Meet Our Team

We are a passionate, vibrant group from diverse backgrounds. With many years of combined experience in leadership and organizational development, you’ll find we have encountered and faced just about every leadership and organizational challenge there is among a vast range of industries. Members of our team also belong to many professional organizations including: Organizational Development Network, Arkansas Executive Forum, Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), American Society of Training and Develoment (ASTD), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Human Capital Institute (HCI), and The Alban Institute.

Don Soderquist | Founding Executive
Don Soderquist is the business leader for whom our Center is named and officially serves as our Founding Executive, providing direction and inspiration to our team. Don spent over 20 years with Walmart, and after Sam Walton died, Don became known as “The Keeper of the Culture.” Don led the company as Chief Operating Officer during a period marked by exponential growth. Under his watch, Walmart grew from being the largest retailer in the world with sales of $43.9 billion the year of Sam’s death, to becoming the largest company in the world with sales over $200 billion. Walmart’s success is grounded in the highly ethical, performance-focused, servant leadership philosophies that Sam and Don instilled in the hearts of every associate. Don's passion now is to teach those same principles to companies and organizations around the world.

Chuck Hyde | Chief Executive Officer | chyde@jbu.edu
Chuck Hyde, our Chief Executive Officer, provides direct leadership in all areas of the Center including execution of vision and strategy, performance to budget, all human and capital resources, and long-term sustainability of the organization. He has provided leadership in a variety of capacities since he joined the Center in 2005. Prior to his work at the Center, Chuck spent 12 years leading teams and strategic projects for Kimberly-Clark Corporation. His professional experience includes roles both in manufacturing facilities and central staff assignments in operations, operations support functions, and project leadership. This experience provides significant insight into some of the greatest challenges leaders face and a connection to the alternatives that exist to meet them. Chuck earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1992 and his MBA from John Brown University in 2008. Chuck and his wife, Brian, have two sons, Charley and Jonathan. When not spending time with them he loves to squeeze in a round of golf.

Tom Verdery | Executive in Residence | tverdery@jbu.edu
Tom Verdery serves as Executive in Residence for The Soderquist Center and will also teaches in the Graduate Business division at JBU. Tom has over 34 years of experience working with Procter & Gamble, of which the last 14 years spent at the senior leadership level working exclusively outside the US with Wal-Mart, Inc. Tom came to Northwest Arkansas in 1989 when P&G asked him to be part of the first supplier team with Wal-Mart. Tom’s areas of expertise include: Strategic Planning & Execution, Executive Coaching, Leadership & Ethics, and Starting and Leading Multifunctional Customer Teams. Tom holds an MBA in Management from The University of Dallas and a BBA in Marketing from Texas Tech University..

Wendy Soderquist Togami | Director of Emerging Leaders/Communications | wsoderquist@jbu.edu
Wendy Soderquist Togami serves the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics as the Director of Emerging Leaders/Communications. She provides our emerging leaders (graduate and undergraduate students) with real experiences through our Leadership minor, seminars, and fellowships. Wendy is responsible for marketing, research, and development in our center and provides keynote speaking and facilitation to a variety of our customers. Wendy brings experience in innovative leadership development from several colleges and universities, including eight years of student leadership development at Taylor University, from whom she also received the 2010 G. Roselyn Kerlin Women in Leadership Award. She has a particular passion for not-for-profit agencies and has several years of experience working in this arena. Wendy holds her Master of Arts in Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education. In her spare time, Wendy enjoys running and playing tennis with her husband, Kai, and enjoying their 6 young-adult children.

Ryan Hale | Director of Business Development | rhale@jbu.edu
Ryan Hale serves as our Director of Business Development. He comes to The Soderquist Center with a variety of experiences used to partner with individuals and organizations, leverage the unique tools of the Center, and lead companies toward long-term sustainability. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he was captain of the football team. He went on to be drafted by the New York Giants and played in Super Bowl XXXV. After playing football, Ryan joined the staff of Arkansas Athletes Outreach on the campus of the University of Arkansas. Banking is where he gained unique experiences in business development as a Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. His exposure to businesses of all sizes has prepared him with the ability to customize solutions for an ever-changing corporate climate.

Gary Swyers | Director of Design & Delivery | gswyers@jbu.edu
Gary Swyers serves as our Director of Design & Delivery. An experienced facilitator, educator, outdoor leader and experiential learning instructor, Gary oversees the design and delivery of content and experiential learning components provided for our customers. Prior to joining us, Gary served as a professor and the Director of Center for Experiential Learning at Indiana Wesleyan University. He has extensive outdoor and education experience, having contributed to the development of adventure leadership programs, college level courses, three ropes courses, and an international service program for university students. When not in the office creating or facilitating on the ropes course, Gary is reading or gardening.

Sandy Tush | Design & Delivery Manager/Senior Facilitator | stush@jbu.edu
Sandy Tush serves as a Manager and Senior Facilitator on our Design & Delivery team. She is involved with the creation and facilitation of both customized and open enrollment programs. This work includes the utilization of a variety of assessment instruments to help leaders identify their strengths and development needs. Sandy brings over 25 years experience in education and people development. She served as the Executive Development Center program manager at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., before joining our team. Prior to that, she held the position of Content Developer / Facilitator for Home Office People Development. She also taught Computer Science courses at community colleges. Sandy is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). She also has multiple certifications, including Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Discovering EQ, The Birkman Method, and many more. She can be found on the local running trails and also enjoys time at home with her husband, Mike.

