past Speakers

JOHN W. ALLISON

Founder & Chairman Home BancShares, Centennial Bank

Allison Is Founder Of Home BancShares And Centennial Bank, Where He Currently Serves As Chairman Of The Board Of Directors. Home BancShares Ranked No. 1 On Forbes “Best Banks In America” List For 2018 And 2019. It Is One Of Only Seven Publicly Traded Banks Or Thrift Holding Companies Currently Assigned An A-Plus (Excellent) Rating By The Street Ratings.

Allison Served More Than 20 Years As Chairman Of The Board Of First National Bank Of Conway (Now Regions Bank) And Was Chairman Of The Executive Committee Of The Former Little Rock Based Holding Company First Commercial Corporation.

Allison, A Graduate Of Arkansas State University, Served On The ASU Board Of Trustees From 1979-1984 And In 1988 Was Named Distinguished Alumni From ASU. Allison Is A Member Of The Arkansas State Police Board And In 2013 Was Named 2013 Community Banker Of The Year By American Banker Magazine.

Allison Was Named Business And Professional Leader Of The Year In 2018 By The Rotary Club Of Little Rock.

CURTIS BARNETT

President & CEO, Arkansas Blue Cross And Blue Shield

Curtis Barnett Serves As President And Chief Executive Officer For Arkansas Blue Cross And Blue Shield. As CEO, Barnett Serves On The Board Of Directors Of The National Blue Cross And Blue Shield Association. He Also Serves As The Chairman On The Association's Board Of Managers For The Federal Employee Program And Is A Member Of The Health Leadership Advisory Committee. Barnett Is Also Chairman Of The Board Of Managers For Blue Health Intelligence, A Healthcare Data Analytics And Solutions Company.

Barnett Received A Bachelor's Degree From The University Of Central Arkansas, A Master's Degree In Public Administration From The University Of Arkansas And Is A Graduate Of The Northwestern University Kellogg School Of Management's Advanced Executive Program. He Also Has Earned Several Professional Designations, Including The Certified Employee Benefits Specialist And A Professional In The Academy Of Healthcare Management.

Nick Brown

President & CEO, Southwest Power Pool

Nick Brown was elected president and CEO of SPP in 2003. In his current position, he serves in the board of directors and is responsible for ensuring that SPP achieves its mission and goals.

Prior to this position, Mr. Brown served SPP members as senior vice president and corporate secretary from 1999-2003; vice president and corporate secretary from 1998-1999; director, engineering and operations from 1993-96; manager, engineering services from 1989-1993; and in several engineering positions since joining the SPP staff in 1985. Mr. Brown began his career as a planning engineer at Southwestern Electric Power Company.

Nick received Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and math from Ouachita Baptist University and in electrical engineering from Louisiana Tech University. He is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advance Management Program. A registered professional engineer and master electrician, Nick is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu engineering honor societies, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Nick has served on the board of directors of the Electric Power Research Institute and has served on numerous organizational groups of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation over the past 30 years.

ED CHOATE

President & CEO, Delta Dental Of Arkansas

Choate Joined Delta Dental Of Arkansas As President And CEO In 2000. Prior To Joining Delta Dental Of Arkansas, He Worked For 20 Years In The Managed Healthcare Industry In Leadership Roles At Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, NovaSys Health And HealthScope Benefits.

Choate Was Named Arkansas Business Executive Of The Year In 2006 And Was Inducted Into The Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall Of Fame In 2011. Delta Dental Was Chosen As The Arkansas Business Of The Year In 2013 And Has Been Recognized As One Of The Best Places To Work In Arkansas Every Year Since 2013.

Choate Is Chairman Of The Baptist Health Board Of Trustees, A Past Chair Of The Delta Dental Plans Association And DeltaUSA Boards Of Directors. He Is Recognized As A Board Leadership Fellow By The National Association Of Corporate Directors And Attended The Stanford Law School Director’s College In 2018.

Choate Is A Graduate Of Southern Arkansas University.

RONALD L. DEDMAN

President, AT&T Arkansas

Dedman Has Been With A&T Since 1974, Starting His Career With The Company When It Was Operating As Southwestern Bell. His Tenure With The Company Began As An Intern And He Has Been Part Of Numerous Business And Technology Upgrades Within The Company.

Dedman Was Promoted Twice In 2018, First As Regional Director Of External Affairs In Jan. 2018 And Then To President Of AT&T Arkansas In June 2018. He Has Worked In Operator Services, Marketing And External Affairs.

