ABSTRACT

AGRICULTURE & TIMBER Aubra H. Anthony Jr., 62 President and CEO Anthony Forest Products Co, El Dorado Aubra Anthony's family-owned timber and forest products company ranked 50th on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies with $156.3 million in revenue in 2007.\n His father died in April 2006, more than 10 years after turning management duties over to Dennis, who grew up working part time in the business. [...] he's a member of the Arkansas Trucking Association Executive Committee and has served on the National Industrial Transportation League's Highway Infrastructure Committee and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. The Maverick companies - consisting of Maverick Transportation LLC, Maverick Logistics LLC and Maverick Truck & Trailer Sales - now collectively operate more than 1,500 tractors. hauling steel, building materials and glass on flatbed and specialized trailers.

FULL TEXT

THE POWER LIST DEBUTED IN 2006 with 171 profiles. This fourth installment has grown to include 192 people who run the largest or most influential companies and institutions in 20 industries or professions.

The individuals are listed alphabetically within their industry groups. No attempt was made to ensure women and minorities were well represented or that the breadth of the state's geography was covered. Instead, we simply profiled the people running Arkansas' leading business, professional and nonprofit entities.

Faces change, and sometimes so do industries. For instance, the accounting list previously included only the managing partners of the four largest firms, but we've expanded that to seven as the mid-level firms have grown in size and market impact.

The technology and telecommunications list is missing a name that was previously one of the most powerful in any industry: Scott Ford, whose tenure as CEO of Alltel Corp. ended with the sale earlier this month to Verizon.

And after what we saw of him in 2008, we decided that University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long really had replaced Frank Broyles on the Education list.

The vast majority of the biggest businesses are still being run by white males, and most are in the population centers of Pulaski, Benton and Washington counties. While the leaders' ages range from 33 (University of Arkansas economist Kathy Deck) to 90 (legendary banker and developer Doyle Rogers), most of those on our Power List are in their 40s and 50s.

Developments in the economy during the last year have roiled most if not all sectors. Players in banking and finance have perhaps seen the most turmoil, but the seismic economic shifts have shaken almost every industry.

Although the full effects of the recession have not yet been felt in Arkansas, the leaders of industries such as agriculture and timber, construction, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation likely will start feeling more pain this year. Nor are nonprofits, by all reports, immune. These factors could mean a few different names and faces on our next list.

In the meantime, we solicit additional names that should be included on future lists. Please e-mail suggestions to Editor Gwen Moritz at gmoritz@abpg-com.

ACCOUNTING

Johnny Hudson, 63

Senior Partner

Hudson Cisne & Co. LLP, Little Rock

Johnny Hudson was a partner at Russell Brown & Co. and Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young) in Little Rock before helping found Hudson Cisne & Co. in 1987. In addition to his duties as senior partner, he maintains a large base of closely held clients. A member of Henderson State University's Business School Hall of Fame, he is also an HSU trustee.

Daniel M. Peregrin, 51

Managing Member

Frost LLC, Little Rock

Dan Peregrin, a CPA and lawyer, joined Frost LLC - renamed from Moore Stephens Frost in December - in 1985 and has been its managing partner since 2006. Peregrin earned an accounting degree from Hendrix College at Conway and a law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is a specialist in estate planning and income taxes for livestock farmers.

Jim L. Phillips, 51

Managing Partner

JPMS Cox PLLC, Little Rock

Jim Phillips was 29 and working at the Little Rock office of Deloitte Haskins & Sells (later Deloitte Touche) when "I got this bright idea that we would start our own accounting firm." Twenty-two years later, JPMS Cox is the third largest accounting firm in the state. Phillips, who graduated first in his class from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1979, maintains a tax practice in addition to his management duties.

Randy Philpot, 48

Managing Member

Beall Barclay & Co., Fort Smith

Mike Carroll, managing member of Beall Barclay & Co., handed the reins back to Randy Philpot in 2008. Philpot had been managing member in the early 2000s, but it is the firm's practice to pass the job around among the partners. Philpot grew up in Mena and is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University at Russellville. His wile, Carolyn Philpot, is a partner in Beall Barclay Wealth Management LLC.

Don Smith, 58

Managing Partner

Thomas & Thomas LLP, Little Rock

Don Smith celebrated his 25th anniversary at Thomas & Thomas last year, and he had 11 years of prior accounting experience. He is a graduate, with honors, of the University of Central Arkansas and is licensed as a CPA in Texasas well as Arkansas. He is a former director of Pleasant Valley Country Club.

Ryan Underwood, 40

Managing Partner

BKD LLP, Little Rock

In 2008, Steven Warren was kicked upstairs and Ryan Underwood succeeded him at the helm of BKD's Arkansas offices in Fort Smith, Little Rock, Pine Bluff and, as of this month, Rogers. Underwood is a graduate of Arkansas State University and has worked for BKD for 17 years He is on the executive committee of the Arkansas chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.

Steven Warren, 48

Partner-in-Charge

BKD LLP, Little Rock

After 10 years in charge of BKD LLP's Arkansas offices, Steven Warren was promoted last year to regional managing partner. That region includes Arkansas' four offices plus eight more in Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Warren joined the firm in Joplin, Mo., 25 years ago and has been a partner since 1994.

Don Zimmerman, 49

Managing Partner

Ernst & Young LLP, Rogers

Don Zimmerman, managing partner of Ernst & Young in Rogers, is a company man. He began his career with Ernst & Young 27 years ago in Pittsburgh, transferred to the national office in Cleveland and then took overseas assignments in Milan and Paris. He has been working in the Rogers office since 2003.

AGRICULTURE & TIMBER

Aubra H. Anthony Jr., 62

President and CEO

Anthony Forest Products Co, El Dorado

Aubra Anthony's family-owned timber and forest products company ranked 50th on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies with $156.3 million in revenue in 2007. He is a director of and past chairman of the American Forest & Paper Association and currently serves on the board of the Arkansas Forestry Association. He recently served on the Arkansas Global Warming Commission and also served on the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Sustainable Building Design & Practices.

Steven M. Anthony, 47

President

Anthony Timberlands Inc., Bearden

Steve Anthony, the son of John Ed Anthony, runs a family-owned lumber business that posted $183 million in revenue in 2007 from timberland, its three sawmills, a wood-treatment plant at Hope and its hardwood composite plant at Sheridan. He is a graduate of Washington & Lee University at Lexington, Va., and has a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville. He serves on the Arkansas Forestry Commission and is a past president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and the Southern Forest Products Association. He serves on the boards of the Bank of Bearden and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

Richard Bell, 75

Secretary

Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Little Rock

Richard Bell is the first person to head the state Department of Agriculture, which was created by the Arkansas Legislature in 2005. He was president and CEO of Riceland Foods Inc. of Stuttgart for 27 years, retiring in July 2004. The Agriculture Department's central focus has been initiating the Arkansas Alternative Fuels Development Program created by the Legislature. The department recently added two divisions - aquaculture and the state land-surveyors - to the three ygencies it began with: the State Plant Board, the Livestock & Poultry Commission and the Forestry Commission.

Ronald M. Cameron

Chairman and CEO

Mountaire Corp., North Little Rock

Ronnie Cameron has been CEO of his family's animal feed company since 1975. Mountaire was No. 3 on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies, with revenue of $1.15 billion in the fiscal year that ended Oct 31, 2007. In January of that year, the company sold its Mountaire Feeds Inc. unit to Cargill Inc. That deal included certain assets of Mountaire's feed milling and animal health business, including its Prime Quality brand. Cameron. a former director of Doulos Ministries of Littleton, Colo., recently was named an honorary life member of the National Chicken Council board of directors. Mountaire is the sixth largest broiler chicken company in the nation.

Greg Cole, 46

President and CEO

AgHeritage Farm Credit Services

Greg W. Cole has been employed with AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, the nation's largest single lender to agriculture, since 1985. In April, he was promoted from COO to CEO of the cooperative that serves the financial needs of the agriculture community in 24 central Arkansas counties. With some $750 million in assets, the Little Rock agri lender has nine branch locations and provides services to more than 2,400 customer-owners. Cole is a graduate of Arkansas State University with a degree in agriculture business and economics and is also a graduate of the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking.

Ray C. Dillon, 53

President and CEO

Deltic Timber Corp., El Dorado

Ray Dillon received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University in 1977 and an MBA from the University of Chicago in 2000. He worked in the pulp and paper industry from 1977 to 2003, with Crown-Zellerbach Inc. in Louisiana and Gaylord Container in Pine Bluff and Chicago. He was named president and CEO of Deltic, the timberland management, forest products manufacturing and real estate development company, in 2003. Since Dillon look over at Deltic, the company has seen improvements in its operating and financial performance, although the recession has taken its toll on the stock price. Dillon has overseen increased returns from company-owned timberlands, improved productivity and cost efficiency in its mills, and heightened emphasis on commercial property in Deltic's Chenal Valley development.

Gary George, 57

Vice Chairman and CEO

George's Inc., Springdale

Gary George is the grandson of C.L. George, founder of George's Inc., and son of Chairman Gene George. He also is one of the founders and directors of Legacy Bank of Springdale. He is a former chairman of the University of Arkansas board of trustees. The poultry company that Gary George heads was the 22nd largest private company in the state last year with revenue estimated at more than $450 million. It is the 12th largest poultry company in the U.S.

Keith Glover, 51

President and CEO

Producers Rice Mills Inc., Stuttgart

Carlisle native Keith Glover was a CPA with the old Arthur Young & Co. firm for four years before joining Producers Rice Mill of Stuttgart, a farmer-owned cooperative, in 1982. The Arkansas State University graduate has been its president since 1988. Producers posted annual sales of $533.4 million in fiscal 2008.

K. Daniel Kennedy, 50

President Foods and CEO

Riceland Foods Inc., Stuttgart

Danny Kennedy joined Riceland Foods, the country's largest rice miller, as executive vice president and chief operating officer in August 2000 and was promoted to president and CEO on the retirement of Richard Bell in 2004. The Baton Rouge, La., native was previously with Monsanto Co. for 16 years, where he held positions in domestic and international marketing/strategic planning. With higher grain prices, Riceland reported revenue of $1.23 billion in fiscal 2008.

Todd Simmons, 37

President and CEO

Simmons Foods Inc., Siloam Springs

His father, Mark C. Simmons, is still chairman, but Todd Simmons is clearly the future of Simmons Foods Inc., which ranked 12th on Arkansas Business most recent list of the state's largest private companies with revenue of $652 million in 2007. Ilia the 17th largest poultry iiii .7 company in the U.S. and getting bigger. In June, the company bought a big chunk of Peterson Farms in a deal that included Peterson's broiler operation, hatcheries, corporate offices, feed mill, processing facility, transport vehicles and independent contractor relationships with local growers. Todd Simmons received a degree in entrepreneurship and business management from Georgetown University at Washington, D.C., in 1994.

Leland Tollett, 71

Interim CEO

Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale

Leland Tollett, a former CEO of Tyson Foods, was called back as interim CEO after the sudden departure of Richard Bond in early January. He has been associated with Tyson Foods since 1959 and served as CEO from 1991 to 1998. He was also part of Tyson's board of directors from 1984 until early 2008. Tyson Foods is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. It posted revenue of $26.9 billion for its last fiscal year.

John Tyson, 55

Chairman

Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale

Johnny Tyson, grandson of the founder of Tyson Feeds Inc. and son of former chairman and CEO Don Tyson, became chairman of the company in 1998 and CEO in 2000. In 2006, he resigned the CEO position but remains chairman of the board. He has served on the board since 1984. The company is no longer the world's largest poultry producer, but it remains the largest meal producer with its pork and beef business added to the chicken production. The company posted revenue of $26.9 billion for its last fiscal year.