Stacey Mason | Design & Delivery Manager/Facilitator | smason@jbu.edu
Stacey Mason serves as a Manager, Senior Facilitator, and Resource Planner on our Design & Delivery team. Prior to joining the center, Stacey spent 18 years at Walmart Stores Inc., having served in both a field and home office capacity. Her functional team-leadership roles in Logistics, Global Supply Chain, Merchandising / Replenishment, and Project Management uniquely positioned her for subsequent roles in Corporate Leadership Development, Executive Development, and Culture Coaching. Walton Institute, Walmart’s flagship Culture program, was under her direction for the last several years of her tenure. Prior to her years spent in corporate America, Stacey was highly involved in the sport of gymnastics, both as a competitor and as a coach for pre-Olympic competitive gymnasts. She also coached at Bela Karolyi World Gymnastics Camps. Stacey graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelors of Business Administration. In addition, she holds multiple certifications including The Birkman Method, Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and PDI 360. She is also an experienced Ropes Course facilitator. Stacey enjoys running, she’s an avid reader and she is a member of an Improv troupe named “Sock Monkey.”

Loren Hancock | Customer Relations Manager, Business Development | lhancock@jbu.edu
Loren Hancock is Customer Relations Manager and is responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with donors and strategic partners, as well as working with business leaders to help them understand the practical solutions the Center can offer to meet their business and organizational challenges. Loren has been married to his wonderful wife, Leslie, for over 30 years and has three daughters, two son-in-laws and six grandchildren. He loves to jog, trail bike and play golf.

Matthew Voss | Customer Relations Manager, Business Development | mvoss@jbu.edu
Matthew Voss serves as Customer Relations Manager, and is responsible for building relationships with business and organizational leaders and helping them better understand the services offered by the Center. Prior to joining the Soderquist team, Matt led the business development functions for a custom software development company, where his responsibilities included developing sales and marketing strategy, overseeing product management, and the launch of an innovative software-based digital signage solution. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation from Ball State University. Out of the office, Matt enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Lynette, sipping great coffee, driving Volkswagens, and getting ready to become a dad – he and Lynette are expecting!

Bryson Moore | Communications Manager | bmoore@jbu.edu
Bryson Moore is our Communications Manager. He leads our marketing and communication strategy in an effort to position the Center as a globally recognized resource on Values-Based Leadership and Organizational Development. He is a graduate of JBU with a Bachelors degree in Digital Media and a Masters in Business Administration. Bryson spent seven years at Gray Communications where he was most recently Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Freedom Begins Here (a brand owned by Gray Communications). Bryson is an avid blogger and you can read his thoughts on marketing, leadership and a variety of other topics at www.brysonmoore.com. Bryson has been married for seven years to his wife and best friend, Mandy (a business professor at John Brown University). They don’t have any kids, but they do have a Cocker Spaniel named Nemo Rodriguez and a King Cavalier Spaniel named Dori.

Ruth Davis | Hospitality and Events Manager | rudavis@jbu.edu
Ruth Wallin Davis serves as the Hospitality and Events Manager at Greystone Estate, our Executive Development Center in Rogers, Arkansas, and is responsible for the Estate overall. She also manages the hospitality and special event needs for events held at the Soderquist Center in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Ruth is a graduate of Indiana University and has over 15 years of experience in event marketing and planning in both the corporate and private sectors. Moving here in 2003 for a one-year commitment to open the first regional office for her former employer, Ruth has now lived in Arkansas for nearly seven years with her loving, Arkansan husband Ken. Away from the Center, Ruth enjoys hiking and geocaching with her husband and she still practices the lost art of letter writing.

Sue Axmark Business Development Assistant saxmark@jbu.edu		Helen Hall Emerging Leaders / Communications Assistant hhall@jbu.edu		Lesa Cross Design & Delivery Assistant and Program Coordinator lcross@jbu.edu
Jenni Stiles Operations Coordinator jstiles@jbu.edu		Christy Hall Graphic Designer chall@jbu.edu		Frank Laakman Greystone Estate Grounds & Maintenance flaakman@jbu.edu
Patty Murphy Greystone Estate Housekeeping Coordinator pmurphy@jbu.edu		Rita Clemans Greystone Hospitality Lead Associate rclemans@jbu.edu		Clayton Anderson (read bio) Operations Project Coordinator andersonct@jbu.edu
Ali Lewis (read bio) Emerging Leaders/Communications Project Coordinator lewisa@jbu.edu		Jacob Little (read bio) Design & Delivery Project Coordinator littlejd@jbu.edu		Brock Erdman (read bio) Business Development Project Coordinator berdman@jbu.edu
Pablo Herrera (read bio) Emerging Leaders / Communications Project Coordinator herrerap@jbu.edu		Ben Pearson (read bio) Design & Delivery Project Coordinator pearsonb@jbu.edu		Stephanie Polley (read bio) Design & Delivery Project Coordinator polleys@jbu.edu