Robin Mizell, APR, is community affairs manager at Black Hills Energy, where she supports 100 communities in the Arkansas natural gas service territory. From leading community partnerships through nonprofit organizations and chambers of commerce to supporting cities and customers with safety, energy efficiency, damage prevention education, construction project and other communication, she has the opportunity to collaborate with 450 Arkansas Black Hills Energy team members and many others in the company, as well as countless community leaders. Mizell has 25 years of public relations, project management and development experience in the nonprofit, higher education, and public service sectors.
- What do you love most about Arkansas? Its genuine, friendly, hard-working people.
- Very few people know that… To support families who rely on free meals during the school year, I approached KTHV with a little idea for a summer cereal drive that has continued to grow each year for more than 20 years.
- If you could pick up a new skill in an instant, what would it be? Understudy to Arkansan Jenee Fleenor – FIDDLE.
- What song describes your life right now? “Grateful” – Elevation Worship
- Who was a mentor to you early in your career and what did you learn from them? Jessica Szenher, APR, and Judy Williams – Picking one without the other is like picking a parent. They were the first to take a chance on me. I observed how to plan strategies, form strong partnerships, write well, get results and bring others along.
- My first job was: Followed by junior high and high school gigs cleaning a church, babysitting and waiting tables – the best place to learn to juggle and customer service – and as a reporter in college, my first job was at Stone Ward, a public relations and advertising agency – excellent experience.
- The greatest risk I ever took was…? I am not so much of a risk taker, but Mark and I had three weeks to make a decision to move from Little Rock, where we had family, friends and a church, among other roots, sell our house, find a place to live, transition our jobs and make a fresh start in NWA. No looking back – our lives are forever changed for the better.
- Thinking about your community, what is the one thing you are most proud of? NWA region has been more successful because of collaboration. When you don’t care about who gets the credit, positive results happen. I have witnessed strong collaboration from the law enforcement community to business and industry to arts and culture.
- How long have you been in the chamber/economic development profession? What do you like most about your job? Beginning with young professional committees through the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce to promoting scholarships, degrees and workforce training to most recently serving as a liaison to the attorney general, I have been supporting chambers and economic development in Arkansas throughout my career. I am happy to now apply my experiences to support Black Hills customers and communities. I have much gratitude to be able to coordinate volunteer and financial support for nonprofit organizations making a difference for Arkansas families.
- What is the best career advice you would give someone in the chamber/economic development profession? Have face-to-face visits with your business partners to listen to challenges and ideas. Evaluate how can we collaborate in new, creative ways to form stronger partnerships.