Randy Veach, 58

President

Arkansas Farm Bureau, Little Rock

Randy Veach was elected president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau in December. Veach, who farms cotton, soybeans, rice, wheat, corn and milo near the Lost Cane community in Mississippi County, succeeded Stanley Reed of Marianna as president after serving five years as the Farm Bureau's vice president. Veach serves on the Slate Plant Board and is chairman of the boll weevil committee of the Plant Board. He also serves on the National Cotton Council and Colton Inc and is a trustee of the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary at Jacksonville, Texas

Ewell Welch, 55

Executive Vice President

Arkansas Farm Bureau, Little Rock

Randy Veach is the elected president of the Arkansas Farm Bureau, but Ewell Welch has been the top staff member since 2002 and also serves as EVP of the Farm Bureau's Mutual - Insurance Co. of Arkansas. He oversees all staff activities for the Farm Bureau and its affiliated companies in Arkansas. He is a past president of the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture Alumni Society. He has been with the Farm Bureau since 1977. He's also president of the 4-H Foundation and serves on the executive committee of the Arkansas State Fair. He is also on the board of the Arkansas State Chamber/Associated Industries of Arkansas.

Collier Wenderoth Jr., 84

Chairman and CEO

O.K. Foods Inc., Fort Smith

In 1955, Collier Wenderoth Jr. inherited the business his father started as a feed mill in 1933. Wenderoth Jr. expanded into poultry processing in the late 1950s. O.K. Foods came in sixth place on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies with revenue of $928.4 million in 2007. It is the 10th largest poultry company in the nation. He is recognized as a pioneer in the development of further processed poultry, and O.K. Foods, a fully integrated chicken producer, has been a leader in providing white meat for the fast-food industry.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

Thomas Adams, 65

President

Wittenberg Delany & Davidson Architects, Little Rock and Fayetteville

Thomas Adams has headed the 90-year-old architecture firm of Wittenberg Delony & Davidson since 1985. As the state's largest architecture-only firm, WD&D has recently completed or is currently involved in such projects as the I. Dodd Wilson Education Building at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Maumelle Middle School. the West Little Rock Elementary School, the replacement for Oak Grove High School in the Pulaski County School District, Har-Ber High School in the Springdale School District, and numerous prisons, health care facilities and public projects.

Marlon Blackwell, 52

Principal

Marlon Blackwell Architect, Fayetteville

As a tenured professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and founder of his own firm, Marlon Blackwell has received national and international recognition through numerous American Institute of Architects design awards and the publication of his projects in prestigious design magazines and books. The Princeton Architectural Press published a monograph called "An Architecture of the Ozarks: The Works of Marlon Blackwell." He was selected by International Design magazine in 2006 as one of the "ID Forty: Undersung Heroes" and as an "Emerging Voice" in 1998 by the Architectural League of New York.

Tom Hopper, 61

President and CEO

Crafton Tull Sparks, Rogers

Tom Hopper has more than 38 years of design and construction experience, managing commercial, industrial, medical, office retail, single and multifamily residential developments. water supply and distribution systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems. Previously he served as the state director for the National Society of Professional Engineers. Under his care, Crafton Tull Sparks grew 7 percent in 2008 and now has more than 300 professionals providing architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture and surveying services. The firm was named to ZweigWhite's Hot Firms list, ranking 45th in the nation of fastest-growing architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firms.

Brock Johnson, 59

President & CEO

Garver Engineers, Little Rock

Brock Johnson who has been with Garver Engineers for 37 years, is on track to double the size of the company by 2011 to reach 400 employees. Brock already has overseen the transformation of the company from a prominent Little Rock firm to a regional firm with nine offices in Arkansas and adjoining states. He's active in the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies. He led the state's largest engineering firm to begin construction last year on a $10 million corporate headquarters in North Little Rock's NorthShore Business Park and announced plans to hire 120 new employees at an average annual wage of $65,000.

Benjamin R. Mullen, 48

Managing Principal, CEO

TME Inc., Little Rock

Rusty Mullen is one of the founding principals of TME, a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural and energy engineering firm. TME has expanded from a small local firm of five individuals in 1995 to a national engineering firm of 130 employees and 30 licensed engineers with branch offices in Fayetteville, Tucson, Ariz., Oklahoma City and St. Louis. Mullen became CEO of the state's second-largest engineering firm last year and previously served at chief operating officer. Mullen grew up in North Little Rock and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is a registered professional engineer, a registered technical analyst and a registered master electrician.

Brent Thompson, 65

Chairman and CEO

Cromwell Architects Engineers Inc., Little Rock

Brent Thompson not only heads the largest architectural firm in the state but he also specializes in the firm's work in medical design and is a charter member of the American College of Healthcare Architects. The firm is consistently ranked among the top 100 firms nationally by Modern Healthcare magazine. Recent medical projects include master plans for UAMS, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and continuing projects for Arkansas Children's Hospital. Another recent project was the Witt Stephens Jr Central Arkansas Nature Center. The firm's involvement in six out of the nine green-certified projects in Arkansas illustrates its commitment to environmental design.

BANKING & FINANCE

John W. Allison, 62

Chairman and CEO

Home BancShares, Conway

Johnny Allison opted to start the New Year fresh with a year-end 2008 cleansing of problem loans and more at the $2.6 billion-asset holding company. Home BancShares began in 2008 consolidating its six bank charters into a single institution, which will keep the name of its Little Rock charter, Centennial Bank. Lucrative stock swaps with First Commercial Corp. and Regions Financial Corp. pre-staged Allison's $51 million IPO launch of Home Bancshares in 2006.

Curt Bradbury, 59

Senior EVP and COO

Stephens Inc., Little Rock

Curt Bradbury continues to work largely behind the scenes at Stephens Inc. since rejoining the investment banking firm more than 14 years ago. His career entered the public spotlight when he was sent to restore financial order at Worthen Banking Corp. in 1985. Bradbury has become a top executive at Stephens since returning after the successful turnaround and $600 million sale of Worthen to Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. of St. Louis in 1994.

Larry Brandt, 60

President and CEO

First Federal Bancshares of Arkansas, Harrison

Larry Brandt saw his thrill hammered during the 2008 stock market implosion as an overbuilt real estate market in northwest Arkansas also hit home. Brandt has braced the $790 million-asset lender to weather the downturn and hold its ground. He has directed the affairs of First Federal since the 2001 death of his lather-in-law, Frank Coffman. Son Jeff holds the post of eastern division vice president, representing the next generation of family leadership.

Lunsford Bridges, 67

President and CEO

Metropolitan National Bank, Little Rock

Lunsford Bridges was upset when regulators publicized steps taken to shore up chinks in Metropolitan National Bank's lending armor amid the turmoil of the northwest Arkansas real estate market. Bridges was quick to differentiate Metropolitan's continued status as a profitable, ongoing concern from truly troubled banks. The $1.6 billion-asset bank has reported positive quarterly earnings since Bridges took over the helm in 1985 after an 18-year career with National Bank of Commerce in Pine Bluff.

Wallace W. Fowler, 73

Chairman and CEO

Liberty Bancshares, Jonesboro

Wallace Fowler can't stay away from banking, as he continues his second career with the $2.5 billion-asset Liberty Bancshares. The holding company is his third banking franchise in three decades that has followed his ongoing fast-food ventures operated through Fowler Foods. Lucrative sales to Union Planters Corp. of Memphis and Little Rock's First Commercial Corp./Regions Financial Corp. of Birmingham, Ala., completed his first two banking efforts.

George Gleason, 55

Chairman and CEO

Bank of Ozarks, Little Rock

George Gleason has kept Bank of the Ozarks on the straight and narrow in terms of record quarterly prof its despite the market uproar. The $3 billion-asset holding company has moved into its new west Little Rock headquarters, 30 years after Gleason acquired his first bank and 12 years after taking BOZ public. Known as an investor-friendly executive willing to share financial gains and losses in non-insider-like fashion, Gleason has started cashing out some of his shares.

Rush F. Harding, 54

CEO

Crews & Associates, Little Rock

Rush Harding's service on the board of trustees at the University of Central Arkansas at Conway took on the mantle of a second job, with the travails of ousted President Lu Hardin. Harding also serves on the boards at Pulaski Academy and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. But his day job is an investment banker directing Crews & Associates, which he helped found in 1979. It has been part of Searcy's First Security Bancorp since 2000.

Gary Head, 48

Chairman, President and CEO

White River Bancshares, Fayetteville

Gary Head has maintained the momentum at While River Bancshares despite the challenges of northwest Arkansas real estate lending. Total assets now tally $648 million at Signature Bank, and Head hopes to make further inroads during the market flux. He directed the $19.8 million stock buyback from Conway's Home BancShares, which held a 20 percent stake in the holding company, and the 2007 acquisition of Brinkley Bancshares Inc. for $34 million.

Calvin Jarrett, 48

President

Arvest Asset Management, Rogers

Calvin Jarrett oversees one of the largest Arkansas-based brokerage firms at Arvest Asset Management, part of the Walton family's financial empire. Jarrett, a 20-year veteran with Arvest, has worked at asset management since 1996 after stints in banking operations. At last report, Arvest Asset Management employs more than 200, with more than 100 licensed investment associates at 62 locations in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.

Alex Lieblong, 58

President and Owner

Lieblong & Associates, Little Rock

Alex Lieblong, an avowed investment contrarian, must be giddy at the opportunities created by the market meltdown. Lieblong has established a national reputation for his savvy insights and knack for making money during his 30-year career. Before launching his own venture in 1997 and building his Key Colony hedge fund, he opened PaineWebber's Little Rock office in 1987 and worked with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith before that.

Tommy May, 62

Chairman and CEO

Simmons First National Corp., Pine Bluff

Tommy May oversees a statewide bank holding company with nearly $3 billion in total assets. May has led Simmons First since January 1994, after joining the company in February 1987 as president and CEO of the company's flagship bank in Pine Bluff. Diagnosed with ALS, May was honored by friends and colleagues who donated $1 million for the J. Thomas May Center for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Mark Millsap, 49

Principal and Co-owner

Foundation Resource Management, Little Rock

Mark Millsap was among those voicing concerns over a financial sector running amok long before the spectacular crash landing. With nearly 30 years in asset management, Millsap has plied his trade as co-owner and principal at Foundation Resource Management since 2001. Before that, he worked for AmSouth Bank in Birmingham, Ala., as a portfolio manager for eight years and at Little Rock's Meridian Management Co. from 1989-2001.

Wilson Moore, 49

Arkansas President and Commercial Bank Executive

Bank of America, Little Rock

Wilson Moore is entering his eighth year as Bank of America's Little Rock middle-market executive. His duties also encompass commercial market executive for Arkansas, Oklahoma and Amarillo, Texas. Moore's banking career covers 27 years with the Worthen organization and its successors and includes work helping clean troubled loan portfolios. Before returning to central Arkansas, Moore was president of BOA's Jonesboro operation.

Doyle W. Rogers, 90

Chairman

Rogers Bancshares, Little Rock

Doyle Rogers was drawn into the contentious fray with Fayetteville developer and former bank client Tom Terminella when loans and projects collided in northwest Arkansas. Rogers is best known for his construction and commercial real estate endeavors highlighted by Little Rock's Peabody Hotel and the Stephens Building. Along the way, he bought and transformed Metropolitan National Bank from a small-time concern into a $1.6 billion-asset held by Rogers Bancshares.

Reynie Rutledge, 59

Chairman, President and CEO

First Security Bancorp, Searcy

Reynie Rutledge has directed the growth of First Security Bancorp into a $2.5 billion-asset franchise as its operations have folded into one charter. Expansions in central and northwest Arkansas advanced the corporate cause along with the 2000 acquisition of the Little Rock investment banking firm Crews & Associates. Rutledge started his banking career with the Worthen organization before buying his first bank in 1977 at the age of 27.

Warren Stephens, 51

Chairman, President and CEO

Stephens Inc., Little Rock

Warren Stephens has led his family's namesake investment banking firm since his 29th birthday in 1986. Stephens tries to maintain a low profile while conducting largely private business mixed with philanthropic endeavors. His interests in the arts, Episcopal Collegiate School and downtown Little Rock are well known. The new Stephens Media offices on Main Street have joined the resplendent work on the historic Capital Hotel.

