By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Winning a title five times in a row is no easy feat, but the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center has managed to win five Best of Biz titles for five consecutive years.
EVENT-WORTHY — The C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center is was named winner in five Best of Biz categories in the annual honors bestowed by Arkansas Business
The awards are given annually by Arkansas Business, and winners are selected based on votes from the public. The awards were announced in December.
The Vines Center has won these categories each year since 2018.
Best Place for a Special Event
Best Place for a Business Conference/Meeting
Best Team Building Center
Best Place for a Company Retreat
Best Place for an Employee Outing
“We are honored to be voted the ‘Best of Biz’ in five categories by our clients for the fifth year in a row,” said J.J. Pitman, director of the center. “It is a great feeling to have more than 75 percent of our clients as return customers.
“One of the best things about this is that when people work with the Vines 4-H Center, they make opportunities possible for youth to learn and grow,” he said.
TEAMWORK — Corporate team going through a teamwork competition in this file photo. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Ryan McGeeney).
The center was opened in 1980 as a hub for statewide activities for Arkansas 4-H, a program for youth development managed by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The center is owned and operated by the Arkansas 4-H Foundation and its program staff members are extension employees. The center is located in Ferndale in the Ouachita Mountains, just a few miles west of Little Rock.
Rural, not rustic
So how does a facility built with youth in mind score so highly all around?
“While our location is rural, our facilities aren’t rustic,” said Tony Baker, operations manager. “Our center has three motel-style units with private baths and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment for on-site and hybrid meetings. We have a well-equipped auditorium for large meetings and classrooms for smaller sessions or breakouts. There is also an on-site kitchen that can serve up a variety of hot entrees, sandwiches, and of course, the guest-favorite cinnamon rolls.”
John Thomas, managing director of the Arkansas 4-H Foundation said the recognition is still as exciting now as it was the first time.
“It means so much to our team of professionals at the Vines Center who work very hard to deliver a great experience for every group,” he said. “Thank you to everyone who voted for us, and we can’t wait to see you in 2023!”
Visit the Vines Center online and see some of its amenities.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.