Power List Dotted with Northwest Arkansas Names

Arkansas Business periodically publishes its Power List, a “compendium of the people who are running the largest business, professional and nonprofit entities in our state.”

Of this year’s list of 192 leaders in 20 industries, 43 live — or  have deep roots — in Northwest Arkansas. As a service to our readers, we’re highlighting that group over the next three pages.

Accounting

Barbara Hambrick, 41

Managing Member

Beall Barclay & Co., Fort Smith

Barbara Hambrick began at Beall Barclay in 1994 and became manager after Randy Philpot stepped aside in 2010. Her work mostly is focused on oil and gas, construction contracting and nonprofit and government industries, and she also serves as the firm’s director of personnel.

 

Norman Prestage, 46

Managing Partner

Ernst & Young LLP, Rogers

Before becoming managing partner of Ernst & Young’s Arkansas office, Norman Prestage led the firm’s retail and consumer products practice in Chicago. He serves on the board of directors of United Way of Northwest Arkansas and of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce.

Agriculture & Timber

Gary George, 60

President and CEO

George’s Inc., Springdale

George’s Inc. ranked No. 10 on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies, and the man at the top of the poultry processor is Gary George. A 1972 graduate of the University of Arkansas, George has been CEO of the family-owned business since 1994, but in 2009 he also assumed the title of president, a job he had from 1980-94. His business interests have not been limited to chicken: He is chairman of the board of Legacy National Bank of Springdale and has been a director of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. since 1996. He is a former chairman of the UA Board of Trustees.

 

Todd Simmons, 39

President and CEO

Simmons Foods Inc., Siloam Springs

Simmons Foods, the family-owned poultry operation, ranked ninth on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies with revenue of $889 million in 2009 and No. 2 among manufacturers with more than 3,900 employees just in Arkansas. Todd Simmons, the third generation to run the 62-year-old company, earned a degree in entrepreneurship and business management from Georgetown University in 1994. He serves on the board of directors of White River Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas.

 

Donnie Smith, 51

CEO

Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale

Making his first appearance on the Power List is Donnie Smith, a career employee who was promoted to the top spot in November 2009. Tyson, the largest manufacturer in the state and third only to the state government and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in the number of Arkansans it employs, has been his home for 31 years. He signed on in 1980 after graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in animal science. He moved to the home office in Springdale seven years later to join the commodities purchasing group. He continued up the ladder and was senior group vice president of poultry and prepared foods before his ultimate promotion. He oversaw a dramatic improvement in Tyson’s bottom line during fiscal 2010, when the company posted net income of $765 million after a loss of more than half a billion dollars in 2009.

 

John Tyson, 57

Chairman

Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale

John Tyson was named for his grandfather, the founder of Tyson Foods Inc., and is the son of the late Don Tyson, who built the company into the largest poultry company in the country. John Tyson became chairman of the company in 1998 and CEO in 2000. He resigned as CEO in 2006, but remains chairman of the board.

 

Collier Wenderoth Jr., 86

Chairman and CEO

O.K. Foods Inc., Fort Smith

In 1955 — that’s 56 years ago — Collier Wenderoth Jr. inherited the Fort Smith business his father started in 1933. O.K. Foods came in at No. 7 on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies with 2009 revenue estimated at $950 million and more than 4,000 employees. O.K.’s Fort Smith facilities include two poultry processing plants, a feed mill, hatchery, deboning plant and corporate offices, and the company has operations in Heavener, Muldrow and Stigler, Okla. Wenderoth has served two terms as president of the Arkansas Poultry Federation and two terms as chairman of what is now the National Chicken Council. He was the Poultry Federation’s Man of the Year in 2004, and the University of Arkansas’ Poultry Center of Excellence has recognized him as one of the 32 founders of the state’s poultry industry. In 2009, he was inducted into the Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Architecture & Engineering

Tom Adams, 69

President

Wittenberg Delony & Davidson Architects,

Little Rock and Fayetteville

Tom Adams leads the architecture firm of Wittenberg Delony & Davidson, founded in 1919. WD&D, the third-largest architecture firm in Arkansas and the state’s largest architecture-only firm, focuses on municipal, education, health care, office space and correction projects. Among its projects are the I. Dodd Wilson Education Building at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; the 100,000-SF Wadley Regional Medical Center in Texarkana; Har-Ber High School in Springdale, one of the largest high schools in Arkansas; and the Little Rock School District’s new Roberts Elementary School in west Little Rock.

