Category: Community Involvement

Rotary Club 99/Dunbar Middle School Mentoring Partnership

Posted on 12/10/19

The LRSD recently produced a video featuring Hank Kelley, Rotary Club of Little Rock 99 president, interacting with James Gray, an eighth-grader at Dunbar Magnet Middle School. The signature project of the Rotary Club is a partnership with Dunbar Magnet Middle School. The club currently has 20 members active in different stages of mentorship at Dunbar.

Hank mentors eighth-grader, James Gray, offering guidance, support, encouragement, and sometimes just an ear. Hank has tutored James in math, offered football tips, and donated his daughter’s drum set to the band. James is a member of the school band and football team and at a recent school assembly, he was presented with a music award and recognized for his grades — all A’s and B’s including an A in math. Both James and Hank look forward to a relationship beyond Dunbar and look forward to learning from each other.

Hank Kelley, guest lecturer at UALR College of Business

Posted on 11/07/19

On Monday evening, Hank Kelley was invited by instructor Elizabeth Small to lecture her UALR College of Business Finance 4371 class. This senior-level class teaches elements of mortgage financing for housing and investment property; sources of funds; application and approval; real estate investment analysis; effects of financing and income taxation upon investment returns and is part of the college’s real estate program.

Kelley discussed the types of mapping and demographic information Flake & Kelley provides clients. National retailers rely heavily on location, traffic counts, other retailers, and competition, as well as demographics before deciding on a site. He also covered current trends in the commercial real estate market. He noted the increased interest from investors in multi-family properties. An investment group out of Cinncinati recently purchased the 84-unit Barrister Court apartments. Retailers, on the other hand, are figuring out how to do more with less. Kelley commented that Little Rock’s newest national retailer, Trader Joe’s, prefers keeping shelves stocked rather than leasing more space for storing goods. The Little Rock Port was recently in the news because the Michigan-based company, HMS Manufacturing, chose a 550,000 SF industrial space in the port to open its fourth manufacturing facility.

On the subject of investing in real estate, Kelley shared advice his father, who was also in the real estate business, shared with him, “Every piece of property you own owns a piece of you.”

Hank’s executive assistant and current student at the College of Business, Tara Mitchell, was invited to sit in on the lecture.

“I was so excited when Professor Small gave me permission to sit in on this class. It’s great to watch Hank share his knowledge with the next generation, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from such a successful person on a daily basis,” said Tara Mitchell.

Nicholas Kelley Joins LGLR Class XXXV

Posted on 09/27/19

We are pleased to announce Nicholas (“Nick”) Kelley has been selected to participate in Class XXXV of the Little Rock Chamber’s Leadership Greater Little Rock program.

“I’m honored to be part of the Chamber’s leadership program and look forward to the experience, camaraderie, and commitment,” said Nick Kelley.

This is the third consecutive year Flake & Kelley has had an associate accepted into the Leadership program and Kelley is the eighth associate of the firm to participate. Former alums include Jim Dailey (Class I), Hank Kelley (Class V), Daryl Peeples (Class VI), Bill Pendergist (Class XXIX), Drew Laning (Class XXXIII), Jessica Kokinos (Class XXXIII), and Cynthia Lu (Class XXXIV).

As an attorney specializing in real estate, Nick’s expertise brings a high level of real estate services to the firm. Prior to joining Flake & Kelley Commercial in 2017, Kelley served as a real estate associate with McGuireWoods in Atlanta, Ga. He also was a commercial real estate associate for Quattlebam, Grooms, Tull, & Burrow of Little Rock, Ark. He has represented real estate developers, Fortune 500 retailers, lenders, borrowers, and other clients on complex commercial transactions. In addition to his roles as executive vice president and partner at Flake & Kelley Commercial, Kelley serves as a member of the Central Arkansas Executives Association (CAEA) and Children’s Hospital Committee for the Future.

We congratulate all of the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXV, presented yesterday in the Great Hall of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center.

“It’s an incredible program where participants not only learn to maximize their leadership potential but how to put it into action in the community,” said Hank Kelley.

