Student is Source of Pride for Executive Education

Executive Education strives to provide not only world-class professional development programs for executives, but also priceless job experience for our student workers. We are proud that one of our former student workers, Kennon Largent, was featured in a student profile for the Walton College website. The story, written by Abby Hartz, is posted below.

A Sam M. Walton College of Business senior, Kennon Largent’s interest in financial markets at the age of 17 set him on the path to pursue a degree in Financial Management and Investments.

“When I was 17, I started to develop a strong curiosity for financial markets,” Largent said. “Everything from the mechanisms that drive them to the unlimited learning opportunities that are inherent within these markets.”

Largent said his dad sparked his interest in financial markets by explaining the financial world to him with great enthusiasm. “I had always wanted to find something that I was truly passionate about and do that for the rest of my life. I can honestly say that money was not the element that lured me towards finance. I simply found my passion.”

Largent was an intern at the Arkansas World Trade Center (ARWTC) in the Spring 2009 semester. He said the ARWTC seeks to promote trade between Arkansas companies and international companies. “Basically, I performed a lot of research and analytical assignments for Arkansas companies,” Largent said. “I assisted several companies that were interested in expanding their businesses internationally, both on the export and the import side. Since I lived in Brazil for a while and have a good understanding of that area, my primary focus at the ARWTC was on Latin America trade development.

“I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience working at ARWTC,” Largent said. “It was an amazing opportunity to work with and learn from people who really know what they are talking about in terms of the international business environment.”

Largent said while working at the ARWTC he was exposed to a range of business situations that forced him to improve upon his professionalism, analytical abilities, cultural awareness and networking skills.

“The thing I love most about the Walton College is its diversity,” Largent said. “From its students to its faculty, we are surrounded by a mix of cultures and ethnicities. This diversity helps to bring a multitude of different perspectives and insights into the classroom.”

Largent said another important aspect of the Walton College is being surrounded by people who share your same interests and who genuinely have a desire to learn. “This makes it so much easier to develop the skills we need to succeed in the real world,” Largent said.

Largent’s experience working at the Center for Management and Executive Education contributed to his professional development. He said this job gave him the opportunity to interact with everyone from CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and foreign diplomats to the service workers who maintained the buildings and classrooms. “I learned so much about the service industry and how rewarding it can be to serve others,” Largent said.

Kevin Rose, assistant director of Executive Education, said of Largent: “Kennon is one of the most exceptional students I’ve come to know. Not only does he exhibit a professional demeanor when working with university faculty and staff, he is an exceptional representative of the University of Arkansas to external constituents. Kennon demonstrates a positive attitude at all times and welcomes any challenge that will allow him to learn, grow and steer others in a meaningful way. With his commitment to personal and professional excellence, I have no doubt that Kennon will accomplish great things.”

Largent said he initially plans to get his MBA after graduation and ultimately he said he would love to be an International Portfolio Manager. “I would like to be in a position that allowed me to interact with many different types of people and clients of different cultures on a daily basis.”

Theres and Kevin's Excellent Adventure

Theres Stiefer and Kevin Rose, director and assistant director of Executive Education, respectively, had the opportunity to spend three days visiting with business leaders throughout the state of Arkansas.

The purpose of the trip was to determine and discuss the role of Executive Education and to see how our center might better serve Arkansas in the area of professional development. Upon returning to Fayetteville, Theres and Kevin hoped to have successfully completed the following.

• Determine the evolving needs for executive education and leadership development programs


• Illicit ideas for new initiatives and improvements to existing programs


• Increase awareness of our services among the companies visited.

We also discussed our upcoming programs, including Disney Keys to Business Excellence, Emerging Leaders Program, and Supervisory Leadership Series, among others.

On the Menu for August 20

An exciting new Lunch and Learn has been added to the Executive Education course schedule. On Thursday, August 20, join Dr. Judith Neal, director of the new University of Arkansas Tyson Center for Faith and Spirituality in Workplace, for this special event.

During this lunch and learn, Dr. Neal will cover:

• Definitions of faith, religion, and spirituality and how they intersect
• The trends that support a growing interest in these underdeveloped dimensions of diversity and examples of how organizations are integrating these in the workplace
• Guidelines and principles for incorporating these concepts in your own workplace

The cost of attendance is $25, which includes lunch and class materials. The class will be held at the Donald W. Reynolds Center from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm. Click here to RSVP.

The Tyson Center was funded by a $2 million gift from the Tyson Family Foundation that was matched by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation in the University of Arkansas, creating a $4 million endowment. The center will focus on curriculum development; outreach programs to businesses, churches and civic organizations; and research program support.

"The creation of this proposed new center by John Tyson and the Walton College," said Dr. Neal, "is a very important event in the field of management. This is the first time a center like this will exist in a state university, and it will send a powerful message to the business, academic and faith communities that faith and spirituality have a legitimate and valuable role in the workplace."

The House that Reynolds Built

Executive Education is housed in the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, which recently underwent state-of-the-art renovations. These renovations were announced at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 21.

Members of the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce; faculty and staff of the Walton College of Business, including Dean Worrell; and the local media attended the ceremony. In addition to the ribbon cutting, guests enjoyed a tour of the newly-renovated facility.

