Conway-native Lee Hogan has been named director of communications for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his role at the Chamber, Hogan worked for the College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas as communications coordinator.

In this position, Hogan will manage communications and public relations for the Chamber and its partner organizations, serving as the Chamber’s primary writer and managing its social media presence. Hogan also will provide marketing and communications support for Chamber events and work with members to tell the story of Conway and its business community.

Jamie Gates, executive vice president of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation, said Hogan’s background in writing and social media management made him a clear choice for this position.

“Lee loves telling stories, and he loves Conway,” Gates said. “When we had the opportunity to add a new member to our communications team, he was the first person to come to mind because of the work he has done at the College of Business and his volunteer involvement with the Conway strategic planning process over the past few months.”

A 2008 graduate of Conway High School, Hogan attended the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton to complete his associate’s degree before enrolling at the University of Central Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

“I took journalism classes and liked them and wanted to go the sports journalism route,” Hogan said. “I thought I wanted to go the sports route, but I ended up sticking mostly to news and politics reporting and really enjoying it.”

His first job out of college was with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, covering breaking news and politics as a member of the online staff, and later got a job with the Log Cabin Democrat.

“I like telling stories and informing people, and it was fun to work for my hometown newspaper,” he said.

Hogan’s career eventually took him to Arkansas Business, where he primarily covered politics and a host of business news as an online reporter. This was his favorite reporting job, but he decided to “go to the dark side,” as many journalists call it, and pursue a career in public relations. His first PR position was as a communication specialist with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

“As a journalist, I wasn’t sure about working in public relations, but I loved getting the opportunity to tell stories about people having their lives changed,” he said.

When a job opportunity at UCA’s College of Business came open, Hogan did not want to pass on the opportunity to work for his alma mater and to be closer to home. He became communications coordinator in September 2018 and spent the next 2 ½ years directing internal and external communications for the College of Business.

Hogan is excited to apply his knack for storytelling to his new role as the Chamber’s director of communications.

“I look forward to telling stories about places in Conway that people may forget about and that play an important role in our community,” he said.

Hogan and his wife, Jessie, live in Conway with their two children.