NorthWest Arkansas Community College will hold the official grand opening of its new Student Success Center on its Bentonville campus Thursday (Feb. 5) at 2 p.m.
This new space, designed to support the successful transition of students into the NWACC community, is on the second floor of the Becky Paneitz Student Center.
Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson, president of NWACC, will provide brief remarks at Thursday’s event. The public is invited to attend.
One of the newer student housing complexes in Fayetteville, Sterling Frisco, a 640-bedroom complex, was sold this week for $49 million, according to a release by the purchaser GMH Capital Partners.
GMH purchased the student housing development located at that corner of Lafayette Street and West Avenue near the University of Arkansas from Specialized Real Estate Group and Sterling University Housing of Houston, Texas. The complex cost about $28.5 million to construct in 2013 and it opened early last year.
The deal includes 219 units and 640 bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom. GMH plans to add other upgrades including increased bandwidth with speeds up to 5x faster, Wi-Fi in all student living areas, enhanced cable package with digital HD service and DVR's, upgraded card access and video surveillance system as well as additional outdoor living features to the pool patio and rooftop terrace.
"We are tremendously excited to have Sterling Frisco kick off our re-emergence back into the student housing market, said Jim Kirby,” executive vice president of GMH Capital Partners.
The $49 million purchase price of Frisco Sterling equates to roughly $76,560 per bedroom. The bedroom rent will range between $599 and $900 per month, according to the Sterling Frisco website.
Jason Hendren, a former partner at Friday Eldridge & Clark, has joined the Rogers, Ark., office of Wright, Lindsey & Jennings.
Hendren will be part of the firm’s medical malpractice group, where he will continue his practice defending healthcare providers and facilities in cases of alleged malpractice, as well as handling cases involving pharmaceutical and medical device companies in connection with products liability litigation.
“Jason is regarded as one of the top medical malpractice defense attorneys in the state. We are excited to have an attorney of Jason’s talent and reputation join our firm. He fits well with the culture of the firm and is a welcomed addition,” Edwin Lowther, Jr., managing partner for Wright, Lindsey & Jennings, said in a statement.
With almost 20 years of experience, Hendren has handled several hundred malpractice cases defending hospital systems, pharmacies and long-term care facilities, as well as individual physicians, physician assistants, CRNAs, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, dentists and orthodontists across Arkansas.
In 2013, Hendren served as President of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel and received an “Exceptional Performance Citation” from the Defense Research Institute (DRI) for his service. He serves as a DRI State Representative for the State of Arkansas, a member of the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors (Northwest Bar District) and a member of the Bentonville Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors. Hendren is a Barrister of the W.B. Putman American Inn of Court and (Sustaining) Fellow of the Arkansas Bar Foundation.
Hendren, received his bachelors degree (with honors) from the University of Arkansas, and his juris doctorate (with honors) from the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law.
Van Buren-based USA Truck recently secured a $170 million credit line backed by several banks that will help the trucking company refinance debt at a lower interest rate and meet capital needs.
The deal provides USA Truck with almost $100 million of liquidity at closing abd “substantially” increases its access to capital, according to a statement the company issued Thursday (Feb. 5).
“The new credit facility is a direct reflection of the significant progress USA Truck has made in improving our business and operational effectiveness,” USA Truck President and CEO John Simone said in the statement.
With a better than expected third quarter net income of $2.717 million, USA Truck is on track in 2014 to end five consecutive years of losses. The third quarter net income of $2.717 million was an improvement over the $602,000 loss in the same quarter of 2013. Total revenue in the quarter was $153.618 million, better than the $141.822 million in the third quarter of 2013 and just above the consensus estimate of $153.4 million.
The transaction will result in a one-time, non-cash write-off of around $800,000 in the first quarter of 2015 related to unamortized debt issuance costs associated with the company’s previous credit arrangement. The agent for the deal was Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Other banks in the deal include SunTrust Bank, PNC Bank and BMO Harris Bank.
