Shelley Short, IOM joined the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Corporation of Clark County as president and CEO in September 2022. Before her role at the Alliance, she served as vice president of programs and partnerships for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/AIA, and as executive director of Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives. Shelley began her economic development career at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission in 2006 where she held a series of progressive roles finishing her tenure as the agency’s director of marketing in 2015. A native Arkansan, Shelley grew up in central Arkansas and holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Management from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Central Arkansas. She is a member of the International Economic Development Council, the Southern Economic Development Council, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management. Shelley resides in Arkadelphia and is mom to Reagann, a student-athlete at Ouachita Baptist University.

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Jon Merryman joined our team as Executive Vice President and leader of the organization’s chamber of commerce October 28, 2024. In this role, Merryman leads the Chamber’s efforts to support and grow the local business community, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to the Clark County area.

Merryman joins the Alliance and Chamber after serving since 2011 as the Director of Alumni Relations at Ouachita Baptist University, where he played a pivotal role in engaging the university’s more than 18,000 living alumni through events, communications, and outreach. In 2012, he expanded his responsibilities to include directing The Ouachita Student Foundation. His leadership was instrumental in organizing and producing the university’s signature event, Tiger Tunes, which has raised over $1,000,000 for student scholarships during his tenure.

A 2000 cum laude graduate of Ouachita Baptist University with a B.A. in Mass Communications, Merryman began his career in music marketing in Nashville, Tennessee, before transitioning into a 17-year career in full-time, bi-vocational, and missions ministry. His diverse background includes leading communications and marketing strategies for global nonprofits, contributing to national publications, and overseeing major fundraising campaigns.

Merryman and his wife, Emily, live in Arkadelphia and are proud parents to their son, Dennis, whom they adopted from Moldova in 2008. His deep ties to the community and passion for supporting local businesses make him an ideal leader for the Chamber.

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E'Lyse Thaxton is a communications and marketing professional who joined the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce in February 2023 as the communications and marketing manager. Her previous role was as the admissions marketing manager at Henderson State University. In February 2024, she was promoted to Director of Communications and Marketing.

In her position at the Alliance, E'Lyse's main responsibility is to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and communications plan for economic and community development. This includes tasks such as creating content, managing social media platforms, implementing direct business attraction and expansion marketing initiatives, and more. 

E'Lyse holds a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Innovative Media from Henderson State University. Her work has been featured in various publications, including Arkadelphia Life, Arkansas Next, Arkansas Bound, the Arkansas Times College Guide, and other regional publications. 

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Ashlee Vaughan currently serves as Economic Development Manager for the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and has performed several different roles within the organization since 2013.

Vaughan is a native of Arkadelphia and is a Arkadelphia High School graduate and received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Henderson State University in 2003. She also served as a Graduate Assistant at Henderson State while pursuing her Master of Liberal Arts in Social Sciences.

Vaughan has a strong background in sales and marketing  as well as a robust passion to grow and improve her community.  The Hostess Brands acquisition ranks atop her projects portfolio, as the global leader in snack cakes and sweet goods made their decision to locate its new bakery in Clark County in 2021.

Her background and love for the community has led her to a variety of volunteer opportunities and leadership roles. She is an active member of Third Street Baptist Church, the Arkadelphia Noon Rotary Club, the Veolia Advisory Board, the Southern Economic Development Council, the International Economic Development Council, and in January of 2023 Vaughan was named to the Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives Board of Directors, representing the 4^th congressional district. 

In her spare time, Ashlee loves to spend time with friends and family. She and her husband, Andy, have two children, Carsyn and Cannyn.

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