Rob Brothers Set to Retire Next Year
by December 19, 2014 9:53 am 300 views
Rob Brothers, director of the Walton Family Foundation’s Home Region Focus Area, is set to retire next year, the foundation announced Friday.
The search for a replacement will begin immediately, according to a press release issued by Buddy Philpot, the foundation’s executive director. A job description is listed here.
Brothers’ specific retirement date has not been determined.
“We will determine a date based on when a replacement is hired and any transition period that may be necessary,” said Walton Family Foundation senior communications officer Kevin Thornton.
Brothers, 60, joined the foundation in 2009, and during his tenure, helped steward more than $157 million in funding for organizations throughout Northwest Arkansas, and the Arkansas and Mississippi deltas.
Signature programs funded by the foundation under Brothers’ leadership include construction of the Amazeum in Bentonville and the Razorback Regional Greenway from Bella Vista to Fayetteville.
“It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce Rob’s decision to retire,” Philpot said. “We will miss Rob’s steady leadership, wisdom and daily professional companionship.”
According to the press release, Brothers is retiring so he can spend more time with his family, particularly his grandchildren.
Prior to his announcement to retire, Brothers created the Home Region investment strategy through the year 2020. The plan includes $302 million in funding for cultural and educational programs in this region, and education, public safety and job creation in the delta.
“Northwest Arkansas is a great place to call home,” Brothers said when the plan was announced in August. “Our investment strategy through 2020 is sharply focused on initiatives that will continue to make the region an even more desirable place to live and work.”
Before joining the Walton Foundation, Brothers spent 37 years as a commercial banker in Arkansas and Missouri, most notably as CEO of Arvest Bank-Rogers. He also served a term as chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association.