USA Truck shares (NASDAQ: USAK) closed Thursday at $28.55, up 42 cents. During the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from a $30.51 high to a $13.29 low.
Urologic Specialists Inc., founded more than 60 years ago in Oklahoma, has now expanded its services into the Fort Smith region.
The group, which consists of 21 urologists, is now offering around-the-clock urology coverage at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, as well as outpatient clinic services on Monday through Friday.
The urologists provide treatment options for conditions that affect the male reproductive and urinary systems and female urinary system, including: Kidney stones; overactive bladder; incontinence; urinary tract infection; bladder and kidney cancer; prostate cancer; erectile dysfunction; and testicular cancer.
The new clinic is located in Mercy Medical Tower, 2713 S. 74th St., Suite 104, in Fort Smith.
Wal-Mart has created a new executive position in its China market. The retail giant has appointed Maggie Sans to senior vice president and chief corporate affairs officer in China. The position was created with the goal of improving the retailer’s reputation after accounting, inventory and food-safety missteps in recent years.
“She will be responsible for elevating our corporate reputation in China and helping shape the political environment for our continued growth,” Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs, noted in the memo to employees on Friday (Feb. 6). Sans will oversee company initiatives that include food safety, sustainability and energy saving, he noted.
Ray Bracy, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Wal-Mart China, will return to the U.S. in the coming months. He will retire in January, according to the memo.
“China is a critical market for us, and we must have the right people in place to lead our organization on the policies and regulations which allow us to operate successfully in this market,” Bartlett said in the memo.
The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce announced the names of this year’s NWA LeaderCon honorees that will be officially recognized for their leadership services at a ceremony at 2 p.m. on April 2 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.
This year’s Don Soderquist Servant Leader award will be given to Mike Duke, retired President & CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The Trailblazer Award winner is Cameron Smith, president of Cameron Smith & Associates. The Tomorrow’s Leader award is being presented to Nick Nabholz, business development officer for Nabholz Construction.
In its third year, the NWA LeaderCon business conference seeks to provide a local and affordable opportunity for professional development for individuals and/or corporate teams to make connections with like professionals, while recognizing outstanding leaders throughout region.
For additional information please go to the conference website.
Steven Plaisance has taken over the role of CEO for Arvest Mortgage Co. and Central Mortgage Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Arvest Bank according to a release from the bank on Monday (Feb. 9).
Plaisance became president and chief operating officer for Arvest Mortgage Co. (AMC) and Central Mortgage Company (CMC) in March 2012, and will retain the role of president in addition to his new title. He will report to Arvest Bank chief operating officer Phil Porter.
He began his career with Arvest as a part-time teller in Rogers in 1989 and joined AMC in 1991 holding a variety of leadership positions since 1996. Plaisance is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association, a national group that represents the entire real estate finance industry, and other industry associations. He is a two-time president of the Oklahoma Mortgage Bankers Association.
AMC and CMC, which have locations in Arkansas and Oklahoma, regularly originate $1 billion-plus in mortgage loans annually, and currently service a combined $38 billion in mortgage loans.
“I am excited about the opportunity to lead our talented mortgage team into the future. Arvest is dedicated to serving mortgage customers through originations and servicing, and I look forward to continuing the many good things we have done in these areas.” Plaisance noted in the release.
Plaisance earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas. He’s also a 1998 graduate of the Mortgage Bankers Association Future Leaders Program. He and his wife, Katy, live in Tulsa and have three sons.
Josh Masters has been named a member of Beall Barclay & Company, and Travis Teague has been named a member of Beall Barclay Wealth Management.
Masters, a CPA, joined Beall Barclay in 1999, after graduating from Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In addition to public accounting, Masters performs audit, tax and consulting services with a focus on contractors, leasing companies, wholesalers, retailers & manufacturers. He also assists clients in the healthcare, nonprofit, real estate and low income housing industries.
