December 2, 2025 • 42 mins
A shy kid from the Arkansas Delta walks onto the UCA campus and, years later, is steering freight to Hawaii and Alaska during port strikes, building partnerships that keep shelves stocked, and advising small businesses through global turbulence. That’s the arc of Kevin Parkerson—UCA alum, J.B. Hunt and Walmart veteran, and founder of KP Global Logistics Consulting—and it’s packed with lessons for anyone working in a fast-changing supply chain world.
We talk about the scrappy early days of intermodal at J.B. Hunt and the practical skills that matter more than jargon: running clean meetings, communicating under pressure, and treating carriers as true partners. Kevin shares how a leap to Walmart plunged him into maritime logistics under the Jones Act, what it was like managing ocean freight during labor disruptions, and why contingency planning isn’t a slide deck—it’s a mindset. He names the mentors who shaped his approach to strategy and people leadership, and reveals the everyday habits that separate resilient operations from those constantly in crisis.
Today, Kevin helps small and midsize brands navigate customs and tariffs, select the right 3PLs, and pilot AI where it saves time now—forecast tuning, appointment scheduling, and exception triage—without getting lost in hype. We also look at Northwest Arkansas’s rapid growth, where UCA can add value through events and talent pipelines, and what employers actually want from new grads: sharp communication, self-motivation, and comfort with ambiguity. If you’re a student aiming at supply chain, a leader building resilience, or a founder who needs a “phone-a-friend” for logistics, this conversation gives you a clear, workable playbook.
Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who’s planning for the “next event” before it hits.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward,people who are shaping
industries and defining what isnext for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
All right, we're back foranother edition of Central to
NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andI'm very excited today to be
joined by Kevin Parkerson,somebody I've met through my job
here at UCA last year.
I think our first conversationuh was at Heroes Coffee.
(00:43):
It was, which is very nearby.
I know.
It feels like this this is theperfect spot to keep this going.
Because if you don't know, we'rerecording at podcastvideos.com,
and it's about what, 20 stepsaway from Heroes Coffee here in
Pinnacle Hills.
So um, and it's been, you know,if you're like me, it's kind of
my unofficial office.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
And that's where I was gonna say, Paul, is if you
ever look for me, I'm probablyat Heroes Coffee.
So not to give them a too muchof a plug, but it's a great hub,
a great meeting place.
SPEAKER_00 (01:12):
Yeah, well, we'll give them a plug.
Yeah, we'll give those guys aplug.
So uh anyway, Kevin, thanks forbeing here today.
I'm excited to have aconversation with you.
Um, you know, you've you knowwe'll get into this, your
career, you know, 30 plus yearswith logistics at both JB Hunt
and Walmart, and now uh thefounder of your own consulting
firm, KP Global Logistics,that's based here in Northwest
(01:34):
Arkansas.
Thanks for being here.
Yeah, I'm excited.
Thanks for having me.
All right.
So uh, like we said, we'll getinto that uh uh shortly, your
career here.
But let's go back to where itall started at UCA in Conway,
Arkansas.
You're from Dermont, Arkansas,Extreme South Arkansas.
How does a boy from the Deltaend up in Conway at the
(01:55):
University of Central Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
Yeah, I love telling this story, but um, you know,
you may have to edit it becauseI'm gonna be long-winded on it.
But I, you know, it's a storythat I love to tell because, and
it's got a, you know, UCA is abig part of it.
But um I tell people I was bornand raised, educated, got
married, started my career,started my family, all in the
(02:18):
state of Arkansas.
Um and I'm very proud of that.
Like I said, I love telling thatstory.
But if people don't know whereDurmont is, it is the exact
opposite of where you and I areat today.
We're in northwest Arkansas, andit is in the far southeast
corner of Chico County.
A lot of people, uh, when I tellthem where I'm at, they say, Oh,
yeah, I think I went throughthere on my way to Florida to
(02:40):
the beach.
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (02:41):
Only so many bridges to cross.
SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
You didn't go through Dermot, you went by it.
Yep.
