FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, has announced the appointment of Gary McLaughlin as director.

Doyle Z. Williams, dean of the Walton College, said: "We are very pleased to have someone of Gary’s caliber join the SBDC. Gary brings an enormous amount of business experience to the position. We are most fortunate to have an individual such as Gary lead the SBDC."

McLaughlin will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the SBDC on a day-to-day basis. He most recently held the position of vice president, International Tax, for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Prior to Wal-Mart, McLaughlin worked for Conoco Inc. and affiliates, with two and one-half years as director and general manager, administration, executive management, Conoco (UK) Ltd. and subsidiaries in London, England. Assignments included tax, accounting, system development, mergers and acquisitions, business restructuring, integration of finance into the supply chain, and executive management. After his career with Conoco, McLaughlin entered and completed the Walton College MBA program, working as a graduate assistant in the SBDC.

The Arkansas Small Business Development Center (ASBDC) is part of a national network of more than 1,000 small business development center offices that provide training, information and consulting services to existing and potential business owners. The SBDC network is the largest small business assistance program in the United States. The UA Walton College Small Business Development Center operates as a regional office of the ASBDC.