't even tell them what my
plan was.
Yeah.
Uh I just tried to show themwhat all it had to offer in a
couple of different weekends.
And then as we were sitting atthe house one day, I was like,
(13:58):
girls, y'all remember how muchfun it was in northwest
Arkansas?
We went to Hootie and theBlowfish.
I was gonna say, Ask, what wasthe red carpet?
What did you what was from?
We went to the gymnasium.
Yep, sure.
Um we went to Crystal Bridges,we went to um at the time it was
where Wrights is now, there wasa pinnacle restaurant and had a
playground.
So it was so neat that the kidshad their own space.
(14:19):
Yeah, walked over to Hooting theBlowfish, went to a razor back
baseball game.
I mean, you name it, we did it.
Yep.
And uh that's when I said,remember how much fun we had?
And they're like, yeah.
And so, what would you thinkabout moving up there?
And that kind of was a shock tothe family.
SPEAKER_00 (14:35):
Yeah.
Great street, great strategy,though.
Great strategy.
So yeah, you came into our vestvery in a very specific niche,
you know, vice president ofinternational business
developments, a very specificlane.
So, you know, outside of theSingapore experience that you
sold them on, you know, how didyou develop that that
experience, that expertise?
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
Just trying to soak up everything that I could.
Um, I was lucky enough to besurrounded by um people with
experience and not just at thebank, but throughout all the
conversations and the peoplethat I came across along the
way.
So that's when I was introducedto the Arkansas District Export
(15:18):
Council.
Yeah.
Um, and they took me in undertheir wing and um just kind of
showed me the ropes and thenCOVID hit.
Right.
And I was like, oh, now what?
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
No, yeah, everybody had to recalibrate then.
Right.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, so you joined the deck in2019 as a member.
Correct.
Uh, but you've been thechairman, I think what, five
years now?
Almost five years.
Okay.
Well, we're gonna we'll getwe'll get to that that
experience because I do I wantto spend a lot of time on that.
But um uh you made the move fromRvest to Regions, correct.
I think in 2023.
(15:54):
What were you going towardthere?
What was the what were thedetails of that job transition?
SPEAKER_01 (15:59):
Sure.
Um, you know, I really during mytime as becoming a a member of
the District X War Council, um,it opened me up to being able to
tour and meet manufacturersacross the state.
Right.
Um and I'll go back and say Inever really wanted to get into
banking to begin with.
(16:20):
Um and I sure didn't want to beone of those bankers that you
see hopping around to differentbank different bank.
I mean, that's a stigma.
It can be a trait, you know.
And uh that's why I never wantto go to work for a bank.
And then I was like, now I getit.
Now I now I understand why whypeople make the moves that they
(16:40):
do.
I have found that regions hassome other services because it's
such a large publicly heldinstitution that they've got
other services that arecommunity or smaller regional
banks that don't have global.
Global.
Yep.
Um, so I've really found that itis a great fit for what
(17:05):
interests me.
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
Right.
And really your job is aboutconnecting um uh businesses,
Northwest Arkansas businesses,Arkansas businesses, to um
global capital and uhinternational trade
infrastructure, right?
Correct.
Yeah.
So um, you know, is is I guessthat's a what does a typical
engagement look like for you uhas a regions um banker wearing
(17:29):
that hat?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (17:31):
Um yeah, because I wear multiple hats, it's turned
into, and this is kind of goingdown the rabbit hole, but um,
you know, we here in NorthwestArkansas, I feel like I've
really created an ecosystem, ifyou will, between the chambers,
the Northwest Arkansas Council.
We all work very well together.
Okay.
So I wear my district exportcouncil hat in that regard, and
(17:55):
then they pull me into meetingsand introducing me to people.
And then that turns into riskmitigation and banking.
So I'm able to kind of take eachhat on and off when the time
comes.
SPEAKER_00 (18:10):
Well, I do want to, like I said, uh, I think this
could be a real educationalmoment for a lot of people who
may not be familiar with thedistrict export council.
So yeah, I want I want to spendsome real time on this.
So um, what is the ArkansasDistrict Export Council?
You know, how does someone andhow does somebody uh end up
chairing the Arkansas DistrictExport Council?
Good question.
SPEAKER_01 (18:31):
Uh again, you know, we kind of went back to um life
kind of throws you intosituations that you don't really
plan for.
Well, I didn't plan to be thechair.
Sure.
That wasn't my goal.
Um, I was a brand new member.
I was kind of the marketingchair at the time, but again,
COVID hit.
So what does that look like now?
(18:53):
Um then it came time for thatchairman's turn to end.
His two vice chairs that weresupposed to be in waiting ended
up not being able to really fillthat role along with their
full-time job.
So I got the call.
Get down to you.
Yep, it got it trickled down.
You know, that's that trickledown you talked about.
(19:15):
It trickled down to me.
Um, but I came in at a timewhere everybody was open to
change because we didn't knowwhat to expect.
So we were really able, theexecutive team and myself were
really able to mold it into whatwe thought that it should look
like.
Okay.
So what is the what is whatshould it look like?
(19:37):
Well, Arkansas District ExportCouncil were uh appointed by the
U.S.
Commercial Service.
Uh, we are made up of real-worldinternational expertise people.
We range um across manydifferent things like uh
logistics, uh supply chain,attorneys.
(19:58):
I'm the only banker on thegroup.
Again, that kind of helps youknow me and into certain
conversations.
Okay.
But you name it, we've gotsomebody that can answer
questions and mentor.
Okay.
And then we also go acrossdifferent sectors, uh, aerospace
and defense, agriculture, whichhappened to be our number one
and number two largest exportout of the state of Arkansas.
(20:19):
Yep.
So while we may not have all theanswers, we can connect you to
someone who does.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:27):
And there are um, I think 59 of these district
export councils, six around thecountry.
So, federal program, as youmentioned, what what are some of
the things that you guys, theorganization does actually day
to day?
I know you have a big annualawards banquet and awards are a
big part.
You do webinars, you do youknow, B2B marketing.
SPEAKER_01 (20:47):
What are some of the things that well actually let me
ask you a question?
You were uh kind enough toattend one of our webinars this
week.
I was and it was uh regardingglobal supply chain.
Um, I know that's not really inyour sandbox per se, but I
appreciate you being on.
You're correct, yeah.
But what did what did you thinkof it?
SPEAKER_00 (21:05):
Right.
I I thought there was a lot ofparticipation and uh a lot of
interest because uh the globalsupply chain affects everybody.
So while I'm not sure that I Ididn't know who all was there,
uh I would imagine you had a lotof people from a lot of
different industries who werekind of like me.
I was curious and you said, hey,we're doing this, why don't you
tap in?
(21:26):
And so I did for a few minutes.
And uh I would imagine you had alot of interest uh across a lot
of different industries.
We did.
SPEAKER_01 (21:32):
And we not only had interest from Arkansas
companies, but we had interestfrom people across the United
States and even some globally.
So the reach of the ArkansasDistrict Export Council is more
than just statewide, yeah.
Which I just find is I mean, thepower of the internet, right?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (21:49):
Yeah, when you were rattling off all the attendees
and where they were from, I'mlike, hmm, yeah, that's
impressive.
SPEAKER_01 (21:54):
I mean, it still surprises me.
Yeah.
But the goal was you know, foryou.
To kind of see what we do, butalso in your infinite Robodex
that you have, um, next timeyou're having a coffee with
someone and you hear thebuzzwords like export or import
or any kind of global ties, I'mhoping that you're like, hey,
(22:19):
Bricker, you're sending me atext.
I need you to meet so-and-so.
Yeah.
And then it just spursconversation.
Is uh is tariff a buzzword or isthat an aughty word?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:31):
Yes, that has definitely been uh I can only
imagine how that has impactedyour work the last two to three
years.
