Forty Under 40: Scott Elliott

Scott Elliott lost 15 pounds during the first two weeks he worked for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He was loading trucks at the Bentonville warehouse.

Now, 15 years later, Elliott is director of associate processes for Sams Club, where he started a Career Preference program and implemented online I-9 and W-4 tax forms for the divisions 104,000 employees.

Elliott has only worked for three businesses. The Highfill native started out pumping gas at his fathers Phillips 66 station in Rogers, became a night manager at OReilly Auto Parts, then went to work for Wal-Mart.

At Wal-Mart, he was soon promoted to quality assurance supervisor and warehouse manager.

In 1994, he earned a bachelors degree in business administration (with emphasis in human resources) from the University of Arkansas.

A year later, he began working at Wal-Marts home office doing tech support for warehouses. He joined the human resources department in 1997 working as a recruiter until 2001. Then, he was a people manager for three departments until 2003, when he landed his current position.

With all that going on, Elliott still found time to serve as a councilman for one year and as mayor of Highfill for five years.