Dedman, 1978 Graduate Of Arkansas State University, Has Served On Numerous Boards During His Career, Including A Stint As Chairman Of The Board Of Directors For The North Little Rock Chamber Of Commerce And As A Twice-Appointed Board Member Of Pulaski Technical College. Other Board Appointments Have Included The Arkansas State University Foundation, Little Rock Boys & Girls Club And The Downtown Little Rock Partnership.

MARCY DODERER

President & CEO, Arkansas Children’s, Inc.

Doderer Took The Helm As President And Chief Executive Officer Of Arkansas Children’s Hospital In 2013. Under Her Leadership, The Organization Has Grown From A Single Hospital To The State’s Only Pediatric Health System.

Previously, She Served As A Member Of Senior Leadership For CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System In Various Capacities Since 2002. Doderer Became Administrator For CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital In 2008 And Led The Effort To Transform The Facility Into The Freestanding Children’s Hospital Of San Antonio.

Doderer Is A Fellow In The American College Of Health Care Executives And Currently Serves As A Member Of The Children’s Hospital Solutions For Patient Safety Board Of Directors, The Education Committee Of The Children’s Hospital Association And The Board Of Healthy Active Arkansas.

She Obtained Her BS In Finance From Trinity University In San Antonio And Her MA In Hospital And Health Administration From The University Of Iowa.

AMY FECHER

Cabinet Secretary, Arkansas Department Of Transformation & Shared Services

Fecher Led Efforts To Enact Act 910, The Transformation And Efficiencies Act, Which Reorganized 42 Cabinet Level Agencies And Hundreds Of Boards And Commissions Into 15 Cabinet-Level Departments. She Was Appointed As The First-Ever Secretary Of Department Of Transformation And Shared Services.

She Led The Governor’s Efforts To Pass The Transformation And Efficiencies Act Of 2019 – The First Reorganization Of State Government In Almost 50 Years. Fecher Served Is Executive Vice President Of Operations At The Arkansas Economic Development Commission, And Governor Hutchinson’s Designee To The Delta Regional Authority’s Board Of Governors.

Fecher Is A Graduate Of The University Of Central Arkansas In Conway.

SCOTT T. FORD

Co-Founder & CEO, Westrock Group, LLC

Scott Ford Is A Co-Founder And Chief Executive Officer Of Westrock Group, LLC, A Private Investment Firm He Founded With This Father.  Westrock Group Operates Westrock Coffee Company, LLC, A Leading Integrated Coffee, Tea, And Extract Service Provider In The US, And Westrock Asset Management, LLC, An Alternative Asset Management Firm.  Scott Serves As Chief Executive Officer Of Westrock Coffee Company And As Chief Executive Officer And Chief Investment Officer Of Westrock Asset Management.

Prior To Forming The Westrock Family Of Companies, Mr. Ford Served As President And Chief Executive Officer Of Alltel Corporation Where He Led The Company Through Several Major Business Transformations, Culminating With The Sale Of The Company To Verizon Wireless In 2009 For $29 Billion.

He Began His Career With Merrill Lynch Capital Markets And Then Spent Ten Years Working For The Stephens Family Where He Worked Closely With Its Renowned Chairman, Jackson T. Stephens.

Mr. Ford Currently Serves On The Board Of Directors Of AT&T Inc. And Agaciro Development Fund (The Sovereign Wealth Fund For The Republic Of Rwanda).

Mr. Ford Holds A B.S.B.A. In Finance From The University Of Arkansas.

JOHN FURNER

President & CEO, Walmart U.S.

John Furner Serves As President And Chief Executive Officer Of Walmart U.S., Where He Is Responsible For The Strategic Direction And Performance Of More Than 4,700 Stores And More Than 1 Million Associates.

From 2017-2019, Furner Served As President And Chief Executive Officer Of Sam’s Club. During His Time As CEO, Sam’s Club Had 11 Consecutive Quarters Of Positive Sales Comps, While Increasing Memberships.

Furner Started With Walmart As An Hourly Associate In 1993, At Store 100 In Bentonville. He Has Held Important Roles Throughout The Company, Including Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, District Manager, Buyer, Regional General Manager, Divisional Merchandising Manager, VP Of Global Sourcing, General Merchandise Manager, Head Of Marketing And Merchandising For Walmart China Based In Shenzhen, And Chief Merchant For Sam’s Club.

He Serves On The Boards Of Directors For The Congressional Medal Of Honor Foundation And National Retail Federation.

Furner Has A Bachelor Of Science In Marketing Management From The University Of Arkansas.

MYRON JACKSON

CEO, The Design Group

Myron Jackson Is The CEO Of The Design Group, A Multicultural Communications Company Based In Little Rock. The Design Group Offers Brand Strategy, Cross-Cultural Communications, Branded Creative Content, Design Services, Public Relations, Media Planning And Buying, And Website Development.

