Meet the Leadership Team

Mayor "Mac" Caradine is a gifted community leader in Cotter. Known for his relentless desire to find ways to get to YES, Mayor Caradine was instrumental in working with the Arkansas Department of Transportation during the permit application process. He never gave up as the bridge lighting request made its way through numerous reviews.

Mayor Caradine is an avid fisherman and a lover of all things Cotter. He and his wife, Julia have lived in Cotter for 20 years, after a long career in Memphis. He began renovating properties in 2001 in downtown Cotter.

He is a key player in the Cotter Renaissance 2.0 and ensures that the City of Cotter is a progressive partner.

Karen Montgomery is the founder of a management consultancy and has worked with large corporations, small businesses, and non-profits for 25+ years. As a strategic planner, Karen looks for ways to "connect the dots" in the Cotter Renaissance 2.0. She and her teammates Mayor Mac, and Jason have spent many hours in strategic planning to support the renaissance. Her motto: "from chaos to concept to execution."

Karen fell in love with Cotter when her father first moved here in 2005. In 2012, she and her husband, John moved into her dad's former home. They always breathe a sigh of relief when they turn into the entrance of Cotter.

Karen is a gifted communicator and designer.  She focuses those skills on the Cotter Bridge website, Cotter social media, and in reinventing the Cotter brand. 

Jason Nazarenko is the driving force behind the makeover going on in downtown Cotter. He is true to his motto, "Passion + Action = Results!"

Jason's family settled in Cotter after his father retired from a career in the Navy. After graduating from Cotter High School, and marrying his sweetheart, Kammi Statler (a Baxter County native), he left to serve his country for 23 years, finishing his career flying black hawk helicopters in the Nation's only Special Operations Aviation Unit known as the Night Stalkers. Jason chose to return home and invest his ample talents back into his hometown.

Jason is a gifted real estate developer and expert in the vacation rental market. His effort in transforming properties into stellar vacation rentals is leading the way to make sure Cotter visitors have not only a beautiful place to visit, but a beautiful place to stay.