Where's Walton? In Forrest City, Little Rock, and Cabot!

Welcome to part two of our most recent trip to Memphis, Forrest City, Little Rock, and Cabot!

On our way back from Memphis last week, Rachel and I stopped in Forrest City to invite Weston Lewey (BSBA '85) to join the Walton College Alumni Society Board of Directors. Rachel and I first met Weston last May on another trip to Memphis and took the picture below at the Times-Herald newspaper that she operates. Weston is also the owner of Chez Weenie, an adorable shop in Forrest City. It's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area! Weston was in the portfolio management class while she was a student at the Walton College, and her husband, Kevin, is also a graduate of ours (BSBA '86).

Next, Rachel and I made our way to Little Rock just in time to see Arkansas' own Kris Allen become the next American Idol. Did you know that Kris' wife, Katy, is a 2008 graduate of the Walton College? Congratulations to you both on this exciting accomplishment! The picture of Kris and Katy below is courtesy of one of our Business Alumni Advisory Council members, Traci Williams Kennedy (BSBA '94), who attended the parade in Conway a few weeks ago.

The next day, we started the morning by meeting with Philip Tappan (BSBA '83). Phil is the father of Drew Tappan, our guest blogger this summer. He is assisting us with the initial planning of a Walton College Alumni Society event in Little Rock. When all of the details have been ironed out, we'll be sure to let you know how you can be involved!

Finally, before heading back to The Hill, we drove to Cabot to see Walton College alumnus Ryan Boyd (BSBA '99). We met Ryan briefly last May at a Walton College Alumni Society reception in Memphis and told him we would catch up with him the next time we were in the area. Ryan and his wife recently moved to Cabot, where Ryan works for CFH Financial Services, Inc. Welcome home to Arkansas, Ryan!

This concludes our most recent trip! We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with all of these wonderful alumni and look forward to seeing them again. Stay tuned for more "Where's Walton?" posts as we progress through the summer. Who knows, we may be coming to see YOU!

Jennifer Holland

Associate Director of Development

Drew Tappan - A Taste of Greece

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Drew Tappan, one of our finance students, who is guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Athens, Greece. The following is the third post from Drew.

Two weeks. I never would have guessed that in two weeks time I’d find my true love. Who could have imagined that amongst some of the greatest monuments and artifacts our world has ever known, laid my one and only true affection- the ketchup flavored potato chip. As if the Greeks hadn’t already profoundly impacted Western culture, with their prolific philosophical ideals and influential democratic thought, the often deemed “cradle of civilization” has stumbled upon a remarkable new discovery. The ancient sites of places like the Parthenon, the Acropolis, and the Temple of Poseidon, wonderful as they are, pale in comparison to the beauty of the Heinz flavored Ruffles potato chip.

All kidding aside, this trip (like the chip), has been truly remarkable. In just fourteen short days, this trip has allowed me to learn more about myself than I could ever begin to describe in a blog posting. Our most recent excursion led the class to Greece’s most southern point, the town of Sounio, about an hour south of the city of Athens. As you can see from the pictures provided, the scenery is some of the most beautiful in the world. The area is most famous for the exquisite Temple of Poseidon, an ancient monument constructed in honor of the Greek god of the sea, atop Sounio’s rolling hills and cliffs.

In addition to the privilege of seeing this historical treasure firsthand, many of the male (and two brave female) classmates found the cliffs to be of much entertainment. In order to hold parental anxiety at a minimum, we will keep the descriptions of these cliffs somewhat vague. It is important to note however that everyone returned safe and sound with insurance policies remaining intact and unused.

Definitely in consideration as perhaps the most exciting event since the last entry (the last 4 or 5 days) would have to be the class’s sailing marathon on the Aegean Sea. In celebration of a fellow classmate’s birthday, the class rented two sailboats for a twelve-hour embarkation on the open sea. We couldn’t have asked for better weather or sailing conditions, departing port close to nine that morning and returning later that evening. It was a day well spent- sailing, swimming, and simply enjoying the company of our fellow classmates. The group’s cohesive attitude (as mentioned in the previous post) made the trip that much more special. Stopping for dinner on one of the small neighboring Greek islands, and returning home that evening, it was a trip that I believe everyone will remember for many years to come (despite a few heavy sunburns).

