Board of Directors

Amy Brothers Riston is the President of Main Street Blytheville. She was born in Blytheville, AR and raised in Burdette, AR. She currently works at ArkMo Crop Insurance. Amy serves for many local organizations including MSB, Ritz Foundation, Blytheville Emergency Squad, and NWTF Board. As you can see, Amy loves to volunteer! As the admin for two popular community social media pages, she helps bring awareness to all of the wonderful things that happen in the Greater Blytheville Area that others may not know about. In her free time, Amy enjoys making memories with her kids, Kiefer and Danni Lynn, photography, and going to cheer on the Memphis Grizzlies! 

Chad Lovell is the Treasurer for Main Street Blytheville. He was born & raised in Blytheville, Arkansas and considers it his hometown. He attended Burdette & Blytheville School System along with Arkansas Northeastern College, and is currently employed with Impact Health Nucor Steel Hickman’s Medical Clinic, Great River Medical Center Emergency Room, along with his personal cleaning services. Chad serves for many local organizations including Main Street Blytheville,  Ritz Foundation, Relay for Life and Blytheville Emergency Squad. One of his favorite quotes is "I Love You to the Moon and Back". Chad says it is an honor and pleasure to be able to serve our community. He loves Mississippi County with all his heart and soul.

Dr. Terri Brassfield is the Secretary for Main Street Blytheville. She is a native of Blytheville, Arkansas. She is the currently the Pastor and President of H.I.S. Ministries Outreach which is located in Historic Downtown Blytheville. Dr. Brassfield has previously served as the Mississippi County Judge. Through her work, she has had the priviledge of serving the children in our area of all ages, as well as adults, by helping meet basic needs such as food security and so much more. Dr. Brassfield was named the 2017 Blytheville Courier News Headliner of the Year.  

LaKristen Spiller serves as the Past-President of Main Street Blytheville. She is a graduate of Blytheville High School and Henderson State University where she earned her MBA. She has been employed with Nucor Yamato Steel Company for 8 years and has worked in Accounts Payabale, Shipping, and currently in Maintenance. She enjoys teaching fitness classes and volunteering her time to help others in need.  When she is not spending time volunteering with Main Street and Relay for Life, she is enjoying time with her son, Karson. 

April Allard is the President of Legacy Title Group and their Closing Specialist. She has 18 years experience in the industry and owning her own title company has been a long time dream. You can find her new business on Historic West Main Street, just around the corner from our office! April is married with 3 kids and is a California transplant, who is now one of Mississippi County's biggest fans. April loves to bring new ideas to the table and is passionate about Downtown Blytheville and seeing it grow. She has served on the Main Street Blytheville board for 3 years and we are lucky to have her! 

Barbara Hopkins, a Blytheville High School graduate, moved to Dallas, TX after graduation to begin a corporate career. In 2007, she moved back home to be closer to family.  She joined Nucor-Yamato Steel, a community pillar, in 2007 and has held various roles throughout the company. She has volunteered her time working with Relay for Life, St. Jude, and United Way.  She is a 2010 Blytheville Leadership Institute (BLI) graduate.  Mary Gay Shipley’s compassion for the City of Blytheville was contagiously inspiring to her. In 2015 she served 2 years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA of the 2nd Judicial District of Arkansas) on behalf of children in Mississippi County.  Barbara enjoys crafting and outdoor activities with her husband Anthony. They value the fabric of family and the importance of community stewardship.

Thomas Dean was born in Illinois, but moved to Blytheville in 1999. He went to Blytheville High School until 2008 and graduated in 2009 from Cornerstone Christian Academy. Right after high school, he married his wife Victoria in 2010. Their first child Robert came that same year and two short years later, their daughter Ashleigh. Thomas and Victoria are the owners of Xtreme Compound and Designs, as well as Xtreme Compound Event Center. He volunteers as a coach for Blytheville youth baseball teams. Thomas stated, "I love to see our community grow, and for that to happen it takes a village of concerned citizens and amazing volunteers. I just want to do my part to help make Blytheville the best place to live, work and raise a family. "

My name is Erin Langston Carrington.  I grew up in Demopolis, Alabama, but moved to Blytheville when I was 14. I graduated from Rhodes College with a BA in English Literature and a minor in French. I spent a year teaching French high school students English in Paris before coming home to work with my family at our businesses, Langston Enterprises and Caruthersville Cotton Warehouse. I’m a fourth-generation farmer. I have served on the Blytheville School Board for the past 6 years.  In 2018, my love of books and my passion to revitalize Blytheville led me to reopen our local bookstore with the addition of vinyl records and a bar serving coffee, beer & wine.  I have a 2 year old named Mary Campbell, who luckily loves books as much as I do.

