Page 26 - ATR 6 2014 web

the oldest of the Bennett boys, lives in office is a collection of those magnetic rewardS of tHe JoB
Dallas. Danny, third among the four photos from the children’s activities But, in 1989, spending his career
boys, settled in Little Rock and also is a that adorn a homemade sheet of metal with the highway department was fur-
civil engineer, part of the group along that Heather crafted. Also in his office thest from his mind.
with William Clark that started Clark are Razorback football mementos and “And I think if you talked with a
Contracting after they formerly had books, another big interest. lot of people who have been out here
worked for CDI Contractors. A lanky 6-foot-3 and with the their whole career, a lot of people came
Scott’s wife, Heather, is the editor appearance of still being in playing out here thinking they’d work here for
of Little Rock Family, a monthly pub- shape, Bennett looks like he should three of four years, they’d get their pro-
lication owned by Arkansas Business have been a basketball star, but base- fessional engineering license and they’re
Publishing Group. Heather is a familiar going to go to work on their own, start
face on Little Rock television touting their own company or work in the pri-
events for families. Before that, Heather vate sector,” Bennett said. “It ends up
worked for the Nature Conservancy we’Ve got 3,600 being such a good place to work, a lot
and the Centers for Youth and Families, of them stay. . . . It kind of gets in your
nonprofits that Scott Bennett said are employees ANd blood just a little bit.”
important to them. A Budget thAt’s What changed his path solely from
But even before that, Heather, who somewhere close to civil engineering to one of leadership
coincidentally was the child of a retired A couple of BillioN at the department started when he was
Air Force employee, too, was working at the first highway department employee
Clear Mountain Spring Water part time dollArs. it’s like chosen for a graduate school program at
while going to college at University of ruNNiNg A BillioN- the University of Arkansas in the Mack
Arkansas at Little Rock. dollAr corporAtioN Blackwell Transportation Center. The
“She sold me water,” Scott laughed, federal program’s money was matched
describing how they met when he had reAlly, ANd tryiNg by the department using an employee’s
only been with the highway department to deAl with elected salary, so Bennett worked in Fayetteville
for a couple of years. He had a married officiAls At the while getting his master’s degree. While
friend from Blytheville who was work- there, he worked on projects that, he
ing as the plant manager locally for locAl leVel ANd says, are just now coming to fruition
Clear Mountain and thought Bennett stAte leVel. such as the flyover near the mall north
needed to be married as well. He hap- of Fayetteville and the expansion of
pened to send Heather out to the high- —scott BeNNett Razorback Road south of the university,
way department to push those large, as well as the coming Springdale bypass.
Clear Mountain water dispensers. “Lot of that has been in planning quite
“I was on a big health kick and all a while. It takes a while to get the
that, was living with a couple of other ball was his biggest extracurricular money when you’re dealing with hun-
guys, and that’s all we did was work out focus through high school. Meanwhile, dreds of millions of dollars,” he said,
and play sports,” Bennett remembered. a mind that was geared more toward “I got to be on the ground level of the
“I bought one of those great big water math and science, “and always trying to planning of a lot of things that we’re
coolers for our house because she came figure out how things worked and how doing up there now.”
and sold it.” to put things together,” is what directed From there, he began to take on
They have two children who attend him toward civil engineering. supervisory roles and dealing with
Little Rock Christian Academy. The “We’d get something at home that long-range planning and the financial
youngest, Matthew, plays football. Scott needed to be put together, and Dad side of highway construction. Under
coached him in all sports until junior would get frustrated with it. I’d sit down Flowers, Bennett was assistant chief
high, “and I really miss the coach- and do it, and I was a kid,” he said. “I engineer for planning before succeed-
ing part.” Madeline, 14, was recently think that’s the part of civil engineer- ing his mentor. “That in itself prepares
named a cheerleading All-American, ing that attracted me was, you can see you for one of the most important
and the family was invited to Houston it. It’s not like electrical engineering, parts of the department, handling the
so Madeline and another cheerleader you turn the light switch on, and if the contracts and getting them up and
at the school could participate in a light doesn’t come on, you check to see running,” Flowers said. “He had a lot
Thanksgiving parade. if the light bulb is burned out. It was all of exposure not only to the [Highway]
Family is a major focus for the things that were logical.” Commission, but to the members of
Bennetts. On his wall in the director’s the General Assembly, mayors, county

26 arkansas trucking report | issue 6 2014