It is.
What are the what's the biggestimpact?
Just the conversations, the theuncertainty.
Uncertainty.
SPEAKER_01 (22:43):
You know, people are willing to pay what they need to
pay.
They just need to know what itis, right?
All of the back and forth hasjust caused so much disruption
in supply chain that it's aroundCOVID levels of disruption.
SPEAKER_00 (23:01):
I want to highlight something for our listeners that
I think is important in thatlittle services we're talking
about.
Everything the district exportcouncil officers offices uh
offers are free, free toArkansas businesses.
Absolutely.
Do you think the word gets outthe way it should about that?
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
You know, that's uh that that was the number one
goal I had coming in as chair isto bring awareness to the deck.
Um, you know, we were andluckily we have so many great
strategic partners.
We work with the U.S.
Commercial Service, we work withthe Arkansas Economic
Development Commission, ArkansasManufacturing Solutions, the
(23:38):
Arkansas World Trade Center.
Um, Denise Thomas and I are, youknow, we started off as, I
guess, strategic partners andhave become such great friends.
We have traveled multiple placestogether, and I can't speak
highly enough of the World TradeCenter.
Yeah.
But the local chambers havereally started helping promote
(24:00):
as well because the chambers, tome, they have their figures on
the pulse of the community.
So while they're out therehaving conversations with their
members, that's when they knowto pull me into a manufacturing
tour or an industry uh councilwhere they bring in people to
the chamber and I may speakthere.
(24:21):
Um so that you know, speakingengagements, webinars, the
governor's award ceremony is ahuge uh deal for us.
But huge deal for UCA too, oneof your award winners last year.
Yeah, right.
Absolutely.
They're our first uh universityuh to win a governor's award.
And the work that theinternational uh department is
(24:42):
doing down there is phenomenal.
I wish that would have been athing when I was there.
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
Who um I mean you said your job is to teach
businesses um how to becomeexporters, right?
Who who are the typicalbusinesses you work with?
Is it a big manufacturer?
Is it the small company who'snever even thought about
exporting or somewhere inbetween?
SPEAKER_01 (25:03):
Yeah, it's kind of it's it runs the gamut.
You know, the large companies,they have um in-house
specialists that are able to dothat.
So really, you know, our targetis um the small and medium-sized
entities or small businesses.
Um, you know, we have found thatmost of our exporters are
(25:25):
accidental exporters.
They may receive an order from,say, Canada, which is Arkansas's
largest trading partner.
Well, you want to make that sellas a business, but how do you do
it?
If you've never done it before,you don't know what you don't
know how to play the game.
Right.
And it and it can be scary.
(25:46):
Um, so that's really, you know,that's that's our role is to
make exporting less scary.
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (25:54):
I have to ask you about this last December.
You mentioned Denise and thegreat work she does at the Trade
Center Arkansas here and Rogers.
Uh, they presented you theirunsung champion of the year
award.
Yeah.
And that recognition came fromDenise and um who is, you know,
she's somebody who's alwaystrying to find a way to uh to
work together, work for thegreater good of a lot of
(26:15):
different stakeholders.
But uh what does thatpartnership and that
collaboration with the WorldTrade Center look like on the
ground up here?
SPEAKER_01 (26:23):
Right.
Um, you know, we are quite theduo, and not just Denise.
Uh everybody at the World TradeCenter has expertise that I feel
like gets a little bitoverlooked in Arkansas.
Yeah.
Um, so you know, the partnershipthere and that makes when I can
(26:46):
bring Denise or the team into aconversation, that is me
providing value to the companythat I'm talking to that I feel
like most people can't provide.
SPEAKER_00 (26:58):
So um I have to ask you about the moment at the
awards ceremony.
Um, you know, your daughtershowed up, you know, Adelaide
and Millie and your wife and uhJacqueline Henderson, your
manager from the bank.
I don't think you saw thatcompany.
I didn't.
I don't think you knew aboutthat.
Tell me what that felt like.
That was quite the surprise.
SPEAKER_01 (27:16):
I I didn't say anything at at the home.
Um, you know, I brought uh Stan,my my co-worker.
Yeah.
Uh he's like, I'll go with you.
I was like, fantastic.
Uh I knew Jacqueline knew aboutit.
Um, I didn't tell my familybecause kind of viewed it as
well, A, they were in school.
(27:37):
Um, B, it was kind of more justuh my my work.
Um and then I walked in, Istarted talking to people, and I
look over and I see Adelaide, myoldest daughter, and it just
kind of caught me off guard.
And I looked over and I see myyoungest Millie, and then I see
my wife, Brooke.
And I mean, I'm kind of gettinga little teary just talking
(28:00):
about it because I didn't tellthem.
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (28:02):
Um, but Jacqueline that you mentioned had reached
out to my wife, and she's like,I bet Brickard didn't tell you
that he was getting this.
Right.
And she was absolutely right.
And then my youngest kind ofgave me a little bit of a
scolding later on that night.
She said, Dad, if you're goingto win something, let us know
about it.
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (28:21):
Well, I mean, and I know you, I know that comes from
a place of humility, and you'vebeen pretty consistent in saying
that the award belongs to uh thewhole deck and to the whole
economic development uh uh teamacross the state.
And um, I I could appreciatethat.
Obviously, I can appreciate thehumility, but I want to push
back and say that servantleadership is a skill and it
(28:43):
doesn't happen automatically.
So uh you are to be recognizedfor that, I think.
And so, you know, what does ittake to lead an all-volunteer
organization?
I mean, effectively over, youknow, now five years.
Right.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:56):
Um, you know, I guess just the desire to want to
help um people and theirbusinesses, which ultimately
helps their families.
Um, you know, kind of, I guessthe leadership style I'd say is
I try to lead from the front.
Yep.
I which I know that kind ofsounds a little bit redundant,
(29:19):
but I can't ask other people todo things or follow me that I'm
not willing to do myself.
Sure.
So I don't feel like, you know,I and I learned this, you know,
professionally and socially.
SPEAKER_00 (29:38):
If you could sit down with any um small to
mid-sized manufacturer inArkansas who has not seriously
thought about exporting it, whatwhat's the one thing you would
want them uh to walk away withknowing?
SPEAKER_01 (29:52):
Sure.
So most of you know, exporters,well, let me back up.
Okay, I feel like Arkansascompanies are very humble people
they don't want help.
They've done things the samepoint for decades from you know,
multi-generational manufacturershave always done things that the
(30:17):
company was left to them thatway.
But the global trade is not asbig as one may think that it is,
and there are ways to mitigaterisk when doing business
overseas.
Companies that export ride theeconomic wave better than
(30:40):
companies that only selldomestically because their
client base is wider.
Yeah.
They also um they produce moregoods, which means that they
have to hire more people.
So it's a job creation.
And and also companies thatexport pay higher wages than
companies that only selldomestically.
(31:02):
So it really is an economicdevelopment play for your
company to export.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, think you
would be an economic developmentadvocate in the state of
Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Not at all.
SPEAKER_00 (31:17):
Uh well, you are, and you're one of the chief
advocates for Arkansas.
So uh keep up that great work.
And on that same note, we we'reglad that you are uh a chief
advocate for the University ofCentral Arkansas here as a as a
member of our inaugural UCANorthwest Arkansas Advisory
Council.
And I think it's worth you knowreminding our listeners about
that, which you know, we startedthat last fall with seven
(31:38):
founding members and uh reallyto help us unlock untapped
potential here to strengthen ouralumni uh engagement here and
and uh just build support uh forUCA uh and uh for us to play a
meaningful role here, and alsofor Northwest Arkansas to play a
meaningful role for for UCA andour future.
So um a couple of UCA questions,you know, for you, just from
(31:59):
where you said as somebody whospent your your career working
with businesses and um and nowchairs the the statewide uh
deck.
