FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas held its 17th annual awards banquet on Thursday, April 15, at the Holiday Inn in Springdale.

In addition to its outstanding students, the Walton College honored four distinctive alumni:

• Lifetime Achievement – Greg Lee, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration ’70, retired CAO and international president of Tyson Foods Inc., Fayetteville, Ark.
• Entrepreneur of the Year – Ken Shollmier, B.S.B.A. ’63, CEO, Shollmier Distributing Inc., Little Rock, Ark.
• Outstanding Service – Mario Ramirez, B.S.B.A.’89, national director, Executive Planning, TIAA-CREF, Las Colinas, Texas
• Pay It Forward Award – Jay McEntire, B.S.B.A. ’84, managing partner, M2 Capital Partners LLC, Austin, Texas.

Walton College Dean Dan Worrell said: “We have chosen these business leaders because they exemplify the very essence of what we are trying to teach our students. Their accomplishments provide inspiration to the students as well as to our faculty and staff.”

Greg Lee served in a wide variety of executive positions at Tyson Foods for more than 27 years before he retired. During that time he was active in various industry groups. He continues his spirit of service today and is a loyal supporter of the University of Arkansas, where he serves on the Board of Advisors, and the Walton College, where he serves on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board. He was named the Beta Gamma Sigma honoree in 2008. He and his wife also made a generous gift to Walker Hall and have a classroom named in their honor. They were honored in 2008 as Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the NWA Association of Fundraising Professionals.

After graduation, Ken Shollmier developed his business skills in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry and went on to form several successful companies to serve the industry, including Shollmier Distribution, and Shollmier and Company. Ken and his wife Linda Sue have been great supporters of the University of Arkansas and the Walton College. The plaza that connects the business campus is named in honor of Linda Sue and the gift the couple made to both the School of Architecture and the Walton College. As well, the Shollmier MBA Investment Fund was made possible by Shollmier and his brother Dudley.

Mario Ramirez is an active alumnus, was instrumental in mobilizing the Walton College Alumni Society, and served as its president from 2005 to 2007. He is currently a member of the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board and the Garrison Financial Institute Advisory Board. Ramirez served on the city council and as chair of the ethics board in Highland Village, Texas. He has also served on the board of directors and the Dallas Chapter president of the Arkansas Alumni Association.

Jay McEntire has hosted the Portfolio Management class and other finance students on visits to Chicago and New York City in an effort to help them expand their network of professional contacts and land jobs after graduation. He has also been an active volunteer class speaker on many occasions sharing his experiences and practical knowledge with students. McEntire began his career at Worthen Banking Corporation as a credit analyst.

Outstanding Students Awards

The Walton College’s outstanding undergraduate senior awards include:

• Accounting – Laura Akin, Stephanie Eliason, Paige Gray
• Economics – Brayton Rand
• Economics, International Business – Justin Fengler
• Economics, Arts and Sciences – Adam Glasier
• Finance – Lana Hong, Bryce Tritt, Kennon Largent, Nicholas Cannella, Kentan Chawla
• Information Systems – Yana Mitchell
• Marketing and Logistics – Julie “Locke” Isaacson, Amanda Daugherty, Bethany Haefner, Sabrina Wade, Cristina Sheppard, Marisa “Lauren” Rodkin
• Management – Marsha James, Isaac West
• Ralph Treat Outstanding Cooperative Student Award – Michael Beard

Graduate student awards include:

• Master of Business Administration – Elizabeth Slape
• Managerial Master of Business Administration – Misty Stevens
• Master of Accountancy – Chris Poe
• Master of Arts in Economics –Ningning Zhuang
• Master of Information Systems – Donald Bell (Professional M.I.S.), Jeremy Gammill (Full-time M.I.S.)

The Sam M. Walton Student Leadership award was given to Megan Stellpflug. The Doyle Z. Williams Student Leadership Award went to Liliana Arispe-Heredia. The University of Arkansas and Walton College student awards include: First-ranked Senior Scholars – Tyler Carllee, Stephanie Eliason, Justin Fengler, Ibelisse Valeria Lafuente, Kennon Largent. These students completed all of their course work at the University of Arkansas with a grade point average of 4.0. First-Ranked Seniors Scholars include Laura Akin and Jeremiah Dennis. Andrew Boyd received the Beta Gamma Sigma Award, and Emily McCullough received the Presidential Scholar Award. The Walton College’s Outstanding Graduating Senior is Laura Akin.