The Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Board have named four outstanding business leaders as the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame class of 2023:

• Curt Bradbury, chief operating officer, Stephens Inc.
• E. Fletcher Lord Jr., chairman of the board, Bumper to Bumper/Crow-Burlingame Co.
• Judy R. McReynolds, chairman, president and CEO, ArcBest
• Ross M. Whipple, president and CEO of Horizon Capital Partners LLLP, president of Horizon Timber Services Inc. and chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Ross Foundation

“The newest Hall of Fame inductees elevate Arkansas as a pacesetter in the finance, auto parts, transportation, timber and investment worlds,” said Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College. “These four leaders help distinguish Arkansas as the right place for business, community and innovation.”

The honorees will be recognized for their contributions to their respective industries and to the state of Arkansas in an induction ceremony at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Feb. 17, 2023.

Jason LaFrance, Walton College alumnus and president of Dale Capital Partners, chaired the selection committee of 11 business leaders who reviewed nominations and selected the inductees. Criteria for selection includes the significance of the impact made as a business leader, the concern demonstrated for improving the community and the display of ethics in all business dealings. Living inductees must be over the age of 60. 

The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame is housed in the atrium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development at the Walton College on the U of A campus in Fayetteville.

For information about tables, tickets and event sponsorships for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a black-tie optional event, contact the Walton College Office of External Relations, Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development #217, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201; call 479-575-6146; or email abhf@walton.uark.edu.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.