Um, what what do you see asUCA's biggest um uh opportunity
here in Northwest Arkansas?
Is it is it more alum lineengagement?
Is it more civic engagement?
Is it more, you know, what?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (32:19):
Um well I will say the the Northwest Arkansas
Council uh has, I know it hasn'tbeen around long, but it has
been so much fun.
And the group that you'vebrought together has, I felt
like, I mean, we're alsolike-minded, yeah, and we really
blended together very well, veryquickly.
(32:42):
Um so you're saying we pickedthe right seven people.
You did.
You absolutely did.
SPEAKER_00 (32:47):
It's almost like you know what you're doing.
Right.
Well, I mean, we we've got we'vegot a little over 4,000 alumni
in Benton and Washingtoncounties, and um, we were very
um strategic in uh who we wantedto, you know, ride alongside
with us and be part of thisgroup to help us uh advocate and
help us be ambassadors for uhyour alma mater here in
(33:08):
Northwest Arkansas.
So I appreciate you saying that.
And um, you know, when you're inrooms with, you know, Northwest
Arkansas business leaders, youknow, what do they need to know?
Uh what do you do you tell themabout what a university like UCA
is positioned to do?
What can we offer NorthwestArkansas?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (33:26):
Uh I mean it fills holes that you may not know
exist.
Um you know, maybe somebodydoesn't want to go to a large
institution.
Yeah.
Maybe someone wants the morepersonal relationship and being
known on campus, you know,before you even get there.
(33:46):
You know, we went and toured formy oldest daughter who just
graduated from Bentonville High.
We went and toured and peopleknew who we were before we got
there.
Right.
And you don't get thateverywhere.
You know, she is one that sheknew that she didn't want to go
to a large university.
Right.
(34:06):
She didn't want to feel justlike a number.
And I feel like UCA really uhfills that void for people.
SPEAKER_00 (34:14):
Well, that is an excellent uh point that I'm
really glad you made because Ireally think we do have the
personal touch uh, you know, forcampus visits, and then when
you're a student, and then on alot of different levels, there's
a personal touch that um is notuh the norm at a lot of schools.
But um, what what else would yousay to another NWA professional,
maybe another alumni up here uhin Northwest Arkansas, who has
(34:37):
drifted from the institution ormaybe is not as engaged as isn't
what quite sure what theirconnection to the school looks
like these days.
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (34:44):
Well, and I think that's really what the council,
and I know you did this bydesign, but maybe we as
individuals didn't have thatforesight going forward, you
know, and being on the council,it's something as simple as, you
know, carrying a UCA pin, that'sright, into a meeting.
Um, and then that, you know,something as simple as that can
(35:07):
spur conversation.
Oh, I didn't know you went toUCA.
Oh, tell me about UCA.
So that's where it goes.
And then, you know, if you comeacross an alumni up here and
then you tell them that, youknow, you guys are having these
alumni events, you know, that'snot what this whole thing is.
It's not just an alumnigathering, it's it's more than
(35:29):
that.
So that's where I feel like theconversation is very easy to be
had.
SPEAKER_00 (35:36):
Right.
And there's a lot of excitingconversations.
I'm glad you said that.
That's kind of what this uh theway, a good way to describe it.
There's a lot of excitingconversations in Northwest
Arkansas, and we want to be oneof those.
We want to be a part of that.
We want to be uh a strong andvisible uh presence here.
So when, yeah, we we do have anopportunity to uh connect alumni
(35:58):
with each other or to just buildrelationships or create
opportunities for our studentsand our graduates up here.
UCA is more uh top of mind thanmaybe it has been in the past uh
two years or five years or nineyears, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01 (36:14):
Uh it's reconnected me to a couple of fraternity
brothers that I didn't even knowlived up here.
Right.
I was like, oh great, right.
Why have I missed this manyyears of talking with you?
SPEAKER_00 (36:24):
Yeah, I know.
Well, I'm glad you said that.
I appreciate that.
So you mentioned earlier theecosystem and and uh and the
growth story up here has beendriven largely by the Walmart
you know ecosystem through theyears.
But uh, you know, again, yourwork touches the whole state.
How do you think about NorthwestArkansas's role in Arkansas's
larger global economy?
(36:46):
Sure.
Um and I think I saw the numberlike 94% of uh the global trade
uh area is outside of Arkansas.
Very good, right?
So yeah, I remember that one.
It's actually outside the UnitedStates.
SPEAKER_01 (36:58):
Outside the United States, right?
So that's why if you're you knowalways selling domestically, you
know, pun intended, you'remissing the boat.
Is it too yeah, but no,Northwest Arkansas it brings its
own um you know, successstories.
Of course, you've got the theproteins that are going
worldwide, you've got logisticscarriers, but you've also got
(37:23):
manufacturers, you've got theeven things that are so
important to Northwest Arkansas.
Mountain bike trail design isnow leaving Bentonville and
going global.
SPEAKER_00 (37:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:36):
We had an award winner out of Bentonville a
couple of years ago.
That that is what they do.
They travel to resorts acrossthe world and design mountain
bike trails.
I did not know that.
Huh.
And that yeah, perfect.
Yeah, most people don't know howmany cool things Arkansas
companies make or do.
Right.
(37:56):
And that's why I feel like thedeck really highlights these
companies, especially during thegovernor's award ceremony.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (38:05):
That work in itself, I mean, Regions Bank, Great
Bank, great people, StanJacqueline, all the great
people, that's fun.
But your work just with thedistrict export council seems so
fascinating and so interesting.
And I can tell that you reallyenjoy it.
Um, well, what would you tellsomebody uh who's a student or
somebody that wants to beinvolved in something like that
(38:25):
or says, I want that job, whatadvice would you give them to be
because that's not necessarily apath that you see yourself on in
Arkansas, global trade andimporting exporting?
Correct.
Landlock state, you don't reallythink about that, maybe.
What would you tell somebodylike that?
SPEAKER_01 (38:39):
You know, it's it's funny that you mentioned that.
Um, because as I am more thanlikely stepping back from the
chair position of the deck inthe near future, um, I'm trying
to figure out the ways that I'mgoing to give back um and spend
my time going forward.
And one of those is I'm having alike I'm getting pulled and
(39:02):
drawn into helping students,whether it's uh an intern
pipeline to become a futureworkforce development.
I don't know what that lookslike.
Um luckily I'm surroundingmyself with people that are
helping to kind of shape this.
(39:23):
So I can't really speak too muchto it now because it doesn't
exist.
Right.
But I want to be able to be aconnector of sorts between
students and Arkansas companiesto where the students will stay
in Arkansas once graduating.
SPEAKER_00 (39:40):
Right.
Well, I'm I'm excited to hearthat you'll have some more free
time that you could, you know,develop to the Northwest
Arkansas Advisory Council.
That's right.
Uh so that's good.
I'm gonna make a note of that.
So all right, Jonathan, this hasbeen great.
What's what's on your radarright now going forward?
Whether at the bank, at thedeck, you know, personally,
anywhere.
That what what's going on withyou?
What should people What are youpaying attention to right now?
SPEAKER_01 (40:00):
That's a good question.
Um, you know, I'm I'm trying tofigure out that next step.
Um I want to be a resource forpeople.
That has kind of been my drivingforce.
I really want people to feelcomfortable to reach out to me
(40:21):
to bring me into challengingconversations.
Um, you know, and that's kind ofwhat keeps me going is being
able to make an impact, uhwhether that's through my
clients or whether it's throughthe RDEC.
Um, and hopefully I'm creatingopportunities for others that
are as rewarding as the onesthat I have had.
(40:44):
Um, you know, I've beenfortunate to to have so many, to
meet so many interesting people.
Um, and if my girls can seefirsthand, you know, that that
that they can get the same joyout of life of helping others, I
think that will be kind ofmission accomplished.