Steven Henderson has lived in Blytheville since 1992. He is a third generational steel worker and currently serves as the Plant Manager for Nucor Skyline Armorel. He is a proud husband and father of four. Steven loves the challenging, rewarding, and exciting opportunity he has to help Nucor teammates achieve their goals. He takes great pride in seeing the steel made here in Blytheville in finished products, infrastructure, and even the frame of his truck. He loves this community and wants to see it, and all of Mississippi County, grow and thrive. Steven says, "Each of  us have the responsibility to contribute to the continuous improvement of our city, and never miss an opportunity to make our community better."

Paul Robertson is a Mississippi County native. He was born in Osceola and went to school there until 4th grade, when he made the move to Gosnell. He is a manager at Hays Grocery and has been employed there for the last 26 years. Paul has a daughter who participates in competitive cheerleading and he enjoys supporting her passion as much as he can. He also umpires for softball games during his off days. He is very excited to be a part of the Main Street Blytheville team and contributing towards making downtown even better. 

Randy Lemmons is not a native of Blytheville, he attended college at Truman State University in Missouri however, after living in Blytheville for the past 23 years, he now calls it home.  Randy works for Farmers Bank and Trust, as Senior Vice President of Information Technology.  Where he handles all IT matters, both behind the operations as well as customer facing technology.

    Over the past 23 years, Randy has served his community in many ways.  He has served several terms on the Main Street Board of Directors and chaired the committee for Mayfest.  In 2017, Randy served as President of the Chamber of Commerce.  Randy has also served on several committees for the Chamber of Commerce including Small Business and the Christmas Parade.   He served on the Board for the YMCA and volunteered for United Way. 

Michael Smith is a dedicated and experienced program coordinator and career placement specialist with a passion for helping individuals achieve their professional goals. With a background in Industrial Technology and a focus on workforce development, Michael has been instrumental in the success of the W.O.R.K program at Arkansas Northeastern College. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Steel Technology from ANC and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Organizational Leadership from UAFS. Michael is also an active leader in the community. He currently serves as Vice President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Epsilon Sigma Sigma, Blytheville Ritz Foundation Board, Versatile 25 Scholarship Organization, Main Street Blytheville Board, Healing in the Hood Organization, and on the Arkansas Community Colleges Board. Michael has been recognized for his leadership and community involvement through several awards, including the Man of the Year award from the Blytheville Leadership Institute and the Power of One Standout Leader award from the Osceola Chamber of Commerce. 

Stan Dutton was born and raised in Kensett, AR and became a Blytheville resident in September of 2009. Stan is the Executive Director of the Ritz Civic Center in Downtown Blytheville. He is a licensed and ordained minister, and currently serves the Youth and Praise Team at First Baptist Church in Steel, Missouri. He has two dogs, Sadie and Cooper, and enjoys cooking and baking, and specializes in cheesecakes. Stan has fallen in love with the Blytheville community, especially downtown, and is excited to work with the rest of the Main Street Blytheville team to make it a place we can all be proud of. 

Born and raised in Blytheville, Mayor Melisa Logan is a 1990 graduate of Blytheville High School. Elected in November 2022, Mayor Logan is the first female and second African American to serve in office for the City of Blytheville. She is a veteran, small business owner, and adjunct instructor at Arkansas Northeastern College. In the past, she has been honored as the 2019 & 2020 Volunteer of the Year by Blytheville Public Schools and has sent all three of her children to the district. She also served as the Mississippi County Election Commissioner and Coordinator, and as HR Director and Mayor’s Assistant for the City. The Mayor serves on the Board of Directors for Sunrise Daycare, Leadership MISSCO, Lion’s Club, MLK Committee, and BHS Parent-Teacher Initiative Team. She has undergraduate degrees in Behavioral Science and Business Administration with a minor in Political Science, master’s degree in Law with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management, and is currently working on her doctorate in Public Administration. Mayor Logan’s love for this City and passion to see it grow and thrive makes her such an asset to have on the Main Street Blytheville team. 

A native of Jonesboro, Liz Smith first moved to Blytheville after graduation from Arkansas State University to begin a ten-year teaching career. She returned to Arkansas and, in 2004, became the first woman to head Blytheville’s Chamber of Commerce. She is a Paul Harris Fellow and past president of the Blytheville Rotary Club. She has chaired the Mississippi County Community Foundation, is a charter member of Chapter DP, P.E.O., a former board member of the International Women’s Forum Arkansas, and has served on the board of the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault. In her Chamber capacity, Liz is a founder of Blytheville Crime Stoppers and directs the Blytheville Chamber Foundation. She is also a founding member of the National Cold War Center board of directors. A lifelong Methodist, Liz is Director of Music Ministries at Blytheville First United Methodist Church, a position she has held since late 2003.