Masters is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, (AICPA) and the Western Arkansas Chapter of Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accounts (ASPCA). He is also a member of the Russellville Chamber of Commerce and is a delegate to the Leadership Russellville program. Masters serves on the Advisory Board for Arkansas Tech University College of Business and is the treasurer of the Dover Public Education Foundation.
Masters and his wife Kara live in Dover with their two children.
Teague, a certified financial planner, joined Beall Barclay Wealth Management in 2004. As a financial advisor, he is involved in the analysis and implementation of client portfolios and financial plan design, and also functions as the daily operations manager.
He has worked in the financial services industry for more than 16 years and is licensed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and all applicable state agencies for conducting securities, insurance and investment services.
Teague graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1997 with bachelor’s degree in business finance and in 2004 completed his bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
He holds designations and licenses as a Certified Financial Planner Practitioner (CFP®), Securities Licenses, Series 7, 24 and 66 as well as Life and Health Insurance licenses. He is a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith, Class of 2011 and is a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA).
Teague lives in Van Buren with his wife Tara and their two children.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin announced Monday (Feb. 9) the appointment of Secretary of State Chris Benge as Native American liaison within the governor’s office.
The governor also issued an executive order establishing her Cabinet for her second four-year term. Benge, a member of the Cherokee Nation, will now serve as secretary of state and Native American affairs.
Benge succeeds Jacque Secondine Hensley, who had advised the governor on American Indian affairs since July 2012. Hensley has accepted a position with the Department of Human Services, where she will work on a variety of Native American issues.
Fallin named Benge to serve as secretary of state in November 2013. He served as speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2008 until he was term-limited as a legislator in 2010. He also served as House Appropriations and Budget Committee chairman from December 2004 until February 2008.
“Chris is a trusted member of my Cabinet and adviser on policy, economic and legislative issues,” Fallin said in a statement. “As secretary of state, he also deals with officials from other countries who visit Oklahoma and works with them on trade and other issues. He will now extend that same mission to our tribes, which have a valuable and unique impact on Oklahoma’s economy and our culture.”
Benge said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“Whether it’s creating jobs, improving health care services or boosting education, Oklahoma has an extremely valuable partnership with the tribes,” said Benge. “The tribes have an estimated $10.8 billion impact in the state's production of goods and services, with tribal government and business operations employing more than 50,000 people, and supporting nearly 90,000 full-time jobs in the state. The relationship between the tribes and the state has developed momentum over the last few years. I’m looking forward to continuing to facilitate the good relationship between the state and the tribes.”
Fallin’s executive order establishes her Cabinet to be made up of 12 secretaries. The governor during her first term had 13 secretaries; she is combining commerce and tourism into one position.
The governor’s Cabinet secretaries, in addition to Benge, are:
• Secretary of Agriculture Jim Reese
• Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Deby Snodgrass
• Secretary of Education and Workforce Development Natalie Shirley
• Secretary of Energy and Environment Michael Teague
• Secretary of Finance, Administration and Information Technology Preston Doerflinger
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Terry Cline
• Secretary of the Military Brig. Gen. Robbie L. Asher
• Secretary of Safety and Security Michael Thompson
• Secretary of Science and Technology Stephen McKeever
• Secretary of Transportation Gary Ridley
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs Maj. Gen. Myles Deering
Oklahoma statute requires the governor to set the Cabinet structure 45 calendar days after taking her oath of office, but does not specifically require the positions be filled within that time frame.
Wal-Mart Stores named Calson Investment Limited as its “supplier of the year” for fiscal 2015 at the retailer’s beginning year meetings held in Orlando last week (Feb. 2 -5).
Calson is based in China and supplies sneakers, boat shoes, loafers, boots, slippers, platform shoes, and moccasins to Wal-Mart’s Stores, according to the supplier’s website which notes that it is a trading company / manufacturer.
Arvest Bank promotes Roger Bryles to vice president, trust client advisor for Arvest Asset Management. Bryles has worked as a trust client advisor for Arvest Asset Management for more than five years. Before he joined Arvest, he was a vice president, chief financial officer and board treasurer of a private foundation, a registered investment advisor with a regional investment firm and a bank examiner with the U.S. Treasury.
