Dardanelle Chamber banquet to feature speaker with the Walton Foundation, cycling enthusiast

DARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce will have its 2020 annual banquet Jan. 27 at the Carolyn McGee Community Center on Arkansas 22. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6:15, followed by the program at 7. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Tables of eight are available for $300.

This year’s guest speaker is Gary Vernon with the Walton Foundation. Vernon is a lifelong cycling enthusiast. Born in Joplin, Missouri, he started with Walmart in 1984 in the local store building bicycles for the Christmas season. He stayed with Walmart, working his way through college. He went into store management after graduation. He moved to Bella Vista in 2003 as part of his 30-year career, taking on a role in the Walmart Corporate Office.

He was president of the volunteer group Friends of Arkansas Single Track (FAST) for seven years, maintaining mountain bike trails around the region.

At Walmart, Vernon was a director in the Environmental Division, working on recycling and sustainability programs before moving over to the Walton

Family Foundation in 2015, supporting Steuart and Tom Walton with their cycling and trail-building projects.

Vernon is now a program officer for Steuart and Tom’s personal foundation and was the 2019 recipient of the American Trails Chairman award for advancing trail design and changing the landscape for trail systems.

He has been married to Aimee Vernon for 22 years, and they have two children, Grayson, 13, and Abby, 18. Vernon’s hobbies include mountain biking, motocross and motorcycle trails.