This trip has provided me with an abundance of memories and experiences that cannot begin to be quantified. The impact this study abroad experience has had on me is far more than anything I can begin portraying in any blog or Facebook post. George Strait, famous musician and songwriter, once said in one of his songs that “Good things last.” Although this trip will eventually have to come to an end, the lessons and experiences I’ll come away with will stay with me throughout my life and will ultimately prove in one way or another that good things last. Now please excuse me, I have a bag of chips calling my name…

Drew Tappan
University of Arkansas
Walton College Honors Program
Financial Management & Investments

Where's Walton? In Memphis!

Last week, Rachel and I traveled to Memphis to meet with some of our alumni.  On our way back to Fayetteville, we stopped to visit with a few other people in Forrest City, Little Rock, and Cabot as well.  In the interest of keeping our blog posts at a reasonable (and readable) length, though, I'm going to break our trip up into two different parts.  

After a long day of driving last Tuesday, Rachel and I met one of our Business Alumni Advisory Council members, Jennifer Treece (MBA '05), in Memphis.  Jennifer is a new member of ours and just attended her first meeting this spring.  She has an engineering degree from OU and is a global marketing manager for Smith & Nephew Orthopedics.  

Next, Rachel and I had dinner with Kelly (BSBA '85) and Sharon (BSE '87) Truitt.  Kelly works for CB Richard Ellis, serves on the board of directors for the Walton College Alumni Society, and is co-chair of the board's scholarship committee.  Check your spring issue of Business Perspective (coming your way soon!) to read more about this committee and their fundraising efforts for the newly established Walton College Alumni Society Scholarship.  

The next day, we met with Krystal Hardy (BSBA '04) at International Paper.  This was our first time to visit their building complex in Memphis.  Rachel and I couldn't help but take a sneak peek at the beautiful courtyard area in between the buildings.  What a great place to visit on your lunch break!

Our visit with Krystal was followed by an appointment with Hope Campbell (MBA '96).  Hope works for FedEx and has her bachelor's degree from Henderson State University.  Her husband is also a University of Arkansas Law School graduate.  We hope to see you both on campus soon!

Finally, before heading to our next destination, Rachel and I stopped in downtown Memphis to meet with Phil Stevenson (BSBA '88).  Phil is originally from Mena, which happens to be my hometown as well.  Phil works for First Tennessee Bank and told us about his family's amazing history with the University of Arkansas.  We love to hear stories of legacies such as his!

This concludes the Memphis portion of our most recent trip.  I'll write about our visits in Forrest City, Little Rock, and Cabot in another post.  Until then, enjoy your week!

Jennifer Holland

Associate Director of Development

Drew Tappan - The Difference a Week Can Make

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Drew Tappan, one of our finance students, who is guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Athens, Greece. The following is the second post from Drew.


It's funny how time changes things. Over the course of this past month, I've transitioned from an exhausted, exam plagued student to that of a jet lagged and incoherent zombie. Throughout the past week I have immersed myself in the Greek culture, history, and tradition, and have immerged a revitalized and refreshed image of my former self.

One of the greatest factors in the success of my experience so far can be attributed to the strong cohesiveness of the group. A unique combination of ten undergraduate and five graduate students, this blend of students has already grown far closer than I ever could have imagined. Of course, it doesn't hurt when that same group happens to be located in one of the jewels of southern Europe. Over the course of these last five days, our group has been privileged to experience more than some may see in a lifetime. Full days spent in the cities of ancient Athens, Corinth, and other historical locations have not only filled my mind with vivid memories and images for the future, but given me a greater respect for this world in its entirety. The flexibility of our class schedules and university administrators has allowed our group to possess the ample setting for both classroom instruction and the full historical experience. I must admit, paralleling what I'm sure is the common consensus, that the Acropolis (the Parthenon, Temple of Athena-Nike, etc.) and the ancient city of Corinth are nothing less than extraordinary. They are two of the most historical places throughout Greece, and have been two of the most enjoyable sights of our trip. The precision and quality with which these establishments were built, as well as their extensive preservation, has allowed our group to come away with some wonderful experiences. I cannot thank my family, the University of Arkansas Study Abroad Program, and my faculty leaders enough, for if the duration of our trip is anything relatively equivalent to the first five days, I'm sorry mom but I may not be coming home!

Drew Tappan
University of Arkansas
Walton College Honors Program
Financial Management & Investments

Social Networking and the Job Hunt

The following post is compliments of Ben Barr, a 2009 magna cum laude graduate of the Walton College. Ben is also a Walton Scholar and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

As a senior Finance major from Hot Springs, I aspired to get a job in a larger city than my beautiful hometown. My first exposure to social networking was in 2005, when I joined Facebook as a high school graduate. I greatly underappreciated the power of social networks, and only until my junior year at the U of A did I fully grasp the capability available to me.