Witt Stephens Jr., 40

Co-chairman and CEO

The Stephens Group LLC, Little Rock

Witt Stephens Jr. joined the downtown Little Rock development scene when the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission opened his namesake $8.5 million Central Arkansas Nature Center before Christmas. Stephens, a former G&F commissioner who pushed for the state's conservation sales tax in 1996, launched his private equity firm in July 2006 after he and his sister, Elizabeth Campbell, sold their stakes in Stephens Inc.

Sam Walls, 61

CEO

Arkansas Capital Corp. Group, Little Rock

Sam Walls keeps adding to his list of titles as a member of the Arkansas Task Force for the 21st Century Economy and president of Connect Arkansas, promoting the expansion of the state's broadband Internet network. Walls is primarily known for his 19 years of leadership at Arkansas Capital Corp., which has helped fund ventures with more than $700 million. Joining ACC in 1989, he has increased the roster of economic development venues with a larger menu of affiliates.

Jim Walton, 60

Chairman and CEO

Arvest Bank Group, Lowell

Jim Walton, the youngest son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, maintains his sphinx-like leadership of his family's $9.8 billion-asset banking enterprise. Walton has rejected many overtures to acquire the largest banking operation in Arkansas. The footprint of the private venture, founded in 1976, includes Oklahoma, Missouri and a single Kansas location. Unlike other large Arkansas banks, Arvest rejected federal bailout money. Wal-Mart, the Walton Family Foundation and Community Publishers are among Walton's board duties.

CONSTRUCTION

Lloyd Garrison, 55

CEO

CDI Contractors LLC, Little Rock

In less than two years, CDI Contractors founding CEO, Bill Clark, died of cancer, its longtime CFO John Glasgow mysteriously vanished, co-owner Dillard's Inc. bought the remaining half of the company, Clark's son William resigned as CEO after an unsuccessful bid to buy the company back, and Lloyd Garrison was promoted to the top job. Garrison, CDI president prior to his promotion, has worked at the firm since its founding in 1987 and at Pickens-Bond before that.

Bill Hannah, 58

CEO

Nabholz Construction, Conway

Bill Hannah rose through the ranks in 2002 to become the first non-family CEO of the contracting firm. A former president of the firm's Conway division, Hannah began his career with Nabholz Construction in 1972. The company recorded revenue of more than $433 million in 2008, building on its base of Arkansas Business as well as work in nearby states. It ranks as the 24th largest private company in the state.

James Latta, 62

CEO

Latco Inc., Lincoln

James Latta has overseen the company's recent expansions into Bryan, Texas, and Shelbyville, Tenn., with retail poultry equipment stores and poultry house construction services. The $100 million-revenue venture was founded on poultry house construction in 1973. The company expanded to include a commercial division that builds and installs floor and roof trusses and wall panels, a move that followed a 1996 purchase from Springdale's National Home Centers.

Lewis May, 59

President

May Construction, Little Rock

Lewis May continues to develop the general contracting firm into a regional concern, with revenue topping $100 million. The $100 million-plus Welspun Pipe manufacturing plant in Little Rock is among its high-profile projects. May, who has worked more than 35 years with the company, is the third generation of his family to lead the company since buying out his brother in 1998. Retail-related out-of-state jobs account for more than half of the work of 75-year-old venture.

Thomas Schueck, 67

President and CEO

Lexicon Inc., Little Rock

Thomas Schueck struck out on his own in 1968 to form Schueck Steel, a structural steel erection, millwright and plant maintenance concern. Today, his family of companies generates $380 million in revenue, ranking it as the 28th largest private company in Arkansas. Lexicon employs 2,000 with the addition of Custom Metals in 1974, Prospect Steel in 1981 and L-Con Constructors and L-Con Marine Fabricators in 1996.

Bob Shell, 78

President

Baldwin & Shell Construction, Little Rock

Bob Shell pioneered construction management in Arkansas, eschewing the bid market in favor of negotiated contracts. The company maintains a focus on Arkansas-only work, with revenue approaching $150 million. Shell, who joined the firm as a management trainee in 1953, became president of the general contracting firm in 1983. He remains active with the firm after surpassing his golden anniversary with the company.

Gus Vratsinas, 64

Chairman

VCC, Little Rock

Gus Vratsinas, a former Pickens-Bond Construction Co. executive, helped transfer its legacy as a national contracting firm to VCC. After the Pickens-Bond bankruptcy, Vratsinas helped form VCC in 1987 with CEO Sam Alley and now-retired Ed DeMoss. Recognized as the nation's largest retail builder, the firm ranks as the 11th largest private company in Arkansas with total revenue topping $700 million and offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and Irvine, Calif.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

James W. Chesshir, 45

President and CEO

Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce

Jay Chesshir began his career at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce in 2005 as economic development team leader. In 2006. he was promoted to president and CEO and was named Arkansas Economic Developer of the Year Since 2007, Chesshir has helped attract Welspun Gujarat Stahl Rohren Ltd. of Mumbai, India, LM Glasfiber of Denmark and Man Industries of Mumbai to the Port of Little Rock. Chesshir also helped court Caterpillar, which on Jan. 5 announced a $140 million investment in North Little Rock.

Kathy Deck, 33

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 study of the Fayetteville Shale Play's economic impact - an estimated $18 billion between 2008 and 2012 - was probably the state's most-anticipated academic work. Deck look 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. Deck's office also produces the quarterly Skyline Report, which examines the northwest Arkansas real estate market.

Maria Haley, 68

Executive Director

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

Maria Haley was named executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission in January 2007. Haley had been a senior director with Kissinger McLarty Associates, a partnership headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former White House Chief of Staff and Envoy for the Americas Thomas "Mac" McLarty. Between 1994 and 1999, Haley served on the board of the Export Import Bank of the United States and helped manage a $55 billion portfolio aimed at promoting U.S. exports, business development and international investments. Haley also has organized and led trade missions and represented the United States in banking and trade summits around the world. Under her leadership, the AEDC has helped land several large economic developments, including Hewlett-Packard, which is opening a facility in Conway and plans to employ 1.200.

Randy Zook, 64

President and CEO

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas, Little Rock

Randy Zook joined the State Chamber/AIA in 2008. As president and CEO, Zook directs the operation of these organizations that serve as the advocates for business and industry in Arkansas. Zook formerly was deputy director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and spent nearly 34 years with Atlantic Envelope Co. of Atlanta, serving as president and CEO from 1989 to 2004.

Mike Maulden, 50

Director of External Affairs

Entergy Arkansas

Mike Maulden is Entergy Arkansas' director ot external affairs and directs the company's Office of Economic Development, a program that focuses on recruiting new businesses and helping communities develop into places that could attract new companies. The program was named one of the top utility economic development initiatives in North America by Site Selection magazine in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. He also serves as chairman of the Little Rock Port Authority and on the boards of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Accelerate Arkansas, the UALR Foundation and the St. Vincent Foundation. Maulden was named the 2004 Outstanding Economic Developer for Arkansas by the Arkansas Economic Developers Association and is a member of the inaugural Leadership Arkansas class sponsored by the State Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, Maulden was the chairman of the Committee for Amendment 2, which allows the General Assembly to issue bonds to fund "super project" infrastructure requirements.

John Shelnutt, 52

Administrator for Economic Analysis and Tax Research

Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration, Little Rock

In 2005, John Shelnutt joined the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration as administrator for economic analysis and lax research, where he provides revenue forecasting for the state budget process. He also presents research and revenue reports to senior finance officials and Gov. Mike Beebe. Shelnutt also is involved in researching the revenue impact studies of tax proposals. Shelnutt was the senior research economist and director of research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Institute for Economic Advancement.

Jim Youngquist, 54

Director

Institute for Economic Advancement, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

In 2008, Jim Youngquist became director of the Institute for Economic Advancement in the College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 1987, Youngquist began working at the University of Georgia Public Service Outreach, where he served in several administrative and management positions. He is the director of the SouthEast Regional Directors Institute, a professional development association for regional council executive directors and the councils in several Southern states.

EDUCATION

Joel E. Anderson, 66

Chancellor

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Joel Anderson was a 30-year veteran of the UALR faculty when he became chancellor in December 2002. Anderson climbed his way through the ranks at UALR, starting as an assistant professor of political science. He became the first dean of the graduate school and helped design the first 17 master's degree programs. A native of Swifton, Anderson attended undergraduate school at Harding College (now University) in Searcy, received a master's from American University at Washington, D.C., and achieved a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He also completed the Institute for Education Management program at Harvard University in Cambridge. Mass.

Jeff Long, 49

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. Long started the new job with a high-profile task, finding a new Razorback football coach. Also in his first year, Long combined the men's and women's athletic departments in an effort to create a stronger program. He joined the UA from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also worked as the director of athletics. Before that, Long worked in athletic administration at the University of Oklahoma at Norman, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Virginia Tech University at Blacksburg and Eastern Kentucky University at Richmond. He also served on the NCAA Management Council.

G. David Gearhart, 56

Chancellor

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

G. David Gearhart climbed to the top rung at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in July. As former chancellor John While's handpicked successor, Gearhart was approved unanimously by the UA board of trustees. A Fayetteville native, Gearhart earned his bachelor's degree at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., then a doctorate in education and a law degree from the UA. Gearhart literally wrote the book on college fundraising - "The Capital Campaign in Higher Education" - and guided the UA's Campaign for the 21st Century, which included the largest single donation to a public college or university in American history: the $300 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. The campaign, which was the largest in Arkansas history, raised $1 billion for academic programs and increased the endowment from $119 million to $900 million.

T. Kenneth James, 58

Commissioner

Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock

Ken James was appointed director (now called commissioner) of the Arkansas Department of Education by Gov. Mike Huckabee in May 2004 and again in January 2007 by Gov. Mike Beebe. He was lured back to his native state from Lexington, Ky., where he had been superintendent of schools for less than a year. Before that, he was superintendent of the school districts of Little Rock. Van Buren and Batesville. James also is president of the Council of Chief State School Officers and vice chairman of the Southern Regional Education board of directors. James earned a bachelor's degree from Arkansas State University at Jonesboro and a master's in educational administration from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. He received a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Northern Arizona University and the United States International University in San Diego.

John Pelghrey, 40

Men's Basketball Head Coach

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Kentucky native John Pelphrey earned respect as a Razorback during his first season as head coach of men's basketball at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Pelphrey, who joined the university in April 2007 to succeed Stan Heath, had the best season (23-12) of any first-year coach in the school's history. He also became the only first-year head coach to lead the Hogs to a post-season tournament.

Bobby Petrino, 47

Head Football Coach

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

After his first season as head football coach at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Bobby Petrino has many Razorback fans excited. Although the team went 5-7 for the season, the young squad earned some significant victories during the rebuilding year, most notably the last-minute upset of Louisiana State University. And the near upset of Ole Miss, where Former UA Coach Houston Nutt landed, has everyone hungry for the next showdown. Less than a year after becoming coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Petrino quit mid-season to succeed the then-embattled Houston Nutt as head coach of the Razorbacks football team - and got a $3 million salary out of the deal. Before that, Petrino left his head-coaching job at the University of Louisville for the Falcons NFL franchise just in time for the team to be roiled by the loss of quarterback Michael Vick to a 23-month sentence on a federal dog-fighting conviction.

Jim Purcell, 50

Director

Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Little Rock

With just more than a year on the job as director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, Jim Purcell is dealing with the state's General Assembly for the first time. He hopes to persuade the Legislature to reduce the maximum that public universities can spend on scholarships in order to reduce the tuition charged to the non-scholarship students. Purcell, who said he grew up "in two trailers with a dog-trot in between in the piney woods of Alabama," worked as associate vice chancellor for strategic planning and analysis for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Leslie Wyatt, 63

President

Arkansas State University Jonesboro

Les Wyatt landed the job as the 10th president of the growing Arkansas State University System in 1995. The university recruited Wyatt to the position from the University of Mississippi at Oxford, where he spent seven years as vice chancellor for executive affairs. His college administrative career, however, stretches back to 1971, the year he received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2008 he presided over one of the most visible changes in ASU history: renaming the sports mascot from the politically incorrect Indians to the Red Wolves.