 

Marlon Blackwell, 54

Principal

Marlon Blackwell Architect, Fayetteville

Marlon Blackwell has earned international recognition for his designs. Among his honors: Residential Architect naming him one of the 50 best architects, Architectural Record citing his Keenan TowerHouse in Fayetteville as one of the top designs of the last decade and The Architectural Review giving his Porchdog House in Mississippi a 2010 AR House Award, one of only 14 in the world. Blackwell, who founded his firm in 1990, teaches at the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas. One of his current projects is the museum store for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, which will open in November.

 

Matt Crafton, 43

President and CEO

Crafton Tull, Rogers

Crafton Tull ties for the fifth-largest engineering firm in Arkansas and is among the top 10 architecture firms. The firm has 256 employees and offices in Conway, Little Rock, Russellville and Oklahoma City, in addition to Rogers. Matt Crafton became president and CEO in October 2009, replacing Tom Hopper, who retained the role of chairman. Crafton is a registered professional engineer in Arkansas and six other states, and in 2002 was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers. Among the firm’s recent projects are The Links at Fayetteville, the University of Central Arkansas’ Bear Hall in Conway and the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Trust Master Plan in Fort Smith.

 

Jeff Shannon, 65

Dean

Fay Jones School of Architecture, Fayetteville

Jeff Shannon began his career working at the firm of the late Fay Jones, school alumnus and a professor at the University of Arkansas institution eventually named for him. In 1977, Shannon co-founded Polk Stanley Shannon in Little Rock, which has evolved into Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. Shannon returned to the school in 1979 to teach architecture, becoming dean in 2000. In December, he was chosen as one of the 25 “most admired educators” of 2011 in the November/December issue of DesignIntelligence. Under his leadership, the architecture school has gained national recognition. In 2008, the school was ranked 20th in the nation in the 10th Annual Survey of America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools, a study conducted by the Design Futures Council.

Banking & Finance

Calvin Jarrett, 50

President

Arvest Investments Inc., Rogers

Calvin Jarrett leads Arvest Investments Inc., with more than $578 million in assets under management. The regional firm, owned by the Walton family, is one of the largest Arkansas-based brokerage firms, with offices in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. Jarrett’s tenure with Arvest covers more than 21 years. The CPA has worked under the Arvest Asset Management umbrella since 1996, and his Arvest résumé includes stints with bank operations in 1987-94.

 

Jim Walton, 62

Chairman and CEO

Arvest Bank Group, Bentonville

Jim Walton, youngest son of Wal-Mart co-founder Sam Walton, ranked No. 20 on Forbes’ latest list of wealthiest billionaires with an estimated net worth of $21.3 billion. Walton leads Arvest Bank Group, the largest Arkansas bank holding company, with total assets of more than $11.5 billion. The banking venture dates back to 1961, with operations now spread throughout much of Arkansas and parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas.

Economic Development

Kathy Deck, 35

Director

Center for Business & Economic Research,

Sam M. Walton College of Business

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Kathy Deck became head of the Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Arkansas in 2007. Last year, Deck’s biggest project was a statewide economic study commissioned by the UA. She is the lead researcher for the quarterly Skyline Report, which examines the Northwest Arkansas real estate market and is produced in collaboration with Arvest Bank. Deck took the post at the Sam M. Walton College of Business after working as an antitrust economist in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, examining mergers and acquisitions.

 

Kermit Kuehn, 57

Director, Center for Business Research

& Economic Development

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

Kermit Kuehn is the founding director of the Center for Business Research & Economic Development. Kuehn came to UAFS in 2006 as a half-time faculty member in management and entrepreneurship and as part-time director of the Family Enterprise Center. He continued in that role until the end of 2008. Previously, he worked for 10 years in universities in the United Arab Emirates and Oman as a faculty member and in various administrative roles. He also has worked as a business consultant, director of finance, vice president and chief financial officer in small to medium-sized firms.

Education

G. David Gearhart, 58

Chancellor

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A Fayetteville native, David Gearhart earned his bachelor’s degree at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., then a doctorate in education and a law degree from the University of Arkansas. Gearhart literally wrote the book on college fundraising — “The Capital Campaign in Higher Education” — and during 10 years as vice chancellor for university advancement, he oversaw a fundraising campaign that raised more than $1 billion for the University of Arkansas. He succeeded John A. White as chancellor of the Fayetteville campus on July 1, 2008.