I joined LinkedIn, a professional networking site, after Charles Davis, a distinguished alum in New York City, encouraged me to do so. Linkedin allows the user to create an online resume for the public to see through the website. I then leveraged Charles' connections, LinkedIn's equivalent to Facebook friends, by sending them messages through the site regarding internship opportunities and career advice.

As my network grew throughout my junior year, I gained a tremendous amount of insight and different perspectives on the career path I desired to pursue. Social networking provided a legitimacy that a cold call or cold email didn't. Moving one degree at a time through my network allowed strangers I had never met to see that I was a serious candidate and was worth their time to speak with and provide advice to.

I was incredibly fortunate to land an internship at an investment banking firm in the Washington, D.C. area during the summer of my junior year, and I again turned to my professional network on Linkedin for advice about this opportunity. I bounced the offer and credentials of the firm off of my growing network, and these people helped me to feel confident and reassured about my decision to work for this firm. Once I arrived at my employer for the summer, my network further grew as I added many of my colleagues from the summer and others I met during my time in DC.

After receiving an offer for a full-time job from the firm in Washington, D.C., I spent the first semester of my senior year by focusing more on strengthening current relationships in my network and slowed my aggressive growth. I got to know quite a few Arkansas alumni very well through email and phone conversations about class, work, and personal life. I made many of my professional connections on LinkedIn my Facebook friends, which most view as a more socially focused networking site. The deepening of these relationships will be invaluable for me going forward as I have several close and trustworthy confidants I would not have without social networking.

My social networking life was turned upside down in early December 2008 when the firm I had an employment offer with rescinded it due to market conditions. I immediately turned to my trusted connections I had made through LinkedIn for advice about what to do in that situation. I received much-needed honest and encouraging feedback, and I felt confident in moving forward with my job search. I immediately received several phone interviews solely through connections on LinkedIn. My case in these interviews was greatly strengthened by the tremendous respect the many alumni connections I used had garnered in their professional encounters with many very powerful and well-connected people.

As the spring of my senior year progressed, the financial markets made job opportunities in finance extremely difficult to come by, but through these challenging times, my connections managed to help me line up numerous interviews and meetings. I targeted Dallas because I found many great connections there, and the job market in the DFW area had experienced a much smaller amount of turmoil relative to the rest of the country. I began to reach out to numerous alumni in finance and accounting positions across the area and received a very positive response to my calls for meetings, advice, and job help. I managed to meet with over 30 DFW alumni over a period of five weeks in March through early May.

Fortunately, early May brought with it the incredibly timely and fortunate opportunity to meet with a great alum, Ed Lynch, who referred me to the firm I recently received and accepted an offer from. Social networking allowed me to move around the business community in Dallas and helped me set up several meetings with people I would have never run across otherwise. I plan to continue to be extremely active through social networks, specifically Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, in the future and hope to learn of better, more effective ways of building both my professional and social networks.

Drew Tappan - Off to Greece!

This summer, the Walton College is proud to feature Drew Tappan, one of our finance students, who will be guest-blogging for us while he embarks on a Study Abroad experience in Athens, Greece. Drew will be sending posts and pictures over the next several weeks so we can hear all about this unique opportunity.


My name is Drew Tappan and I just finished my third year as a Finance major (Financial Management & Investments) in the Honors College in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Although my spring semester has come to a conclusion, I believe the best part of my junior year is just beginning.

This summer I am embarking on the Walton College sponsored International Business Study Abroad tour in Athens, Greece. I believe this opportunity will allow me to grow both as a person and as a student. Throughout my three years at the University of Arkansas, I have heard from countless individuals and their continued praise of various study abroad programs with the Walton College. Whether it be the location, the group of students participating, or the faculty and administrators leading the trip, the Walton College study abroad program has carried an ongoing connotation of excitement and prestige that I am proud to soon be a part of.

Well I believe that's enough build up for a brief pre-departure introduction, it's time for me to pack my bags, grab my travel essentials, and head to the airport for the twelve hour flight that's ahead! Wish me luck!