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Walter Bryant, 51

Division Vice President of Regional Operations

CenterPoint Energy, Little Rock

Walter Bryant has been CenterPoint Energy's top executive in Arkansas since May 2006. Bryant began his career with the company now known as CenterPoint in 1981 as a power consultant. After occupying a number of positions on the company's electric side, he moved into the gas operation as vice president in Louisiana in 1998. He has a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University.

Mike Coulson, 55

President

Coulson Oil Group, North Little Rock

Ray Coulson founded Coulson Oil with nine Amoco stations in 1969, and his son, Mike Coulson, joined the company six years later. The company was No. 20 on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies with $498 million in revenue in the fiscal year that ended Oct. 31, 2007. Coulson has a degree from Emory University in Atlanta. He was chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2004.

Hugh T. McDonald, 50

President and CEO

Entergy Arkansas Inc., Little Rock

Hugh McDonald started his career with Entergy Corp. as an engineer at the Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Louisiana. A 1980 graduate of North Dakota State University, he has an MBA from the University of New Orleans. He has been Entergy's top executive in Arkansas since 2000 and was the founding chairman of the Metro Little flock Alliance. This month he was named chairman of the board of the Arkansas Research Alliance, a public-private nonprofit organization devoted to increasing university-based research and innovation as a path to developing the state's knowledge-based economy.

Harold Patterson, 57

President

Flash Market Inc., West Memphis

Harold Patterson is a newcomer to the Power List because of the growth of Flash Market Inc., a fuel distributor and chain of convenience stores founded in 1986. Flash Market was No. 18 on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the slate's largest private companies, with revenue of $512.7 million in 2007. Born in Batesville, Patterson went to high school at Cave City and attended Harding College at Searcy before joining the company that grew into Mapco Petroleum of Tulsa. After moving from city to city, and working his way up to managing about 300 stores, Patterson decided he wanted to spend more time watching his five children play ball. Flash Market now operates about 70 company stores and wholesales to 70 more dealers in Arkansa, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi.

J. Alan Stubblefield, 52

Senior Vice President

Seeco Inc. Houston

Seeco Inc., a subsidiary of Southwestern Energy Co. of Houston, is the largest gas producer working in the Fayetteville Shale Play in north-central Arkansas, and Alan Stubblefield has succeeded John Thaeler as its lop executive for Arkansas. Stubblefield is in his 11th year with Southwestern Energy, during which time he has served as vice-president for drilling and production and senior vice president of Southwestern Energy Production Co. Prior to joining Southwestern Energy, he worked for Anadarko Petroleum Corp. for more than 14 years. A registered engineer, Stubblefield earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Association of Drilling Engineers and the Independent Association of Drilling Engineers.

Gary C. Voigt, 52

President and CEO

Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., Little Rock

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp, Little Rock

Gary Voigt joined the affiliated AECI and AECC in 1996, having previously served as CEO of Kamo Power, a generation and transmission cooperative serving northeast Oklahoma and southwest Missouri. The 1977 graduate of Oklahoma State University oversees two of the largest private companies in Arkansas. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. was No. 14 on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies with $584.3 million in revenue for calendar year 2007, while Arkansas Elective Cooperatives Inc. was No. 25 with $430.4 million.

David M. Wood, 51

President and CEO

Murphy Oil Corp.

A year ago no one outside Murphy Oil Corp. would have expected the name of Claiborne Deming to be gone from this list. But in August, Deming -- great-grandson of the founder of the Murphy oil fortune - announced that he'd be retiring at the end of 2008 at the tender age of 54. While Deming has become chairman of the board's executive committee, David Wood is now chief executive officer and president. He started with Murphy Oil 15 years ago as manager of frontier exploration and worked his way up to president of Murphy Exploration & Production Co. with responsibility for the company's worldwide exploration and production operations for the past two years. He is the only person on the Power List whose bachelor's degree (in geology) is from Nottingham University in England.

GOVERNMENT

Mike Beebe, 62

Governor

Facing his second regular legislative session as governor, Mike Beebe has made continued reduction of the state sales tax on groceries a centerpiece of his agenda. Born in Jackson County. Beebe is a 1968 graduated of Arkansas State University at Jonesboro and a 1972 graduate of the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville. He spent 20 years in the state Senate before starting his single term as the state's attorney general in 2003.

William J. Clinton, 62

42nd President

The nation's 42nd president remains a powerful influence in Arkansas and elsewhere, and his wife Hillary's campaign for president and nomination as President Obama's secretary of state have kept the Clinton name in the news. Bill Clinton makes frequent trips to Little Rock and has helped promote tourism to his home state, especially through the Clinton Presidential Library in downtown Little Rock.

Dan Flowers, 62

Director

Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department, Little Rock

Dan Flowers has been director of the Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department for 15 years - and has been employed by the department for 25 more. If money is power, Flowers will have more power than ever: The anticipated economic stimulus money coming from the federal government is expected to bring hundreds of millions of additional dollars to the highway department.

Bill Halter, 48

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant governor is a part-time job with few real duties, so Bill Halter wasn't even on the Power List in 2007 and 2008. But his success in persuading a solid majority of Arkansas voters to amend the constitution to allow the state's first lottery suggests that this part-timer has become more powerful than previously suspected.

Bob Johnson, 44

President Pro Tempore

Arkansas State Senate

State Sen. Bob Johnson, D-Bigelow, is a contractor by trade and a contrarian by nature. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1997 and now has the top job in the Senate. His last term in the Legislature, he has said, will be dominated by the creation of the state's first lottery, which he called the most complex and controversial issue that he has ever worked on.

Blanche Lambert Lincoln, 48

U.S. Senator

After four years in the House of Representatives and a two-year break during which she produced twin boys, Helena native Blanche Lambert Lincoln, in 1998, became the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. She was re-elected in 2004. She was a founding member of the "Blue Dog" Coalition of moderate House Democrats, and she now serves on the Senate's Finance, Agriculture and Energy Committees and the Special Committee on Aging.

Mark Pryor, 46

U.S. Senator

Mark Pryor, son for former Arkansas governor and U.S. Sen. David Pryor, was elected to the Senate in 2002. He has has been so reliably moderate that the Arkansas Republican Party didn't even challenge his 2008 re-election bid. Earlier this month he received a plum assignment to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Robbie Wills, 40

Speaker

Arkansas House of Representatives

Robert D. Wills Jr is a Conway native who attended college in Conway at the University of Central Arkansas and now represents Conway as District 46 representative. He is also Speaker of the House for the 87th General Assembly, where he has taken a firm hand in the hottest topic of the session: the creation of the state lottery. In private life, Wills is a lawyer whose practice deals mainly with probate and estate planning.

HEALTH CARE

Peter Banko, 41

President and CEO

St. Vincent Health System, Little Rock

In 2007, Peter Banko became St. Vincent Health System's president and CEO. Banko had been the chief operating officer at Christus Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi, Texas. In September, St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center opened its new emergency department, and in January 2009, it unveiled an expanded Critical Care Unit, which increased the number of critical care beds from 54 to 63. Both projects are part of a $47 million expansion project that is scheduled to be completed in June. St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and Doctors Hospital reported $733 million in patient revenue and a loss of $6.2 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. 2008. St. Vincent Health System has about 3,000 employees and is affiliated with more than 650 doctors.

Dr. Jonathan R. Bates, 63

President and CEO

Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock

In 1993, been Jonathan R. Bates became president and CEO of Arkansas Children's Hospital. He had been a pediatrics instructor at Harvard d Medical School and specialized in ambulatory medicine and emergency medicine at Children's Medical Center in Boston. He was senior vice president at Children's Hospital & Health Center in San Diego and administrator at Memorial Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach, Calif. In September, ACH broke ground on a $115 million wing that will add 54 inpatient beds to the hospital's current total of 316. The wing is expected to open in the fall of 2011. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report ranked ACH as the 24th best children's hospital in the country. It also had been ranked in 2005 and 2006. ACH had $562.5 million in patient revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, and a net income of $39.2 million.

Dr. Paul K. Halverson, 49

Director of Health and State Health Officer

Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock

In 2005, Dr. Paul Halverson became the director the Arkansas Department of Health, the state's primary public health agency. It employs more than 5,000 people and is charged with protecting and improving the health of Arkansans. Halverson had been the professor and chairman of the Department of Health Policy & Management at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health. He also served for nearly seven years on the senior scientific staff at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta.

Russell D. Harrington Jr., 65

President and CEO

Baptist Health, Little Rock

Russell Harrington has been president of Baptist Health, the state's largest hospital system, which includes seven hospitals, since 1984. He previously served as associate executive director of Baptist Health, administrator of Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock and executive director of Baptist Memorial Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Harrington is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a board member of the Baptist Health Foundation and the Governor's Roundtable on Health Care. He also is a past chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Healthcare Industry Council. In 2006, the Sales & Marketing Executives Association named Harrington the top manager of the year. Baptist Health Medical Center of Little Rock reported $1.2 billion in patient revenue and a net income of $36 million in 2007.

Timothy J. Johnsen, 46

President and CEO

St. Joseph's Mercy Health System, Hot Springs

In 2008, Timothy Johnsen became president and CEO of St. Joseph's Mercy Health System. He had been executive vice president and chief operating officer at the 309-bed hospital since September 2006. In 2008, St. Joseph's Mercy Health System bought for $10 million the Heritage Physician Group, which had eight clinics in Hol Springs.

Richard A. Pierson, 63

Vice Chancellor for Clinical Programs

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center, Little Rock

Richard Pierson started working in the health care industry in 1971. He began working at UAMS as hospital director in 1981. Pierson became vice chancellor for clinical programs in 1986. Pierson has been active in the Arkansas and American hospital associations and the American Association of Medical Colleges. He serves on the boards of Novation of Irving, Texas, and QualChoice/QCA of Little Rock. He also is president of the National Resident Matching Program.

John M. Selig, 47

Director

Arkansas Department of Human Services, Little Rock

In 2005, John Selig became the director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, which provides a wide range of social services to more than 1 million Arkansans each year through its programs and private providers. Some of the major programs DHS handles include Medicaid and the federal food stamp program. DHS is the largest department of the executive branch of slate government and has an annual budget of $4 billion and more than 7,000 employees.

Dr. Joe Thompson, 46

Arkansas Surgeon General

Director

Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Little Rock

In 2007, Dr. Joe Thompson was named Arkansas' first Surgeon General, a position created by the state Legislature that year. Thompson had been the state's chief health officer since 2005. Thompson also is the director of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, which supports public- and private-sector efforts to improve health. In August, he was named director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity. In 2008, Thompson received the Health Care Quality Award from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

I. Dodd Wilson, 72

Chancellor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock

In 1966, I. Dodd Wilson joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as a professor and dean of the UAMS College of Medicine. He was named executive vice chancellor at UAMS in 1994. Since being named chancellor in 2000, Wilson has led UAMS to continued growth and increased enrollment. This month, UAMS unveiled its new $200 million. 540,000-SF hospital, which features 234 adult beds and 64 neonatal beds. The university employs more than 10,000 people and has an annual budget of more than $1 billion. Wilson is past chair of the Council of Deans and the Association of American Medical Colleges and served on its executive committee. Wilson has announced plans to refire from the position in the summer of 2009.

Fredrick D. Woodrell, 54

CEO

Sparks Health System, Fort Smith

In April 2007, Ted Woodrell became CEO of Sparks Health System. Woodrell has more than 26 years of experience in health care administration. In 2008, Sparks opened the Renaissance Building, which features a 35-bed emergency center, 24-bed intensive care unit and a fully digital medical imaging department. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, Sparks reported $186.4 million in patient revenue and a net income of $1.2 million.