SPEAKER_00 (41:04):
Sure.
All right.
And I'd I'd be remiss if Ididn't mention this too.
I think you met uh Brooke, yourwife at UCA, right?
I actually met her in highschool.
SPEAKER_01 (41:11):
In high school, okay.
Yeah.
But she's a UCA.
She is a UCA alum.
She started off at UALR playingsoccer for them.
And then she, you know, shebecame a physical therapist at
the U at UCA, but I think shemoved up there to be closer to
me.
SPEAKER_00 (41:27):
Oh, well, that goes without saying, right?
Right.
That's what I'm going with.
Yeah, absolutely.
All right.
Well, great stuff.
Listen, Jonathan, thank youagain for being here.
It was great to great to visitwith you.
Uh proud of you and and uhreally appreciate all the work
that you're helping us do forthe UCA here in Northwest,
Arkansas.
Absolutely.
Happy to do it.
And if you need anything fromme, you know how to get a hold
of them.
Perfect.
(41:47):
All right, Jonathan Bricker,he's the vice president at
Regents Bank and the chairman ofthe Arkansas District Export
Council.
And that'll do it for thisedition of Central to NWA.
As always, we appreciate youtuning in.
I'm Paul Gatling.
Until next time, Coles.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
(42:10):
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA.
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward.
People who are shapingindustries and defining what is
next for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
All right, we are back now withanother edition of Central to
NWA, a UCA podcast.
Paul Gallon here with you.
And my guest today is somebodythat I have known for uh a
while.
Our paths crossed uh a fewtimes.
I was the Northwest ArkansasBusiness Journal, but um, it
wasn't until we sat down uh atuh, well, right next door.
(00:44):
He rose coffee uh here fromPodcast Videos Studios.
And uh after I joined UCA,really got to hear his uh full
story.
Little Rock Native, UCA alumni,uh played soccer for the Bears,
also student athlete, uh, thenspent 14 years in investment
banking, built a career incommercial uh finance with uh a
(01:05):
specialty that um you know mostbankers in this market don't
really have.
Yes.
And now is doing some of themost uh, I think, most important
work, uh, economic work in thestate of Arkansas.
So Jonathan Bricker, vicepresident at Regions Bank,
joining us today.
Welcome to Central DWA.
Well, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_01 (01:22):
Um, yeah, that was quite the intro.
Congratulations to you on the uhsuccessful podcast.
Yeah, it's been fun.
Yeah, it seems fun.
I love watching them.
And uh, I mean, you've had somany just influential people and
uh important people.
It's uh congratulations.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
I think you are uh episode 16.
I think we're up to now since westarted uh uh let's see, Aaron
Nolan was number one.
That was late October, I think.
Wow.
Wow, and here we are in thesummer.
SPEAKER_01 (01:49):
Yeah, well, I guess I guess the rest of your VIP
list was on vacation this weekbecause I don't know what I'm
doing here, but we're gonna telleverybody what you're doing
here, and I'm gonna telleverybody what you're doing
here.
SPEAKER_00 (02:01):
So uh, and like I said, you know, Jonathan, if
somebody met you today, um, youknow, they'd see you know
commercial banker, someoneheavily involved uh in
international trade, chair ofthe Arkansas District Export
Council, right?
So I'm sure if you start peelingback all those things, it seems
like a very, you know, nonlinearpath, right?
(02:21):
And and I'm sure looking back onit now, it seems like it all fit
together, but um, yeah, it'sprobably not the way it felt at
the time, did it?
SPEAKER_01 (02:28):
No, I in fact, I mean, I felt like I didn't
really have a path.
Uh and then once it kind ofshowed itself to me, I, you
know, I've really come toappreciate it and and love it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
Yeah, well, you've come to thrive in it as well,
you know, uh servant leadershipwith the deck and then you know,
Regions Bank and all the workthat you're doing, not just here
in Northwest Arkansas, but uhthroughout the state.
So let's go back to thebeginning.
Like I said, Little Rock kid,you know, Little Rock guy, uh
Catholic high school graduate.
That's right.
I believe right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
You're raised in Little Rock, graduated Catholic
high in '95.
95.
Tilling, tilling on myself thereif the gray hair didn't already
do it.
SPEAKER_00 (03:04):
That's right.
Yeah, you and me both with thewith our gray hair.
So when you were growing up, youknow, uh, what did your future
look like?
I mean, did you have a plan?
Did you as a Catholic highschool, you know, teen, what did
you figure you were going to bedoing?
SPEAKER_01 (03:16):
That's a really good question.
It took me a while to uh mature,might be the right word, you
know.
My grandmother, I was, you know,basically raised by my
grandparents.
My mom was definitely in thepicture, but you know, she was
working multiple jobs to try tomake ends meet.
And my grandmother stayed home.
Um, so that's kind of where I'veI've picked up my manners and I
(03:41):
pick up after myself.
I make my bed in the mornings,you know, all those kind of good
things.
Right.
So the if you were to ask her,it was it was pretty strenuous
on her.
SPEAKER_00 (03:52):
As as a young teen boy would be on most
grandparents, I'm sure.
So how does uh a Little Rock kidend up uh at UCA in Conway?
Was that always on the radar orjust uh how did you how did you
end up in Conway?
SPEAKER_01 (04:06):
Yeah, honestly, um college wasn't even on the radar
for me.
I uh I struggled in high school.
Um I just I didn't apply myselflike I should have, or like I
could have.
I was more uh interested infriends and soccer.
Okay.
Um that was my life.
In fact, the guys that I playedsoccer with at Calicond are
(04:28):
still some of my deepest andclosest friends.
SPEAKER_00 (04:31):
Right.
You probably needed a goodconversation with with Father
Tribu, right?
Oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:35):
He uh he sent me straight a couple of times.
I bet.
I bet I bet it needed to happen.
Right.
So, you know, eventually mygrandmother was adamant that you
are going to college.
You know, against my against mydesires, I did, but then at the
same time, I was really excitedto move out of the house.
Uh, you know, I want to be myown man and uh forge my own
(04:58):
path.
Right.
And so it sounds like she helpedput you on that path.
She did.
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:03):
Absolutely.
She kept me on the straightnarrow.
Um, so that's that's how I endedup at UCA.
Not too far away, right?
Uh, but still somewhat on myown.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:14):
And soccer, is that something you started as a kid?
I mean, you grew up playing thesport?
Correct.
Since uh first grade.
And back in those days, soccerin Arkansas wasn't really a
thing.
Um, and then you know, atCatholic, I played all four
years and then got to UCA, andUCA didn't even have a soccer
team.
SPEAKER_00 (05:32):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
Um, so there was so you're on the first team.
SPEAKER_00 (05:36):
Correct.
Okay.
Correct.
So what year was this?
Like you said, soccer has come along way.
Right, it really has, especiallyin Arkansas, the last 30 years.
SPEAKER_01 (05:44):
Let's see.
So, I mean, I started in '95.
It was probably the 96, 97 team,somewhere around there.
Okay.
Um, it was kind of a I want tosay it was a hodgepodge of a
team, but we were the all-starsof Arkansas.
But Arkansas as a whole was sofar behind that.
(06:06):
That was a low role bar.
It was.
But you know, guys that we raninto in high school that we were
competing against, we were nowplaying with.
Right.
So it was kind of a strangedynamic.
And then, you know, we were allgoing through the same things
together, you know, freshman orsophomore year of college, first
team, never traveled, never gotto go, you know, eat at Western
(06:30):
Sizzling on the university'sdime.
That was crazy.
You know, that was worth itright there.
SPEAKER_02 (06:35):
Right.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (06:36):
I mean, so paint that picture.
That what who were you playing?
Where where did you travel to?
What was the uh what was theschedule like?
I mean typical game we like.