 

Jeff Long, 51

Athletic Director

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

After serving as an adviser to the chancellor, Jeff Long became director of athletics at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in January 2008. He succeeded the legendary Frank Broyles just in time to hire a new football coach (see next entry). He also recently made a change at the top of the men’s basketball program. In between, he has proposed a multimillion-dollar building program for athletic facilities.

 

Bobby Petrino, 50

Head Football Coach

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Nothing succeeds like success, and the success of Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks has fans excited. In his third season as head football coach, Petrino won 10 games and took the Hogs to the Sugar Bowl — the first-ever BCS Bowl appearance for the UA. Defying his reputation as a job-hopper, Petrino signed a seven-year extension of his contract. He came to Arkansas after less than a year as coach of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and, before that, the University of Louisville.

Government

John Boozman, 60

U.S. Senator 

U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

John Boozman was elected to the United States Senate in 2010, defeating two-term incumbent Blanche Lincoln. Boozman, a Republican from Northwest Arkansas and optometrist by trade, represented the state’s 3rd Congressional District from 2001 to 2010. He was instrumental in establishing the Arkansas World Trade Center, which opened in 2007.

Health Care

D. Melody Trimble, 52

CEO

Sparks Health System, Fort Smith

Melody Trimble became the CEO of Sparks Health System in Fort Smith in December 2009. Trimble had been the CEO at Venice Regional Medical Center in Venice, Fla. In 2010, she was awarded Chief Executive Officer of the Year by Health Management Associates. The Sparks Health System, which has more than 1,900 employees, includes the Sparks Regional Medical Center, 36 clinics and a physician group with more than 80 members.

Law

Jeffrey J. Gearhart, 46

EVP and General Counsel

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

Just days after our last Power List was published in January 2009, Jeff Gearhart succeeded Tom Mars as general counsel for Wal-Mart, one of the largest law practices in the state. Gearhart, a product of the University of Arkansas School of Law, had practiced with the Rose Law Firm and Kutak Rock LLP before joining Wal-Mart in 2003. He was promoted to SVP and deputy general counsel in 2007, to EVP and general counsel in 2009, and named corporate secretary last June.

Manufacturing

Roderick “Rick” Allen

Chairman and CEO

Allens Inc., Siloam Springs

Rick Allen is the third generation to run the family business that started in 1926 in the Ozark hills. With plants in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, New York, Wisconsin and North Carolina, Allen, along with sons Joshua and Nicholas, has aggressively acquired business to expand the company’s lines of canned and frozen foods. Allens Inc. reported $746 million in revenue for its fiscal year that ended Feb. 28, 2010, ranking it No. 11 on Arkansas Business’ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies. The company has 2,300 employees.

 

Ken Thompson, 57

Division Vice President

Whirlpool Corp., Fort Smith

Ken Thompson has been leading Whirlpool’s Fort Smith manufacturing effort for four years, and has been with the company for 32. Despite announcing several rounds of layoffs in 2009 and 2010, Whirlpool remains one of the state’s largest manufacturers with an estimated 1,900 employees. Whirlpool’s Arkansas operation mainly manufactures refrigerators, trash compactors and component ice-makers.

 

Ronald Tucker, 53

President and CEO

Baldor Electric Co., Fort Smith

After John McFarland announced he would step down as president and CEO of Baldor Electric at the end of 2010, Ronald Tucker, the company’s chief operations officer, was announced as his replacement. Tucker has been with Baldor for more than 25 years, serving in several management positions. In November 2010, Baldor announced its sale to Swiss power and technology company ABB in a deal valued at $4.2 billion. Tucker will remain on board to run Baldor as a subsidiary.

Media & Marketing

Van Comer, 51

President and General Manager

KFSM-TV, Channel 5, Fort Smith

Van Comer has been with KFSM-TV, Channel 5, since 1993. Before becoming president and general manager, he served as general sales manager for the station. KFSM is one of the oldest stations in Arkansas, first going live in July 1953. Recent TV rankings show it as the leader in five of six time slots in the Northwest Arkansas market.

 

Kenny Tomlin, 41

Founder and CEO

Rockfish Interactive, Rogers

In 2006, Kenny Tomlin, who began working in the Web development industry right out of college, founded Rockfish Interactive. The company, which counts Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart as clients, has launched several businesses of its own, such as Silver Joe’s Coffee and CouponFactory, through its business incubator, Rockfish Labs. In 2009, Rockfish Interactive received Advertising Age magazine’s first award for Top Small Agency of the Year. In the past year, the company has more than doubled its staff and has expanded from two locations to five.