David Wroten, 51

Executive Vice President

Arkansas Medical Society, Little Rock

In 1983, David Wroten began working at the Arkansas Medical Society as professional relations coordinator. As the executive vice president, Wroten handles the association's policies and programs. The society represents more than 4,000 physicians and medical students. Wroten also is the president and CEO of AMS Benefits Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of the Arkansas Medical Society that provides insurance and other services to AMS members. He is a member of the Governor's Medicaid Advisory Committee and is the past president of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives.

INSURANCE

David Bridges, 56

President and CEO

HMO Partners Inc., Little Rock

Executive Vice President of Internal Operations

Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Little Rock

David Bridges began his career with Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield as a supervisor in customer accounts in 1974. In 1997, Bridges was named CEO of HMO Partners, the joint venture between ABCBS and Baptist Health that does business as Health Advantage. In 2007, HMO Partners reported $163.9 million in Arkansas premiums, making it the state's largest health maintenance organization. Its net income was $8.3 million in 2007. In 2006, Bridges was promoted to executive vice president of ABCBS internal operations.

Michael W. Brown, 60

Executive Vice President and COO

Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Little Rock

Mike Brown became Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield's chief operating officer on Jan. 1. He joined the company in 1974 and has worked in several positions, including manager of claims, director of USAble Administrators and executive director of HMO Arkansas. The Academy of Healthcare Management has Brown listed as a professional and fellow.

Ed Choate, 54

President and CEO

Delta Dental of Arkansas, Sherwood

In 2000, Ed Choate joined Delta Dental of Arkansas as president and CEO. Before joining Delta Dental, Choate had worked for 20 years in the managed health care industry in leadership positions at NovaSys Health at Little Rock and Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Under Choate's leadership, Delta Dental of Arkansas has more than doubled revenue and enrollment while tripling assets. In 2007, Delta Dental had $65 million in Arkansas premiums and $50.2 million in assets. In 2007, Choate was named the Arkansas Business Executive at the Year and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus by Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia.

Jason D. Mann, 48

President and CEO, Life & Specialty Ventures LLC, Little Rock

President and CEO, USAble Life, Little Rock

President and CEO, Florida Combined Life, Jacksonville, Fla.

Jason Mann started working for Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield in 1996 as regional executive of the Southwest Regional Office in Texarkana. In 2005, he was promoted to his current positions. ABCBS owns 50 percent of Life & Specially Ventures, which owns 70 percent of USAble Life and 100 percent of Florida Combined Life. Mann serves on the boards of USAble Life and Florida Combined Life and is a member of the executive steering committee of ABCBS.

Michael E. Stock, 54

President and CEO

QualChoice, Little Rock

In January 2008, Michael Stock was named CEO of QualChoice of Little Rock. Stock, who had been the CFO and COO of QualChoice since August 2002, has more than 20 of years of leadership experience in the health insurance industry. QualChoice is the second largest health benefits company headquartered in Arkansas, with full-service offices in central and northwest Arkansas. It had $595 million in revenue and $2.3 million in income in 2007. In 2006, it reported $61.6 million in revenue and $1.1 million in income.

Duff Wallace, 46

Vice President and General Manager

Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. of Arkansas Inc., Little Rock

Duff Wallace started working for the Louisiana Farm Bureau in 1984 and has been with the Southern Farm Bureau group of companies for more than 25 years. Wallace joined the Arkansas Farm Bureau as the finance manager in 1990. He was promoted to his current position in 1998. He also serves on the boards of the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation. Arkansas Rice Depot, Camp Aldersgate and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas.

P. Mark White, 60

President and CEO

Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Little Rock

On Jan. 1, P. Mark While became the president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield taking over from Robert L. Shoptaw, who retired at the end of 2008. White joined the company in 1970 as a staff accountant. He left the firm in 1975 but returned in 1984 as controller of its affiliate, Life Insurance Co. of Arkansas. ABCBS is the slate's dominant insurance company and wrote $946.7 million in Arkansas premiums in 2007.

Gordon M. Wilbourn, 47

Managing Partner

Kutak Rock LLP-Arkansas, Little Rock

Gordon Wilbourn represents a variety of issuers, borrowers, underwriters and trustees in public finance transactions. Wilbourn also is the manager of the Little Rock and Fayetteville offices of Kutak Rock LLP. Since becoming managing partner in 2003, he has overseen the firm's growth from 12 lawyers to 23 in Little Rock and from five to 19 in Fayetteville, adding attorneys with practices in the labor and employment areas and in commercial and medical malpractice litigation.

Robert M. Wilson Jr., 56

Managing Attorney

Wilson & Associates, Little Rock

Robert Wilson focuses on foreclosures. bankruptcies, deeds in lieu, title defense, secondary mortgage market transactions and deficiency, replevin actions and general creditor collections. In addition to serving as managing attorney at Wilson & Associates, he founded the Wilson History & Research Center. He also wrote several legislative acts on statutory foreclosure and liens. He has been the attorney for the Arkansas Mortgage Bankers Association since 1984. He's also involved in fundraising for the American Diabetes Association.

LAW

Darrell D. Dover, 75

Member

Dover Dixon Home, Little Rock

Darrell Dover focuses on real estate finance, banking, corporate and commercial law at Dover Dixon Horne. He is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for real estate law. He also is a member - which is by invitation only - of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and American College ot Mortgage Attorneys. He went of counsel in 2008.

Byron M. Eiseman, 72

Managing Partner

Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP, Little Rock

Byron Eiseman is the managing partner for Friday Eldredge & Clark, which is the largest law firm in the state with 95 attorneys. Eiseman, who is also a CPA, is considered by several publications to be one of Arkansas' top tax attorneys. He has been an adjunct professor of taxation at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law for more than 30 years. He is listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for tax law, trusts and estates.

Harold W. Hamlin, 46

Managing Partner

Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard PLLC, Little Rock

Harry Hamlin's practice areas include commercial transactions, real estate, secured lending, corporate law, utility regulation and administrative law. A retired lieutenant colonel in the Arkansas Air National Guard, he also is the attorney for several financial institutions and handles lending and transaction issues. He's listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for project finance law. He serves on the boards of the Metropolitan YMCA, Junior Achievement and the Arkansas Zoological Foundation. Mitchell Williams is the second largest law firm in Arkansas with 76 attorneys.

Stephen N. Joiner, 51

CEO

Rose Law Firm, Little Rock

Stephen Joiner's main practice areas are utilities, real estate and regulatory and administrative law. Joiner also handles commercial litigation, In 1987, Joiner joined the Rose Law Firm and became a senior member in 1993. He was named the firm's CEO in 2006. Between 2006 and 2009, he was listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for the field of energy. He also serves on the board of the Baptist Heath Foundation and on the Endowment Committee of St. James United Methodist Church.

Edwin L. Lowther Jr., 55

Managing Partner

Wright Lindsey & Jennings LLP, Little Rock

Edwin Lowther Jr concentrates on general litigation (including product liability), legal and medical malpractice and toxic tort and employment litigation. He also lectures at seminars on various topics such as personal injury, malpractice and product liability defense. Awards include being named in "The Best Lawyers in America" between 2001 and 2008 and listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers for employment and labor in 2006 and professional liability defense in 2007. He's chairman of the Arkansas Model Jury Instruction Committee.

Thomas A. Mars, 50

EVP and General Counsel

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

In 2002, Tom Mars became the general counsel for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., where he heads the Wal-Mart legal department and is responsible for all legal matters affecting the company in its domestic and foreign markets. Wal-Mart won't say how many lawyers it has on staff, but Mars is undoubtedly running one of the largest law practices in the state. In 1998, Mars became the director of the Arkansas State Police. Mars returned to the practice of law in 2001 with the northwest Arkansas office of Kutak Rock LLP. He is the chairman of the American Bar Association Minority Counsel Program Steering Committee. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and serves on the Corporate Advisory Panel of the National Bar Association.

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, Mississippi, Louisiana, New York, Wisconsin and North Carolina, Allen, along with sons Joshua and Nicholas, has aggressively acquired businesses to expand the company's lines of canned and frozen foods. The company changed its name from Allen Canning Co. to Allens Inc. in 2007. Allens Inc. reported $610 million in revenue in 2007, ranking it No. 13 on Arkansas Business' 2008 list of largest private companies. The company has 4,000 employees.

Frank Fletcher, 65

President and CEO

Frank Fletcher Cos. Ltd., Little Rock

Frank Fletcher was a manufacturers' rep for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville in the 1950s and an early investor in Wal-Mart dock in the early 1970s. In the late '70s, he took Sam Walton's advice and switched to manufacturing. His diverse group of companies includes Cheyenne Industries, Legacy Lamps, Silverwood Products, the Riverfront Wyndham in North Little Rock, restaurants, Fletcher-Bensky Furs and auto dealerships in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Rogers and Springdale. Frank Fletcher Cos. ranked No. 10 on Arkansas Business' most recent list of the state's largest private companies, thanks to annual revenue of $710 million. The company employs about 1,000.

Craig Lichty, 43

Plant Manager at Pine Bluff

Evergreen Packaging Inc.

International Paper Co. sold its Pine Bluff mill to Evergreen Packaging Inc. of Memphis in 2007. Craig Lichty oversees the more than 1,100 employees at the Pine Bluff mill. Lichty is following Calvin Staudt, who arrived at IP's Pine Bluff Mill in March 2004 and quickly turned the operation around by negotiating a labor agreement, improving the mill's safety record and cutting the number of quality claims in half. Staudt is now at Evergreen Packaging's Memphis offices and oversees the Pine Bluff mill, among others.

John McFarland, 57

Chairman and CEO

Baldor Electric Co, Fort Smith

John McFarland began his career at Baldor Electric Co. working part time with the electric motor, drive and generator manufacturer while still attending college. He has served as vice president of international sales and executive vice president of sales and marketing and was named Baldor's fourth chairman in its 87-year history in 2005. In McFarland's short time at the helm, Baldor has had some successes, including being named to Fortune magazine's 2008 list of 100 Fastest-growing Companies. The company also reported $94.1 million in net income, on $1.8 billion in revenue, for 2007, the last year available. The news came after it purchased Reliance Electric Co. and its affiliates in a cash and stock deal worth $1.8 billion. The deal closed in January 2007. It has not been all good news, however. In December, the company announced it would cut 900 of its 8,300-person work force by summer 2009. The company employs 1,500 in Fort Smith.

Bruce Munro, 52

CEO

Munro & Co. Inc.

Bruce Munro's father. Don Munro, came to Arkansas in 1959 and opened two shoe facilities after getting a start in the business in New Hampshire in 1950. He acquired a third Arkansas facility in 1975 and started Munro & Co. Inc., which is one of the last shoe manufacturers in the United States. The company has now transferred leadership to two sons: Bruce Munro is running Munro & Co. Inc., while Neil Munro runs MMF Inc. of Wynne, a separate company. The split means 200 employees work for MMF and 500 remain with Munro & Co.. where Don Munro, 81, remains as chairman. Munro & Co. continues to operate plants in Hol Springs, Mount Ida and Clarksville.

Ken Thompson, 55

Division Vice President

Whirlpool Corp., Fort Smith

Ken Thompson heads up Whirlpool's Fort Smith manufacturing effort, which includes about 1,500 employees. Thompson has 30 years of experience with Whirlpool and became division vice president at Fort Smith in April 2007. Although the company laid off more than 700 in 2008 and nearly 1.400 employees the year before, it remains one of the state's largest manufacturers. Whirlpool's Arkansas operation mainly manufactures refrigerators, trash compactors and component ice-makers.

MEDIA & MARKETING

Larry Audas, 53

President and General Manager

KTHV-TV, Channel 11, Little Rock

A former news anchor at KTHV-TV, Channel 11, Larry Audas now leads a multiplatform effort at the CBS affiliate that includes morning and evening newscasts, the first local 24/7 news and weather digital channel and a local news Web site. In 2008, Audas aided competitor KATV-TV, Channel 7, by renting space on KTHV's transmission tower to broadcast temporarily the ABC affiliate's analog signal after that station's tower collapsed. Audas has overseen KTHV through a series of cost-cutting measurers implemented by the station's parent company, Gannett Co. Inc.

