The Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce their Keynote Speaker for the Annual Meeting & Banquet on May 2, 2022 at Hempstead Hall.

Chamber Executive Director, Christy Burns stated, “Mr. Rex Nelson was scheduled to be our annual meeting keynote speaker in 2020 but due to Covid our banquet was virtual and Mr. Nelson was not able to attend.  It is at this time I am thrilled to announce that Mr. Nelson will be joining us this year.”

Rex Nelson is one of the most high-profile writers and speakers in the state. As senior editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, he writes three columns a week and essays for the cover of the newspaper's Sunday Perspective section. He's the author of three books -- the first full-length biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton, a biography of Arkansas educator Ben Elrod and a collection of his essays on Arkansas. He's also the author of a popular blog known as Rex Nelson's Southern Fried and makes regular television and radio appearances.

Nelson served for almost a decade as the policy and communications director for Gov. Mike Huckabee and then served for four years in the administration of President George W. Bush as one of the president's two appointees to the Delta Regional Authority. He has been inducted into the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Rural Development Commission named Nelson as its Rural Advocate of the Year for the state of Arkansas. 

The Chamber is still accepting sponsorships, ticket reservations, and auction items for this year’s annual meeting and banquet so don’t miss out!  We can’t wait to see everyone one there and welcome Mr. Nelson to Hope.

For more information contact the Hope Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce at (870)777-3640 or hopemelonfest.com.