Before joining the Fayetteville Advertising & Promotion Commission as executive director in August, Molly Rawn was director of development and communications at the Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, where she led capital campaigns before overseeing fundraising, membership and PR. In previous jobs, Rawn directed major gifts and membership for radio station KUAF and was development director for the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.
Rawn is a 2008 graduate of the University of Arkansas. “Most of my college career was spent as an English major, but I ended up graduating cum laude with a B.A. in Communication.”
After high school and a semester at Hendrix College, Rawn spent two years in Raleigh, North Carolina, waiting on tables and working for a temp agency. “It was certainly a part of my education,” she says.
What does Fayetteville have, beyond the Arkansas Razorbacks and the natural beauty of the Ozarks, to attract visitors? And how important is tourism to the local economy?
Fayetteville is a great college town surrounded by natural beauty, but it is much more. It has many attractions, such as the Clinton House Museum, Walton Arts Center, the food and nightlife of Dickson Street, TheatreSquared and a wide variety of cultural and other events that take place on the campus of the University of Arkansas that increasingly attract tourists each year. This helps generate money for the local economy, which is very important. It helps create jobs and keep parks up to date, which makes Fayetteville a great place to work and call home.
What experiences in your past do you hope to draw on in your new job? Is it a field you expected to land in?
This is not a field I expected to be in, but I am thrilled to be here. My previous role was part of a team starting a new institution from square one. It was literally the building of a new place, but also the crafting of a mission and vision, creation of policies and procedures, hiring a staff and figuring out everything from daily operations to developing a five-year plan. If you work with a group of people who trust each other and all have the same goal in mind, you will be set up for success. I also learned you can’t accomplish everything all at once.
To attract tourists and visitors, will you be looking largely within Arkansas or out of state? What do you see as the ideal mix?
While we always want to cater to Arkansans, we also are targeting the metropolitan areas in surrounding states. We have seen an increase in tourists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With other large cities such as Memphis, Kansas City and Tulsa less than six hours away, Fayetteville is centrally located for weekend visits.
Do you feel competitive with Bentonville, or with that city’s cultural and other amenities, do you think a rising tide lifts all boats?
Our region has transformed dramatically during the last few years, and I could not be more thrilled. Fayetteville is a northwest Arkansas anchor. It is an incredible place to visit, to live and to work. The fact that our neighboring cities are also thriving enhances rather than detracts from our appeal.
How much does the Fayetteville A&P Commission collect each year and how does it use the money?
In 2015, HMR revenues were just more than $3.05 million. Funds are used to promote the city and its attractions. We also operate the Fayetteville Town Center. I firmly believe that a great place to live is a great place to visit. Since much of our funding comes from Fayetteville residents dining in our restaurants, we have an obligation to help increase quality of life both for tourists and for residents. Recently the A&P dedicated funds for public art projects. I am eager to launch that program and put a process in place for those dollars to be distributed. I also look forward to increasing our outreach to hotels and restaurants — hearing from those business owners what they’d like to see us do better.