Joe Stanley*

Sustainability and green are big buzzwords in architecture these days, but they’ve been a part of Joe Stanley’s life since his days as a farm boy in Woodruff County, where his parents encouraged him, he said, to "always leave the Earth better than we found it."

Stanley, 63, said it’s "more important than ever to build buildings that reduce energy costs and positively impact our environment," and added his firm had "become leaders in the sustainable design movement."

The CEO of Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects credits his rural upbringing for his success.
"On a farm, you never stop working hard or learning," Stanley said. "The skills I learned on the family farm serve me well today in the design industry. I have a passion for this industry and a passion to learn, which have created a successful building model. Everyone surrounding me has this same passion, which is why I believe Polk Stanley Wilcox stands out in the crowd."

Stanley preaches and practices the mantra of "under-promise and over-deliver."

He explained, "For me, if we all abide by that each day, we’ll be successful. By over-delivering to our clients on a consistent basis, we are telling them that we care about their work and are true partners in a project."

The words "true partners" took on a special meaning for Stanley last year when Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects merged with The Wilcox Group to form Polk Stanley Wilcox. The firms had worked together on the expansion of UAMS, which proved to be a good testing ground for their collaboration.

"There was a lot of mutual respect plus personal friendships," Stanley said. "In that regard, we felt like it was going to be a good fit."

Stanley considers his work as project manager for the UAMS expansion and the Clinton Presidential Library as career highlights along with the American Institute of Architect’s National Institute Honor Award — the industry’s highest honor — for the firm’s work on Heifer International's headquarters in Little Rock.

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