Olivia Farrell, 53

Chairman and CEO

Arkansas Business Publishing Group, Little Rock

Arkansas Business Publishing Group consists of more than 20 publications and multiple Web sites under the control of Olivia Farrell. Publications include Arkansas Business, Little Rock Soiree and Little Rock Family. Farrell joined the Arkansas Writers Project as an advertising account executive in 1978, became a co-owner in 1982 and left with a handful of special publications and Arkansas Business to launch ABPG in 1995. Its Web development subsidiary, Flex360, creates Web sites and other products for media companies and other businesses throughout the country.

Sherman Frederick, 57

President

Stephens Media Group, Las Vegas

Although he's situated in Las Vegas, Sherman Frederick controls a growing number of Arkansas newspapers as president of Stephens Media Group, a subsidiary of the Stephens family's SF Corp. of Little Rock. Stephens Media, longtime owners of the daily newspapers in Fort Smith, Pine Bluff and Springdale and weeklies around the state, aggressively expanded in central Arkansas in 2005 and 2006. In 2008, the company started the Saline County Voice from scratch and consolidated much of its central Arkansas division - including The Times of North Little Rock - into offices in downtown Little Rock. The company cut positions at several Arkansas properties in 2008 because of the economic downturn.

Walter E. Hussman Jr., 62

President and CEO

Wehco Media Inc.

Outlasting the Gannett-owned Arkansas Gazette in a fierce daily newspaper war that ended in 1991, Walter Hussman's newspaper - which changed its name from the Arkansas Democrat to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette after the war - still stands as the state's dominant daily. Wehco, which in 2005 purchased the Northwest Arkansas Times, Benton County Daily Record and eight weeklies from the Walton-owned Community Publishers Inc., is now battling with Stephens Media Group to control newsprint in northwest Arkansas and fend off the company's growing presence in central Arkansas. The company has felt the recent economic downturn, however. it announced a hiring and wage freeze in 2008 and since the beginning of 2009 has asked employees to voluntarily reduce hours.

Gayle Kiger, 50

Vice President and General Manager

KARK-TV Channel 4, Little Rock

Gayle Kiger was appointed to lead Nexstar Broadcasting Group's Little Rock NBC affiliate in 2007. Kiger served as the vice president and general manager of a CBS affiliate in Abilene, Texas, for eight years before coming to Little Rock, and has been at the helm of three other stations in his 29 years in broadcasting. KARK made significant gains in the latest television ratings with its morning programs and is a perennial leader with its lunchtime show. The station launched a new community-oriented Web site last year and recently began a "green" initiative that has become a regular feature on its newscasts. Nexstar recently bought KWBF-TV, Channel 42, from Equity Media Holdings Corp. of Little Rock for $4 million. Kiger is overseeing the centralization of the two stations, which will include KARK's talent producing an hour-long newscast on KWBF at 7 p.m.

Alan Leveritt, 56

Publisher

Arkansas Times, Little Rock

Alan Leveritt has been at the helm of the Arkansas Times ever since 1974, after he and a small group of friends left college their senior year to start the publication. Since then, it has gone from a monthly magazine to a statewide alternative weekly alongside El Latino, a Spanish language weekly; Arkansas Autosuyer, a weekly automotive publication; and New Home, a bi-monthly magazine mailed to all new home purchasers in central Arkansas. The company also publishes a number of other publications, including Little Rock Visitors Guide. The paper's "Arkansas Blog," under the firm hand of Editor Max Brantley, has also developed a strong following on its Web site, www.arktimes.com.

David Martin, 50

CEO

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods, Little Rock

The state's largest advertising agency, with a growing regional presence, named David Martin CEO in 2006, nearly 20 years after he began his career at the firm. Martin helped refine and build a research subsidiary of CJRW called Area Marketing Research Associates, which later sold to Alltel Corp. In 2006, CJRW bought Jones Productions and expanded its business into high-end commercial film and video production and last year bought a branding and public relations specialty group to nail down a presence in Dallas. In 2008, the agency entered into an affiliate agreement with Burson-Marsteller, an international public relations and communications consultancy.

Dale Nicholson, 70

President and General Manager

KATV-TV Channel 7, Little Rock

Dale Nicholson has been president and general manager of the Albritton Communications Corp. station since 1974. During that time, KATV has consistently been the overall top station in the Little Rock market, with strength at its 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. Nicholson first joined the station in 1962 as a booth announcer In 2008, Nicholson worked to rebuild the station's 2,000-toot transmission tower, which collapsed Jan. 11. 2008, leaving KATV's various signals temporarily broadcasting from several makeshift locations. The company is currently finishing a new tower on Shinall Mountain in west Little Rock.

Griffin Smith, 67

Executive Editor

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock

Following years of practicing law and journalism on a national scale, Griffin Smith became executive editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazelle in 1992. The former speechwriter for President Jimmy Ceder and senior editor of Texas Monthly magazine is in charge of the newsroom at Arkansas' only statewide daily newspaper, which has a daily circulation of more than 175,000.

Chuck Spohn, 47

Vice President and General Manager

Clear Channel-Arkansas, Little Rock

Following an entry into the daily newscast game with an hour-long 9 p.m. news show nearly five years ago, Chuck Spohn's Fox affiliate began going head-to-head with the other big three affiliates last spring with an hour of news beginning at 5 p.m. The early evening newscasts have seen limited ratings so far, but Spohn is committed to growing the product so that it shares the steady gains its 9 p.m. newscast has seen. Spohn has stayed as head of the Fox affiliate and KASN-TV, Channel 42, despite Clear Channel selling the two stations to Newport Television LLC in 2008.

Larry Stone, 61

CEO and Executive Creative Director

Stone Ward, Little Rock

As one of Stone Ward's two founding partners, Larry Stone has helped the agency accrue national accounts such as Terminix International, Snap-on Tools, Entergy and Meineke. The firm also controls big state accounts such as the Arkansas Department of Economic Development and Baptist Health. The firm lost several national accounts in the past couple of years, including Terminex and Meineke, but has rebounded by landing Sport Clips, a franchise that caters to men's hair care.

Millie Ward, 54

President

Stone Ward

Millie Ward founded the state's second largest advertising firm in 1984 with Larry Stone. The firm reports annual billings totaling nearly $50 million. Stone Ward combined its public relations and public affairs divisions in 2007 and is pushing into the emerging digital PR arena.

NONPROFITS

Phillip N. Baldwin, 50

President and CEO

Southern Bancorp, Arkadelphia

Phillip N. Baldwin leads Southern Bancorp, a $600 million development bank holding company and the nation's largest rural development bank. It has funded more than $21 billion in development loans in the Delta since 1988 and operates three development banks and three nonprofit organizations in Arkansas and Mississippi. Baldwin also serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the United Way of America.

Clay Davis, 44

Executive Director

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 the state, had assets of almost $681 million as of fiscal year 2006. Davis, a native of Hope and a former tax attorney with the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, has been with the UA Foundation since 2006.

Heather Larkin Eason, 37

President and CEO

Arkansas Community Foundation Inc., Little Rock

Heather Larkin Eason took over as head of the Arkansas Community Foundation on Jan. 1, 2008, on the retirement of Pal Lile. Eason, who has a law degree and is a CPA, has been on the foundation staff since 1998. During the last year, she has expanded the foundation's impact to include "addressing community priorities, engaging partners and building skills to transform local communities." The nonprofit has 26 affiliates throughout Arkansas and manages more than 1,500 individual charitable funds with assets of almost $130 million.

Mary Elizabeth Eldridge, 30

Director of Programs

Ross Foundation, Arkadelphia

Mary Elizabeth Eldridge, an Arkadelphia native, was a lawyer at the firm of Wright Lindsey & Jennings in Little Rock before joining the Ross Foundation, which was established by the family of her father, Ross Whipple. The foundation, with assets of almost $87 million in fiscal year 2006, owns and manages land for conservation and charitable purposes. It focuses on projects that encourage community, economic, environmental, educational and cultural enrichment. Eldridge serves on the Arkansas Community Foundation Board, the Arkansas Forestry Commission, the Arkansas Forestry Association Board, the Baptist Health Foundation Board and the Clark County Community Foundation Board.

David A. Frueauff, 42

President

Charles A. Frueauff Foundation Inc.

David A. Frueauff, a seventh-generation Arkansan, heads the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, a family foundation started in 1950 through the estate of his great-uncle and the ninth-largest nonprofit in Arkansas. The foundation moved to downtown Little Rock in 2007 to create "a nonprofit shared space incubator program," providing space for up to four small nonprofits. The foundation awards grants to nonprofits focusing on higher education, social services and health and hospitals. It has awarded more than $123 million in 58 years to more than 650 agencies and institutions in 29 states. In 2008, it gave more than $5 million, with 44 of 174 grants going to agencies and institutions in Arkansas.

Harold Horton, 69

Executive Director

Razorback Foundation Inc., Fayetteville

Harold Horton, previously vice president of the Razorback Foundation, moved up in November to executive director, replacing Chuck Dices, who had headed the foundation for 17 years. The foundation raises money for scholarships, facilities and other programs for athletics at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Horton, a former player and coach (or the Razorbacks, took charge in the aftermath of turnover both at the foundation and at the athletic department under Jeff Long, who became athletic director Jan. 1, 2008, replacing longtime Athletic Director Frank Broyles.

Donna Huckabee, 52

COO

Winthrop Rockefeller Trust

The Winthrop Rockefeller Trust is the seventh largest nonprofit in Arkansas with assets of $143 million as of June 30, 2007. The trust makes awards for various charitable purposes with a focus on Arkansas and education. The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute of the University of Arkansas has received much of the trust's attention in recent years. The institute, atop Petit Jean Mountain, conducts educational programs on a number of subjects, with a focus on public policy.

Peter G. Kumpe, 51

President

University of Arkansas Fayetteville Campus Foundation

Peter Kumpe, a founding partner in the Little Rock law firm of Williams & Anderson, helps oversee the more than $500 million in assets of the University of Arkansas Fayetteville Campus Foundation, the third largest nonprofit in Arkansas - and not to be confused with the University of Arkansas Foundation. The UA Foundation, however, manages the assets of the Campus Foundation which supports a variety of initiatives at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Among these is the Walton-funded Honors College and Graduate School.

Bruce Lindsey, 60

CEO

William J. Clinton Foundation, Little Rock

Bruce Lindsey, a longtime adviser to former President Bill Clinton, has seen the William J. Clinton Foundation, with offices in Little Rock, New York and Boston, grow into a nonprofit with $208 million in assets as of fiscal year 2006. The foundation "focuses on worldwide issues that demand urgent action, solutions, and measurable results - global climate change, HIV/AIDS in the developing world, childhood obesity and economic opportunity in the United States, and economic development in Africa and Latin America." Although Lindsey continues to maintain a famously low profile. as head of the increasingly influential Clinton Foundation, he is a powerful force.

Jo Luck, 67

President and CEO

Heifer International Inc., Little Rock Jo Luck has served as president and CEO of Heifer International since 1992, leading its expansion from a $7 million nonprofit to an organization with more than $115 million in assets as of June 30. 2007. In addition to overseeing the financial growth of Heifer, Luck has had tremendous success raising its profile. The organization, which works to alleviate hunger and poverty and care for the environment, had 867 active projects in 53 countries or provinces and 28 U.S. states in fiscal year 2007. Heifer currently is building the Murphy Keller Education Center, where visitors will learn about world hunger and poverty on its downtown campus, next to the Clinton Presidential Library.

Madison Murphy, 51

President

Murphy Foundation, El Dorado

The Murphy Foundation is a quiet foundation, as is its leader. It has not even appeared on Arkansas Bus/need lists of largest nonprofits. No more. Its latest tax return lists assets of almost $93 million as of April 30, 2008. It also lists $3.7 million in financial awards made during the same fiscal year. The foundation, a private family foundation, provides educational scholarships to Union County students and supports various other charitable causes in south Arkansas. It also gives financial support to Hendrix College and Tulane University and supports economic education and financial literacy. R. Madison Murphy, a son of the founder of Murphy Oil Corp., is a director of the company and former chairman of the board. Murphy also serves on the boards of BancorpSouth Inc. and Deltic Timber Corp. and is chairman of the board of trustees of Hendrix College.

