The Sam M. Walton College of Business and the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Board have selected four business leaders into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024.
The inductees are:
• John L. Conner Jr., president, Holden-Conner Company, a Newport-based real estate farm firm.
• Gary C. George, chairman, George’s Inc., a poultry operation based in Springdale.
• Eric Jackson, senior vice president, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
• Dhu C. Thompson, owner, US Irrigation LLC of Stuttgart. He is the former owner/president, Delta Plastics and Revolution Bag
“These four individuals represent the best of Arkansas business, and their contributions have had a profound impact on our state and their own industries," said Brent D. Williams, interim dean of the Walton College, in a news release from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. “They are visionary leaders and dedicated advocates for their communities. I am confident that their stories will inspire current Walton College students and generations of Arkansas business leaders to come.”
They were chosen by an 11-member selection committee chaired by Jason LaFrance, Walton College alumnus and president of Dale Capital Partners. Criteria for selection included 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.
An induction ceremony is scheduled at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Feb. 16, 2024.
Information about tables, tickets and event sponsorships for the induction ceremony, a black-tie optional event, is available by writing to the Walton College Office of External Relations, Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development #217, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201; calling (479) 575-6146; or emailing [email protected].
The Arkansas Business Hall of Fame isn the atrium of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development at the Walton College on the UA campus in Fayetteville.