Alltel

Warren Amerine Stephens has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stephens Inc. since 1986. Warren Stephens graduated from... Washington and Lee University and received a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University. In 1981, he joined Stephens, Inc, a family business founded by his uncle in 1933. In 1986, he became its President, after his father, Jackson T. Stephens, decided to step down as CEO. In 2006, he acquired 100 percent of the outstanding shares. He also own major stakes in Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Donrey Media Group, Alltel, and Bank of America. He is also a Board member of Dillard's. He sits on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Washington and Lee University. A Republican, he supported Bob Dole in 1996, Steve Forbes in 1999, and he has supported Mike Huckabee. He has been critical of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. An avid golfer, he is a member of the Country Club of Little Rock and the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club. He also built the exclusive Alotian Club outside Little Rock. A wine aficionado, he sold 5,000 bottles in Sotheby's auction in 2007. His favorite wine is 1959 Château Latour.
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Joe T. Ford was CEO and is a co-founder of Alltel, a global communications giant. Joe T. Ford graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1959 with... a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He went to work for Allied Telephone Company upon his graduation from college. He is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Allied merged with Mid-Continent Telephone Corporation in 1983. The name of the newly expanded corporation was changed to Alltel, and Mr. Ford became its first President. Ford was promoted to CEO in 1987 and he became Chairman of the Board in 1991. Under his leadership, Allied, now Alltel, grew from a predominantly rural Arkansas-based land line telephone company to a telecommunications giant with over 15 million customers and 10 billion dollars in annual revenue. Ford is the Vice-Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.
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Leo F. Mullin was elected to the Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson in 1999 and is a member of the Audit Committee and the Chairman of the... Public Policy Advisory Committee. Mr. Mullin retired as Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines, Inc. in December 2003 and Chairman in April 2004, after having served as Chief Executive Officer of Delta since 1997 and Chairman since 1999.
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