“Roger has been an invaluable asset to Arvest Bank and our customers,” said Tabitha Lipscomb, executive vice president and trust manager for Arvest Bank in Fayetteville, Springdale and Benton County. “His background and education helps him to provide the best guidance for his customers and help them reach their financial goals.”
Bryles earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in 1986 and law degree at the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1991.
He is a licensed attorney and maintains a CPA license on an inactive basis. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow and member of the Fayetteville Downtown Rotary Club. He and his wife, Mary Jane Meadows Bryles, have two daughters, Sophie and Lily.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson named three new cabinet-level positions on Tuesday.
Hutchinson announced Becky Keogh as Director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Lt. Colonel Matt Snead as Director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs and Edmond Waters as Commissioner of the Arkansas Securities Department.
Keogh is a former Deputy Director at Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. She currently serves as regulatory and environment manager for BHP Billiton, a global resources company. Prior to that, she was a vice president and senior project manager for CH2M HILL, an international environmental and engineering consulting firm. She served as a commissioner of the Arkansas Geological Commission from 2006-2009 and, under the former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality from 1996 to 2006.
Lt. Colonel Matt Snead is a 16-year veteran of the Arkansas National Guard, and plans to continue his service as a traditional Guardsman. He serves as the state public affairs officer for the nearly 10,000 soldiers and airmen of the Arkansas National Guard. Prior to that, he served for five years as the first legislative liaison for the Guard. He has held a number of command and staff positions, which includes a deployment to Iraq as a plans officer in 2007.
Waters is a former vice president of A.G. Edwards & Sons where he had a 21-year career as branch manager and financial advisor in the Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., and Destin, Fla., branches. Prior to that, he was self-employed in his native Helena-West Helena, Ark.
Hutchinson also made nearly a dozen appointments to boards and commissions in the last week. They include:
• Bill Benton, Heber Springs, to the Arkansas State Police Commission. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2016. Replaces Wallace Fowler.
• Randy Wolfinbarger, Eureka Springs, to the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2021. Replaces Barbara Harvel.
• Doyle Yates, Springdale, to the Arkansas Real Estate Commission. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2017. Replaces Allen Trammell.
• Denny East, Marion, to the Arkansas Racing Commission. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2020. Replaces Thomas Akin.
• Joe Whisenhunt, Conway, to the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2022. Replaces Robert Adcock.
• Chuck Graham, Lonoke, to the State Crime Lab Board. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2022. Replaces J. Fairley.
• Stephen Whitwell, Little Rock, reappointment to Arkansas Cemetery Board. Appointment expires Jan. 15, 2019.
Hutchinson also made the following special appointments for judicial cases:
• Chris Gardner, Jonesboro, Special Associate Justice to Arkansas Supreme Court. CV-14-434.
• Dustin Jones, Jonesboro, Special Associate Justice to Arkansas Supreme Court. CV-14-648.
• Noyl Houston, Jonesboro, Special Associate Justice to Arkansas Supreme Court. CV-13-721
• David Sterling, Little Rock, Special Associate Justice to Arkansas Supreme Court. CV-14-618
The awards and accolades continue to pour in for one Fayetteville-based venture— PicaSolar — tagged as a "Startup to Watch" by The City Wire last year.
PicaSolar learned this week that its hydrogen super emitter (HSE) is among those innovations to be recognized at the Edison Awards Gala held April 23 in New York.
The company knows it has earned a silver, bronze or gold level award and it will find out which during the upcoming gala.
As a 2015 Edison Award finalist PicaSolar went head-to-head against companies like Yahoo!, Motorolla, Proctor & Gamble, Kellogg, Pepsico and Google, all of which were nominated for innovative products as well.
“The Edison Award is a demonstration of the innovative work being done by the whole team at PicaSolar. It is a great honor to receive an award next to the likes of Dow, GE, LG and other leaders in their fields,” said Douglas Hutchings, CEO of PicaSolar.