Nonprofits

Clay H. Davis, 46,

Executive Director and Treasurer

University of Arkansas Foundation Inc., Fayetteville

Clay Davis presides over the University of Arkansas Foundation, which manages and administers private financial support benefiting campuses of the University of Arkansas System, including assets of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville Campus Foundation. The UA Foundation, the second-largest nonprofit in Arkansas, had assets of $543 million as of June 30, 2009. Davis, a native of Hope and a former tax attorney with the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, has led the UA Foundation since 2007.

 

Harold Horton, 71

Executive Director

Razorback Foundation Inc., Fayetteville

Harold Horton, previously vice president of the Razorback Foundation, became president in November 2009. The foundation raises money for scholarships, facilities and other programs for athletics at the University of Arkansas. Horton, a former player and coach for the Razorbacks, calls leading the foundation an honor and notes that during his tenure, the size of the foundation fund has increased while those of other athletic foundations have dwindled. The foundation reported $14.7 million in total assets as of June 30, 2009.

 

Rick D. Niece, 64

Vice President

Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation Inc., Bentonville

Rick Niece is new to the Power List. The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation reports paying Niece, who also is president of the University of the Ozarks, a salary of $252,243. Jim Walton, however, is chairman of the board of this Walton-funded nonprofit, which had assets of $180 million as of the end of 2009 and supports Arkansas colleges and universities as well as community trusts and foundations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

 

Buddy D. Philpot, 53

Executive Director

Walton Family Foundation Inc., Bentonville

Buddy Philpot has worked for the Walton family since 1987, serving as president of Arvest Bank in Springdale until becoming executive director of the Walton Family Foundation in 2001. The Walton Family Foundation is the largest nonprofit in Arkansas, with assets of $2.3 billion as of the end of 2009. It focuses on K-12 education reform, conservation of marine and freshwater environments, economic development in the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi and a number of programs in Northwest Arkansas. In 2009, the foundation made grants and other donations of more than $378 million.

Real Estate

John Cooper Jr., 72

Chairman

Cooper Communities, Rogers

John Cooper served as president of Cooper Communities for more than 30 years, and continues to serve on a variety of public company boards. The namesake son of the company founder joined the firm 10 years after his legendary father started developing retirement communities in 1954. From that foundation, the company expanded from residential endeavors to investing in retail, office and warehouse projects and vacation timeshares and resorts, with holdings in eight states.

 

Jim Lindsey, 66

President

Lindsey & Associates, Fayetteville

Jim Lindsey oversees one of the leading commercial and residential realty operations in Northwest Arkansas. Under his direction, the company became a regional player in apartment development and management with investments in eight states. Lindsey Management Co. is the largest manager of apartments in Arkansas. A leading Razorback booster and former member of the University of Arkansas System board of trustees, Lindsey helped sort through the 2010 bankruptcy of son John David’s business holdings.

Retail

Roger Collins, 62

Chairman and CEO

Harps Food Stores Inc.,

Springdale

In 1986, Roger Collins started with Harps Food Stores Inc. as the vice president of finance and chief financial officer. He was promoted to executive vice president in 1995 and then president and CEO in 2000. He serves on the boards and executive committees of the National Cooperative Bank in Washington, D.C., the National Grocers Association of Arlington, Va., and the Associated Wholesale Grocers of Kansas City, Kan. For the fiscal year that ended Aug. 30, 2009, Harps reported $500 million in revenue, up 13.6 percent from the previous year. Harps has 63 stores in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

 

Mike Duke, 61

President and CEO

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

Mike Duke became Wal-Mart’s president and CEO in 2009. Duke has been with Wal-Mart since 1995 and was named its international division president in 2005. Duke also has spent time in logistics and as CEO of Wal-Mart U.S. Wal-Mart has more than 8,900 stores in 15 countries, and employs more than 2 million people. Wal-Mart ranked No. 11 on Fortune magazine’s 2010 Most Admired Companies list. For the fiscal year that ended Jan. 31, Wal-Mart reported revenue of $421.8 billion, up 3.4 percent from the previous year. And its net income was up 14.1 percent to $16.39 billion. 

 

Jeff K. Schomburger, 48

President of Global Wal-Mart Team

Procter & Gamble Distributing Co., Fayetteville

Jeff Schomburger has worked for Procter & Gamble for more than 25 years, including seven abroad as vice president of Western Europe Sales. In 2003, he moved to Fayetteville to head P&G’s Global Wal-Mart Team, and was promoted to his current position in 2005. Procter & Gamble is the largest supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He also has been active with the Walton Arts Center, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and United Way of Northwest Arkansas.

