I was catching up with an old friend over the phone last week, and as we discussed our lives and careers, I casually used the phrase, “I’m betting on Arkansas.” His initial response was to ask me how the Razorback football team was looking this year. After a shared laugh, I explained that although I’m relatively new to Arkansas, I am incredibly bullish on the state’s future. 

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My name is J. Robertson and I've recently joined the team here at Opportunity Arkansas as Public Affairs Director. As a relative newcomer to the state who has worked on public policy in other places, I understand many of the challenges that Arkansas faces. I am also very inspired by the progress that has been made in recent years and the boundless potential of this state. 

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Although we are not from here originally, my wife and I chose to make Arkansas our home a little over two years ago. I was born and raised in Bruce, Mississippi—a small town with a population of 1,700 and one stoplight. We often joked that someone could live in Bruce for 30 years but still not be “from there.” 

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While I can’t claim to be “from Arkansas,” I have quickly fallen in love with the state and its people. Arkansans have a neighborly spirit and the Southern hospitality that this region is known for. Home to beautiful natural landscapes, a strong business community, and a world-class university, I have found that Arkansas offers something for everyone. 

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I joined Opportunity Arkansas because I care about the future of our state and its people. I care deeply about ensuring that people have an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families. Laws and policies can either empower people to pursue their dreams or get in the way. Too often, state policies that are intended to improve our quality of life have the exact opposite effect. These well-intentioned policies can diminish the potential of our people and trap them in a cycle of dependency. 

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This is why I have dedicated my career to removing these barriers. I’ve spent more than a decade working to implement policy solutions that expand opportunities and reform broken systems. 

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At Empower Mississippi, I worked with policymakers to create evidence-based solutions that helped lawmakers address the state’s broken prison system and strengthen its workforce. Legislators adopted reforms that helped protect public safety while also better prioritizing the state’s corrections budget, and created pathways to employment for people leaving the corrections system. 

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For the last four years, I have worked with Próspera, an ambitious project that provides governance services for special economic zones, starting in Honduras. This gave me an opportunity to view policy from a new lens, experimenting with new approaches to issues like taxation, regulation, and dispute resolution. I’m immensely proud of the progress that Próspera has made to pioneer a new approach to governance, but Arkansas is my home and I’m eager to help improve the quality of life for our citizens.

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Opportunity Arkansas just celebrated its second anniversary. In this short time, the organization has made an outsized impact. From expanding education freedom for families to helping hardworking Arkansans keep more of their hard-earned money by reducing the state income tax, OA played a role in supporting important reforms that make our state stronger. 

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This progress should be celebrated, but there’s still work to be done. Arkansas still faces many challenges. Too many children are still trapped in an education system that does not serve them. We still pay a higher percentage of our income to state income taxes than many of our neighboring states. Too many of our citizens are trapped in government programs that limit their future opportunities. 

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The good news is that there is a growing awareness of these issues, and the Opportunity Arkansas team is ready to work with our policymakers to address these problems head-on and with homegrown solutions tailored to our state. 

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So yes, I'm betting on Arkansas, and invite you to join us in this important work. 

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Whether you're a policymaker, a business owner, or a concerned citizen, your voice and your ideas matter. The stakes are high, but the odds are in our favor, and the payoff is an Arkansas that’s not just a great place to live today but a beacon of opportunity for generations to come.