Roby Brock (moderator)
Roby Brock is the CEO of Talk Business and Politics, a 24-year old multi-media news organization reporting on politics and business in Arkansas. His tv show airs on Fox 16 in Little Rock, KAIT 8 in Jonesboro and KFTA Fox 24 in NW Arkansas. He is also host of Capitol View, a Sunday morning political show, on KARK 4 in Little Rock and KNWA in NW Arkansas, as well as in other markets throughout the state.
Roby moderates radio programs on NPR affiliates and has a daily digital newcast at TalkBusiness.net. In partnership with Hendrix College (from which he graduated), he conducts statewide polling on political and business throughout the year.
Joe David Rice
Joe David Rice was born and grew up in NE Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas and earned a master’s degree in environmental planning from the University of Illinois. Upon his return to Arkansas he became co-owner of an outfitting business on the Buffalo National River. He left that position to become Arkansas’ state tourism director and served in that position for 30 years. He has testified before the US Senate on behalf of the Arkansas Wilderness Act and has written 2 books: Arkansas Backstories, Volume One and Two.
Austin Booth
Austin Booth became the director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 2021. Prior to that he was Chief of Staff and CFO at the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a graduate of the Citadel in Charleston, SC and received his JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Booth served as a Captain in the USMC in multiple capacities from 2011-2019 including a 2015-16 deployment in Afghanistan.
Representative French Hill
Representative French Hill has represented Arkansas’ second congressional district since 2015. He serves as Vice Chair of the House Financial Services Committee and as Chair on a new subcommittee overseeing areas related to digital assets and financial technology. He also served as Executive Secretary to President Bush’s Economic Policy Counsel. Prior to his executive branch service he served on the staff of US Senator John Tower, TX (a co-sponsor of the Arkansas Wilderness Act). Prior to his congressional service, he was founder, Chairman and CEO of Delta Trust and Baking Corporation. In June of this year, Rep Hill introduced a bill to expand the Flatside Wilderness area (known as Bethune Woods) by 2,215 acres. In 2019, Flatside was initially expanded by over 600 acres with his original bill.
Ed Bethune
Ed Bethune grew up in Arkansas and joined the Marines when he was 18 years old. He rose to rank of sergeant. When enlistment ended he earned a BSBA and a JD from the School of Law at the University of Arkansas. He served 4 years as a special agent of the FBI then moved to Searcy where he practiced law and was prosecuting attorney for the 1st judicial district. He 1978 he won a seat in the US House of representatives. He served 3 terms in Congress. He was the instigator and sponsor of the Arkansas Wilderness Act which was passed in 1984. He is author of 5 novels.
Archie Schaffer III
Archie Schaffer III was raised in Charleston, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BS in Natural Sciences. From 1971-75 he was an administrative assistant to Governor Dale Bumpers (when the Buffalo River was named the first national river) and from 1975-77 served in that same capacity for then Senator Dale Bumpers. He has been a public relations and governmental affairs consultant, senior VP of External Relations for Tyson Foods and continues as a consultant to Tyson Foods.
