2006-2007 John W. Allison Entrepreneurial Speaker Series

The John W. Allison Entrepreneurial Speaker Series was created to expose UCA College of Business students to successful men and women who have distinguished themselves in business by their entrepreneurial abilities. All speakers are Arkansans that have been meticulously selected by a Series advisory committee. The intent is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The series is designed for a small group of select students to allow for interaction between the speaker and the students. To attend, students must apply for each engagement and be accepted by the Series advisory committee. Applicants should be in their junior or senior year of the BBA curriculum at UCA and be in good academic standing. Applications can be found in the Finance Department of the Burdick Business Administration Building. For more information contact Dr. Mike Casey.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

John W. Allison
September 21, 2006

John W. Allison is Founder and Chairman of the Board for Home BancShares and First State Bank of Conway.

Allison served more than 20 years as chairman of the board of First National Bank of Conway (now Regions Bank) and was chairman of the executive committee of the former Little Rock based holding company First Commercial Corporation. He is also currently on the board of Marine Bank, Community Bank, and Twin City Bank. Allison is the owner of Capital Buyers, Inc., a mobile home brokerage/financing company.

Allison is the past owner of Castle Homes and Spirit Homes, both mobile home manufacturing companies.

Allison earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He served on the ASU Board of Trustees from 1979-1984, serving as chairman of this board in 1983. He was named 1998 Distinguished Alumni from ASU.

Allison is a commissioner for the Arkansas State Police and is past central Arkansas representative of the Murphy Commission and is on the board of directors of the Manufactured Home Commission.

Alex Lieblong
November 6, 2006

Lead partner in the brokerage firm of Lieblong & Associates, Inc.

Prior to Lieblong & Associates, Inc., he held management positions with Paine Webber, Merrill Lynch and E.F. Hutton.

Lieblong is a founder of Key Colony Fund, a hedge fund. He serves as a member of the board of directors of Deltic Timber (NYSE: DEL), a natural resources company focused on the ownership and management of timberland; Lodgian, Inc. (AMEX: LGN), one of the nation’s largest independent owners and operators of full-service hotels; and Ballard Petroleum, a privately held energy company.

Lieblong is on the board of directors of First State Bank of Conway and Home Bancshares, Inc.

Joe Ford
Spring, 2007

Joe Ford is Chairman of ALLTEL Corporation, a leader in the communications industry.

Ford began his career in telecommunications at Allied Telephone Company in Little Rock and served in a number of executive positions before becoming Allied president in 1977. When Allied merged with Mid-Continent Telephone Corporation in 1983 to form ALLTEL Corporation, he was named ALLTEL’s president. Ford became chief executive officer in 1987 and chairman of the board in 1991. Ford retired as CEO of the company on June 30, 2002, but remains Chairman of the company.

Ford, who holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas, has also been active in government and civic affairs. He served in the Arkansas Senate from 1967 through 1982. He is a director of EnPro Industries, Inc., and Textron, Inc.

Frank D. Hickingbotham
Spring, 2007 

Frank D Hickingbotham is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Hickingbotham Investments, Inc. a diversified company with interests in banking, real estate, automobile dealerships, Harley-Davidson dealerships, and food service equipment sales and distribution. Hickingbotham Investments, Inc.’s principal offices are located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Hickingbotham is the Founder and former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of TCBY Enterprises, Inc., a worldwide manufacturer, franchiser and distributor of frozen yogurt.

A native of McGehee, Arkansas, Hickingbotham is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He has received numerous awards and honorariums, including:

• UAM distinguished Alumnus Award
• UAM Achievement and Merit Award
• Member of the Board of Trustees at Ouachita Baptist University
• Honorary doctorate of Laws Degree from OBU
• Frank D. Hickingbotham School of Business established at OBU
• Member of Board of Trustees of Baptist Health in Little Rock
• Member of American Studies National Advisory Board of Harding University
• Charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Cancer Research Center
• Established the annual Hickingbotham Family Award for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Arkansas Chapter
• Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Arthur Young/VENTURE Magazine
• Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) Excellence in Marketing Award
• Inducted into the SMEI International Academy of Achievement
• Named Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Arkansas Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives
• Selected as the Easter Seals Arkansan of the year in 2003
• Member of the Board of Directors of Home BancShares, Inc.
• Inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame in 2006