These renovations and upgrades, made possible through Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development endowment funds totaling $225,000, include:

• Hi-definition projector, Blu-Ray player, and Dolby 7.1 surround sound for the auditorium
• Interactive SmartBoard technology for the multi-purpose training room
• User-friendly, electronic touch panels in each room
• 50-inch flat panel display for the conference room
• Eco-friendly ergonomic seating
• Sustainability-designed carpet
• Low-VOC paint throughout the building

Sustainable options were preferred and carried out when available.

The Reynolds Center, now more than ever, is an eco-friendly, cutting-edge event space, available to the University of Arkansas and the community. It is ideal for conferences, meetings, retreats, and a variety of other events. For more information, click here.

Theres is Taking On Texas

This week, Theres Stiefer, director of Executive Education, will be in Austin, Texas for the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Management Leadership Institute for Career Services Professionals. This workshop is designed for career services professional from higher education institutions from across the nation, particularly new directors or mid-career professionals with two to seven years of experience in career services. The content is tailored to practitioners without extensive management training.

Management Leadership Institute (MLI) is a five-day, professionally intensive workshop led by faculty or experienced career services practitioners. MLI offers practical information and opportunities to network with peers and learn from experienced colleagues who have successfully met the challenges of career center management. The participant will:

• Learn leadership skills usefull for peer management and managing traditional direct reports
• Discover how one can add value and balance to a career center's mission and goals
• Get new methods of increasing the visibility of a career center within the university setting
• Develop a financial management plan and manage a budget under pressure
• Build a valuable network of colleagues in the career services profession

Theres will facilitate two sessions: The Manager's Toolbox and Career Development for the Career Developer.

The Manager's Toolbox will help participants develop their skills and confidence in their managerial roles. With the increasing complexity of work, continually changing expectations, and the need for higher levels of productivity and commitment, managers are required to perform in a more effective manner. This program has been designed to build skills in the basic competencies that managers need most in supervising and leading employees to greater individual, team, and organizational performance. Topics include the following:

• Employee Motivation - Energize or Polarize
• Performance Development and Growth
• Managing and Encouraging Differences
• What Keeps You Up at Night?

Career Development for Career Developers focuses on learning how to develop your own self. With the participants, Theres will discuss communicating one's talents and skills to perpetuate one's professional future; how to balance work and other function of one's life; setting and achieving goals personally and professionally; learning to enjoy oneself and one's accomplishments; and realizing that one's career is a journey, not a destination. Topics include the following:

• It All Begins With You
• Discover Your Purpose
• Emotional Intelligence
• What Give You Hope?

The institute is being held at Austin's Hilton Garden Inn and Executive Conference Center from July 12 through July 17.

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, It's Off to Learn We Go!

You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality. -Walt Disney

This September, the University of Arkansas is excited to welcome back Disney Keys to Business Excellence, held this year at our Cooperative Extension Service in Little Rock. It's a unique and incredible opportunity for professionals to learn the strategies that have made Disney a successful, world-renowned company.

Register early and save! Complete your registration by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, July 15 and save $100. It's a great price for an even greater program!

Disney Institute is a leader of professional development programs in the areas of leadership, loyalty, management, service, and creativity and has trained tens of thousands of leaders from across the globe. It's a program that is not to be missed! Previous attendees, like Foxwood Golf Club owner Ted Belden, can attest to that. "I have been impressed with how the Disney organization operates. Going to this program opened up doors for our organization to re-envision how we do things." And, he adds, "the presenters were excellent."

To quote Walt Disney once more, "the way to get started is to quite talking and begin doing." Begin registering for Disney Keys to Business Excellence today.

Houston, We Have Intelligence

Earlier this week, Greg Fike traveled to Orlando, Florida to lead a workshop at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This two-day seminar focused on emotional intelligence and leadership.

Before the program, participants completed an emotional intelligence profile. The goal of the program is to identify areas in a participant's profile that could be utilized to strengthen his or her leadership role. The workshop stresses the importance of integrating emotional intelligence into the day-to-day activities of each participant, as well as recognizing and understanding how emotions can effect productivity, decision making, and inter-team relationships.

The goal of the participants is to learn how to utilize their strengths in their roles as leaders. They look forward to using the information from this workshop when they return to work. They gain practical and useful tools that can be carried out effectively in the workplace.

During the workshop, one participant wondered aloud if there is a correlation between emotional intelligence and a person's age. This caused a great dialogue among the group about the differences between the measured areas of the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and the EQ (Emotional Quotient). While IQ research has shown a static measurement after a certain age, EQ research indicates that as one gets older there is a tendency for their emotional intelligence to increase.

Emotional intelligence is an abstract concept, but it can be used concretely by looking at its behavioral aspects. When looking at how nonverbal communication is related to emotional states, many of the participants begin to understand how they can utilize the information in positive ways.

Human emotional intelligence is as old as humans themselves. By studying and understanding the structure of the brain, one can see that emotions have always effected our thinking, attitudes, and perceptions. Emotional intelligence is a useful tool, as it plays a substantial part in our activities and decisions.