Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast
In this bi-weekly podcast, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette senior editor Rex Nelson sits down with fellow civic-minded Arkansans to discuss ways to foster growth in the Natural State. Along the way, Rex and his guests chat about all things Arkansas — its people, places, food, music, history and more.
Episodes
On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with Arkansas State University Chancellor Todd Shields to talk about the economic upswing of Northeast Arkansas. Todd cites his desire to build as a factor in his decision to move from the University of Arkansas to become ASU's chancellor.
Todd also talks to Rex about the need for healthy competition, which fuels academic excellence at large ...
In this week's episode, Rex sits down with Porter Briggs to talk about his new book "South, Towards Home: An Unexpected Love Story."
Porter, a Little Rock native, says he considers his adult life to have started when he arrived at his Army unit in Germany, citing a 4km trek using a map and compass in the extreme cold.
Porter also talks about his life growing up in Little Rock, his 1958 h...
In this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with former Master Chef contestant, Jennifer Maune, to talk about her new restaurant, Restaurant Fleur, set to open in downtown Little Rock next year.
Jennifer tells Rex about her journey, how she became interested in cooking and her time studying abroad to learn different techniques for baking pastries and other world class foods.
Jennifer al...
On this week’s episode, Rex Nelson sits down with the president and CEO of the Ozark Foundation, Michael Spivey, to talk about the non-profit’s mission of ‘positioning our state as a premier outdoor recreation destination’
Rex discusses with Michael the challenges the organization faced at its inception during the covid-19 pandemic and how it has grown beyond them.
Michael also shares wi...
In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Little Rock City Director Capi Peck and Friends of Fourche Creek board member Norm Berner about Little Rock’s litter problem.
Rex talks with Capi about the Keep Little Rock Beautiful nonprofit and its mission to empower residents and businesses to prevent litter and beautify the central Arkansas area.
Rex also talks with Norm about Fourche Creek and...
In this week’s episode, Rex talks with Sam Dean, Executive Director and CEO of the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, about the hands-on approach that Amazeum and other science museums take in getting young people interested and engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Sam discusses how science museums can not only engage kids in hands-on STEM activities but ...
In this week's episode, Rex talks with Peter MacKeith, Dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas' Fayetteville campus, about the development of Arkansas' forest economy in building material sustainability and the programs the university is implementing to increase that sustainability.
The episode also addresses the benefit that the school of architecture ...
In this week's episode, Rex talks with otolaryngologist Dr. Susan Emmett from UAMS about the dangers of hearing loss and the need for specialized care in rural communities throughout Arkansas, especially for K-12 students.
The conversation begins with Susan telling Rex about her journey to become an otolaryngologist and how she worked on Capitol Hill with former Tennessee Senator Bill Fr...
In this week's episode, Rex sits down with Create Conway's founder, Jessica Crum, and its Executive Director, Katie Wilson, to discuss the growing arts scene in downtown Conway as well as the city's thriving arts community.The conversation begins with an overview of Conway's art scene and how Create Conway's focus is to "put creatives on display."
Jessica, a Pine Bluff native who moved t...
This week, Rex is once again joined by old friend and frequent guest Skip Rutherford, the initial president of the Clinton Foundation and former Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. On this episode, however, the duo largely avoid a conversation about politics or education in favor of an in-depth look at recent information released by the U.S. Census Bureau...
In this episode of the podcast, Randy Zook, President and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, returns to the show to converse with Rex about various aspects of workforce development, manufacturing and production, and the growing industrial sectors in the state.
In this week’s episode, Rex sits down with Tad Bohannon, CEO of Central Arkansas Water, to discuss the region’s most valuable natural resource: water. From watershed preservation to infrastructure upgrades, the pair’s conversation dives into the strategic steps being taken to secure water quality and quantity for future generations.
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In this week’s episode, Rex sits down with entrepreneur Andy McNeill and State Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, co-hosts of the Free Arkansas podcast, to discuss how open dialogue and practical policymaking could shape the state’s future. Through their Free Arkansas podcast, the pair aim to challenge the status quo by fostering conversation, examining the state’s rankings across key s...
On this episode of the podcast, Rex sits down for an in-depth discussion with one of his longtime religious mentors and a man he says many refer to as "Arkansas' pastor," Rex Horne, the outgoing executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. With Horne's decades-long career as a prominent Baptist leader, educator and administrator, the two cover a range of topics related to...
One of Rex’s old friends and longtime Arkansas politician Jim Keet returns to the podcast this week to discuss several topics relevant to Jim’s multifaceted career and, in particular, the businessman’s longstanding history in the restaurant business.
Rex and Jim’s conversation begins with an overview of their joint involvement in Arkansas’ Republican party at ...
On this week’s episode, Attorney General Tim Griffin joins Rex to talk about his office’s move into the newly renovated Brooks Building in downtown Little Rock. Formerly known as the Boyle Building, the historic structure was renamed in honor of Griffin’s late friend and colleague, former Chief Deputy Attorney General B...
In this week’s episode, Rex sits down with Stephanie Streett, Executive Director of the Clinton Foundation, to chat about the organization's role in transforming downtown Little Rock over the past two decades. Since opening in 2004, the foundation has helped generate $4.9 billion for the local economy and several cultur...
On this week's episode of the podcast, Rex is joined by Chris Moses, President and CEO of Moses Tucker Partners, and the company's Vice President of Development, George Friedmann, to discuss the importance of new real estate developments and opportunities in and around the Little Rock metro, with a particular focus on the city's downtown area.
The conversation begins with a lengthy chat...
On this week’s episode, Rex and author Kat Robinson dive into all things Arkansas barbecue as they discuss her latest book, The Arkansas Barbecue Traveler, which required Kat to visit and research over 400 barbecue spots across the state. The book is the first in a series she plans to write exploring the state’s rich barbecue culture.
Rex and Kat break down...
On this week's episode, Rex is joined by Lee Watson, founder and CEO of the Forge Institute, to discuss how his organization is helping Arkansans understand cybersecurity risks and better leverage economic opportunities in emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Lee emphasizes the growing sophistication of adversaries using AI to enhance their...
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