HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE -- Michael Dollar was introduced Tuesday as the new executive director of the Hot Springs Village Area Chamber of Commerce.
During a meet-and-greet event, which was followed by a light lunch, Dollar and his wife, Martha, were introduced by Glenn Waits, chairman of the board.
"We had a lot of good candidates to choose from, and we were happy to settle on Michael because of his education, background and the fact that he is already a Hot Springs Village resident," Waits said.
In his role, Dollar will assist area businesses, promote regional growth and facilitate ventures that advance Hot Springs Village and the surrounding communities. He recently returned to Arkansas after living in Dallas, where he developed new products and identified market opportunities for a medical device company. During his tenure, a number of his inventions and original works were copyrighted, trademarked, or filed as U.S. and international patents. He has promoted business and explored industries in Beijing, Hong Kong, India, Germany, Canada, and much of the United States, logging over one million airline miles.
The Dollars moved from Pine Bluff to Hot Springs Village in January, after purchasing a home in October 2013.
"We do love it here. It is a beautiful and idealistic place to live, and I am looking forward to doing all I can in helping this community grow. I'm looking forward to working with the board of directors, meeting our business leaders and form a strong plan to keep us moving forward to attract new businesses and residents," Dollar said.
Dollar earned an MBA from the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at SMU, and master of science degrees in biomedical engineering and in instrumentation from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, respectively. He earned his undergraduate chemistry degree at UALR.
He has held board of director positions as academic adviser for the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M, and as president of a nonprofit neighborhood association.
"I love the natural beauty in Garland and Saline counties and their friendly residents. I believe the area is poised for economic growth," he said.
Local on 10/10/2014