Walmart 1997 Annual Report Download - page 8

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6
INSIDE TRACK
Stan Kroenke. Retailing has been part of Stan
Kroenke’s life since he swept out his father’s hard-
ware store as a child. Kroenke later worked in
retail to put himself through college and graduate
school. “Being exposed to people like Bud and Sam
Walton had a major impact on my life,” Kroenke
says. Today, he owns the Kroenke Group, a nation-
al investment, development, and commercial real
estate company based in Columbia, Missouri. He’s
also co-owner of the St. Louis Rams football team.
“Expanding into the sports business has been an
interesting and challenging experience,” he says.
Hobbies? Service is his hobby!
Elizabeth A. “Betsy” Sanders needs solitude to
meditate, write and “be a friend,” to balance out
her heavy business and community commitments.
That’s why she left corporate life in 1990 to form
The Sanders Partnership, a consulting firm.
Sanders and her family live near the Sierra
Nevada mountains in northern California. Before
heading for the hills, Sanders was vice president
and general manager for Nordstrom Inc., earning
national recognition as an expert on customer
service. She’s always admired Wal-Mart for low
prices, top-quality products and, yes, customer
service. This, she says, helps American families
stretch their dollars for other goods and improves
their standard of living. “There’s nothing ordinary
about this company,” she says. Fa m ily, friendship first
John Cooper, chairman of the Arkansas
land development company, Cooper
Communities Inc., could retire and take
the time to enjoy the beauty of the Arkansas
outdoors. But there’s no golfing or fishing
or other leisurely pursuits for Cooper, who
believes one of his most important roles is
serving the community. “I really think
all a person can do is to be helpful to
somebody,” he said. Cooper has helped
his neighbors — and helped protect the
outdoors — as a founding member of the
Arkansas Nature Conservancy. When he’s
not lending his experience to the Wal-Mart
board, he also serves on the boards of
J.B. Hunt and Entergy Corp.
Ra ised on reta iling