FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame board is accepting nominations for the 2018 class of leaders who have made a lasting contribution to business and their communities.

The nomination deadline is July 15.

The 2018 class, which will join the 78 business leaders now in the Hall of Fame, will be inducted at a gala dinner Feb. 9, 2018, in Little Rock.

In selecting inductees, the committee considers outstanding leadership in establishing, building or running a business; improving his or her community; and displaying the highest level of ethics.

Equal consideration is given to nominees born in Arkansas whose business achievements have been outside of the state and to nominees whose accomplishments have been based primarily in Arkansas. Nominations are not limited to Walton College or University of Arkansas graduates.

Specific criteria for selection and a list of past honorees can be found at walton.uark.edu/abhf.

Nominations can be made by completing and submitting the form found on the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame website or sending a letter of nomination including information that illustrates to the selection committee why the nominee deserves recognition.

Nominations can be submitted electronically to abhf@walton.uark.edu or by mail to the Office of External Relations at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, Office of External Relations, Room 219, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201.

About the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame: The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas established the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 1999 to recognize outstanding business leaders born in Arkansas or those who have chosen to build their businesses in the state. The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame’s purpose is to honor, preserve and perpetuate the accomplishments of business leaders who have brought lasting recognition to Arkansas. A listing by year is available at the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame website.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.