Um, but uh yeah.
All the way to Lake Village.
All the way to Lake Village,exactly.
So, you know, I'm from Dermont,uh uh educated in the public uh
school system in Durmont andended up in Conway at UCA, and
we'll talk a little bit aboutthat in a second.
But uh um born and raised inSoutheast Arkansas and uh met my
(03:06):
wife at UCA and uh ended up inNorthwest Arkansas, um which is
where I'm at today.
But uh uh I'll I'll I'll give alot more details about that
story, but very proud of myheritage of Southeast Arkansas
and being raised and educated inin Southeast Arkansas.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
As a senior in high school, what was it about UCA
that ultimately uh initiallycaught your attention and
ultimately um got you up toConway?
SPEAKER_01 (03:33):
Uh so my sister attended Hendricks um and uh I
went on a school visit um andactually I was excited about
this.
So being from SoutheastArkansas, at that point in time
and not been out of SoutheastArkansas very often, um, but
being a I was actually a juniorand got the opportunity to start
(03:55):
visiting some schools on tryingto determine exactly where I was
gonna go.
Um my sister, um, like I said,was at Hendrix, and I took the
opportunity to take twogirlfriends um to uh UCA for a a
tour of the campus.
And that really at that point intime, I had leaned toward that
(04:15):
because my sister was uh atHendrix, but um following uh her
in a way was a little bit uh ofthe draw.
But once I went on the tour andwalked through the campus,
talked to people, I was sold.
Um, I loved the campus.
I loved uh the um the peoplethat I visited with.
(04:36):
Um I love the fact that it wasthree hours away from home, but
it was still in the state ofArkansas.
Um, and to be honest with you, Ilike the fact that some friends
of mine that I knew were alsogoing to be attending there.
So all of those combined is whatultimately led me to UCA.
There's a lot more to the storythat starts at UCA, but that's
(04:58):
how I ended up at UCA.
I had explored a couple ofother, you know, schools
in-state and out of the state.
Um my dad set me down and said,look, in-state is is what you're
doing for these reasons.
And I understood at that pointin time, but loved the fact that
I would still be in the state ofArkansas, but could be, you
know, away from mom and dad andspread my wings.
SPEAKER_00 (05:19):
So a lot of those variables led you to UCA, and
then UCA led you, you mentionedto um the love of your life,
your wife.
You know, I think you guys, youtold me you guys met in your
second year at UCA.
What do you remember about thattime in your life and those
circumstances that brought youtogether?
SPEAKER_01 (05:34):
I've told this story a lot, so I'm I'm glad I'm
documenting it for uh my kids,my grandkids, and just a legacy.
But uh, yeah, I was a sophomore,you know, at UCA in Arkansas
Hall.
A lot of great stories inArkansas Hall.
Um, but uh my uh wife was inConway Hall.
(05:55):
And this was uh her freshmanyear, my sophomore year.
Um it was like the second weekof school, I think.
And a friend of hers that shehad gone to high school with was
in the dorm and in the roomright next to me.
She came over to visit just tosay hi, make the connection.
And my door just happened to beopen to my dorm room.
(06:17):
And he stopped by and said, Hey,let me introduce you to Beverly.
And um he walked her to thedoor, left, and as soon as he
came back, I said, Who was that?
You got it, you know, thanks forthe introduction, but um,
include her in our our groupoutings or whatever.
And literally from that pointon, um uh we dated for like
(06:41):
three or four months, and thatwas in 1988.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
What is a first date in Conway in 1988?
What what and where does what'sthat look like?
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
You know, I don't remember what the first date was
like.
A lot of the, you know, at thattime was more of uh the groups
going out, um, you know, I don'tnecessarily remember taking her
to Wendy's or to WesternSizzling, you know, or any of
those type uh those dates.
I do remember, you know, andthese are some of the details of
the stories, I do remember, youknow, the location of the first
(07:13):
kiss, um, which uh, you know,this is a great uh uh a great
story, and uh um very few peopleprobably will um this will
resonate with a lot of the UCAalumni, but our first kiss was
at Totesuck Park.
