Farm Bureau Hires Smedley for Local Affairs, Rural Development Role

LITTLE ROCK — Jason Smedley has been hired as assistant director of public affairs and government relations at Arkansas Farm Bureau, where he will focus on local affairs and rural development for the state’s largest agricultural advocacy organization.
Smedley previously served as regional economic and community development officer with the Delta Regional Authority, where he was responsible for activities in Arkansas, northwest Mississippi and western Tennessee.
He brings more than 10 years of experience in public service, having worked in community development, governance, and community support for U.S. senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. He also worked on staff with Gov. Mike Beebe as special assistant for agency and legislative affairs and served as director of public engagement for the Central Arkansas Transit Authority.
“Jason’s experiences in state and federal government will help deliver on Farm Bureau’s commitment to be the voice of Arkansas agriculture,” said Stanley Hill, Arkansas Farm Bureau’s vice president of public affairs and government relations. “Jason has excelled in his roles with the military, in support of elected officials and with his extensive educational experiences.
“We look forward to that same level of support and success as he leads our rural development and interaction with local agencies.”
A native of Little Rock, Smedley holds an undergraduate degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., as well as an MBA from American Military University. He is also finishing up work on a law degree from UALR's Bowen School of Law.
Smedley is a major with the U.S. Marine Corps, where he serves as a logistics officer for the 4th Marine Division out of New Orleans. With two deployments to Iraq, Jason received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. Recently, he served as the commanding officer for Arkansas’ Marine Corps Reserve infantry unit.
His volunteer service includes two decades of work with the Watershed, Inc., as well as a volunteer firefighter. He is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock, a board member of the Better Community Development, Inc., Youth Home, Inc., and a governor-appointed commissioner with the Arkansas Veterans Commission. He created and serves as chairman of a non-profit organization that focuses on helping college students graduate.
Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.