SPEAKER_01 (06:45):
Right.
Oklahoma.
I felt like we went there quitea bit.
SPEAKER_00 (06:49):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
Um, you know, again, studies weren't my priority,
right?
But soccer was um during thesuburbs.
Uh I lived on campus because asa student athlete, we got uh to
eat in the dining hall, uh,which was great.
And we were practicing threedays a week.
Yeah, or sorry, three times aday.
(07:10):
Okay.
And uh, and then you know,started just uh living in the
fraternity house.
Yeah again, that's where thesocial aspect kind of uh soccer
and social.
SPEAKER_00 (07:20):
Right.
So you weren't taking advantageof those long bus and van rides
with uh you know uh book in yourhand, nothing like that.
I was definitely not doing that.
So yeah, you were a uh a SigmaNU, correct, I believe.
And uh I think you still are ontheir for alumni board.
That's her.
Yeah, so I mean that's that'snot nothing.
(07:40):
That's a real ongoingcommitment.
What did that brotherhood mean?
What did the Sigma Newfraternity mean to you?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (07:46):
It really, I mean, when people think of a
traditional fraternity orfraternity house, it is, it's
really what you make of it.
And it's kind of who you aregoing into it.
Um, you know, I was I didn't seemyself as being uh a fraternity
guy, but at UCA, once you're outof the dorm, it was a little bit
(08:08):
challenging at the time.
It was a smaller school andpeople kind of disappeared on
the weekends.
Well, at the fraternity house,you know, everybody stayed put
and had a good time.
Um the times that I were there,I found myself in more of a
leadership role as the vicepresident of the active chapter
(08:28):
at a time.
So I held multiple leadershippositions.
So I would always be the onethat would go out and speak to
the lovely police officers if uhthey were to somehow the
spokesman.
Right, right, exactly.
Or if you know we did anythingand uh interviews needed to be
had, that's that was the rolethat I kind of stepped into.
SPEAKER_00 (08:48):
Okay, so yeah, so and I would imagine kind of like
um, you know, Catholic High gaveyou lifelong friends, soccer
gave you lifelong friends, yourfraternity experience has given
you lifeless.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (09:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (09:01):
And so you left uh UCA with uh I think marketing
and management correct degrees,right?
So what were you expecting yourcareer to look like?
Um, I mean, did you have anyidea you'd spend the next you
know 20 some odd years workingin finance and working your way
up in finance?
Oh, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
That was the last thing that I thought I would I
was gonna do.
Um I really didn't know what Iwanted to do.
I just knew that I wanted tofinally graduate.
You see?
I know.
Right, right.
That's my uh yeah.
It's it's been quite thejourney.
Um I just knew I needed thatpaper in hand.
SPEAKER_00 (09:35):
Yeah, so I wanted to ask you about that.
I mean, obviously you're uh Ithink a you know May 2001
graduate.
So yeah your viewers can do themath.
Yeah, that's right.
Well, yeah, yeah, that's fit onthe blank years.
But you know, so yeah, May 2001,and then uh, you know, several
months later, as you're gettingyour career started, we have you
know, 9-11.
(09:55):
That's when you're starting yourcareer.
That's when you're trying tofind out what you're gonna do.
Where were you and what were youdoing?
SPEAKER_01 (10:00):
Absolutely, and I think everybody knows right
where they were and what washappening.
I was starting my first job outof college, and I went to work
for U.S.
food service.
SPEAKER_00 (10:09):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (10:10):
Um, and I was on my way to training and didn't get
much training done that day.
We were all just glued to thetelevision, right?
Not knowing what was going onand just wanting to be
surrounded by your people, youknow, making sure everybody's
safe.
SPEAKER_00 (10:26):
Right.
Okay.
So your finance career startswith um a long stretch at
Cruising Associates in LittleRock doing investment banking,
um, fixed income work.
At what point did um I think youspent 14 years there.
I did.
Right.
What point did NorthwestArkansas enter the picture for
you?
SPEAKER_01 (10:43):
Not until well after that.
Okay.
Um, you know, I was I was atCruising Associates for, you
know, 14 years, and it wasprobably the most rewarding and
educating career that I couldhave ever had.
Um, you know, my careers up tothis point had kind of taught me
more of the social aspect,everything from you know,
(11:04):
managing Shorty Small'srestaurant in Little Rock to
manage people um and processesto finally, you know, becoming a
a big kid and getting a a realjob.
Right.
But just being surrounded by umyou know educated people that
(11:25):
were willing to take personalrisks because it was a
commission-only position.
So it was uh you eat what youkill.
Yeah, if you're not at the desk,you're not making money.
Um, fortunately for me, I had auh trading assistant that I had
full faith in and that I knewthat if I were traveling, um I
(11:47):
knew that she could hold downthe fort.
Okay.
Um so I covered Connecticut andBoston and Ohio.
So it was a challenge for me tobuild relationships outside of
easily travelable areas.
Um but I did that, and then oncethat kind of took its toll on
(12:11):
me, I said, you know, marketsare changing, I need to change a
pace, um need to take a stepback.
And that's it, it was more liketwo steps back to take one step
forward.
Yeah.
Step back from the travel.
Step back from the travel, stepback from the risk reward of
being a commission only uhbroker.
(12:34):
But um, yeah, I finally madethat move.
I went to work for Rvest Bank.
It was kind of neat.
Um my my boss at the time askedme if I had any international
experience.
And uh I said, actually, yes,sir, I sure do.
I said, I uh sold some bonds toa lady in Singapore.
(12:55):
Does that count?
And he just started laughing.
He's like, Bricker, no, thatdoesn't count.
He's like, but you know, we wecan teach you everything that
you need to know as far as thatgoes.
Yeah, and so that's the movethat precipitated you to
Northwest Arkansas.
Correct.
I was uh I was lucky enough tocover the entire state of
Arkansas, and it was fun to beable to spend my time forging
(13:16):
relationships and partnerships,I guess locally, compared to
what I was normally doing.
So um it had me coming up hereto the you know Northwest
Arkansas area about once a week,once every two weeks, uh, to the
point where, you know, just likeeverybody else, you fall in love
with it.
Yeah.
(13:37):
You know, and then I got tiredof sleeping in hotel rooms by
myself and I wanted my family tobe up here with me.
So I rolled out the red carpet,didn't even tell them what my
plan was.
Yeah.
Uh I just tried to show themwhat all it had to offer in a
couple of different weekends.
And then as we were sitting atthe house one day, I was like,
(13:58):
girls, y'all remember how muchfun it was in northwest
Arkansas?
We went to Hootie and theBlowfish.
I was gonna say, Ask, what wasthe red carpet?
What did you what was from?
We went to the gymnasium.
Yep, sure.
Um we went to Crystal Bridges,we went to um at the time it was
where Wrights is now, there wasa pinnacle restaurant and had a
playground.
So it was so neat that the kidshad their own space.
(14:19):
Yeah, walked over to Hooting theBlowfish, went to a razor back
baseball game.
I mean, you name it, we did it.
Yep.
And uh that's when I said,remember how much fun we had?
And they're like, yeah.
And so, what would you thinkabout moving up there?
And that kind of was a shock tothe family.
SPEAKER_00 (14:35):
Yeah.
Great street, great strategy,though.
Great strategy.
So yeah, you came into our vestvery in a very specific niche,
you know, vice president ofinternational business
developments, a very specificlane.
So, you know, outside of theSingapore experience that you
sold them on, you know, how didyou develop that that
experience, that expertise?
SPEAKER_01 (14:57):
Just trying to soak up everything that I could.
Um, I was lucky enough to besurrounded by um people with
experience and not just at thebank, but throughout all the
conversations and the peoplethat I came across along the
way.
So that's when I was introducedto the Arkansas District Export
(15:18):
Council.
Yeah.
