Soderquist Leadership
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Soderquist Leadership, initially named The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics, was founded in 1998 by the retired COO and Senior Vice Chairman of Walmart Stores, Inc., Don Soderquist.[1] It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization under the umbrella of John Brown University,[2] a private, interdenominational, Christian liberal arts college in Siloam Springs, in the U.S. state of Arkansas. [3]
Don Soderquist, founder
Don Soderquist started working for Walmart Stores, Inc. in 1980 as an executive vice president. He held a number of roles before retiring from the company as senior vice chairman. During his tenure, he became known as the "Keeper of the Culture" after the passing of Sam Walton in 1992. [4] Throughout retirement, Don spoke and wrote on topics including business, leadership, ethics, and the story of Walmart. [5] Don died July 21, 2016.
History
Sensing a need for renewed commitment to business leadership and ethics in the marketplace, a group including then President of John Brown University, Dr. Lee Balzer, approached Don and his wife Jo Soderquist in 1998 with an idea. The President of the university and a number of the members from the Board of Trustees wanted to start a training and development center. Don agreed to serve as founding executive, casting the vision for the future of the center.[6]
When The Soderquist Center was formally established in 1998, the leadership knew that experiential learning would be paramount for impacting the lives of leaders. Just one minute from John Brown’s campus, the organization constructed BaseCamp, a high and low adventure ropes course. The course is used today most frequently for team development sessions during the fall, summer and spring seasons.
In 2002, The Soderquist Family Foundation purchased Greystone Estate from the Sloan family of Northwest Arkansas for use as an executive retreat. Soderquist Leadership operates and maintains the estate and hosts a variety of leadership development programs on its grounds. The property is 95 wooded acres with lakefront access to Beaver Lake. In addition to the 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) mansion, the property also features a ropes course for adventure learning referred to as BaseCamp2.
In 2005, The Soderquist Family Foundation helped fund the construction of The Soderquist Business Center on the campus of John Brown. The building houses the undergraduate business division on the first floor and The Soderquist Center on the second floor.
Soderquist Fellowship
Since its founding, The Soderquist Center has invested in the lives of young people through the Soderquist Fellowship. A two-year program, Fellows are required to work 35 hours per week for The Center. In return, they are paid a stipend and awarded a full scholarship to John Brown University’s graduate school of business. Fellows can pursue either a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) or a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Ethics (MSLE).[7]
References
- ^ College, Walton (2011-01-27). "Sam M. Walton College of Business: Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Donald G. Soderquist". Sam M. Walton College of Business: Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
- ^ "John Brown University - A Private Christian College". Jbu.edu. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
- ^ "Exclusive Interview Tells Story of Wal-Mart's Rise to Top". PRWeb.com. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
- ^ Soderquist, Don. The Walmart Way, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005.
- ^ Soderquist, Don. Live Learn Lead, Thomas Nelson Inc., 2006
- ^ "Soderquist Leadership on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
- ^ "John Brown University Information". GradSchools.com. Retrieved 2016-09-20.