Though conventional wisdom might warn against mixing business and pleasure, that combination is exactly where Anne Marie Doramus finds her success.
It’s hard to argue with the results: Doramus, vice president of special projects at Arkansas Bolt Co. and a lifelong hunter, was the first woman to be appointed to a full term as an Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner. In addition to being a founding member of the Arkansas Outdoor Society, she also sits on the boards for the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation and the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show. Whether she’s working with clients, out-of-state visitors or fellow Arkansans, Doramus relishes every opportunity to showcase just what The Natural State has to offer.
For Doramus, it’s the relationships that make her work worthwhile. Her grandfather founded Arkansas Bolt in 1962, and many of the company’s clients have been doing business with her family for decades. At just 14 years of age, Doramus was eager to go to work, so she started out answering phones at the front desk with the signature greeting, “ABC, this is Anne Marie.” Since then, Doramus has learned the business from the ground up, working in everything from online sales to business development.
“We operate here out of Little Rock, but most of our business comes from outside of Arkansas,” Doramus said. “Being able to have those relationships outside of the state has benefitted my career and self-development. It’s made me go out and see the world and see what else is out there. However, I think in Arkansas we have the best of all worlds.”
Arkansas Bolt serves clients in industries ranging from lawnmowers to garage door manufacturing and automotive parts. Doramus embraces that diversity, as it gives her the chance to marry her career with her passion for the outdoors.
“On the customer relations side, a lot of the people that I get to deal with like to hunt and fish,” Doramus said. “During duck season, I get to do some entertaining, take them to our family duck camp outside of Little Rock and introduce them to some of Arkansas’ greatest traditions.”
Her travels outside of the state have only enhanced her love for Arkansas. Doramus fell in love with mountain biking in Colorado only to find, in her opinion, the trails in Arkansas were even more well-kept and more fun. Now, through her work with the Arkansas Parks and Recreation Foundation, Doramus helps to build mountain biking trails throughout the state.
“How lucky are we to have such great access to mountain biking in Arkansas?” she said. “Maybe I’m biased, but that’s something we should definitely be proud of.”
That penchant for highlighting the state’s natural resources makes it easy to see why Gov. Asa Hutchinson selected Doramus to serve on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 2019. The only woman to serve before Doramus was Pat Peacock, who was selected to finish the term of another commissioner in 1994 and who held the post for just one year. Now halfway through her trailblazing seven-year term, Doramus is the face of Arkansas’ next generation of outdoorspeople.
“I grew up hunting, fishing and in the outdoors, living in it both in my personal and business life,” she said. “That is really what brought me to serving on the commission; I wanted to make a difference.”
Part of the difference Doramus is making comes from the fact that more and more women are getting involved in hunting and fishing. AGFC capitalizes on that interest through programs like Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW). BOW allows women new to hunting and fishing to learn the ropes and find community in a supportive setting. Every year, Doramus hosts a women’s duck hunt for first-timers on her family farm, and she puts on a similar event for fishing. Doramus also works with other “adult-onset hunters and anglers,” such as college students pursuing degrees in wildlife biology.
“Let’s be honest, it can be an intimidating sport, but don’t overthink it,” Doramus said. “I like to help out however I can and make it fun. Because I can tell you a million wrong things that I’ve done. It’s never going to be absolutely perfect, but those days where everything just happens to go your way makes it all worthwhile.”
In addition to teaching others and advocating for the outdoors, Doramus and the rest of the AGFC commissioners have the responsibility of setting the rules and regulations for fish and wildlife in the state. Striking the balance between public and scientific opinion can be tricky, but Doramus relies on a piece of advice that has served her in all of her roles: listening and learning.
“I know – and I knew this when I got into it – that we’re not going to make everyone happy,” Doramus said. “But in the end, you always have to do the right thing.”
Doramus’ office at Arkansas Bolt is a stone’s throw away from one of her other passions, the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show. Doramus has been on the State Fair board for several years and has been ecstatic to see the fair’s record-breaking attendance numbers in recent years. As yet another way to showcase Arkansas, especially in regard to agriculture, Doramus described the fair’s post-pandemic turnout as gratifying.
“It’s all on account of the people that work there,” she said. “They are the ones who put their heart and soul into it and really make things happen. The board is so proud and happy to support them.”
Though her work and play are deeply intertwined, Doramus does find time to get out on her own or with husband, Joe, and – no surprises here – enjoy the Arkansan outdoors. Bass fishing, hunting, paddling and golf are a few of her favorites, as well as spending time with her dogs, Bocephus the weiner dog, and Baron, a Labrador. When everything goes according to plan, Doramus likes to end the day curled up with the dogs, a newspaper and her green tea.
Of course, wearing that many hats can be challenging no matter how passionate one is about the work. For Doramus, a self-described “glass half-full” kind of person, life is just too short to stay stressed.
“I think everyone has those times where the world’s caving in on them, and there’s a lot of stuff going on at once,” she said. “But I love it all. I wouldn’t say it’s hard. Sometimes I get tired, but you just keep on going.”
From seasoned outdoor pros to those just getting started exploring The Natural State, Doramus hopes her time as a Game and Fish Commissioner inspires people to step out of their comfort zones. She also hopes her success in joining her passions with her career is something others are able to emulate.
“I know that not everyone has this situation, but I feel fortunate to have been in an environment where women have been embraced in the workplace,” she said. “I think it’s important that if you’re not in that situation, you probably need to find something else. Life can be what you make of it. You have to stay strong, stay true to yourself, smile and be kind. Kindness will show its way back to you.”
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