Buddy D. Philpot, 50

Executive Director

Walton Family Foundation Inc., Bentonville

Secretary-Treasurer

Walton Family Charitable Support 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, the largest nonprofit in Arkansas, focuses on K-12 education reform, conservation of marine and freshwater environments and economic development in the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi and in northwest Arkansas. The foundation awarded grants totaling nearly $242 million in 2007 and had total assets of $1.4 billion in fiscal 2006. Philpot is also the secretary-treasurer of the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. with assets of $76 million in fiscal 2006, supports Arkansas colleges and universities as well as community trusts and foundations in several states.

Anita Scism, 52

Executive Director

Care Foundation, Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, Springdale

Anita Scism was named executive director of bath the Care Foundation and Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation in December, replacing Suzanne Ward. Before joining the foundations, Scism had been president and CEO of the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville for 10 years. The Care Foundation supports the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, and together the two organizations have invested almost $45 million in the region. As of the end of 2007, the Care Foundation had assets of almost $146 million, and the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation had assets of almost $17 million. Grants are made to local agencies targeting, in particular, education, health and immigration initiatives.

Stephanie Streett, 42

Executive Director

William J. Clinton Foundation, Little Rock

Stephanie Streett, an assistant and scheduler for President Bill Clinton during his administration, oversees the day-to-day administration of the Clinton Foundation's Little Rock offices.

Linda Stringfellow, 59

President and COO

Share Foundation, El Dorado

The Share Foundation, primarily an operating foundation, seeks to improve the health and well-being of the people in south Arkansas. Its creation, in 1996, arose out of an agreement between the Medical Center of South Arkansas and what is now Community Health Systems. Share had assets of $86 million in fiscal 2006. Its programs include hospice care, a medical clinic that serves low-income patients and scholarships for students entering health-related fields.

Matt Tronzano, 60

Executive Director

Harvey & Bernice Jones Center for Families, Springdale

Matt Tronzano leads the Harvey & Bernice Jones Center for Families a private foundation with assets of almost $73 million as of Nov. 30, 2006. The Jones Center provides programs, services and space for the use of residents of the region It served an estimated 1.5 million people a year.

Alice Walton, 59

Founder

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Alice Walton, an heir to the Walton family fortune, is the guiding light behind the 100,000-SF Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, scheduled to open in 2010. The museum will be devoted to American art and artists, and the permanent collection will include such masterworks as "Kindred Spirits" by Asher B. Durand, "Spring" by Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent's "Robert Louis Stevenson and His Wife." Community leaders foresee that the museum, expected to be one of the finest museums of American art in the world, will become a major tourist draw and economic development engine in northwest Arkansas.

Sherece Y. West, 43

President and CEO

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Little Rock

Sherece Y. West has headed the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation since May 2007. In the last year. the foundation's board adopted a live-year strategic focus for Arkansas called "Moving the Needle." seeking to "reduce poverty through economic growth and increased educational attainment." The foundation works to improve Arkansans' lives by making grants in the areas of economic, racial and social justice; economic development; and education. The foundation, with assets of almost $149 million as of fiscal year 2006, has awarded more than $130 million in its 35-year history.

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT

Bruce Burrow, 66

Partner

MBC Holdings, Jonesboro

Bruce Burrow is still battling to make his big mark in central Arkansas with The Shoppes at North Hills, touted as an $80 million retail project. The 18-year investment partnership with Marty Belt produced a roster of developments that includes Jonesboro's $100 million Mall at Turtle Creek. Management holdings number more than 1.5 million SF, and Burrow's partnership interests extend to the commercial realty firm of Burrow Halsey Realty Group.

John Cooper Jr., 70

Chairman

Cooper Communities, Rogers

John Cooper represents the second generation of family leadership at the company his father established in 1954. His tenure with the company started in 1964 when the focus was on the retirement communities business. Holdings in eight states have diversified to retail, office and warehouse projects and vacation timeshares and resorts. Cooper's resume includes service on a string of public company boards as well as president of Cooper Communities from 1968-2000.

Dickson Flake, 70

Colliers International, Little Rock

Dickson Flake doesn't carry an official title these days, but he's still recognized as chairman emeritus of commercial really in Arkansas. Barnes Quinn Flake & Anderson, the firm he co-founded in 1971, merged with Lithe Rock's IBR Real Estate in 2003 and Bentonville's Lane Real Estate Services in 2005 before joining Colliers International, which manages the largest block of commercial space in Arkansas at 9.7 million SF.

John Flake, 61

Chairman

Flake & Kelley Commercial, Little Rock

John Flake helped add to the Little Rock skyline while establishing his name and reputation as a financial survivor with a sometimes controversial track record. His biggest legacy from the go-go '80s is the 40-story Metropolitan National Bank Building, the tallest in Arkansas. The brother of Dickson Flake, he worked six years at Barnes Quinn Flake & Anderson before leaving in 1979 to form Flake & Co_ the precursor of today's firm.

Collins Haynes, 58

CEO

Haynes Ltd., Rogers

Collins Haynes has helped design and develop more than 4.3 million SF of commercial space since moving to Rogers at 1980. Haynes manages 30 investment groups with a portfolio of office-dominated real estate in 12 states. Prior to his northwest Arkansas move, he worked seven years as an architect with Walk Jones Jones & Francis Mah Inc. of Memphis.

Hank Kelley, 53

CEO

Flake & Kelley Commercial, Little Rock

Hank Kelley leads one of the largest commercial realty firms in Arkansas and helps broker commercial property around the state. Kelley supervises one of the largest commercial property management portfolios in Arkansas, topping 8 million SF. He joined what would become Flake & Kelley Commercial in 1984 after working as an appraiser and as an associate partner with Barnes Quinn Flake & Anderson.

Jim Lindsey, 64

President

Lindsey & Associates, Fayetteville

Jim Lindsey has built Lindsey & Associates into a leading commercial and residential realty firm in northwest Arkansas. Lindsey Management Co., launched in 1985, ranks as the state's largest apartment management firm with 23,000 units in seven states. Lindsey co-founded the company in 1972 after seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. A prominent Razorback booster, Lindsey finished his term on the University of Arkansas System board of trustees this month.

Jimmy Moses, 59

Partner

Moses Tucker Real Estate, Little Rock

Jimmy Moses has established a portfolio of development in downtown Little Rock that has grown from redevelopments to new construction. The $46 million River Market Tower now under construction is his most ambitious project to date. The 20-story project, housing 150 condominiums, joins other new mixed-use developments by Moses: the $14 million Capital Commerce Center, the $25 million First Security Center and the $45 million 300 Third Tower.

Mike Pryor, 54

Chief Executive Officer

Lenders Title Co., Little Rock

Mike Pryor has established himself as a leader in the real estate title insurance business, both in Arkansas and on the national scene. In addition to overseeing one of the largest land title enterprises in the state, he serves as the 2009 president of the American Land Title Association. Pryor oversees operations that include a staff of 279 and 32 offices producing $18 million in revenue at Lenders Title, part of IberiaBank Corp. of Lafayette, La.

RETAIL

David J. Cohn, 53

President

Forrest City Grocery Co., Tobacco Superstore Inc., Forrest City

David Cohn is president of Forrest City Grocery Co., a wholesale food distributor that employs about 250 people and serves about 1,500 retail stores in five states. The company reported $500 million in revenue in 2007, which was up 8.7 percent from 2006. In 1993, Cohn opened Tobacco Superstore. of which he is the president. It has 82 stores in four states and 700 employees.

Roger Collins, 60

Chairman and CEO

Harps Food Stores Inc., Springdale

In 1986, Roger Collins joined Harps Food Stores Inc., the largest employee-owned company headquartered in Arkansas. In 2000, Collins was promoted to president and chairman. He also serves on the board of directors of Associated Wholesale Grocers in Kansas City, Kan., the National Cooperative Bank in Washington, D.C., and the National Grocers Association of Arlington, Va. The grocery storechain reported $440 million in revenue for the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. Harps has 61 stores in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

William Dillard II, 63

Chairman and CEO

Dillard's Inc., Little Rock

William Dillard II succeeded his father, founder William T. Dillard, as CEO of Dillard's Inc. in 1998. He was named chairman of the company in 2002, the year his father died. Dillard's, which announced it was closing 21 stores in 2008, operates 324 stores in 29 states. For the fiscal year that Feb. 2, 2008. Dillard's reported $53.8 million in income on $7.4 billion in revenue.

Mike Duke, 59

President and CEO

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

On Feb. 1, Mike Duke will replace H. Lee Scott Jr. as Wal-Mart's president and CEO. 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's international division accounts for about 25 percent of the company's total sales, up from 16.8 percent of sales in 2000. For the year ending Jan. 31, 2008. Wal-Mart had $378.8 billion in revenue, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year, which placed it first on the most recent Fortune magazine list of the largest companies ranked by revenue.

Stephen LaFrance Sr., 67

Chairman

Stephen LaFrance Pharmacy Inc., Pine Bluff

In 1968, Stephen L. LaFrance Sr., a Pine Bluff pharmacist, Stephen LaFrance Pharmacy. LaFrance's USA Drug has estimated sales of about $560 million in 2007. The private company lists more than 150 stores in five states.

Margaret McClain McEntire, 56

President and CEO

Candy Bouquet International Inc., Little Rock

In 1989, Margaret McClain McEntire started Candy Bouquet International Inc. in her garage and began franchising the business in 1993. The company has more than 800 franchises in 50 states and 45 countries, making it the largest candy franchise in the world. Entrepreneur Magazine has named Candy Bouquet as one of the top franchises in the world and one of the top home-based businesses, fastest-growing franchises and low-cost franchises.

John Roger Mills, 58

Chairman, President and CEO

Affiliated Foods Southwest Inc., Little Rock

John Mills joined Affiliated Foods in 1985. In 1993, he was promoted to controller and chief financial officer. In 2004. he was named president, CEO and chairman of the board of directors. Affiliated Foods, one of Arkansas' largest private companies, reported revenue of $730 million for its fiscal year that ended June 30, 2008, and had 2,500 employees.

Dwain Newman, 75

Chairman and CEO

National Home Centers Inc., Springdale

In 1972, Dwain Newman started National Home Centers as a company that only handled small windows. National Home Centers went public in the early 1990s, but Newman bought back all the stock in late 2001. The company has 10 stores, all in Arkansas. It had 670 employees and a reported revenue of $191.2 million for the fiscal year that ended Jan. 31, 2008, which was down 18.8 percent from the fiscal year ending in January 2007. Newman also is a past chairman of the Home Center Institute of America.

Jeff K. Schomburger, 46

President of Global Wal-Mart Team

Procter & Gamble Distributing Co., Fayetteville

For more than 20 years, ,eff Schomburger has worked for Procter & Gamble and spent seven years in Europe 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 November 2005. Procter & Gamble is the largest supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. He also has been active with the United Way of Northwest Arkansas, serving on the board since 2004, as campaign chair in 2005 and 2006 and as the 2009 regional campaign chair.

Scott Stevens, 47

President and CEO

Pizza Pro Inc., Cabot

Scott Stevens began his career in the pizza industry by making and delivering pizzas after high school in Columbus. Ohio. He established Pizza Pro in Jacksonville in 1985, and it now has more than 500 franchise locations in 18 states. Stevens also has launched Pizza Pro subsidiaries, which include an Old Chicago restaurant, which was opened in downtown Conway in 2008. and Brick Oven Pizza Co., which has seven locations in Arkansas; Texas and Mississippi. Stevens opened his first Brick Oven Pizza in 2004.

S. Robson Walton, 64

Chairman

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Bentonville

In 1969, Rob Walton joined Wal-Mart 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, founder Sam Walton, died. In 2008, Forbes estimated Rob Walton 's net worth to be $23.3 billion, up 42.9 percent from 2007.