Um, and they took me in undertheir wing and um just kind of
showed me the ropes and thenCOVID hit.
Right.
And I was like, oh, now what?
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
No, yeah, everybody had to recalibrate then.
Right.
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, so you joined the deck in2019 as a member.
Correct.
Uh, but you've been thechairman, I think what, five
years now?
Almost five years.
Okay.
Well, we're gonna we'll getwe'll get to that that
experience because I do I wantto spend a lot of time on that.
But um uh you made the move fromRvest to Regions, correct.
I think in 2023.
(15:54):
What were you going towardthere?
What was the what were thedetails of that job transition?
SPEAKER_01 (15:59):
Sure.
Um, you know, I really during mytime as becoming a a member of
the District X War Council, um,it opened me up to being able to
tour and meet manufacturersacross the state.
Right.
Um and I'll go back and say Inever really wanted to get into
banking to begin with.
(16:20):
Um and I sure didn't want to beone of those bankers that you
see hopping around to differentbank different bank.
I mean, that's a stigma.
It can be a trait, you know.
And uh that's why I never wantto go to work for a bank.
And then I was like, now I getit.
Now I now I understand why whypeople make the moves that they
(16:40):
do.
I have found that regions hassome other services because it's
such a large publicly heldinstitution that they've got
other services that arecommunity or smaller regional
banks that don't have global.
Global.
Yep.
Um, so I've really found that itis a great fit for what
(17:05):
interests me.
SPEAKER_00 (17:07):
Right.
And really your job is aboutconnecting um uh businesses,
Northwest Arkansas businesses,Arkansas businesses, to um
global capital and uhinternational trade
infrastructure, right?
Correct.
Yeah.
So um, you know, is is I guessthat's a what does a typical
engagement look like for you uhas a regions um banker wearing
(17:29):
that hat?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (17:31):
Um yeah, because I wear multiple hats, it's turned
into, and this is kind of goingdown the rabbit hole, but um,
you know, we here in NorthwestArkansas, I feel like I've
really created an ecosystem, ifyou will, between the chambers,
the Northwest Arkansas Council.
We all work very well together.
Okay.
So I wear my district exportcouncil hat in that regard, and
(17:55):
then they pull me into meetingsand introducing me to people.
And then that turns into riskmitigation and banking.
So I'm able to kind of take eachhat on and off when the time
comes.
SPEAKER_00 (18:10):
Well, I do want to, like I said, uh, I think this
could be a real educationalmoment for a lot of people who
may not be familiar with thedistrict export council.
So yeah, I want I want to spendsome real time on this.
So um, what is the ArkansasDistrict Export Council?
You know, how does someone andhow does somebody uh end up
chairing the Arkansas DistrictExport Council?
Good question.
SPEAKER_01 (18:31):
Uh again, you know, we kind of went back to um life
kind of throws you intosituations that you don't really
plan for.
Well, I didn't plan to be thechair.
Sure.
That wasn't my goal.
Um, I was a brand new member.
I was kind of the marketingchair at the time, but again,
COVID hit.
So what does that look like now?
(18:53):
Um then it came time for thatchairman's turn to end.
His two vice chairs that weresupposed to be in waiting ended
up not being able to really fillthat role along with their
full-time job.
So I got the call.
Get down to you.
Yep, it got it trickled down.
You know, that's that trickledown you talked about.
(19:15):
It trickled down to me.
Um, but I came in at a timewhere everybody was open to
change because we didn't knowwhat to expect.
So we were really able, theexecutive team and myself were
really able to mold it into whatwe thought that it should look
like.
Okay.
So what is the what is whatshould it look like?
(19:37):
Well, Arkansas District ExportCouncil were uh appointed by the
U.S.
Commercial Service.
Uh, we are made up of real-worldinternational expertise people.
We range um across manydifferent things like uh
logistics, uh supply chain,attorneys.
(19:58):
I'm the only banker on thegroup.
Again, that kind of helps youknow me and into certain
conversations.
Okay.
But you name it, we've gotsomebody that can answer
questions and mentor.
Okay.
And then we also go acrossdifferent sectors, uh, aerospace
and defense, agriculture, whichhappened to be our number one
and number two largest exportout of the state of Arkansas.
(20:19):
Yep.
So while we may not have all theanswers, we can connect you to
someone who does.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (20:27):
And there are um, I think 59 of these district
export councils, six around thecountry.
So, federal program, as youmentioned, what what are some of
the things that you guys, theorganization does actually day
to day?
I know you have a big annualawards banquet and awards are a
big part.
You do webinars, you do youknow, B2B marketing.
SPEAKER_01 (20:47):
What are some of the things that well actually let me
ask you a question?
You were uh kind enough toattend one of our webinars this
week.
I was and it was uh regardingglobal supply chain.
Um, I know that's not really inyour sandbox per se, but I
appreciate you being on.
You're correct, yeah.
But what did what did you thinkof it?
SPEAKER_00 (21:05):
Right.
I I thought there was a lot ofparticipation and uh a lot of
interest because uh the globalsupply chain affects everybody.
So while I'm not sure that I Ididn't know who all was there,
uh I would imagine you had a lotof people from a lot of
different industries who werekind of like me.
I was curious and you said, hey,we're doing this, why don't you
tap in?
(21:26):
And so I did for a few minutes.
And uh I would imagine you had alot of interest uh across a lot
of different industries.
We did.
SPEAKER_01 (21:32):
And we not only had interest from Arkansas
companies, but we had interestfrom people across the United
States and even some globally.
So the reach of the ArkansasDistrict Export Council is more
than just statewide, yeah.
Which I just find is I mean, thepower of the internet, right?
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (21:49):
Yeah, when you were rattling off all the attendees
and where they were from, I'mlike, hmm, yeah, that's
impressive.
SPEAKER_01 (21:54):
I mean, it still surprises me.
Yeah.
But the goal was you know, foryou.
To kind of see what we do, butalso in your infinite Robodex
that you have, um, next timeyou're having a coffee with
someone and you hear thebuzzwords like export or import
or any kind of global ties, I'mhoping that you're like, hey,
(22:19):
Bricker, you're sending me atext.
I need you to meet so-and-so.
Yeah.
And then it just spursconversation.
Is uh is tariff a buzzword or isthat an aughty word?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (22:31):
Yes, that has definitely been uh I can only
imagine how that has impactedyour work the last two to three
years.
It is.
What are the what's the biggestimpact?
Just the conversations, the theuncertainty.
Uncertainty.
SPEAKER_01 (22:43):
You know, people are willing to pay what they need to
pay.
They just need to know what itis, right?
All of the back and forth hasjust caused so much disruption
in supply chain that it's aroundCOVID levels of disruption.
SPEAKER_00 (23:01):
I want to highlight something for our listeners that
I think is important in thatlittle services we're talking
about.
Everything the district exportcouncil officers offices uh
offers are free, free toArkansas businesses.
Absolutely.
Do you think the word gets outthe way it should about that?
SPEAKER_01 (23:17):
You know, that's uh that that was the number one
goal I had coming in as chair isto bring awareness to the deck.
Um, you know, we were andluckily we have so many great
strategic partners.
We work with the U.S.
Commercial Service, we work withthe Arkansas Economic
Development Commission, ArkansasManufacturing Solutions, the
(23:38):
Arkansas World Trade Center.
Um, Denise Thomas and I are, youknow, we started off as, I
guess, strategic partners andhave become such great friends.
We have traveled multiple placestogether, and I can't speak
highly enough of the World TradeCenter.
Yeah.
But the local chambers havereally started helping promote
(24:00):
as well because the chambers, tome, they have their figures on
the pulse of the community.
So while they're out therehaving conversations with their
members, that's when they knowto pull me into a manufacturing
tour or an industry uh councilwhere they bring in people to
the chamber and I may speakthere.
