Curtis Coleman 2010

Council Will Develop Policies Designed to Return Small Businesses to Prosperity

(NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR – 19 FEBRUARY 2010) Conservative U.S. Senate candidate Curtis Coleman announced today the formation of his campaign’s economic advisory council. “There are a lot of people talking about the problems,” Coleman said, “but we’re going to develop real-world solutions for creating an environment in America in which small businesses can once again prosper and create new and desirable jobs.”

Coleman said that the charter members of the council held their first meeting this week in his campaign’s North Little Rock headquarters. “All the members of the council are successful small businessmen who are capable of developing common-sense solutions using their real-world experience,” he said.   The council, which is using the theme, “Restoring the American Dream,” adopted as its mission statement “To chart a path to the restoration of the role of the federal government as prescribed in the Constitution.”

 Coleman said that the council will be working to develop practical solutions in several core areas, including banking/finance, education, health care, tax reform, energy, agriculture, and regulatory reform.  He said that additional members of the Council will be announced in the coming weeks.

 Charter members of the council are:

Dan Hebert, Fayetteville, AR, (Chairman)

Mr. Hebert joined Pace Industries in Fayetteville as Executive VP of Operations in 1996. Pace soon became a Segment of Leggett & Platt, a Fortune 500 Company.  In 2002 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Leggett & Platt and President of Leggett’s Aluminum Products Segment. Hebert semi-retired in 2009 and is working in a consulting capacity with small businesses.

 Hebert attended Auburn University School of Engineering where he earned a BS degree in Aerospace Management. Upon graduation from Auburn he joined General Electric where he remained for 25 years working in various positions of increasing responsibility including Plant and Business Executive Leadership. Mr. Hebert then joined MidWest Fabricating as VP Operations and Partner where he remained for five years.

 Richard Wagnon, Texarkana, AR

Mr. Wagnon graduated high school in Warren, Arkansas then earned a degree from the University of Arkansas in Business Management. He worked for Farm Bureau Insurance as an insurance adjuster for 7 years before he and his wife started their own business, a skilled nursing home in Batesville, Arkansas. They moved to Texarkana in 2001 and worked and started numerous businesses including residential and commercial development, medical spas, rail car storage, biotech research, oil and gas exploration, and nursing home development.

 John Lessel, Little Rock, AR

Mr. Lessel is an Attorney at Law whose practice areas include taxation, estate planning, business law, corporate law, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, nonprofit and charitable organizations, partnership law, probate, private placement, trusts and estates and wills.

 His military service includes Lt., JAGC, U.S. Navy, active duty, 1970-1979; Designated Naval Aviator, 1972; Lt. Comdr., JAGC, U.S. Naval Reserve, 1979-1994. He was admitted to bar, 1976, California; 1978, Arkansas; 1979, U.S. Court of Military Appeals; 1980, U.S. Tax Court. His education includes the University of Oklahoma (B.S.A.E., 1970); University of San Diego (J.D., with honors, 1976; LL.M., Taxation, 1981). He is the recipient, Meritorious Recognition, Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants Continuing Professional Education, 1994 and 1995; Best of CLE, Arkansas Bar Association, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2007.

 Mr. Lessel has been selected for The Best Lawyers in America since 1993. He is the recipient, C.M. Mac Angel Discussion Leader of the Year Award, Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, 1997. Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (1996-). Member: Arkansas Bar Association (Chairman, 1988-1989, Taxation Section, House of Delegates, 1994-1997); Arkansas Chapter of the National Committee on Planned Giving (Charter Member, 1994; President, 1997); UAMS Reynolds Institute on Aging Board Member ( – ); State Bar of California; Pulaski Tax Counsel (Chairman, 1983-1984).

 Jeff Evans, Bentonville, AR

Mr. Evans and his wife own Colonial Mortgage, LLC in Bentonville, AR and presently offer a wide variety of lending options from home loans to commercial products. Evans graduated from Centenary College in Shreveport, LA where he played baseball and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a minor in Political Science. He started his first company, Cornerstone Appraisal, Inc., in Dallas, Texas in his early 20’s and eventually expanded into Los Angeles, CA before delving into the acting business with varied television and movie experience on such shows as Strong Against Crime, Walker Texas Ranger, etc.

 Evans furthered his real estate experience with PNC Mortgage, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO and oversaw expansion of mortgage operations for Benchmark Bank/Stratford Mortgage in Colorado until settling in Northwest Arkansas in the late 1990’s. He has remained active in the lending industry, as well as his community, with various committee appointments and charity services ranging from the Home Builders Association to Special Olympics.

Joe Tarvin, Fayetteville, AR
Mr. Tarvin is president and controlling partner of EGIS Engineering, Inc., with offices in Bentonville, Arkansas and Branson, Missouri. He earned Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering degrees from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has 44 years of practice as a consulting engineer and is licensed to practice in Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Delaware, and Utah.