The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics

The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics was founded in 1999 by 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 school in Northwest 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] Today, Don speaks and writes on topics including business, leadership, ethics, and the story of Walmart.[5]

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 1999, 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. The Soderquist Center 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]

Public scrutiny

Shortly after taking office, Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin signed a contract valued at $50,000 for a three-session strategic planning program with The Soderquist Center in 2011.[8] The decision by the Republican official quickly became a target for Arkansas voters and the media, including bloggers.

References

  1. ↑ College, Walton (2011-01-27). "Sam M. Walton College of Business: Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee: Donald G. Soderquist". Sammwaltoncollegeofbusiness.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  2. ↑ "John Brown University - A Private Christian College". Jbu.edu. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  3. ↑ "Exclusive Interview Tells Story of Wal-Mart's Rise to Top | Business News". Prbusinessnews.com. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  4. ↑ Soderquist, Don. The Walmart Way. Thomas Nelson Inc., 2005.
  5. ↑ Soderquist, Don. Lead Learn Live. Thomas Nelson Inc., 2006, 144.
  6. ↑ "The Soderquist Center on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  7. ↑ "John Brown University Information". GradSchools.com. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  8. ↑

External links

Coordinates: 36°11′20″N 94°33′26″W / 36.18880°N 94.55709°W