Rebecca and Aaron Burkes were settled in Northwest Arkansas before life pulled them away for a decade to parts north (Iowa), further north (Wisconsin) and south (Little Rock). They landed back in Northwest Arkansas a couple of years ago, and the roots seem permanent this time.
Attorney Rebecca is the chief operating officer and general counsel for Specialized Real Estate Group (SREG) in Fayetteville, and Aaron, a former Arkansas state representative representing Lowell, is the CEO at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA).
Rebecca and the team at SREG work in residential and commercial real estate with a focus on infill development — developing property within existing neighborhoods near a city’s core. Current projects include: the development of South Yard, a retail/office/entertainment/dining space with a public park at MLK and South School in Fayetteville; Markham Hill in Fayetteville, the area’s first planned conservation community; and Brick Avenue Lofts in downtown Bentonville.
Among other gigs, including that of executive director for a regional planning commission in Iowa, Aaron is a former residential and commercial builder in NWA. He and Rebecca worked together in the mid-2000s, developing residential property in Bella Vista and commercial property in Lowell. He also previously served in Little Rock as the president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority while Rebecca served as deputy director and general counsel for the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
Since arriving at XNA, Aaron has overseen terminal renovation and the addition of a new parking deck, and he guided the state’s second-busiest airport through a pandemic that threatened to shut down the airline industry.
