PULSE

A resource for policymakers, community leaders and journalists focused on economic trends in the heartland.

Hearing from Heartland Mayors: Bentonville, Arkansas, Mayor Stephanie Orman

Heartland Forward is launching Hearing from Heartland Mayors, a Q&A series spotlighting the leaders guiding some of the most dynamic communities in the middle of the country. Each installment goes beyond headlines to explore the strategies, values and on-the-ground decisions shaping places that are changing the narrative about the heartland.

The series opens in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Mayor Stephanie Orman is navigating one of the fastest-growing cities in the heartland. With world-class outdoor recreation, a thriving arts scene and an established hub for industry, Bentonville has become a magnet for talent from across the country — and a proof point for what heartland communities can achieve. Heartland Forward sat down with Mayor Orman to explore how the city is managing explosive growth and what comes next.

Heartland Forward: Bentonville has become a national model for growth and innovation. What has been your guiding vision for the city, and how has it evolved during your time as mayor?

Mayor Orman: Bentonville has always had a strong sense of identity, and my guiding vision has been simple: I want Bentonville to be known for growing well. Growth itself is not the goal. The goal is making sure the community remains a great place to live while creating opportunities for future generations.

What I have learned from leading Bentonville through a period of rapid growth is that growing well requires continually building capacity across infrastructure, planning, public trust and community engagement. But it is not just a planning exercise. It requires putting in the work, the preparation, the follow-through, the accountability. That kind of commitment is not accidental. It comes from a culture that believes public trust is earned through action, not words. Serving in city government is a serious responsibility, and the communities that grow well are the ones where the people leading that work show up prepared and ready to execute.

As Bentonville has evolved, my vision has become even more focused on intentionality. Growth will continue, but our responsibility is to make sure the foundation grows with it so that Bentonville remains connected, recognizable and resilient for the people who call it home.

Heartland Forward: How do you balance rapid economic growth with maintaining quality of life and community character?

Mayor Orman: Bentonville has maintained community character during rapid growth because the city has intentionally invested in both quality of life and civic connection as foundational infrastructure.

That starts with maintaining a high level of service as the city evolves. We pay close attention to how growth impacts the day-to-day experience of residents, from parks, trails and public spaces to mobility, public safety, utilities and infrastructure planning. Quality of life is one of the reasons people are drawn to Bentonville in the first place, so our responsibility is to make sure those experiences continue to strengthen alongside growth.

At the same time, Bentonville has a culture where people genuinely feel invested in the community. You see it from lifelong residents, but also from people who may have moved here only a few years ago and already feel connected to where the city is headed. That sense of ownership creates a community where people want to participate, contribute and help shape the future of the city.

I think those two things work together. Investments in infrastructure, public spaces and community life help people stay connected to the city and to each other. That is a big part of why Bentonville has been able to continue growing while still feeling grounded in a strong sense of place.

Heartland Forward: Bentonville is often recognized for its livability. What intentional choices have helped create that environment?

Mayor Orman: One of the most intentional choices Bentonville has made is prioritizing public life as the city grows, not just growth itself.

That has meant consistently investing in parks, trails, public spaces and critical infrastructure like water and sewer systems while also designing a city where people naturally interact with each other in everyday life. We have focused heavily on connectivity, accessibility and creating places where people want to spend time. People are outside, spending time downtown, attending events, supporting local businesses and staying connected to the community around them. That kind of environment does not happen accidentally.

We have also been intentional about treating residents as co-authors of the city as it evolves. Residents here have consistently pushed for Bentonville to maintain a strong and vibrant public life, and that perspective has shaped everything from neighborhood planning to community investment over time.

Another intentional choice has been building strong alignment across the city’s civic, nonprofit, tourism, business and community partners so that Bentonville’s growth reinforces a consistent culture and sense of place rather than competing priorities. That alignment shapes the experience people have across the city, from downtown activity and trail culture to arts, local food and public spaces that bring people together throughout the year.

That combination of intentional investment, civic ownership and strong public life is a big part of why Bentonville continues to grow without losing the identity and connectedness that make the community special.

Heartland Forward: Across the heartland, workforce readiness is one of the defining challenges. How is Bentonville preparing its workforce for the jobs of the future?

Mayor Orman: What we have seen in Bentonville is that people develop skills and adaptability faster when learning, mentorship and real-world opportunity are close together. That has shaped how we think about workforce preparation, less as a pipeline and more as an ecosystem where schools, employers, entrepreneurs and higher education are working alongside each other instead of in isolation.

So that is where the city has focused its energy, creating the conditions and partnerships that bring those connections to life. We have prioritized investments in quality of place and civic infrastructure that make Bentonville attractive to employers, educators and entrepreneurs at the same time. We have worked to convene those groups around shared goals so that career pathways, mentorship and real-world opportunity are more accessible across the community. And we have supported the kind of entrepreneurship infrastructure that gives people a pathway not just to fill existing jobs but to create new ones.

What makes that work in Bentonville is a culture where collaboration across sectors already feels natural. That is not something you can manufacture overnight, but it is something every community can intentionally build toward.

Heartland Forward: What excites you most about Bentonville’s future over the next five to ten years?

Mayor Orman: What excites me most about Bentonville’s future is the intentionality behind it. The community has worked very hard to make sure growth, innovation and strong community culture continue reinforcing each other instead of competing with one another.

You can see that in the way the community continues investing in public life, entrepreneurship, education, civic infrastructure and quality of place all at the same time. There is a strong understanding here that long-term success is not just about economic growth. It is also about whether people feel connected to the community around them and believe they have a stake in where the city is headed.

Part of what makes that possible is that this mindset extends well beyond city government. There is a broader culture here of collaboration, engagement and people willing to invest in the success of the community itself. That creates a city that is not just growing, but becoming more grounded, connected and intentional over time.

About Bentonville:

  • Growing fast: Bentonville has been the fastest-growing city in Arkansas since 2020—up 16.3% to 63,057 residents. In 2025 Bentonville drew 38% of everyone who moved to Arkansas, the #1 town in the state for inbound moves.