Representing Rural

Dirk Merle was born in Columbus, Ohio, to a military family. He lived much of his life abroad and throughout the USA. Following in his father’s footsteps, he served in the US ARMY in both the 82nd Airborne Division and the 18th Airborne Corps.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Arkansas Tech University and a Masters in Business Administration from the Jack Welch Management Institute, holding a Welch honors distinction. He studied Financial Management from Cornell University and Product Management from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Merle’s worked in the food industry in various capacities over the last 25 years. He is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Value-Added Products Cooperative and currently serves as Director of Product Development, Sales, & Category Management for Olympia Foods in Chicago where he travels bi-weekly to work from his office there.

Dirk has served Searcy County as a past member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and won a 2020 Spirit of Searcy County Award from the Chamber.  He also earned the 2019 Arkansas Trails Volunteer of the Year award.

Dirk resides in Tilly with his wife, Chris.  He and his wife are avid cyclists, helping to organize the annual Pedestal Rock & Lick Fork Rides for the Witts Springs Community Voices Non-Profit. As a cycling adventurer, he’s one of fewer than 100 cyclists who’ve ever finished the prestigious Arkansas High Country Race (which travels through Searcy County), a 1000+ mile un-supported race through the Ozarks and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. He’s also one of a handful of cyclists to complete the Ozark Grinder Trail, a route that travels through Searcy County and portions of Newton, Stone, Pope, and Van Buren Counties.

Dirk Merle is passionate about his Searcy County life and loves exploring Searcy County and sharing his experiences on social media. 

Dorothy Singleton is no stranger to rural advocacy. Once serving as the Lead Organizer for Rural Community Alliance, Singleton has always been keen on "lifting as you climb," recognizing the importance of bringing young people into the work to continue the fight for a just and thriving rural Arkansas. Retired, Singleton is continuing to volunteer in her community. Tune in for a rich conversation with one of the founders of Rural Community Alliance

Launching his campaign with touring every county in Arkansas, Dr. Chris Jones has a vision of spreading opportunity all over the state. He believes this begins by spreading PB&J across the state—expanding preschool to all families, affordable broadband for every home, and economic development focused on creating high wage jobs. To learn more about Dr. Jones and his campaign, visit https://chrisforgovernor.com/.

Check voter registration: https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView

To be a guest of this rural candidates series, contact us at rca@thenewrural.org.

Pursuing the Libertarian party nomination for Governor, Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. has adopted the state's motto,“Regnat Populus”, as his official campaign slogan: The People Rule. Ricky has prioritized changing the narrative around politics and hopes to make state government easier to understand and participate in for everyday citizens. To learn more about Ricky and his campaign, visit rickyharrington.com.

Check voter registration: https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView

The Rural Candidates series has taken a turn to interview a gubernatorial candidate, Doc Washburn. Washburn was host of a local talk radio show in Little Rock for over seven years. He now does a national podcast with listeners in all 50 states. He is running for the Republican nomination for Governor. Two priority areas for Washburn, if elected, include overhauling the state's child welfare system and assuring that veterans have access to all benefits they are entitled to. To learn more about Washburn's campaign, visit electdocwashburn.com. 

Alan Yarbrough, retiring Searcy County School District Superintendent, is running for the newly-drawn Arkansas House of Representatives District 27. The district includes Baxter, Izard, Newton, Searcy, and Stone counties. A 30+ years rural, public educator, Yarbrough's vision includes improving educational and career training opportunities for students, and creating easier access to quality healthcare and mental health services. 

For more information, visit www.yarbrough4arkansas.com

In this new series, we'll talk with rural candidates from across the state of Arkansas. Whether they're running for school board or State Senator, we want to hear from them. If you're a rural candidate or know of someone running, please contact us at rca@thenewrural.org