Chamber’s director works for inclusion
In her first four months as director of the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ulanda Arnett has sought to reach out to the community and let the public know the organization is available to support all residents of Pine Bluff with their businesses.
A 2002 alumna of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Agriculture, she envisions fostering community growth by recruiting and retaining more business owners.
“Since starting in this role, my focus has been on ensuring that the Chamber is seen as an inclusive organization,” she said. “We are here to offer support to all the citizens of Pine Bluff, regardless of background, race or business size.”
Arnett has also been responsible for expanding the scope of the organization’s annual Leadership Pine Bluff program. She aims to train local professionals, CEOs, elected officials and other leaders to recruit and retain more residents in Pine Bluff.
The course curriculum will enable participants to prepare local talent for new business opportunities. It also aims to create new opportunities for networking and collaboration between local companies and community organizations.
Currently, the Chamber has 413 members and Arnett aims to increase the number to 500 by the end of the year. Assistance with advertising and marketing is one of the benefits of membership, Arnett said. The organization also hosts ribbon cuttings to launch or relaunch businesses and produces promotional merchandise.
Arnett said she thinks it is important the Chamber provides a personal touch, so she prioritizes face-to-face meetings with local business owners to hear about their needs, challenges and goals. She said it is easy for her to relate to local business owners since she is an entrepreneur herself. For six years, she has owned Posh Inspirations, an interior design and event-planning company.
“My experience as a business owner has given me the empathy and understanding required for this position at the Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “I know how business owners operate and can sympathize with their concerns. As director, when meeting with first-time business owners, I try to share my experiences, lessons learned and general best practices.”
Arnett opened Posh Inspirations after working in corporate America. As an entrepreneur, she hosted a wide range of events – everything from diversity and inclusion workshops, to expos and bridal and baby showers.
“As an entrepreneur, I most appreciated the chance to grow with clients,” she said. “Clients who had used our services before would come back for assistance with other monumental life moments. We assisted people with weddings, decorating their first house and other interior design projects. It was all about creating experiences that would last. Eventually, clients started to become like part of the family.”
Arnett credits much of her entrepreneurial savvy to her parents, Sammia Thomas and the late Charles Arnett. Her parents opened Thomas Groceries, a hallmark of the UAPB campus neighborhood and Pine Bluff, 13 years ago. For part of his career, Charles Arnett worked as a coach at UAPB.
“When I was younger, my father had a store and drove an ice cream truck,” she said. “I would go on rides with him, and he taught me basic business lessons – for example, not to eat up more than you sell.”
Before she started her own company, Arnett had learned the value of making clients and employees feel appreciated during her 12-year career with Tyson Foods Inc. She started working for the company in recruiting operations and was promoted to a leadership development role in which she was responsible for the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
“The work was all about people,” she said. “I worked closely with Donnie Smith, who was CEO at the time. We wanted all employees – everyone from the senior vice president to the janitor – to feel they had ownership of their job and career. This sense of importance was vital. We wanted everyone to be clear on their goals and what their role would be in achieving them. This approach boosts morale, increases productivity and ensures less turnover.”
During her time at Tyson, Arnett recruited new talent at historically black colleges and universities and sponsored and spoke at events for the National Urban League, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Black MBA Association. She said she made an intentional effort to recruit and retain employees from all backgrounds.
Arnett said her education at UAPB taught her the importance of soft skills in life. As a student of agricultural business, she completed internships through the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) club, was a member of the Agriculture Club and regularly traveled to the annual International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
“These experiences taught me how to communicate, influence and network,” she said. “I learned how to work as part of a team and understand the importance of everyone’s role. Most importantly, at UAPB I learned to be comfortable in my own skin and know my perspective matters.”
Arnett decided to major in agricultural business because of the potential job security.
“Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, the decision made sense,” she said.
“During a campus visit, I learned the field has a hiring conversion rate of 90 percent for women and minority graduates.”
During her studies, she held internships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Pine Bluff and Global Marketing Support Services in Fayetteville. She credits Linda Okiror, retired vice chancellor for enrollment management and student success at UAPB, with encouraging her to try various internships to get a feel for potential careers. She also credits her advisor, Tracy Dunbar, professor and chair of the UAPB Department of Agriculture, for playing an active part in her education.
In her free time, Arnett enjoys dancing, singing, cooking and spending time with her daughters, Charis Rae and Chyloh Rian.