He added that perhaps it is fitting that Thomas Edison himself once said,
"I'd put money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power. I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
The awards, inspired by Edison’s persistence and inventiveness, recognize innovation, creativity and ingenuity in the global economy.
“It’s exciting to see companies like PicaSolar continuing Thomas Edison’s legacy of challenging conventional thinking,” said Frank Bonafilia, Edison Awards’ executive director. “Edison Awards recognizes the game-changing products and services, and the teams that brought them to consumers.”
Edison Award nominees are judged by more than 3,000 senior business executives and academics from across the nation whose votes acknowledge the finalists’ success in meeting the award’s stringent criteria of quality.
Wal-Mart Stores plans to invest $340 million this year expanding its footprint in Canada. The plans have been scaled back from $500 million a year ago.
The retailer said about $230 million will be spent constructing 29 supercenters. The rest of the investment will go toward adding full grocery departments and expanding several other stores already operating there.
This announcement comes one month after competitor Target said it would exit Canada as it had failed to make its own business profitable in the two years it’s been there.
David Cheesewright CEO of Walmart International, said last week at the retailer’s Year Beginning Meetings, that the global investments are being slowed a bit as they work on reinforcing the foundation and increasing operational efficiencies in its mature markets.
Consumers sentiment sits at a seven-year high and American’s are holding more cash from lower fuel prices which are expected to push retail sales up 4.1% this year, according to the National Retail Federation. This forecast is a little higher than 3.5% sales growth realized in 2014. Online sales are expected to increase between 7% and 10% this year, according to the trade group’s forecast released on Thursday (Feb. 12).
“Already facing far fewer obstacles than this time last year in terms of growth opportunities, retailers are optimistic about the potential that exists for healthy growth in retail sales and consumer engagement in 2015,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
“While our outlook for the year ahead is positive, we aren’t quite out of the woods; in order to see continued momentum we need a commitment from our leaders in Washington to pass legislation that will encourage investment, create jobs and set us on the path towards sustained, long-term economic growth,” Shay added.
The NRF also shared its economic insights for the broader economy. U.S. Gross Domestic Product is expected to land between 2.7% and 3.2% over last year and the country is expected to add between 220,000 and 230,000 jobs in 2015.
“The economy appears to finally have gained some real traction and after a somewhat turbulent 2014, we expect to see continued gains in economic activity in the year ahead,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz. “While Americans are benefiting from a pickup in wages and jobs and gains in the U.S. stock market, economic slack has been reduced.”
He said there is still a ways to go to achieve sustainable economic growth. Kleinhenz warns there are a few wild cards that retailers will need to keep an eye on, like global economic growth, energy prices and inflation.
Additionally, January retail sales released Thursday by the National Retail Federation, which excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, increased 0.2% seasonally adjusted month-to-month and 3.7% unadjusted year-over-year. These results confirm holiday sales growth of 4%.
The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday that January retail sales decreased 0.8% over the previous month seasonally adjusted, and increased 3.3% unadjusted year-over-year.
Tyson Foods Inc. awarded a $120,000 grant to the Office of Diversity Affairs at the University of Arkansas to create the Tyson Inclusive Excellence Scholarships and the Tyson Academic Enrichment Program.
The grant will be used to retain and graduate underrepresented juniors and seniors majoring in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business technology, food science or agricultural fields at the university.
“This grant represents an exciting collaboration between the University of Arkansas and Tyson Foods,” said Charles Robinson, vice chancellor for diversity and community. “This investment has the potential to improve graduation rates and post-graduation outcomes for some of the most academically talented, underrepresented students in our state.”
Robinson said the scholarship is aimed to continuing students, instead of college freshmen, adding that it rewards students for their persistence and greatly enhances their likelihood of success.
The Tyson Inclusive Excellence Scholarship will support four cohorts of 15 students each. The cohorts will be supported through Diversity Affairs and the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education as part of the Academic Enrichment Program as the Tyson Academic Enrichment Program Scholars.
