by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Bryan Sanders, the state’s first First Gentleman, was given a task by his wife, Gov. Sarah Sanders, early in her administration: grow Arkansas’ outdoor economy.

And that’s what he aims to do.

It’s an unpaid job, but Bryan Sanders is well-suited for the role. He loves to fish and hunt. He’s an avid hiker and mountain biker. And he loves the beauty of the Natural State. Gov. Sanders put Bryan in charge of the Natural State Advisory Council, a group of public and private stakeholders in the tourism industry that is identifying ways for Arkansas to stand out from its neighboring competitors and to provide world-class attractions to outdoors lovers.

“I think the focus of Natural State Initiative all along has been collaboration,” Bryan said in an interview with Northeast Arkansas Talk Business & Politics. “It’s not meant to be top down, heavy-handed government. It’s really how you bring together all the different stakeholders and find ways that we can collaborate and really move the needle in terms of, No. 1, establishing Arkansas even more as a world-class destination for outdoor recreation but also just growing our outdoor economy and tourism industry.”

Arkansas’ First Gentleman Bryan Sanders sees opportunities in the state’s outdoor economy