HANK KELLEY

CEO, Kelley Commercial Partners

Hank Kelley’s Commitment To Deliver Superior Service To His Brokerage And Property Management Clients Has Garnered Many Long-Term Relationships Over His 36-Year Career. As CEO Of Kelley Commercial Partners, Mr. Kelley Leads His Team To Succeed And Deliver Results To Investors, Developers, Landlords, Tenants, And Prospects. Mr. Kelley Has Represented A Myriad Of Clients Over The Years And Maintains A High Level Of Enthusiasm For Every Transaction Each And Every Day.

MARTA LOYD

CEO, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute

Dr. Marta Loyd Has Served As Executive Director Of The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Since 2014. Under Her Leadership And Guidance, The Institute’s Mission Has Been Strengthened And Clarified To Focus On The Rockefeller Ethic, A Unique Approach To Collaborative Problem Solving As Modeled By Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller. As A Team, She And Her Staff Have Strengthened External Partnerships, Nearly Doubled The Number Of Program Offerings, Implemented An Evaluation System To Measure Impact, Instituted Core Values Into The Organization And Secured The Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller Endowment Which Will Fund Operations For The Institute. 

Prior To Joining The Institute, She Spent 17 Years Working At The University Of Arkansas-Fort Smith, 12 Of Those Serving As Vice Chancellor For University Advancement And As Executive Director Of The UAFS Foundation. During Her Tenure At UAFS, She Led The Effort To Raise Gifts And Pledges Totaling $57 Million, Increasing Total Assets Of The Foundation From $20 Million To Nearly $80 Million. Prior To Taking The Helm Of The UAFS Foundation, Loyd, A Former Dental Hygienist, Led The Effort To Start The Dental Hygiene School At Then Westark College.

In Her Community, Dr. Loyd Has Served As Board Member For The Morrilton Area Chamber Of Commerce And The Petit Jean Mountain Community Association, And Recently Completed Her Term On The Federal Reserve Board Of St. Louis’ Community Development Advisory Council. 

 Dr. Loyd Holds A Master Of Education Degree From The University Of Arkansas And A Doctor Of Education Degree From The University Of Missouri. She Also Completed The Institute For Educational Management At Harvard University. She And Her Husband, Greg, Have Been Married For 35 Years And Have Three Adult Children And Four Grandchildren.

Mark Saviers

Principal, Sage Partners

R. Mark Saviers has more 35 years of experience in developing and leasing office buildings, business parks, datacenters, warehouses, and corporate headquarter/campuses. He began his real estate career in 1982, and spent the first ten years in the development, property management, construction, and disposition of commercial real estate with the Trammell Crow Company. Experience with the company spanned four cities – Dallas, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Chicago. In Chicago, Mark was the Division Partner in charge of all industrial properties and related companies.

Currently Mark is a Partner with Sage Partners, a commercial real estate firm he co-founded with offices in Northwest Arkansas and in Little Rock. He is also a partner in Tempus Realty Partners, a Little Rock based real estate investment firm.

Mark, current Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arkansas Children’s Inc., is the author of the newly published book, Flipped, which tells the story of how faith, family, friends and community came together to create triumph over tragedy.

SHELLEY SIMPSON

EVP & Chief Commercial Officer, J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Shelley Simpson Is Executive Vice President And Chief Commercial Officer Of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. She Is Also President Of Highway Services.

Simpson’s 25-Year Career At J.B. Hunt Reflects The Company’s Continued Progression As An Innovative Leader In The Transportation And Logistics Industry. Since Joining J.B. Hunt As A Customer Service Representative, She Has Held Multiple Senior-Level Positions For Business Segments Across The Company.

In 2007, Simpson Was Named President Of Integrated Capacity Solutions, A Business Unit She Helped Create, And Quickly Made It The Fastest-Growing Area Of The Company. While Continuing To Develop ICS, Simpson Assumed Sales And Marketing Executive Responsibilities In 2011 And Was Appointed Chief Marketing Officer. She Took On Additional Leadership In 2014 As President Of J.B. Hunt’s Truckload Business Segment To Improve Efficiency.

In 2017, Simpson Was Named Chief Commercial Officer And Leads The Strategic Direction Of Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, And Product Development, Including J.B. Hunt 360, The Company’s Technology Platform For Freight Matching And Operational Efficiency. J.B. Hunt Combined The Management Of Truckload And ICS Services That Same Year By Creating Highway Services, Of Which She Was Named President And Continues To Oversee.