“We’re glad to be a part of the University of Arkansas’ efforts to increase the graduation rate of underrepresented students,” said Ulanda Terry, director of diversity and leadership development for Tyson Foods. “It’s our hope that the Tyson Inclusive Excellence Scholarship will make a positive difference in many students’ lives, and their careers after college.”
Adult beverages are one of the faster growing categories at Wal-Mart Stores and one of the ways the retail giants seeks to woo Millennials.
But Texas law prohibits publicly held corporations from selling hard liquor or spirits. Wal-Mart is opposing that law with a suit recently filed in federal court, according to reports from Bloomberg News.
“Our Texas customers want added convenience when shopping for adult beverages. However, the current law prohibits publicly-owned businesses such as Walmart from offering spirits to its customers. This is counter to Texas’ belief in free enterprise and fair competition, limits our customer’s choice and keeps the price of sprits artificially high, all of which harm Texas consumers. Walmart believes the law needs to be changed to provide a fair and level playing field so we can offer our customers a full assortment of adult beverages as part of a convenient and comfortable shopping experience.," Wal-Mart spokesman Lorenzo Lopez noted to The City Wire in an email.
Here’s what Wal-Mart said about its inability to sell us vodka, scotch and other adult spirits in an open letter dated Dec. 4 to the Beer Alliance of Texas:
“This restriction is not only unconstitutional, but also inconsistent with free market competition and consumer choice — principles in which Texans strongly believe and steadfastly support,” Gerard Dehrmann and Silvia Azrai Kawas, Wal-Mart vice presidents, noted in the letter.
Wal-Mart ran into similar roadblocks in Arkansas as its home state only allows one liquor store permit per company. Wal-Mart opened a liquor store in its Sam’s Club in Fayetteville. It sells beer and wine in its other facilities located in “wet” counties.
In Texas, Wal-Mart has gotten around the law by contracting with another company to open a liquor store that’s attached to Sam’s Clubs. The Dallas Morning News reports that in these instances the liquor stores must have a separate entrance and leases space from Sam’s Club.
Bloomberg reports that Wal-Mart told the distributor trade group, a powerful lobby in Austin, that it didn’t want to disrupt the state’s sales system and that it counted on “strong partnerships” with the companies.
Atlas Technology Group of Bentonville has named Andrew Gibson as chief data scientist. He will report directly to Nicholas Dozier, president of the retail data consultant group.
“Andrew’s highly-analytic approach to problem solving has delivered long term benefits across the supply chain, sales and category management. His work has positively impacted customer service, warehousing, transportation, forecasting, demand-planning, inventory modeling, network design, manufacturing and retail logistics, of which all of our customers will benefit," Dozier said.
Gibson spent more than 20 years with Nestle in the United Kingdom and U.S. leading operational teams and providing analytic consulting services throughout the supply chain. Gibson’s last role at Nestle was head of business effectiveness for the Wal-Mart sales team. Most recently, he headed up Crabtree Analytics, helping his clients leverage business analytics to improve in sales, category management and supply chain. Gibson is also an instructor at the University of Arkansas teaching supply chain analytics.
Sean Connolly will become CEO of ConAgra Foods effective April 6 upon the retirement of Gary Rodkin.
Rodkin will serve as a senior advisor to the company between April 6 and the end of May. Most recently Connolly was CEO and president of Hillshire Brands. from the time the company was created as a spin-off from Sara Lee Corp. in 2012 until its sale to Tyson Foods in August 2014.
Connolly joined Sara Lee in January 2012 as CEO of the company’s North American retail and foodservice business. Before that he was president of Campbell Soup North America.
“We are thrilled to have Sean join ConAgra Foods as our new CEO.,” said Steve Goldstone, chairman of the ConAgra board of directors. “His track record of building brands, energizing teams, and creating value makes him an ideal fit. We are confident he will infuse focus and enthusiasm at ConAgra Foods.”