The announcement was followed by a reception sponsored by Simmons Bank.

Opportunity zone task force named; 20 people are selected by Little Rock mayor

Posted on 08/13/19

by Rachel Herzog | August 10, 2019 at 2:26 a.m.

ArkansasOnline.com

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has named 20 people to serve on a task force that will work on helping the city to leverage its opportunity zones.

The team of developers, bankers and civic leaders will study how the city can attract investors to the federally designated economically distressed census tracts in Little Rock where new investments can be eligible for preferential tax treatment, a federal initiative that came with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Arkansas Opportunity Zone Selection (2018.4.20 update)

At a panel discussion that hosted officials from Washington, D.C., on Monday, Scott said encouraging investment in opportunity zones is one way to revitalize disadvantaged areas.

The task force will be chaired by Will Rockefeller of the Winrock Group. Martie North Hamilton, director of community development at Simmons Bank, will serve as a co-chair, according to a news release from the city.

The committee also includes:

• Regina Favors, interim president of Arkansas Baptist College

• Lisa Ferrell, developer

• Merritt Dake, CEO of Rock Dental Brands

• Virgil Miller, banker at Arvest Bank

• Angel Burt, vice president of the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association

• Kevin Huchingson, CEO of Colliers International, Arkansas office

• Shawn Govind, director of real estate development for the Pinnacle Hotel Group

• Leslie Lane, president of Arkansas Capital Corporation Group

• Ivan Hudson, insurance agent

• Tristan Wilkerson, managing principal at Think Rubix LLC

• Lee Hastings IV, agent with Flake and Kelley Commercial

• Chris Moses, developer

• Jill Floyd, member of the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission

• Richard Mays, anonymous lawyer

• Nathan Rutledge, senior management director of Crews & Associates

• Ted Dickey, investment fund founder

• Patrick Schueck, vice president of Lexicon Inc.

• Pam Courtney, developer

Task force set for Little Rock Zoo; group to examine business model, facilities plans

Posted on 08/02/19

by Josh Snyder | July 22, 2019 at 9:44 a.m.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and the Arkansas Zoological Foundation on Monday announced the creation of a task force that will study planning and development for the city’s zoo.

The “Task Force for the Zoo’s Future,” part of Scott’s initiative to consider the future of the War Memorial Park area, will scrutinize the zoo’s business model and facilities master plan and develop a funding action plan, according to a news release by the city.

The zoo’s master plan was initially developed in 2014, and members of the new team will consider new strategies in park and animal habitat design, as well as guest amenities, officials said.

“As one of the largest tourist attractions in the state and the only accredited zoo in Arkansas, the Little Rock Zoo is an important part of War Memorial Park and our City,” Scott said.

According to the release, task force members will include:

Brad Cazort, Chair of the Zoo Board of Governors
Lisa Buehler, Chair of the Arkansas Zoological Foundation
State Joyce Elliott, Vice-Chair of the Mayor’s Quality of Life Subcommittee for the Scott Script
Kathy Webb, City Ward 3 Director and liaison to the Zoo Board of Governors
Jessica Poynter, Chair, Generation Zoo Young Professionals
Chad Causey, Causey Law Firm, Board Member, Arkansas Zoological Foundation
Andrew Rogerson, Chancellor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Hank Kelley, CEO/Partner, Flake & Kelley Commercial
Tab Townsell, Executive Director, Metroplan
Rhonna Wade, Chair, Create Little Rock
Gretchen Hall, Executive Director, Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
Brandon Bibby, Associate AIA, WER Architects/Planners
Nate Coulter, Director, Central Arkansas Library System

Zoo Director Susan Altrui, City Manager Bruce Moore, and Jay Chessir, President and CEO of the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce are to serve in ex-officio roles, officials said. According to the release, Schultz & Williams, a “zoo consulting firm” will support the task force with business planning regarding public-private partnerships. The Arkansas Zoological Foundation contracted the firm for $26,000 excluding travel expenses, according to officials.