College of Business inducts alumnus Steve Ratcliff into Hall of Fame

Steve Ratcliff, right, and College of Business Dean Nathan Campbell

Steve Ratcliff, a Henderson State University alumnus and native of Malvern, became the newest member of the College of Business Hall of Fame during an awards ceremony April 16.

Ratcliff joins a distinguished list of inductees who have experienced great success after earning their degrees at Henderson. He built a highly successful career spanning more than five decades in manufacturing, the chemical industry, global sourcing, and entrepreneurial leadership.

After earning his marketing degree from Henderson, Ratcliff joined Allied Chemical (later Honeywell), where he spent more than 20 years in sales, product management, and executive leadership.

In 2000, he returned to Arkansas to join Tarco, where he led the company into a new roofing segment that transformed the business. He also invested in and led entrepreneurial ventures, including a rapidly growing compounding pharmacy operation.

Ratcliff said he credits much of his success to the foundational education he received at Henderson State and the many mentors who guided him along the way.

Young Alumni Award

Jazz Scott received the Young Alumni Award. Scott transitioned into finance after graduating from Henderson State in 2010 with a business administration degree and a master's in sport administration in 2012. He gained experience at Stephens Inc., Crews & Associates, and Stifel, with a focus on investment banking.

Rising Star Award

Yurik Paroubek was honored with the Rising Star Award. Paroubek joined Arvest Bank in 2018 following the acquisition of Bear State Bank where he served as chief technology officer and director of operations. He now serves as Arvest's chief operating officer. He earned his finance degree from Henderson in 2006.

Business of the Year

Roger Wingfield's State Farm agency in Arkadelphia was named the Business of the Year. Wingfield opened his agency in 2024, continuing a family legacy built over decades of service. In his first year, the agency earned the top new agency ranking in the country. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Henderson in 1996.

Outstanding Student Awards

Six Henderson business students received Outstanding Student awards during the event, including:

• Connor Brown, a senior business administration major from Benton.
• Levi Cherry, a junior business administration major with a concentration in management, from Murfreesboro.
• Grayson Fairless, a senior business administration major from Mena.
• Isabella Licciardi, a senior business administration major with a concentration in management, from El Dorado.
• Anthony Nannemann, a senior business management major from Poyen.
• Alexandria Wesson, a senior business administration major with a concentration in finance, from Bismarck.

Scholarships

The following scholarships were also announced:

• Melody Hudson, BKD Accounting Scholarship
• Trey Toatley, Brenda & Lee Richardson Scholarship
• Gina Bennett, Bill and Eunice Harrington Scholarship
• Levi Cherry, Brookshire's Scholarship
• Aaren Moore and Alexandria Wesson, Christopher M. Wewers Business Scholarship
• Jenna Heindselman, Deborah & William Nolan Scholarship
• Tayden Drake, Dr. Louis Dawkins School of Business Scholarship
• Jordyn Morris, Ethan M. Thompson BBA Scholarship
• Noah Carpenter, Hendershot-Lacy Scholarship
• Tayden Drake, Lois Dodson Business Scholarship
• Abigail Pence, Oscar & Eathel Greenberg Scholarship
• Layton Bass, Mika Bean, Micah Greene, and Madolyn Kost, Sam & Judy Barker Scholarship
• Abigail Pence, Stella Spoon Accounting Scholarship
• Dai'Veon Parham, Tad & Judy Krug Scholarship
• Jakobi Scott, The Robert C. "Bob" Fisher Scholarship
• Mariyah Easter, Tracy Duke Scholarship
• Jared Campbell, Southern Bancorp Outstanding Finance Student Scholarship
• Abigail Ragsdale, Ross Godwin Outstanding Marketing Scholarship
• Marcos Park, Robert G. Edwards Scholarship
• Edward Lopez, Print Mania Business Management Scholarship
• Jayden Alston, Oren Harris Outstanding Business Law Student Award
• Carl Friborg, John and Kimberly McFarland MBA Scholarship
• Dereon Burns, Derrius Burns, Markavious Justice, Kristin Sasser, and Victor Serrano, Fauline Frazier Business Scholarship
• Abigail Ragsdale, Daryl & Mary Muslow Scholarship
• Abigail Pence, Christopher Castleberry Foundation Scholarship.
• Brayden Wagner, Steven Daily Scholarship

Beta Gamma Sigma inductees

• Levi Cherry
• Bayli Fillinger
• Dawson Goines
• Vivian Jones
• Anthony Nannemann
• Alexandria Wesson

Jazz Scott, from left, Yurik Paroubek, Steve Ratcliff, and Roger Wingfield

Outstanding students, from left: Connor Brown, Levi Cherry, Grayson Fairless, Isabella Licciardi, Anthony Nannemann, and Alexandria Wesson.

Scholarship and award recipients.