Leadership Texarkana

06/17/2026

We are so thankful to have received a grant from the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana at tonight’s annual banquet! 💚

04/21/2026

Meet our keynote speaker, Gary Kusin. 🎤

Gary Kusin, a Texarkana native, has earned recognition as Inc Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year and is the best-selling author of Always Learning: Lessons on Leveling Up from GameStop to Laura Mercier and Beyond. He advises an array of public and private companies as a mentor, investor, and business advisor, serving more than 500 professionals over the course of his career.

Kusin co-founded two companies - Babbage’s, which now operates as GameStop, and Laura Mercier Cosmetics - that have become successful global brands. He also served as the CEO of Kinko’s and was responsible for the turnaround, strategic growth, and transformation the company underwent as it was purchased by FedEx to become FedEx Office.

He earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He was named to the UT McComb’s School of Business Hall of Fame. He is also a Texas High School graduate.

Leadership Texarkana Executive Director Jenny Walker said that Kusin was a perfect choice to complement the theme of the Lunch with Leaders event, which is Blueprints for Bold Leadership: Building What’s Next for Texarkana.

“This is an exciting time for our community,” Walker said. “We are fortunate that we have visionary leaders who see what is possible, and they’re going after it. They are carefully crafting this chapter of our history, and it is incredibly exciting. The entrepreneurial spirit that Mr. Kusin has demonstrated over his career aligns perfectly with where we are at right now. I can’t imagine a better person to add fuel to our collective fire than him.”

Tickets and tables are available for purchase at www.gotxk.org.

04/20/2026

Ticket sales end this FRIDAY at noon! We already have more than 200 attendees registered, and we may sell out. Don't miss your chance to join our annual Lunch with Leaders celebration! Ticket and table information are available at www.gotxk.org.

04/15/2026

Leadership expert Simon Sinek says that leaders eat last, but we think it's better if leaders eat together! Join us for our annual Lunch with Leaders celebration happening this month! Our lineup includes a fantastic keynote speaker, leadership awards, and table conversations with people who are making things happen in our community. Ticket and table information is available at www.gotxk.org.

04/08/2026

What a fantastic day! Our class met this morning at the State of the Cities event hosted by the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce. We heard from the Mayors Robert Bunch (City of Nash), Bob Bruggeman (The City of Texarkana, Texas) and Allen Brown (Texarkana Arkansas). Cody Peek (Reliance Mechanical Contractors, Inc.) was also on hand to share about the development of new business opportunities in Nash, including the Primary Commons Event Center where this morning’s meeting was held. Before leaving, Hillary Cloud (Texarkana Chamber of Commerce) encouraged local leaders to pledge their support of becoming a certified Work Ready community by completing an employer registration form at: https://www.workreadycommunities.org/business/form

We spent the afternoon talking about Leading through Innovation where we learned about The Assembly Line and Pitch It Texarkana from Dr. Brandy Eldridge. We also had a fantastic panel discussion centered on “Creating what we wish existed,” with three local leaders who had a vision for something new in Texarkana and worked hard to make it happen. Panelists were Monica Beeman (Cass County Fitness and Pickle Fest Texarkana ), Donnie Reid (Total Medical Supply, Inc. and We Are Washington), and Suki O’Neal (Friends For a Cause Foundation). We rounded out the afternoon talking about Lunch with Leaders, next month’s graduation, and our Strategic Doing projects.

We are grateful to Texarkana, TX Parks & Recreation for allowing us to meet at the Southwest Center and to Leadership Texarkana board member Jaimie J. Alexander who organized our lunch delivery.

04/08/2026

📣📣📣 Save $25 on your Lunch with Leaders ticket by becoming a member of Leadership Texarkana. 📣📣📣

Leadership Texarkana has always been about people. People who care deeply about our community, who believe leadership is a responsibility, and who know that connection makes us stronger. Join us today!

04/07/2026

Save $25 on your Lunch with Leaders ticket by becoming a member of Leadership Texarkana today! Click the link to pay, and you'll automatically receive an email with a special coupon code for your discount to the event. www.givebutter.com/LT2026

04/07/2026

We are excited to celebrate Wilbur Award nominee Kristina Rivas!

Her nominator said, "Kristina Rivas has become a powerful connector within Texarkana consistently bringing together education, non-profits, and community partners to expand opportunity and strengthen the region. Her leadership focuses on building bridges between institutions and people, ensuring that the work happening in our community translates into meaningful pathways for growth, service, and leadership."

Join us on Tuesday, April 28 when we honor Kristina and the other Wilbur Award nominees at Lunch with Leaders. Ticket and table information is available at www.gotxk.org.

04/07/2026

We are excited to celebrate Wilbur Award nominee Jennifer Lacefield!

Her nominator said, "Jennifer is a tireless supporter of community engagement and in advocating for the less fortunate in society. As the Executive Director of the Randy Sams Outreach Shelter, she is responsible for both fundraising and operational oversight for the largest entity in Texarkana designed to support the homeless."

Join us on Tuesday, April 28 when we honor Jennifer and the other Wilbur Award nominees at Lunch with Leaders. Ticket and table information is available at www.gotxk.org.