Fayetteville Chamber announces Tomorrow’s Leaders winners

Daniel Barnes, Sandy Edwards, and Don Soderquist have been named the inaugural winners of the Tomorrow’s Leaders award presented by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. The winners are those who exemplify the traits of leadership, communication and relationships, according to a chamber statement.
 
The trio will be honored at the first Tomorrow’s Leaders Conference set for March 28 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.

Soderquist, senior vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., will receive the Servant Leadership Award. The award goes to someone who has a proven track record of impacting their organization and the Northwest Arkansas community through their inspirational leadership.

Soderquist joined Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. as executive vice president in 1980 and in 1988 was appointed vice chairman and chief operating officer. In 1999, he was promoted to senior vice chairman of the corporation. In 1998, John Brown University created The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics in his honor. The Center designs and facilitates programs to help organizations, teams and leaders reach their full potential, operating from Soderquist’s fundamental premise that “values matter in everything we do.”

Edwards, deputy director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, is the winner of the Trailblazer Leadership Award. Edwards was the associate vice chancellor for development at the University of Arkansas where she and her late husband, Clay, served as the management team for University Development directing the $1 billion Campaign for the 21st Century. She joined Crystal Bridges in 1997 in the museum’s early stages of development, playing a vital role in the conception, planning, building and opening of the world-class museum.

Barnes, president of the Fayetteville office of McClelland Consulting Engineers, will be honored as the chamber’s Tomorrow’s Leader, an up-and-coming rising leader, who shows emerging ‘potential’ for great impact on Northwest Arkansas.

At 30, Barnes was made a partner in the firm of McClelland Consulting Engineers, before becoming the president of the firm’s Fayetteville branch. Barnes was elected to serve as chairman of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma. He is an active member of the Fayetteville Downtown Rotary and also serves on the Arkansas Airport Operators Association Board of Directors as a corporate member. He is a graduate of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fayetteville program.

The March 28 Tomorrow’s Leaders conference includes a full day of speakers and break-out sessions devoted to developing leadership skills in employees at all stages of their careers. Tracks include sessions on communication, leadership and relationships. Tickets are $99 per person, and group discounts are available. Link here to the Tomorrow’s Leaders website for more information.
www.tomorrowsleadersnwa.com/