First State Bank in Conway has helped the University of Central Arkansas start the John W. Allison Entrepreneurial Speaker Series, which organizers say will expose UCA College of Business students to successful entrepreneurs.
Speakers for the 2006-07 school year are Allison, founder and chairman of the board for Home BancShares and First State Bank of Conway; Joe Ford, chairman of Alltel Corp. of Little Rock; Frank D. Hickingbotham, the founder and former chairman of the board and CEO of TCBY Enterprises Inc.; Alex Lieblong, lead partner in the brokerage firm of Lieblong & Associates Inc. of Little Rock; and Steve Wortman, president and CEO of Kaufman Lumber Co. of Little Rock.
“When I was a college student at Arkansas State University, I had the opportunity to hear a presentation from Kemmons Wilson, founder of the Holiday Inn hotel chain,” Allison said. “His entrepreneurial spirit truly inspired me. I feel I owe a portion of my success to this man. We hope this series will be equally motivational to the UCA students.”
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.
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