
Mike Mills
Secretary of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism
State Historic Preservation Officer
State Historic Preservation Officer
Mike Mills was appointed cabinet secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism by Gov. Sarah ...
Mike Mills was appointed cabinet secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in January 2023. Following two years of service in the United States Marine Corps, Mills obtained his undergraduate degree at Hendrix College, followed by master’s-level work at the University of Arkansas. It was during graduate school that Mills founded The Wilderness Co. Two years later, in 1976, he founded the Buffalo Outdoor Center, originally only offering canoe rentals to paddlers on the Buffalo National River in Ponca. The BOC later expanded to include other experiences, including cabins, horseback riding and the state’s first zip line canopy tour. Throughout his career, Mills has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Tourism Development Foundation, the Arkansas Travel Council, the Board of America Outdoors Association, the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the Arkansas Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission. Mills has lived most of his life in Ponca and now resides in Little Rock with his wife, Rhonda. He has two adult daughters and four grandchildren. Mills has been featured in countless publications, both national and local, and has received various awards and recognitions over the years, including being inducted into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame in 2018. Reflecting on his career to date, Mills said, “Not bad for a canoe operator.”