Drew Tappan
University of Arkansas
Walton College Honors Program
Financial Management & Investments

Photos from the 2009 Walton College Commencement

Walton College Alumni Society board member, Heather Nelson, with our commencement speaker, General Marty Steele

Senior Associate Dean, Bill Curington; General Marty Steele; Dean Dan Worrell

Walton College finance students pose for a picture before the ceremony

Walton College marketing students, Auntalaya Turner and Samantha Sturm

General Martin "Marty" Steele gives the commencement address

Walton College faculty members listening to General Steele's address

Walton College undergraduates listening to General Steele's speech

Steve Nipper (BSBA '71 & MBA '73), Arkansas Alumni Association board member, welcomes the class of 2009 to the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Walton College Alumni Society

Walton College Alumni Society board members, Dr. Molly Rapert and Heather Nelson, pose for a picture after the event

For more pictures, visit our fan page on Facebook!

Call for Nominations: Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

Since the Sam M. Walton College of Business created the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 1999, 46 noteworthy Arkansans have been selected by a committee of business and civic leaders for induction. Today, we invite you to be a part of this endeavor to recognize and honor "Arkansas' best" by submitting your own nominations for next year's event.

The deadline for submitting your nomination for the 2010 Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is July 1, 2009. Nominees who may have been born in Arkansas but whose business achievements have been outside of Arkansas, as well as nominees whose accomplishments are primarily in Arkansas are considered for induction. Nominations are not limited to University of Arkansas graduates, but must be over 60 years of age.

The Process & Selection Criteria are outlined on the Walton College web site, where you will also see pictures from the 2009 event. To submit a nomination form, click here or contact the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Office of External Relations, at (479) 575-6146, abhf@walton.uark.edu.

Those selected for 2010 induction will be honored at the twelfth annual Arkansas Business Hall of Fame celebration on Friday, February 12, 2010, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. We hope to see you there!

Walton College Commencement

The Walton College Commencement will be held this Saturday, May 9th, at Barnhill Arena on the University of Arkansas campus. Our featured commencement speaker will be Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele.

The following bio of General Steele is courtesy of his company's web site, Uncommon Leadership, LLC.

"Born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Fayetteville, AR, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1965. During his initial tour at Camp Pendleton he was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. Subsequently assigned as a Corporal to the Officer Candidates School, General Steele was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in January 1967. He rose steadily in the ranks, holding positions as Platoon Commander, Executive Officer and Tank Company Commander. This was followed by a second tour of duty in Southeast Asia and an assignment as Office-in-Charge of Sea School in Portsmouth, VA.

In 1973, General Steele returned to Camp Pendleton and served as a Tank Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division. An assignment as an Assault Amphibian Vehicle Company Commander was followed by duty as the Marine Corps Liaison Officer to the Project Manager, M60/M1A1 Tank Program at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command in Warren, MI. He then served at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) in Washington, DC as the Tank Acquisition Project Officer.

From August 1985 through 1988, General Steele was the Commanding Officer of both 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion and 1st Tank Battalion. In July 1988, he transferred overseas where he was assigned as Operations Officer, Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea. Upon his return in August 1990, he assumed the duties as the Deputy Director, Marine Air-Ground Task Force Warfighting Center, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, VA.

After serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, General Steele took over as Director of the Warfighting Development Integration Division at Quantico. In 1993, he was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned duty as Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Quantico in June of that year and was selected in November 1994 for promotion to Major General. He served as the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, U.S. Forces Pacific, from 1995 to 1997. He was then promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations at HQMC.

Upon retirement in 1999, General Steele became President and CEO of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the largest naval museum in the world where they adopted the mission to “Honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth about the price of freedom.” Currently, he is a managing partner of Uncommon Leadership, LLC, a leadership consulting company whose mission is to develop uncommon leaders of character across a wide audience range from transitioning Marines, to college students and administrators, as well as corporate level executives. His personal decorations include: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal; The Distinguished Service Medal; The Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal with gold star; and The Combat Action Ribbon. Equally notable are his academic achievements: a BA degree from the University of Arkansas, MA degrees from Central Michigan University, Salve Regina College and the Naval War College. He is a distinguished graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, an honor graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and graduate of the Naval War College.

Married to the former Cynthia Bayliss of Little Rock, AR, and father of three grown children, General Steele serves proudly on many boards. In acknowledgement of his achievements, he is the subject of the recently published Boys of ’67, an award winning book about three highly successful Marine officers whose lives reflect personal heroism, dedication and their impact and devotion to the Marine Corps and our country."

We are proud to welcome General Steele to campus this week. Congratulations to all of our graduates!