Randy and Melissa Werner
Working in Hollywood seemed like the ideal dream for Arkansas alumnus, Randy Werner. Mingling with celebrities, working on movie sets and experiencing the L.A. lifestyle was the post-graduation goal for the 20-something Arkansas native. Yet, a woman back home in Fayetteville and a not-so-glamorous job at a drop-in center for homeless and runaway youth in L.A. led Werner back to his roots, marrying his college sweetheart and joining the family business.
“I was completely lost,” Werner laughed, referring to how he felt after graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2000. Graduating with a bachelor’s in communications, his interest in film had him pursuing classes in technical theater and working for pre-college programs, creating digital video work. “It’s like you’ve reached this point where everyone has given you direction and then suddenly it is ‘what am I going to do next,’” he said.
Spending his summers playing softball and hanging out with his friends, and feeling as if he “had the run of the campus,” his passion for the U of A never wavered; however, after graduation, the dream of moving to L.A. and working in Hollywood seemed like the right idea. Making the move as a 21-year-old, recent graduate, Werner admits to having little money and knowing only one person in the big city. “I was the intake person at a drop-in center for homeless and runaway youth. We dealt with youth ages 12 to 25,” he said.
Far from the glitz and glamour of his Hollywood dreams, Werner remembered crew from the television show “Judging Amy” stopping by the center to take down ideas for an upcoming episode. “That was about as close to working in Hollywood as I got,” he laughed.
It was when Werner proposed to his college sweetheart and Arkansas alumna, Melissa Belden BA’03, MSW’06 that he decided to leave the dreams of Hollywood behind and move back to Fayetteville. Marrying into the Belden family led Werner to take on a new venture as the managing partner of Old Buildings, LLC, which is owned and operated by U of A alumni and members of the National Board of Directors for the Arkansas Alumni Association, Ted [BARCH’81] and Leslie [BARCH’79, PhD’05] Belden, who are also Werner’s in-laws.
“Ted and Leslie have a love of historic preservation,” Werner said. Expressing an interest in architecture and historic preservation, he was offered a position with the family company. According to the company’s website, Old Buildings LLC is in “the business of revitalizing old properties so that they can once again become a benefit to the community.”
Some of the properties that Old Buildings has “brought back to life” include The Inn at Carnall Hall, UARK Bowl, The Dickson [formerly known as Underwood Plaza], EJ Ball Plaza and the Fulbright Building. “Our original intent is to work with properties that need some help and instead of tearing them down, try to find a way to keep that piece of it alive and bring it up to date,” he said.
Realizing one of his greatest challenges is the market, Werner admits, “there’s a lot of energy in the downtown area, but the condominium market is questionable for people.” Working with Downtown Properties Real Estate, Old Buildings LLC owns The Dickson, the premier high-rise condominium development on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Located in the heart of northwest Arkansas’ entertainment district, Werner hopes that by working with the Arkansas Alumni Association, the interest in condominium living will rise.
“It makes sense to form relationships with the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Alumni Association. It is a no-brainer to further our marketing efforts,” he said. With close proximity to campus, he sees the benefit of eager and passionate alumni purchasing a condo for football season, as a retirement and/or vacation home, or “as a living space for their University of Arkansas student.”
In partnership with The Dickson, members of the Arkansas Alumni Association are invited to Member Night at the Dickson, a special reception at The Dickson the evening before the Arkansas vs. Auburn football game. Attendees will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and have a photo taken from atop The Dickson with Old Main in the background.
“This is a really cool event to be connected to. It will get people in the building and show them the views of downtown,” he said. Another way Werner hopes to obtain more business is through the Alumni Association’s Business Hogs program. An online business and service directory, alumni can find Razorback owned and affiliated businesses throughout the nation and around the globe.
As dedicated alumni and life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Werner and his wife, as well as Ted and Leslie Belden are eager to create more ways for collaboration between The Dickson and their alma mater. “We have all been connected to the University of Arkansas for so long that it is just ingrained in us. It’s who we are.”
