Previous Chairmen & Luncheon Speakers

2008 - 2009

Danny Kennedy, Chairman
President and Chief Executive Officer, Riceland Foods, Inc.
Danny Kennedy is president and chief executive officer of Riceland Foods, Inc. headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Riceland is the largest U.S. rice miller, one of the nation's top 10 grain storage companies and annually markets more than 125 million bushels of grain. Mr. Kennedy holds a B.S. degree in agriculture from Mississippi State University and an M.B.A. degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Richard A. Greubel, Jr., Speaker
Group Vice President and International President, Tyson Foods, Inc.
Rich Greubel is the Group Vice President and International President of Tyson Foods. He is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and has a bachelor's degree in Microbiology from the University of Missouri. In addition to English, Mr. Greubel speaks Spanish and Portuguese.

2007 - 2008

Walter Hussman, Jr. Chairman
President & CEO of WEHCO Media, Inc..
Walter Hussman, Jr. is president and chief executive officer of WEHCO Media, Inc. (the Walter E. Hussman Company, which was established in 1973 by his father, Walter E. Hussman, Sr. Mr. Hussman followed in the family footsteps, first earning his bachelor's in journalism at the University of North Carolina and then an MBA from Columbia University.

Peter T. Grauer, Speaker
Chairman of the Board and President, Bloomberg.
Peter T. Grauer is Chairman and President of Bloomberg L.P., the global financial media company that was founded in 1981. He has been a member of the Bloomberg board since October 1996 and was named Chairman of the Board in March 2001 succeeding Michael R. Bloomberg. Mr. Grauer joined Bloomberg full time in his executive capacities in 2002. Mr. Grauer graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1968 and the Harvard University Graduate School of Business, Program for Management Development in 1975.

2006 - 2007

Bill Clark, Chairman
Chairman of the Board and CEO, CDI Contractors.
William E. Clark is Chairman of the Board and CEO of CDI Contractors, which was established in 1987. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Bill Harrison, Speaker
Chairman of the Board, JP Morgan Chase.
Mr. Harrison is Chairman of the Board of JP Morgan Chase, where he has also served as Chairman, President and CEO. Previously, Mr. Harrison was Chairman and CEO of the Chase Manhattan Corporation, where he has served as President and also Vice Chairman, responsible for all wholesale banking operations.

2005 - 2006

Thomas F. McLarty III, Chairman
President, Kissinger McLarty Associates.
Thomas F. McLarty has a distinguished record of business leadership and public service, including various roles advising three U.S. Presidents: Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter.

Michael L. Eskew, Speaker
Chairman & CEO of UPS.
Mike Eskew serves as chairman and chief executive officer for UPS, the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services.

2004 - 2005

Scott T. Ford, Chairman
President & CEO, Alltel Corporation.
Scott Ford is President and Chief Executive Officer for Alltel, a customer-focused communications company with nearly 13 million customers and $8 billion in annual revenues. Alltel provides wireless, local telephone, long-distance, internet and high-speed data services to residential and business customers in 26 states.

Fred W. Smith, Speaker
Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees.
As the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Fred W. Smith is responsible for the philanthropic endeavors of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the nation.

2003 - 2004

John H. Tyson, Chairman and Speaker
Chairman and CEO, Tyson Foods, Inc.
John Tyson was born in Springdale, Arkansas, the son of Don and Jean Tyson and the grandson of John Tyson, founder of Tyson Foods. He graduated from Springdale High School in 1971, and received Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1975 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.

2002 - 2003

Howard Putnam, Chairman and Speaker
Former CEO, Southwest Airlines & Braniff Airlines.
Howard Putnam's ultimate objective is "Bottom Line Improvement." He believes that cultures that place people as their #1 priority have the greatest long term impact and success.

2001 - 2002

Donald G. Soderquist, Chairman and Speaker
Retired Senior Vice-Chairman Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The man for whom the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics was named, Donald G. Soderquist's life has exemplified honorable leadership and servant hood, both personally and professionally.

2000 - 2001

Warren A. Stephens, Chairman
President and Chief Executive Officer of Stephens Inc.
Warren A. Stephens is a graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he received his bachelor of arts in economics degree. He later received his master of business administration degree from Wake Forest University.

Wally Amos, Speaker
Father of the Gourmet Cookie Industry.
As inventor of Famous Amos cookies, Wally Amos' story is the quintessential American success story.