(24:21):
Um so that you know, speakingengagements, webinars, the
governor's award ceremony is ahuge uh deal for us.
But huge deal for UCA too, oneof your award winners last year.
Yeah, right.
Absolutely.
They're our first uh universityuh to win a governor's award.
And the work that theinternational uh department is
(24:42):
doing down there is phenomenal.
I wish that would have been athing when I was there.
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
Who um I mean you said your job is to teach
businesses um how to becomeexporters, right?
Who who are the typicalbusinesses you work with?
Is it a big manufacturer?
Is it the small company who'snever even thought about
exporting or somewhere inbetween?
SPEAKER_01 (25:03):
Yeah, it's kind of it's it runs the gamut.
You know, the large companies,they have um in-house
specialists that are able to dothat.
So really, you know, our targetis um the small and medium-sized
entities or small businesses.
Um, you know, we have found thatmost of our exporters are
(25:25):
accidental exporters.
They may receive an order from,say, Canada, which is Arkansas's
largest trading partner.
Well, you want to make that sellas a business, but how do you do
it?
If you've never done it before,you don't know what you don't
know how to play the game.
Right.
And it and it can be scary.
(25:46):
Um, so that's really, you know,that's that's our role is to
make exporting less scary.
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (25:54):
I have to ask you about this last December.
You mentioned Denise and thegreat work she does at the Trade
Center Arkansas here and Rogers.
Uh, they presented you theirunsung champion of the year
award.
Yeah.
And that recognition came fromDenise and um who is, you know,
she's somebody who's alwaystrying to find a way to uh to
work together, work for thegreater good of a lot of
(26:15):
different stakeholders.
But uh what does thatpartnership and that
collaboration with the WorldTrade Center look like on the
ground up here?
SPEAKER_01 (26:23):
Right.
Um, you know, we are quite theduo, and not just Denise.
Uh everybody at the World TradeCenter has expertise that I feel
like gets a little bitoverlooked in Arkansas.
Yeah.
Um, so you know, the partnershipthere and that makes when I can
(26:46):
bring Denise or the team into aconversation, that is me
providing value to the companythat I'm talking to that I feel
like most people can't provide.
SPEAKER_00 (26:58):
So um I have to ask you about the moment at the
awards ceremony.
Um, you know, your daughtershowed up, you know, Adelaide
and Millie and your wife and uhJacqueline Henderson, your
manager from the bank.
I don't think you saw thatcompany.
I didn't.
I don't think you knew aboutthat.
Tell me what that felt like.
That was quite the surprise.
SPEAKER_01 (27:16):
I I didn't say anything at at the home.
Um, you know, I brought uh Stan,my my co-worker.
Yeah.
Uh he's like, I'll go with you.
I was like, fantastic.
Uh I knew Jacqueline knew aboutit.
Um, I didn't tell my familybecause kind of viewed it as
well, A, they were in school.
(27:37):
Um, B, it was kind of more justuh my my work.
Um and then I walked in, Istarted talking to people, and I
look over and I see Adelaide, myoldest daughter, and it just
kind of caught me off guard.
And I looked over and I see myyoungest Millie, and then I see
my wife, Brooke.
And I mean, I'm kind of gettinga little teary just talking
(28:00):
about it because I didn't tellthem.
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (28:02):
Um, but Jacqueline that you mentioned had reached
out to my wife, and she's like,I bet Brickard didn't tell you
that he was getting this.
Right.
And she was absolutely right.
And then my youngest kind ofgave me a little bit of a
scolding later on that night.
She said, Dad, if you're goingto win something, let us know
about it.
Sure.
SPEAKER_00 (28:21):
Well, I mean, and I know you, I know that comes from
a place of humility, and you'vebeen pretty consistent in saying
that the award belongs to uh thewhole deck and to the whole
economic development uh uh teamacross the state.
And um, I I could appreciatethat.
Obviously, I can appreciate thehumility, but I want to push
back and say that servantleadership is a skill and it
(28:43):
doesn't happen automatically.
So uh you are to be recognizedfor that, I think.
And so, you know, what does ittake to lead an all-volunteer
organization?
I mean, effectively over, youknow, now five years.
Right.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (28:56):
Um, you know, I guess just the desire to want to
help um people and theirbusinesses, which ultimately
helps their families.
Um, you know, kind of, I guessthe leadership style I'd say is
I try to lead from the front.
Yep.
I which I know that kind ofsounds a little bit redundant,
(29:19):
but I can't ask other people todo things or follow me that I'm
not willing to do myself.
Sure.
So I don't feel like, you know,I and I learned this, you know,
professionally and socially.
SPEAKER_00 (29:38):
If you could sit down with any um small to
mid-sized manufacturer inArkansas who has not seriously
thought about exporting it, whatwhat's the one thing you would
want them uh to walk away withknowing?
SPEAKER_01 (29:52):
Sure.
So most of you know, exporters,well, let me back up.
Okay, I feel like Arkansascompanies are very humble people
they don't want help.
They've done things the samepoint for decades from you know,
multi-generational manufacturershave always done things that the
(30:17):
company was left to them thatway.
But the global trade is not asbig as one may think that it is,
and there are ways to mitigaterisk when doing business
overseas.
Companies that export ride theeconomic wave better than
(30:40):
companies that only selldomestically because their
client base is wider.
Yeah.
They also um they produce moregoods, which means that they
have to hire more people.
So it's a job creation.
And and also companies thatexport pay higher wages than
companies that only selldomestically.
(31:02):
So it really is an economicdevelopment play for your
company to export.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (31:09):
Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, think you
would be an economic developmentadvocate in the state of
Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Not at all.
SPEAKER_00 (31:17):
Uh well, you are, and you're one of the chief
advocates for Arkansas.
So uh keep up that great work.
And on that same note, we we'reglad that you are uh a chief
advocate for the University ofCentral Arkansas here as a as a
member of our inaugural UCANorthwest Arkansas Advisory
Council.
And I think it's worth you knowreminding our listeners about
that, which you know, we startedthat last fall with seven
(31:38):
founding members and uh reallyto help us unlock untapped
potential here to strengthen ouralumni uh engagement here and
and uh just build support uh forUCA uh and uh for us to play a
meaningful role here, and alsofor Northwest Arkansas to play a
meaningful role for for UCA andour future.
So um a couple of UCA questions,you know, for you, just from
(31:59):
where you said as somebody whospent your your career working
with businesses and um and nowchairs the the statewide uh
deck.
Um, what what do you see asUCA's biggest um uh opportunity
here in Northwest Arkansas?
Is it is it more alum lineengagement?
Is it more civic engagement?
Is it more, you know, what?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (32:19):
Um well I will say the the Northwest Arkansas
Council uh has, I know it hasn'tbeen around long, but it has
been so much fun.
And the group that you'vebrought together has, I felt
like, I mean, we're alsolike-minded, yeah, and we really
blended together very well, veryquickly.
(32:42):
Um so you're saying we pickedthe right seven people.
You did.
You absolutely did.
SPEAKER_00 (32:47):
It's almost like you know what you're doing.
Right.
Well, I mean, we we've got we'vegot a little over 4,000 alumni
in Benton and Washingtoncounties, and um, we were very
um strategic in uh who we wantedto, you know, ride alongside
with us and be part of thisgroup to help us uh advocate and
help us be ambassadors for uhyour alma mater here in
(33:08):
Northwest Arkansas.
So I appreciate you saying that.
And um, you know, when you're inrooms with, you know, Northwest
Arkansas business leaders, youknow, what do they need to know?
Uh what do you do you tell themabout what a university like UCA
is positioned to do?
What can we offer NorthwestArkansas?
Sure.
SPEAKER_01 (33:26):
Uh I mean it fills holes that you may not know
exist.
Um you know, maybe somebodydoesn't want to go to a large
institution.
