Leadership Fort Smith

09/11/2026

🏛️ Past. Present. Future. Our Fort Smith.

Yesterday, the Leadership Fort Smith Class spent the day exploring the history, growth, and future of our community!

We would like to thank Crafton Tull for being our "Session Sponsor" for this first official session!

From the Fort Smith National Historic Site and Fort Smith Museum of History to the revitalized Bakery District and the Clayton House, participants experienced firsthand the people and places that have helped shape Fort Smith.

The class also learned how to become more engaged in their community through a presentation on voting, running for office, and getting involved, explored the return of the Lightning Over the Fort Airshow, a presentation from Discover Fort Smith, toured the United States Marshals Museum, and took a closer look at the Future of Fort Smith and the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

It was a day filled with history, ideas, and inspiration—and a reminder that understanding our past and present helps us all play a role in shaping Fort Smith’s future.

A special thank you to all of the speakers, organizations, and community leaders who helped make this an unforgettable day for the Leadership Fort Smith Class! 👏

Thank you to Rightfiber for serving as our Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2027 Presenting Sponsor. Also, we want to thank Mercy and BHC Insurance for being our Partner Sponsors! Our programs are not possible without the help of our sponsors.

We truly appreciate those who took time out of there busy day to present!
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Fort Smith Museum of History
The Bakery District
Sebastian County Election Commission
Discover Fort Smith
Association of Fort Smith
United States Marshal Service Museum
Future Fort Smith
The Clayton House

09/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19D2hYL6Vv/

08/24/2026

Leadership Fort Smith’s 2026–2027 class is officially underway! 🎉

Our class kicked off the Leadership Fort Smith experience with an Opening Retreat at beautiful Mount Magazine State Park, where participants stepped away from their everyday routines to connect, reflect and begin building the foundation for a strong, close-knit class.

Facilitated by Phillip McClure with McClure Professional Services, the retreat focused on developing key leadership skills, self-reflection, understanding team dynamics and learning how to work effectively with one another. Through interactive activities and plenty of opportunities to get to know each other, participants began discovering what makes each of their classmates unique—and how those individual strengths can come together to create a stronger team. And, of course, there was plenty of FUN along the way!

A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Ritter Communications, and our Partner Sponsors, BHC Insurance and Mercy, for investing in the next generation of community leaders. We are excited to see where this incredible class goes over the next 10 months!

Welcome, Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2027! We’re glad you’re here! 👏

08/21/2026

Opening Retreat is underway!
It has been a great day #1!

07/29/2026

The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce joins our community in mourning the passing of Dr. Sandi Sanders, a remarkable educator, mentor, and community leader whose impact on Fort Smith will be felt for generations. Dr. Sanders was instrumental in creating Leadership Fort Smith and served as its director for 10 years, helping establish a program dedicated to developing informed, engaged leaders who understand our community and are prepared to make a difference. Her vision for Leadership Fort Smith continues today as each class builds relationships, learns about the opportunities and challenges facing our region, and develops the skills needed to lead and serve.

Dr. Sanders' legacy is reflected in the hundreds of Leadership Fort Smith graduates who continue to serve our community through business, education, healthcare, government, nonprofits, and countless other organizations. We are grateful for the foundation she created and honored to continue the work she began by investing in the next generation of community leaders. Our deepest condolences go to her husband, former Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders, her family, friends, and the many people whose lives she touched. Fort Smith is a stronger community because of Dr. Sandi Sanders, and her legacy of leadership will continue through the people she inspired to serve.

Dr. Sandi Sanders, whose community involvement including being interim chancellor of Westark College, director of the Leadership Fort Smith program, and first president of the U.S. Marshals Museum, has died....

07/22/2026

We are thrilled to introduce the newest members of the Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2027! Join us in celebrating these exceptional individuals.🎉

See someone you know? Tag & share to help congratulate them!

A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Ritter Communications / RightFiber, and our Partner Sponsors, BHC Insurance and Mercy Hospital Fort Smith

07/17/2026

We want to extend a big congratulations to the LFS Class of 2026 graduates, a warm welcome to the new Class of 2027, and heartfelt appreciation to the 2026 Jack White Community Leadership Award recipient - Michael Barr!

It was a wonderful night celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of leaders in our community!

Thank you to our Sponsors for supporting our incredible program!
Class of 2026 Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor - Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
Partner Sponsors - BHC Insurance, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith
Class of 2027 Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor - Ritter Communications / RightFiber
Partner Sponsors - BHC Insurance, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith

07/14/2026

Congratulations Mike! 👏

Michael “Mike” Barr, a third-generation leader of a family-owned manufacturing business in Fort Smith who is active in local, state and national organizations, will receive the 2026 Jack White Community...

05/08/2026

That’s a wrap on the Leadership Fort Smith Class of 2026, presented by Arkansas Colleges of Health Education! 👏🏼🎉

We had an incredible day at the Pridgin Family Brewery recapping our year together with the help of McClure Professional Services!

Thank you to Halff for sponsoring our retreat and pouring into the future of Fort Smith. We appreciate your support of Leadership Fort Smith!

MAHG Architecture sponsored our lunch, fueling great afternoon conversation.

As always, thank you to our annual sponsors for their continued support of the program throughout the year!

Presenting: Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
Partner: BHC Insurance, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith

What a year! 💙

04/16/2026

In case you missed it… we hosted our first quarter Alumni Event! 🥳

We enjoyed a great afternoon grazing over a charcuterie board, sharing beverages, and refreshing headshots. 📸

Stay tuned for details on our next alumni event… but in the meantime, we want to hear from you! ⬇️

Drop a comment below and let us know:
• What you’d like to see from the alumni association
• What time of day works best for future events