501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
What are you reading, Bryan Day?
Bryan Day has been involved with state and local government for over thirty years; the positions he has held have allowed him to focus on building and strengthening communities.
Bryan was appointed Executive Director of the Little Rock Port Authority in June 2014. The Little Rock Port Authority’s mission is to “drive economic development by providing a world-class transportation hub that connects Arkansas to the global economy.”
Prior to assuming this position, Bryan spent 20 years working for the City of Little Rock. During this tenure, he served as the Assistant City Manager and Director of Little Rock Parks and Recreation. Bryan started his career in government in 1987 when he was hired by the Arkansas State Park system.
Bryan serves as a member of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Transportation Advisory Council and is a board member on the Arkansas Oklahoma Port Operators Association, and the National Waterways Council. Bryan is an Eagle Scout and serves on the Board of the Quapaw Area Council. In 2017, Bryan was appointed as a charter member of the Arkansas State Parks and recreation Foundation. Bryan has long been active in the local community, having served on a number of boards and commissions, including his current role on the CALS Foundation Board of Directors.
Bryan received his undergraduate degree and Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Bryan has a daughter who is currently attending the University of Mississippi School of Nursing and a son who attends the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and one spoiled Labrador retriever.
In his spare time, Bryan loves to hike and camp and has visited many of America’s greatest national parks; however, he mostly enjoys wandering through the parks and wilderness areas found in his home State of Arkansas
What are you reading? I am reading two books. Clive Cussler’s Wrath of Poseidon; Cussler is a prolific writer and his books are always fun and enjoyable. The other book I am reading is The System by Ryan Gattis. This will be a new author for me and I usually enjoy finding new talent. The book gets good reviews, so we shall see.
What is your favorite memory of reading as a child? My parents instilled in me a sense of reading for pleasure and I was a prolific reader as a child. I think the thing I remember most is reading the entire Hardy Boys collection and when I finished one, my parents would buy me the next one. I love that series and would read them uninterrupted.
What was/is your favorite book for children? Why? My favorite book of my childhood was the Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I think the reason I enjoyed this so much was that it was the first fantasy book I had read and it opened the door for my love of other fantasy authors like Tolkien, Gaiman and Martin.
What is your favorite time to read? I enjoy reading every afternoon and usually just find a quiet place to sit; when I travel, I obviously love to read on the plane.
Book Hot Takes:
Physical/ digital/ or audio? I prefer to hold a book in my hands and will always choose a printed version over a digital version. I also always have an audio book downloaded on my phone (thru the LIBBY app)
Do you judge a book by its cover? I do tend to look at covers first – that is not always the best approach. But it usually works for me.
Read for business or pleasure? I read strictly for pleasure – two or three books a week. If I have to, I will read for business.
