Alicia served as Director of Economic Development for the City of Cabot and previously led the Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce. In Cabot, she oversaw commercial recruitment, business expansion, and community development initiatives that helped drive the city’s rapid growth.

She also holds leadership roles with the Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives and the Arkansas Municipal League, reflecting her deep involvement in statewide economic and community development efforts. Alicia holds the Professional Community & Economic Developer (PCED) certification and is a graduate of the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas.

Her experience building strong business environments, strengthening partnerships, and supporting member-driven organizations positions her well to enhance AHA’s advocacy efforts, workforce support, and statewide industry coordination.

As CEO of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, Alicia says she is focused on strengthening AHA’s role as the unified, statewide voice for hospitality by expanding member value, improving advocacy, and building organizational capacity to support long-term growth.

With a wealth of development, project management and event planning and management experience in her tool-kit, Lauren's focus is on membership recruitment and retention. As a small business owner who values building lasting client relationships, she is a great fit for the AHA team in service to our membership. Lauren is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with degrees in Journalism and Public Relations and is the owner of Lauren Anderson Art & Design. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband and two daughters, dinner out at their favorite restaurants, painting and tennis!

Bringing a wealth of experience in the service industry, Dylan has dedicated a substantial portion of their career to this dynamic field. Over the past five years, Dylan has steadily climbed the corporate ladder within a leading distribution company, transitioning from an analyst to assuming the role of department head. During this time, Dylan has become adept at serving as the bridge between the sales team and the rest of the organization, ensuring a strong and clear voice for the team's needs and objectives. Beyond his corporate experience, Dylan has ventured into the world of politics, contributing to a successful campaign both in fundraising and strategy. His overarching objective is to harness these diverse experiences and apply them to empower the organization. In his free time, Dylan loves to spend time with his family, traveling and cooking.

Shay brings with him over a decade of experience in the service industry. With a proven track record of success, Shay has spent the last four years managing a private club, where he honed his skills in building strong relationships, engaging a base of members, and implementing profit engineering practices. His ability to analyze complex financial data, develop strategic plans, and implement best practices has resulted in significant cost savings and increased profitability for the organizations they have served. With this extensive experience and dedication to excellence, Shay is poised to be a valuable asset to the Arkansas Hospitality Association, helping to drive growth and success for the organization and its members. When not at work, Shay spends his time making movies with friends, traveling with his fiancée and their two dogs, and exploring the great outdoors in our beautiful state.

Renee Smith is an experienced hospitality arts expert with a rich background in culinary arts programs and education. With a passion for teaching and ensuring food safety, Renee is an instrumental asset to our AHA team. She will be leading our education efforts including our ServSafe classes and ProStart programs, among other initiatives. Her illustrious career includes the role of Associate Dean at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College, Assistant Director and Director of (UAPTC) Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, and many more titles where she has made significant contributions to the culinary education landscape and tourism communities in Arkansas.