CONWAY, Ark. (Sept. 21, 2026) — SPARK!, presented by First Community Bank, has announced its speaker lineup for its professional development conference Nov. 12 in Conway.
This year’s speakers are Cara Brookins, Ross Bernstein, Susan Frew, and Daron K. Roberts. The one-day professional development event welcomes hundreds of regional business leaders seeking to enhance their leadership skills and engage their teams. The nationally recognized speakers will share their findings on timely subject matters, such as organizational leadership and teamwork, artificial intelligence, and decision-making.
“First Community Bank is a locally owned and operated bank with a big heart for the communities we serve,” said First Community Bank Conway Community President Grant Gordy. “This is a valuable opportunity for local businesses to learn from nationally recognized speakers right here in our community.”
SPARK! Will be held Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall on the University of Central Arkansas campus.
“SPARK! is our opportunity to provide professional development, close to home, for our regional employers,” said Conway Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brad Lacy. “This allows their employees to gain meaningful professional development without the added costs of travel, hotels, or airfare.”
Tickets are now available for SPARK! and can be purchased at sparkconway.com. Tickets are $250 per person with a special rate for organizations and groups of five or more.
Cara Brookins works with organizations on leadership, teamwork, and change management. Her material draws on her experience building a house with her children, using that project as a framework for discussing resilience and problem-solving in professional settings. Her presentations are based on research into motivation and behavioral change, and are tailored for corporate, association, and conference audiences.
Ross Bernstein is the best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books and an award-winning business speaker. He has keynoted conferences on all seven continents and for Fortune 500 companies. He created “The Champion’s Code,” a keynote program built on interviews with more than 1,000 professional athletes and coaches, applying the shared traits of championship sports teams to peak performance in business. His work has appeared on CNN, ESPN, Fox News, CBS, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today.
Susan Frew helps companies harness artificial intelligence to build stronger teams through strategic recruitment and forward-thinking business solutions. Frew is known for her direct, practical style, and audience engagement on real-world AI applications.
Daron K. Roberts is a former NFL coach, Harvard Law graduate, and founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation at the University of Texas. He coached for teams including the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns before authoring a best-selling book, “Call an Audible: Let My Pivot from Harvard Law to NFL Coach Inspire Your Transition.”
He has spoken at TEDx and Google, and hosts the podcast “A Tribe Called Yes,” exploring leadership, decision-making, and resilience.
SPARK!, a professional development event of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, is presented by First Community Bank. Speaker sponsors are Conway Corporation, Rush and Linda Harding, and Turbare Manufacturing. For more information, visit sparkconway.com.
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About Conway Area Chamber of Commerce
Since 1891, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has served as the voice of the Conway, Arkansas business community. It represents the interests of more than 1,200 members by promoting economic development in Conway and Faulkner County, advocating a pro-business climate at all levels of government, supporting the county’s educational institutions, and establishing and executing a vision for the community.