Yeah.
Maybe someone wants the morepersonal relationship and being
known on campus, you know,before you even get there.
(33:46):
You know, we went and toured formy oldest daughter who just
graduated from Bentonville High.
We went and toured and peopleknew who we were before we got
there.
Right.
And you don't get thateverywhere.
You know, she is one that sheknew that she didn't want to go
to a large university.
Right.
(34:06):
She didn't want to feel justlike a number.
And I feel like UCA really uhfills that void for people.
SPEAKER_00 (34:14):
Well, that is an excellent uh point that I'm
really glad you made because Ireally think we do have the
personal touch uh, you know, forcampus visits, and then when
you're a student, and then on alot of different levels, there's
a personal touch that um is notuh the norm at a lot of schools.
But um, what what else would yousay to another NWA professional,
maybe another alumni up here uhin Northwest Arkansas, who has
(34:37):
drifted from the institution ormaybe is not as engaged as isn't
what quite sure what theirconnection to the school looks
like these days.
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_01 (34:44):
Well, and I think that's really what the council,
and I know you did this bydesign, but maybe we as
individuals didn't have thatforesight going forward, you
know, and being on the council,it's something as simple as, you
know, carrying a UCA pin, that'sright, into a meeting.
Um, and then that, you know,something as simple as that can
(35:07):
spur conversation.
Oh, I didn't know you went toUCA.
Oh, tell me about UCA.
So that's where it goes.
And then, you know, if you comeacross an alumni up here and
then you tell them that, youknow, you guys are having these
alumni events, you know, that'snot what this whole thing is.
It's not just an alumnigathering, it's it's more than
(35:29):
that.
So that's where I feel like theconversation is very easy to be
had.
SPEAKER_00 (35:36):
Right.
And there's a lot of excitingconversations.
I'm glad you said that.
That's kind of what this uh theway, a good way to describe it.
There's a lot of excitingconversations in Northwest
Arkansas, and we want to be oneof those.
We want to be a part of that.
We want to be uh a strong andvisible uh presence here.
So when, yeah, we we do have anopportunity to uh connect alumni
(35:58):
with each other or to just buildrelationships or create
opportunities for our studentsand our graduates up here.
UCA is more uh top of mind thanmaybe it has been in the past uh
two years or five years or nineyears, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01 (36:14):
Uh it's reconnected me to a couple of fraternity
brothers that I didn't even knowlived up here.
Right.
I was like, oh great, right.
Why have I missed this manyyears of talking with you?
SPEAKER_00 (36:24):
Yeah, I know.
Well, I'm glad you said that.
I appreciate that.
So you mentioned earlier theecosystem and and uh and the
growth story up here has beendriven largely by the Walmart
you know ecosystem through theyears.
But uh, you know, again, yourwork touches the whole state.
How do you think about NorthwestArkansas's role in Arkansas's
larger global economy?
(36:46):
Sure.
Um and I think I saw the numberlike 94% of uh the global trade
uh area is outside of Arkansas.
Very good, right?
So yeah, I remember that one.
It's actually outside the UnitedStates.
SPEAKER_01 (36:58):
Outside the United States, right?
So that's why if you're you knowalways selling domestically, you
know, pun intended, you'remissing the boat.
Is it too yeah, but no,Northwest Arkansas it brings its
own um you know, successstories.
Of course, you've got the theproteins that are going
worldwide, you've got logisticscarriers, but you've also got
(37:23):
manufacturers, you've got theeven things that are so
important to Northwest Arkansas.
Mountain bike trail design isnow leaving Bentonville and
going global.
SPEAKER_00 (37:35):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (37:36):
We had an award winner out of Bentonville a
couple of years ago.
That that is what they do.
They travel to resorts acrossthe world and design mountain
bike trails.
I did not know that.
Huh.
And that yeah, perfect.
Yeah, most people don't know howmany cool things Arkansas
companies make or do.
Right.
(37:56):
And that's why I feel like thedeck really highlights these
companies, especially during thegovernor's award ceremony.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (38:05):
That work in itself, I mean, Regions Bank, Great
Bank, great people, StanJacqueline, all the great
people, that's fun.
But your work just with thedistrict export council seems so
fascinating and so interesting.
And I can tell that you reallyenjoy it.
Um, well, what would you tellsomebody uh who's a student or
somebody that wants to beinvolved in something like that
(38:25):
or says, I want that job, whatadvice would you give them to be
because that's not necessarily apath that you see yourself on in
Arkansas, global trade andimporting exporting?
Correct.
Landlock state, you don't reallythink about that, maybe.
What would you tell somebodylike that?
SPEAKER_01 (38:39):
You know, it's it's funny that you mentioned that.
Um, because as I am more thanlikely stepping back from the
chair position of the deck inthe near future, um, I'm trying
to figure out the ways that I'mgoing to give back um and spend
my time going forward.
And one of those is I'm having alike I'm getting pulled and
(39:02):
drawn into helping students,whether it's uh an intern
pipeline to become a futureworkforce development.
I don't know what that lookslike.
Um luckily I'm surroundingmyself with people that are
helping to kind of shape this.
(39:23):
So I can't really speak too muchto it now because it doesn't
exist.
Right.
But I want to be able to be aconnector of sorts between
students and Arkansas companiesto where the students will stay
in Arkansas once graduating.
SPEAKER_00 (39:40):
Right.
Well, I'm I'm excited to hearthat you'll have some more free
time that you could, you know,develop to the Northwest
Arkansas Advisory Council.
That's right.
Uh so that's good.
I'm gonna make a note of that.
So all right, Jonathan, this hasbeen great.
What's what's on your radarright now going forward?
Whether at the bank, at thedeck, you know, personally,
anywhere.
That what what's going on withyou?
What should people What are youpaying attention to right now?
SPEAKER_01 (40:00):
That's a good question.
Um, you know, I'm I'm trying tofigure out that next step.
Um I want to be a resource forpeople.
That has kind of been my drivingforce.
I really want people to feelcomfortable to reach out to me
(40:21):
to bring me into challengingconversations.
Um, you know, and that's kind ofwhat keeps me going is being
able to make an impact, uhwhether that's through my
clients or whether it's throughthe RDEC.
Um, and hopefully I'm creatingopportunities for others that
are as rewarding as the onesthat I have had.
(40:44):
Um, you know, I've beenfortunate to to have so many, to
meet so many interesting people.
Um, and if my girls can seefirsthand, you know, that that
that they can get the same joyout of life of helping others, I
think that will be kind ofmission accomplished.
SPEAKER_00 (41:04):
Sure.
All right.
And I'd I'd be remiss if Ididn't mention this too.
I think you met uh Brooke, yourwife at UCA, right?
I actually met her in highschool.
SPEAKER_01 (41:11):
In high school, okay.
Yeah.
But she's a UCA.
She is a UCA alum.
She started off at UALR playingsoccer for them.
And then she, you know, shebecame a physical therapist at
the U at UCA, but I think shemoved up there to be closer to
me.
SPEAKER_00 (41:27):
Oh, well, that goes without saying, right?
Right.
That's what I'm going with.
Yeah, absolutely.
All right.
Well, great stuff.
Listen, Jonathan, thank youagain for being here.
It was great to great to visitwith you.
Uh proud of you and and uhreally appreciate all the work
that you're helping us do forthe UCA here in Northwest,
Arkansas.
Absolutely.
Happy to do it.
And if you need anything fromme, you know how to get a hold
of them.
Perfect.
(41:47):
All right, Jonathan Bricker,he's the vice president at
Regents Bank and the chairman ofthe Arkansas District Export
Council.
And that'll do it for thisedition of Central to NWA.
As always, we appreciate youtuning in.
I'm Paul Gatling.
Until next time, Coles.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
(42:10):
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA.
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