And a lot of people are like,what?
And when I tell people whoaren't from this area, they they
stand up and take notice.
(07:34):
But uh Totesuck Park was uh alocation that a lot of us as a
group we always hung out at.
Yep.
Um but I distinctly remember,you know, the first kiss.
Um the second kiss was on thesteps of Conway Hall at UCA.
SPEAKER_00 (07:46):
And I you your wife is loving you telling this
story, I know.
She's hating it right now.
All right.
Well, let's let's go to a moreinstitutional uh question.
Then you were you were a phibeta lambda guy in the UCA
College of Business.
Uh what do you remember aboutthat?
What do you, what, what standsout from those days studying as
an undergrad?
SPEAKER_01 (08:05):
Yeah, I just loved, you know, the getting into
college life and finding, I'llcall it my people, you know,
from a business standpoint.
I started off as an accountingmajor.
My dad was a CPA.
Um, I ended up a marketingcommunications major, but I knew
I wanted to do something inbusiness.
(08:25):
Um, and that organizationallowed me to, I'll say, be with
my people, find people who werelike-minded, and it gave me an
opportunity to really start someof my leadership and um, you
know, polish some of myleadership skills.
Um, a lot of the sponsors, theprofessors um that were
involved, you know, in thatorganization helped, you know,
(08:47):
in some ways mentor me and teachme, you know, um business.
Um but I really I thoroughlyenjoy just being a part of a
group um in a collegiate settingand business, like like-minded
people who wanted to, you know,better their education, but
wanted to be in that type field.
SPEAKER_00 (09:05):
Is there anything about those lessons and those
teachings and that network thatyou were in about that UCA
experience that still resonatestoday as you work and as you
lead?
Anything that sticks out?
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
Yeah, at the at the time, Paul, I don't think I
realized it, but it reallyhelped me focus in on developing
those people skills.
You know, I was 18, 19 yearsold, shy, introverted, kid from
Southeast Arkansas, you know, atcollege, not had been away from
home very, very much, um, andreally got to, you know, get to
(09:39):
uh start the people developmentskills.
I call them people developmentskills, um, that I use today,
you know, at an obviouslydifferent level and in the
business.
But I distinctly remember, youknow, interacting with
professors and my peers in thattype setting and having to
(09:59):
learn, you know, how to conductyourself in those type settings.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (10:05):
Okay.
Well, let's fast forward alittle bit today to something
that's happening right now, andthat's your recent uh
appointment um to the UCAfoundation board.
Congratulations.
We're very excited.
I know you're excited now.
I'm excited to have you there.
Um it's a big deal for us, andfrankly, kind of a full circle
uh moment for you because a lotof your stories we've just
(10:26):
discussed, uh, so much of itstarts on campus.
What made you say yes to servingon the foundation board for UCA?
SPEAKER_01 (10:33):
Yeah, it's you know, it's a season of life, I would
say, that I'm at.
And it may sound a littlecliche, but I love at this point
in time that I can give back insome way.
I'm not exactly sure how I'llgive back, but getting the
opportunity, you know, being,you know, hearing my story that
I just mentioned, being born andraised in Arkansas, and then now
(10:54):
in a position that I can workcollaboratively, you know, with
people like-minded, you know, atUCA to help support UCA, um, to
help uh foster relationships,um, develop policies, all the
things that a board um can doand should do.
Um, I'm just excited to be apart of that and honored um to
(11:17):
be chosen and to participate inthat way.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
Initial takeaway from your first board meeting in
Conway earlier this year.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
Yeah, um, you know, we were just talking about it.
You know, it was um it was avery, very good experience.
I I observed.
Um, my personality is uh for thefirst time, I observed quite a
bit, but I was very, verypleased and had a little bit of
a moment of how did a young,shy, introverted Southeast
Arkansas kid end up here, youknow, on the board.
(11:47):
If someone had told me that in1987 when I walked on that
campus, that I would be, youknow, sitting on the foundation
board and having theconversations about how to
support um the university, Iwould have been really surprised
that that's the path um that Iwas at.