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOM

John Ahlen, 62

President

Arkansas Science & Technology Authority, Little Rock

When the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority was established by statute in 1983, John Ahlen was named president. Twenty-five years later, he's still there. During the second meeting of its fiscal 2009, ASTA doled out a $3 million grant to help science and technology investments in fledgling Arkansas firms, for two new seed capital Investments and to fund research matching proposals for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Ahlen is also a member of Accelerate Arkansas, a nonprofit promoting economic growth in Arkansas.

John Dreher, 51

General Manager

CenturyTel, Jacksonville

In Arkansas and Mississippi, John Dreher is the highest-ranking employee of CenturyTel of Monroe, La., which employed 386 people in Arkansas as of 2006. Before being named general manager for the two-state market in 2004, Dreher worked as vice president of wire-line marketing at Alltel Corp. He currently serves on the board of directors of Arkansas Utilities Protection Services.

Edward Drilling, 53

President

AT&T Arkansas, Little Rock

Ed Drilling, who was named president in 2002, is the lop Arkansas executive of one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, AT&T Inc. of San Antonio. Drilling also serves on 13 corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Arkansas Children's Hospital board of trustees and ACH's Research Institute board, the University of Arkansas board of advisers, the Simmons First National Corp. board of directors and the advisory boards of the colleges of business at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 2005, the Morrilton native was the chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Jeffery R. Gardner, 48

President and CEO

Windstream Corp., Little Rock

Jeffery Gardner, who helped spin off Alltel's wire-line division in 2006 and merge it with Texas-based Valor Communications Group to create Windstream, has more changes in store for Arkansas' youngest telecom. Gardner is transforming the business into a broadband company. Under Gardner, the company has now shed all its wireless assets and is working to reposition itself in the industry. Gardner also serves on several boards, including RF Micro Devices Inc., Pulaski Academy and the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Mary L. Good, 77

Dean, Donaghey College of Engineering & Information Technology

University of Arkansas t Little Rock

Mary Good served in many high-level positions in academia, industry and government before landing back in Arkansas where she look over as founding dean of UALR's College of Engineering & Information Technology in 1999. She is currently a managing member of Venture Capital Investors LLC, a cadre of Arkansas business leaders who aim to foster economic growth in the area through technology-based enterprises. She is a director on many boards, including Acxiom Corp. Throughout her career, Good has received several presidential appointments and a number of awards.

Steve Gray, 54

Vice President and General Manager of Arkansas, Oklahoma

AT&T Mobility, Little Rock

Before climbing to the position of vice president of Arkansas and Oklahoma markets in November 2008, Steve Gray headed the sales operations tor AT&T's wireless unit in Atlanta. In his new role, Gray oversees all wireless and wired product sales and distribution and network, financial and operational matters. The native of Castor, La., has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry.

John Meyer, 52

President and CEO

Acxiom Corp., Little Rock

After nearly a year at the helm of Arkansas' largest information technology company - with 2,423 employees in the state - John Meyer has shaken things up at Acxiom Corp. Meyer brought new faces to upper management, reorganized the company, sold its airplanes, repurchased stock, made a few acquisitions, suspended dividends and managed to make the company profitable. In Acxiom's most recently reported quarter, the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company carved out $15.9 million in prof it, up 20 percent from the same quarter in 2007, while revenue lagged nearly 6 percent year over year Meyer came to Acxiom from Alcatel-Lucent, where he was president of the global services group.

TOURISM

Steve Arrison, 53

Executive Director

Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau

Although tourism has remained fairly flat. Hot Springs, under the lead of Steve Arrison, executive director of the Hot Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, still attracted about 2.4 million visitors in 2008. Steve Arrison runs the city's advertising and promotion program and manages Hot Springs' Convention Center, Visitor Center, Film Office, Mountain Tower and Summit Arena. He is also a member of the Slate Parks & Tourism Commission.

Richard Davies, 58

Executive Director

Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism, Little Rock

Tourism in Arkansas topped $5 billion in total travel expenditures for the first time in the state's history while under the guidance of Richard Davies. He has led the department since 1990 Davies presides over myriad operations, such as the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission. He is a past member of the National Association of State Park Directors, which named him director of the year in 1990.

Gregg Herning, 51

General Manager

The Peabody Little Rock

For about four years now. Gregg Herning has run the state's highest-grossing hotel. The Peabody Little Rock raked in $21.5 million in room and food revenue in 2007, up 4.6 percent from 2006. Herning previously worked as director of sales and marketing for The Peabody Memphis. The Detroit native, who studied at Bethel Christian College in New York, is a member of Meeting Planners International and is a guest speaker at meetings of the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

Eric Jackson, 58

General Manager, Board Member

Oaklawn Jockey Club, Hot Springs

With 21 years as general manager under his belt, Eric Jackson led Oaklawn to record performance. With live, simulcast and instant racing and games of skill, the track saw more than $4.9 million wagered in 2007. Jackson helped pioneer simulcast racing in 1989, which now accounts for about 80 percent of all business in racing. Oaklawn was the first track to use simulcast racing. Jackson serves as president of Southwest Catering and RaceTech, where he also presides over research and development. Jackson has been involved in state and local chamber activities, Downtown Hol Springs Revitalization, the Garland County Industrial Development Corp., the Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion Commission and several other organizations.

Montine McNulty, 62

Executive Director

Arkansas Hospitality Association, Little Rock

Since 1996, McNuly has led the Hospitality Association, which combines the efforts of Arkansas restaurants, hotels and motels, travel businesses and their state associations. McNulty, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe to the Parks, Recreation & Travel Commission, will serve until 2011. She also serves as first vice president of the International Society of Hotel Association Executives and as a board member of the University of Arkansas Alumni Association, the Council of State Restaurant Association Executives and the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Daniel E. O'Byrne, 50

CEO

Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau

Daniel O'Byrne succeeded longtime LRCVB leader Barry Travis in February 2005, shortly after the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library. Before taking the reins of the organization,'OByrne worked as chief marketingofilcer at the LRCVB. During O'Byrne's tenure, Little Rock was selected out of 63 destinations in 27 states as one of "America's dozen distinctive destinations."

Joe David Rice, 56

Tourism Director

Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism, Little Rock

Despite the sluggish economy, tourism in Arkansas remained fairly strong in 2008 under the leadership of Joe David Rice. Travel-related expenditures through September 2008 grew about 5.5 percent from 2007. Full-year numbers aren't yet available. In 2007, total travel expenditures climbed 5 percent to $5.4 billion. Rice was re-elected in August to a one-year term as chair of the National Council of State Tourism Directors. He also was inducted into the Arkansas Hospitality Association's Hall of Fame in mid-2008.

Shelby Woods, 66

Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive Committee

CJRW, Little Rock

Shelby Woods founded the Woods Brothers Agency in 1967, which later merged with then-Cranford Johnson Robinson. Woods is responsible for senior management at the state's largest advertising firm and provides direction to the travel and tourism division of CJRW. Woods also is the senior account supervisor for CJRW's lucrative contract with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism, whose current annual advertising budget is nearly $9.96 million. Woods has served as chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is a charter member and currently is treasurer of the executive committee of the Arkansas Tourism Development Foundation.

TRANSPORTATION

Greg Arnold, 45

President and CEO

Truman Arnold Cos., Texarkana

Greg Arnold was named president and CEO of the nation's largest independent distributor of wholesale petroleum in September 2003. His father, Truman Arnold who founded the company in 1964. remains chairman. Greg Arnold has served as president of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association, is on the boards of Century Bancshares, which Wells Fargo last year agreed to buy, and Christus St. Michael Health Care Center Foundation and is a member of the National Petroleum Council. He is chairman emeritus of the National Air Transportation Association. The company, which has two major petroleum companies in Arkansas, ranks as the state's largest private company with revenue of $2.5 billion.

Clifton R. Beckham, 37

Chief Executive Officer

USA Truck Inc., Van Buren

Cliff Beckham took over as president, CEO and director of USA Truck in August 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. He has been with the dry van truckload carrier since 1994.

Robert Davidson, 61

President and CEO

Arkansas Best Corp., Fort Smith

Robert Davidson is president and CEO of Arkansas Best Corp.. a position he assumed in February 2006 with the retirement of Robert Young, and he also continues as CEO of ABF Freight System Inc., the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best, and has been a director since 2004. He has been with the company since 1972. The industrial engineering graduate of the University of Arkansas also holds an MBA from the UA. He is a past chairman of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association and is also a member of the University of Arkansas Engineering Advisory Council.

Lane Kidd, 56

President

Arkansas Trucking Association, Little Rock

Lane Kidd has been president of the Arkansas Trucking Association since 1992, where he serves as the chief executive and spokesman for the association's 400 member trucking companies, private fleets and service and supply businesses. He serves on the advisory council of the University of Arkansas' Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center and on various committees of the American Transportation Associations.

Paul Latture II, 62

Executive Director

Little Rock Port Authority

Paul Latture has been the executive director at the Little Rock Port Authority since December 1999. He is currently secretary treasurer of the Arkansas Waterways Association. He is chairman of the Arkansas Waterways Commission and is a board member of the National Waterways Conference. During 2008, the pod landed Indian pipe-maker Man Industries Ltd., which is building a $100 million facility that will employ 300 workers, and United Hoist & Crane. In addition, the port last year saw the opening of wind turbine manufacturer LM Glasfibers new plant.

Dennis Oakley, 45

President

Bruce Oakley Inc., North Little Rock

Dennis Oakley heads the highly diversified North Little Rock bulk cargo, grain and fertilizer company that was founded by his father, Bruce Oakley in 1968. His father died in April 2006, more than 10 years after turning management duties over to Dennis, who grew up working part time in the business. The company has grown quietly into one of Arkansas' largest private companies, adding more river terminals, now up to seven, and boosting the trucking fleet to more than 550.

Patrick L. Reed, 50

EVP and COO

FedEx Freight, Harrison

Patrick Reed provides strategic management for FedEx Freights LTL operations in North America, including FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL, and service to Canada and Mexico. Based in Harrison, Reed has more than 20 years of-experience in the LTL industry. He joined FedEx in 1996 and became EVP and COO in 2004. Reed is a member of the North Arkansas College Foundation Board and also serves on the University of Arkansas Walton Business School Dean's Board and the Supply Chain & Logistics Management Advisory Board. In addition, he's a member of the Arkansas Trucking Association Executive Committee and has served on the National Industrial Transportation League's Highway Infrastructure Committee and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. He also is on the board of Community First Bank.

Kirk Thompson, 54

President and CEO

J B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Lowell

Kirk Thompson has been president and CEO of J.B. Hunt, the country's ninth-largest trucking and logistics company, since 1987. A CPA, he started as chief financial officer and helped oversee the company's growth to more than $3.3 billion in annual revenue. He joined J.B. Hunt when he was 19 years old and a student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He has been a director since 1985.

Robert Weaver, 58

President and CEO

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

Robert Weaver is one of the co-founders of P.A.M. Transportation. He has been with the company 29 years and has been president and CEO since 1990. He became a director in 1990. He served as vice president from 1980-87. The University of Arkansas graduate is a director and past chairman of the Arkansas Trucking Association and is a director of the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation. He also serves on the board of the University of Arkansas' Mack-Blackwell Transportation Center.

Steve Williams, 55

Chairman and CEO

Maverick USA Inc., North Little Rock

Steve Williams founded the privately held Maverick Transportation in 1980. The Maverick companies - consisting of Maverick Transportation LLC, Maverick Logistics LLC and Maverick Truck & Trailer Sales - now collectively operate more than 1,500 tractors. hauling steel, building materials and glass on flatbed and specialized trailers. While becoming a leader in the industry, Williams has been actively involved in the trucking community. He serves on the board of directors of the Arkansas Trucking Association, served three terms as chairman of the Arkansas Trucking Association and was chairman of the American Trucking Associations in 2005. He was recently named to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Science.

Copyright 2009 ProQuest Information and Learning All Rights Reserved Copyright 2009 Arkansas Business