Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast

Rex Nelson

Booking Overview

This biweekly regional interview podcast focuses on Arkansas civic life, institutions, economic development, education, healthcare, philanthropy, conservation, and culture, featuring conversations with senior leaders from across the state. PR agencies could credibly pitch Arkansas-focused executives, university and healthcare leaders, nonprofit and philanthropic executives, public-sector officials, conservation experts, and business or technology leaders; booking difficulty is medium because guests generally hold substantial regional leadership roles but are not necessarily nationally prominent.

Metrics

Episodes: 127

Frequency: Biweekly

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Estimated listeners: <1k

Gender skew: Neutral

Location: USA

YouTube: 18.2k subscribers

Instagram: 23.0k followers

Contact Information

Publicly listed emails

webreleases@arkansasonline.com

Looking for the right person? Join Podseeker to find direct host and producer contacts and manage your podcast outreach.

Host

Rex Nelson - Senior editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette who covers Arkansas civic affairs, institutions, people, places, history, food, and culture.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium

Typical Credentials:

Senior executives, university and healthcare leaders, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, public-sector officials, conservation administrators, and subject-matter experts with a substantive connection to Arkansas.

Required Achievements:

Leading a major Arkansas institution or statewide organization, Directing public, educational, healthcare, philanthropic, or conservation initiatives, Developing programs or strategies with measurable benefits for Arkansas communities, Holding recognized expertise in a field relevant to the state's future

Recent Guest Discussions

Karen Petersen - The Future Of Private Liberal Arts Colleges, Postgraduate Preparation, Liberal Arts Education, And Her Path To Higher-education Leadership.

Mike Steely - Artificial Intelligence In The Workplace, Arkansas's Role In The Data Economy, Technology Investment, And AI Governance.

Lowry Barnes - Medical Education, Healthcare Leadership, Uams's Institutional Changes, Rural Hospitals, And The University System's Strategic Direction.

Jessica Hughes Ford - Philanthropy, Nonprofit-sector Challenges, Charitable Giving, Community Foundation Operations, And Arkansas's Greatest Needs.

Doug Schoenrock - Game And Fish Initiatives, Conservation, Wildlife Management, Outdoor Recreation, And Arkansas Natural-resource Programs.

Recent Topics

Arkansas, Civic Affairs, Education, Philanthropy, Conservation

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on

Rex Nelson's Southern Fried Podcast

Talking higher education and real world experience with Dr. Petersen of Hendrix College

August 21, 2026

In this week’s episode, Rex Nelson talks with the President of Hendrix College in Conway, Dr. Karen Petersen, about the shift in higher education and how that translates to postgraduate life. Petersen shares her journey and how her unique lived experience prepared her for academia and leadership in higher education later in life. Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners Chapters (00:00...

Talking AI in the workforce with Mike Steely

August 07, 2026

In this week’s episode, Rex Nelson talks with Luminark Global’s co-founder, Mike Steely, about the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and how it factors into the workplace. Steely talks about the opportunities that AI provides and the benefits it can bring to Arkansas. Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners Chapters (00:00:13) - Southern Fried Podcast: AI Explained(00:10:14) - Arkansa...

Talking medical education with UAMS Chancellor Dr. Lowry Barnes

July 24, 2026

In this week's episode, Rex Nelson sits down with the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Dr. Lowry Barnes. Barnes talks about his journey from starting medical school as a freshman to becoming the top executive for UAMS. Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, or visit arkansasonline.com/podcast23 for an exclusive subscription offer available only to podcast listeners Chapters (00:00:14) - Southern Fried Podcast(00:01:08) - Arkansas orthopedic pioneer Dr. Banks Bla...

Publicly listed emails

webreleases@arkansasonline.com

Looking for the right person? Join Podseeker to find direct host and producer contacts and manage your podcast outreach.

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