 

S. Robson Walton, 66

Chairman

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

Rob Walton joined Wal-Mart in 1969 and has been senior vice president, secretary and general counsel and vice chairman. He was named chairman of the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 1992, days after his father, co-founder Sam Walton, died. He also is a trustee at Wooster College in Ohio. In March, Forbes estimated Rob Walton’s net worth to be $21 billion, placing him No. 22 on the list of the world’s billionaires.

Transportation

Clifton R. Beckham, 39

President and CEO

USA Truck Inc., Van Buren

Cliff Beckham has been leading the publicly traded USA Truck since 2007. A CPA, Beckham, who has been with the trucking company since 1994, served as senior vice president-finance from 2003 to 2007 and chief financial officer from 2002 to 2007. USA Truck is the ninth-largest trucking company in Arkansas. As have other carriers, USA Truck has been buffeted by the recession’s headwinds. But last year saw the company narrow its net losses, to $3.3 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $7.2 million, or 70 cents per share, during 2009.

 

Jim F. Crowell, 58

Director

Supply Chain Management Research Center,

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

Jim Crowell joined the Supply Chain Management Research Center as managing director in August 2001. His background is in corporate financial planning, operations, procurement, transportation, logistics systems and supply chain collaboration in the private sector. Crowell, who has seen center membership triple during the last several years, has developed a number of annual events, including a spring conference and International Logistics Graduate Case Competition. He has served as chapter president of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. He was named the 2002 Educator of the Year by the Colorado Transportation Community.

 

Daniel H. Cushman, 54

President and CEO

P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc., Tontitown

Dan Cushman was named chief of P.A.M. Transportation in July 2009, succeeding Robert Weaver, who co-founded the company in 1980, after Weaver’s contract was not renewed. Cushman left Werner Enterprises as senior vice president and chief marketing officer in 2008 and joined CRST International Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before landing at P.A.M. Cushman was brought aboard to lead the trucking company, Arkansas’ 10th-largest, back to profitability. And though P.A.M., which has a significant presence in Mexico, has not quite reached profit territory, the firm has narrowed its losses considerably. For 2010, the publicly traded company reported a loss of $654,728, much improved from its 2009 loss of $10.8 million.

Judy McReynolds, 48

President and CEO

Arkansas Best, Fort Smith

Judy McReynolds became president and CEO of Arkansas Best Corp. on Jan. 1, 2010, replacing Bob Davidson, who retired after almost 38 years with the company. Arkansas Best is the parent company of ABF Freight System Inc., the seventh-largest trucking company in the state. ABF, a less-than-truckload carrier, accounts for about 95 percent of Arkansas Best’s revenue. McReynolds previously served as senior vice president, CFO and treasurer of Arkansas Best, and is the only female CEO of an Arkansas-based publicly traded company.

 

John D. Ozment, 64

Professor, Logistics

Oren Harris Chair of Transportation

Sam M. Walton College of Business,

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

John Ozment is co-founder and an executive committee board member of the Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center at the University of Arkansas. The center was sponsored by a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and gets about $750,000 in federal funding each year. Ozment established the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and remains extensively involved in its activities and programs.

 

John N. Roberts III, 46

President and CEO

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Lowell

John Roberts replaced Kirk Thompson as president and CEO of J.B. Hunt, the largest trucking company headquartered in Arkansas, on Jan. 1. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Roberts joined the company in 1989 as a management trainee, and worked his way up the corporate ladder. Before being chosen to lead the company, Roberts served as executive VP and president of dedicated contract services from 1997 to Dec. 31, 2010. The company has weathered the recession better than many: During 2010, operating income was up 40 percent to $348 million, and net earnings increased 46 percent to $199.6 million.

 

Chris Sultemeier, 48

Senior VP of Transportation

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

Chris Sultemeier presides over Wal-Mart’s private fleet of trucks, the second-largest private fleet in the U.S. Sultemeier joined Wal-Mart in 1989. He previously was VP of the Corporate Traffic Department, where he was responsible for inbound transportation to Wal-Mart’s distribution centers and stores. As senior VP of transportation, Sultemeier oversees all Wal-Mart domestic transportation in addition to its private trucking fleet. In this role, he has worked to improve the fuel efficiency of the retailer’s vehicles. Sultemeier, a West Point graduate and licensed engineer, is the chairman of the Retail Industry Leaders Association Transportation Committee and committee chairman of the Arkansas Governor’s Yellow Ribbon Task Force.