Simpson Is Devoted To Promoting The Advancement Of Women And Serving Her Community. She Is The Executive Sponsor For Two Employee Resource Groups At The Company Which She Helped Create - Growing And Retaining Outstanding Women (GROW) And Latinos Engaging, Advancing, And Developing (LEAD). Simpson Serves On The Board For Multiple Local Organizations, Including WorkMatters, Mercy Health Foundation, And The Dean’s Executive Advisory Board For The Sam M. Walton College Of Business At The University Of Arkansas. In 2016, She Received The Distinguished Woman Of The Year Award By Women In

Trucking And Was Named 2017 ATHENA Woman Of The Year At The NWA Business Women’s Conference.

Cameron Smith

CEO, Cameron Smith & Associates

Since Cameron Smith founded CSA in 1994, he and his team have been credited with luring hundreds of Walmart supplier offices into Northwest Arkansas, creating thousands of high-paying jobs.

A leader in the supplier community, Cameron is actively involved in efforts to enhance technology, international trade opportunities, and higher educational resources available to world-class companies working in conjunction with Walmart. He was recognized by Arkansas Business as the 2014 Business Executive of the Year.

A California native and former professional fast-pitch softball pitcher, Cameron spearheaded conversion of girls’ softball from slow-pitch to fast-pitch in the state of Arkansas.

Cameron is married to Monica Smith, who is also the CFO of the company. Smith serves on the board of America’s CarMart.

Donnie Smith

Former CEO, Tyson Foods, Inc.

Donnie Smith’s passion for leadership has been the hallmark of his 36-year career in the food business. As president and CEO of Tyson Foods from 2009 to 2016, he led the company to focus on feeding the world great, affordable food, while also making a positive difference in people’s lives. Under his leadership, Tyson Foods achieved four straight years of record profits, multiplying stock value six times in seven years.

Throughout his career, Donnie worked to learn every angle of Tyson Foods’ business. He joined the company in 1980, working in poultry operations for seven years in Tennessee before moving to the company’s headquarters in Springdale, Ark., where he started as a commodity buyer. He was named director of commodity purchasing in 1991 and during the next several years added complementary responsibilities to his management portfolio: logistics, purchasing and information systems in 2006; and engineering, food safety and quality assurance, and environmental health and safety in 2007. He moved into the company’s consumer products division in 2008 and was named senior group vice president of poultry and prepared foods in early 2009, the same year he was appointed as president and CEO.  

He now serves as a consultant for Tyson Foods, while also focusing on his continued work to feed the world. He and his wife Terry are native Tennesseans and have three children and one grandchild.

Donnie earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and continues to be involved in his alma mater.

James “Kirk” Thompson

Chairman of the Board, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

Thompson was elected to the Board in 1985 and was elected Chairman of the Board in 2010 after serving 23 years as President and Chief Executive Officer.

J.B. Hunt grew from $63 million in revenue to $400 million in revenue from 1983 to 1988, during which time Thompson was promoted to president and CEO. Today, J.B. Hunt Transport Services has revenues of $7 billion making it one of the largest publicly held transportation logistics companies in North America.

Thompson, an Arkansas Business Hall of Fame inductee, joined the company as CFO at just 26 years old and three years later he guided J.B. Hunt through its initial public offering.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas and a Certified Public Accountant, serves on the board of directors for Rand Logistics.

DARRIN WILLIAMS

CEO, Southern Bancorp, Inc.

Darrin Is A Banker, Securities And Consumer Protection Attorney, Former Legislator And Passionate Advocate For Financial Inclusion. He Serves As CEO Of Southern Bancorp, Inc., One Of The Country’s Oldest, Largest And Leading Community Development Financial Institutions. With $1.6 Billion In Assets, 65,000 Customers And 49 Locations, Southern Bancorp Operates Largely In The Arkansas – Mississippi Delta, One Of The Nation’s Most Impoverished Communities. Focused On Net Worth Building Strategies Of Homeownership, Entrepreneurship And Saving, Southern Bancorp Believes That Wealth Building Isn’t Just For The Wealthy, They Are Wealth Builders For Everyone.

RICK WEST

Co-Founder & CEO, Field Agent

Rick West Is The CEO And Co-Founder Of Field Agent, A Global Work-On-Demand Platform.  

Prior To Starting Field Agent, Rick Worked 16 Years With Procter & Gamble In Various Assignments In The United States, Hong Kong And Bangkok. Since Leaving P&G, He Has Been A Start-Up Entrepreneur For 18 Years. 

West Has Co-Founded Multiple Start-Ups, Including The Northstar Partnering Group, CORE4 Research, JOYN, And Most Recently Field Agent. He Is A Mentor And Speaker Within The Entrepreneurial Community And An Active Board Member. West Has A BBA In Personnel And Industrial Relations With A Minor In Economics From The University Of Kentucky.