Taco Talk: Joe Lloyd champions Jones Center roots
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Joe Lloyd, president and CEO of The Jones Center. Photos: Worth Sparkman
It's rare to meet someone as comfortable in their own skin as Joe Lloyd.
- It's rarer still that they make you feel comfortable in your skin.
The setup: I met Lloyd at Los Churros Lokos of NWA, inside the NWA Mall in Fayetteville.
- Without realizing it, we both ordered steak and chicken quesa-tacos (grilled with cheese) ($4 each) and a pork tamale ($3.50).
Driving the news: Lloyd started as president and CEO of The Jones Center on June 3, following a 30-year career at Tyson Foods where he served as a microbiologist, an ethics and compliance officer and then a senior leader of the company's IT department.
The big picture: He described his goal for The Jones Center as getting back to the core of what Bernice Jones' original idea was for the nonprofit, while making small, incremental changes that will keep attracting an ever-diversifying NWA community.
- "Our mission for the facility and … our programs [is to] get us to a point where we can play, learn and thrive together — no matter your background," he said.
Between the lines: In addition to remaining one of the largest recreational facilities in NWA, The Jones Center will pilot small programming offerings, like a recent outdoor circus and a family-friendly comedy show, he said.
Stunning stat: The Jones Center is home to the only ice rink in Arkansas and the next closest rinks available for league games are in Tulsa or Kansas City.
What he's saying: "I've got the job of a lifetime. I really do," he said.
- "I'm really where … my gifts are — where God placed me — whether it's just relationships or problem solving, it's a ministry there for me."
The bottom line: The grilled quesa-tacos were supremely delicious. Lloyd and I both enjoyed the not-too-hot included side sauce and plan to return.
What's next: The Jones Center is in the process of evaluating how all of its space is used and looking to break ground on a modernization and renovation late in 2025, Lloyd said.
- Yes, and: One of its largest fundraising events of the year — Big Night at the Big Top — is Nov. 8. Tickets are still available.
🤿 Taco Talk is a regular feature. We sample a taqueria with the movers, shakers, artists and bakers of NWA, and rap about news in their world.