Conway Corporation —
30 Years of Innovative Leadership 

Sponsored by Conway Corporation and First Security Bank ​

Richie Arnold

Former CEO of Conway Corp (1998-2017)
Richie Arnold began at Conway Corporation in 1978 in the data processing department. He served as manager of the department until being promoted to manager of Finance and Accounting. In 1996, he was named chief financial officer. He became CEO in 1998 and continued in that role until his retirement in 2017.

Richie has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Conway Board of Adjustment, Conway Development Corporation, Conway Downtown Partnership, Main Street Committee, Toad Suck Daze Committee, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Faulkner County Heart Association, Conway Symphony Orchestra and the United Way of Central Arkansas.

Richie earned his bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Arkansas. He and his wife, Beverly, have three children and live in Conway and are members of New Life Church. 

Bret Carroll

CEO of Conway Corp
Bret is CEO of Conway Corporation, a company that provides electric, water, wastewater, cable, internet, telephone and security services to the city of Conway, Arkansas.

​Bret has been with Conway Corp for 23 years, first serving as the Chief Financial Officer and now as CEO for the last 4 years. Bret holds a BBA in accounting and an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas and is a certified public accountant. He is recognized by the American Public Power Association as a certified public power manager.

Bret serves on number of boards, he serves on the board of the American Public Power Association, is the VP of Finance for the Arkansas Municipal Power Association, Arkansas 811, Conway Development Corporation, Opportunity Matters Arkansas and the Conway Airport Advisory Board.

He enjoys being involved in his community and his served on several non-profit boards including United Way, Rotary International, Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army, Gideons International, Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Bret and his wife of 31 years, Sandra, have a daughter, Caitlyn, who is an elementary school teacher. They are active members of Second Baptist Church where Bret serves as a deacon and teaches in the youth group. 

Bill Hegeman

Former CEO of Conway Corp (1991-1998)
Bill worked at Conway Corp for 32 years, serving as CEO of Conway Corporation from 1991 to 1998. Prior to his role as CEO, he served as the Manager of Finance and Accounting.

During his time at Conway Corp and in the years following his retirement, he has been very active in the community serving as chairman of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation board of directors. He also spent time as the chair of the Arkansas Municipal Power Association. Locally he has served on the Planning Commission, Conway Board of Adjustment, Transportation Advisory Committee and Airport Advisory Committee.

He has been recognized for his leadership, receiving the Chamber’s Distinguished Service Award, Arkansas Economic Developers Volunteer of the Year award and was name as Distinguished Alumnus by St. Joseph Schools. ​

Crystal Kemp

Moderator and chief marketing officer at Conway Corp
Crystal began her career with Conway Corp in November 2000 as Marketing/Communications Coordinator and was promoted to Manager, Marketing and Public Relations in 2010 and Chief Marketing Officer in April 2018.

She graduated from Arkansas College (now Lyon College) with a degree in Media Arts. Following graduation, she worked for the Forrest City and Conway Area Chambers of Commerce before joining Conway Corp in 2000.

A Girl Scout leader and volunteer for 18 years, she has received the Lloyd Westbrook Good Neighbor Award for her work with Girl Scouting and with Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute. A 1995 graduate of the Faulkner County Leadership Institute, she and fellow classmates began the Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute program.

In 2020, she received the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Diamond Achievement award for Outstanding Women in Business. She was also name to Cablefax Magazine’s annual list of powerful women in the cable and internet industry.

She serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Central Arkansas and the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association. She is a member of the Conway Kiwanis Club and became the club’s first female president in 2000, the year she was also selected Kiwanian of the Year. She and her husband, Mike, served on the Bethlehem House - Board of Directors from 2012 to 2017 and were named the 2011 Volunteers of the Year.