My Roots are Firmly Planted in Paragould.

My deep connection with Paragould began with my great-grandparents, Bertha and J.W. Harris, and my grandparents, R.J. and Virginia “Spud” Harris, who were dairy farmers in this area. I live on the land my grandparents farmed and where my mother grew up.

My parents, Donnie and Glenda Huffine graduated from local schools and worked in local manufacturing. For them, Paragould was the best place to work and raise a family.

My husband Dustin Blevens and I were raised and educated here. We continued to make Paragould our home even when our jobs were in neighboring areas.

We currently live in Ward 2 with our retired racing greyhound, Kate. I enjoy being outdoors, working in my garden, tending my honey bees, or floating down a river with a fishing pole, enjoying all that Arkansas has to offer. When I cannot be outside, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. These connections to family, friends, and nature are what ground me and keep me fulfilled.

Two of my three nieces live in Paragould. Ensuring our city continues growing and providing jobs encouraging younger generations to remain in Paragould is vital to me.

The Importance of Hard Work & Community Service

From an early age, I saw the value of hard work and the importance of community through my family, neighbors, and firsthand on the dairy farm.

I spent many weekends helping on the dairy farm or going into town with my grandmother on her milk route. I was always fascinated by the people we met and the stories they would share about themselves and their lives.

Spending time with so many different people in the community gave me an appreciation for the uniqueness of Paragould.

Paragould Helped Shape My Career Choice

My interest in what drives the people of a community to thrive as Paragould has is the reason that I chose to make my career in Human Resources. As a Human Resources professional for a local manufacturing facility, I am continually fascinated by the hard-working and dedicated folks in our area.

My Diverse Work Background

My path to my current profession was anything but typical. After graduating from Ridgecrest High School, I went to work for the State of Arkansas, Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). As an OCSE receptionist and investigator, I learned the value of and became adept at building relationships. By working with local law enforcement agencies, local government agencies, local attorneys, and custodial and non-custodial parents, I was fortunate to be a part of improving the lives of children and families in my community.

After seven years of working with the State of Arkansas, I enrolled part-time as a non-traditional student at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro to pursue my degree in Psychology. I also worked as a legal assistant for attorney Donald L. Parker II. Mr. Parker’s practice was focused primarily on corporate law, mergers, acquisitions, real estate transactions, and estate planning. Through this job opportunity, I discovered a new passion - using my logical and analytical nature to work with clients and learn the art of negotiation.

At the end of my degree program, I began working at Nestle Prepared Foods in the Human Resources department. This experience was the perfect intersection of my education, my experience and background, and my passion for working with people and using policy to improve the situation or environment around them. I was hooked!

Nestle was my work home for several years until I started thinking about what I should be doing for the community that reared me. For most of my career, I had worked in Jonesboro and briefly at Anchor Packaging covering facilities in Marmaduke and Jonesboro. I had offers to move out of state to further my career. But Paragould is where I wanted to be, and in 2016 I became a part of the Tenneco human resource team. Being able to live, work and serve Paragould is very important to me.