But I'm I'm very honored um toreally be a part of that and
hope that I can serve well andyou know give back um as much as
(12:11):
I can.
SPEAKER_00 (12:11):
Uh that sounds like a you had a moment of great
reflection as you were sittinghere.
I really did on campus.
As it relates to NorthwestArkansas, how do you see um the
foundation board um helping theinstitution strengthen its
presence in this region?
SPEAKER_01 (12:25):
Yeah, I think you know, having your leadership
here um is is huge.
Um I love um, you know, I I'velived here 30 plus years.
Um, so I feel like, you know,I'm not one of the OGs.
Um that would be my wife.
Uh pretty close.
Um, but I love, you know, thebackground and the history um of
(12:47):
raising a family here.
Um I also have uh uh my youngestdaughter is an alumni of UCA.
We'll probably get to that aswell.
But I love that background andthat uh that rooted, you know,
I'm not from Northwest Arkansas,but a lot of times, you know,
I've lived here longer thananywhere else.
So I feel like, you know, I'mrooted here and love supporting
(13:08):
the Northwest Arkansas area andlove the role that I have on the
foundation board that I can helpdo that.
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
Yeah, you and I are are alike and we've talked about
this.
It'll be 25 years for me inJanuary living in Northwest
Arkansas.
I I ask people uh when duringconversations, what do you think
the cutoff is?
And I think we've we've come upwith if you've lived here for 10
years, you're a native, becauseanything less than 10 years is a
lot of people.
That's a big demographic ofpeople who've lived here for
(13:35):
less than 10 years, or less thanfive years, even, because
there's so much movement intothis region.
SPEAKER_01 (13:39):
Yeah.
I had not been to this areauntil I met my wife in college.
Yeah.
I drove into Biddenville and Icould, you know, there were the
interstate stopped um at theBiddenville exit.
And Moberly Lane was like aliterally a one-lane road.
I think it may have been gravel.
Barely gravel at that point intime.
Um, but uh, you know, 1988 droveinto Biddenville um and uh have
(14:06):
seen a dramatic change,obviously, you know, since that
time frame.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Yeah, that's that is one for the uh the time capsule
there if you're listening.
Moberly Lane in Bentonville, uhbarely gravel road, one lane
road at one, the outskirts ofBentonville.
It really was.
All right.
So you moved here, let's let'sgo back to that time.
You moved from Conway toNorthwest Arkansas.
And I think you and your wifehad like um like a pact.
You know, whoever got the jobfirst, wherever they got the
(14:30):
job, that's where we're going.
So your your wife gets a job inSpringdale, and so um, I think
early 90s, 1992, you move um tonorthwest Arkansas.
So paint, we did a little bit ofthat.
Paint that picture.
What did their this region feellike, you know, 1992?
SPEAKER_01 (14:46):
Yeah, like I said, I had not even been to this part
of the state.
Um, you know, born and raised inSoutheast Arkansas, I went to
all the Razorback games at WarMemorial Stadium.
I didn't go north of LittleRock.
I didn't have any reason to gonorth of Little Rock, much less
Northwest Arkansas.
I knew about um Bentonville andheard about Bentonville and
Walmart and on the news.
(15:07):
Um, but when uh my wife and I wedecided to get married, and uh
uh the pack was whoever got thejob first, that's where we would
locate at, she was really smartand said, Hey, look, this area
up here, this is where I want tobe, this is where I'm from.
And she got the job first andworked at uh Springdale
Hospital.
Um we lived in Rogers, and atthat point in time, I was just
(15:30):
graduating out of college.
And uh where do you apply for ajob in Northwest Arkansas in
1992?
It's Walmart, it's Tyson, and JBHunt.
And JB Hunt is uh who called whocalled first.
Um, and the story begins there.
SPEAKER_00 (15:46):
Right.
Well, you've you've seen a lot,you know, 30 plus years, you've
seen this region evolve quite abit.
Uh what is something aboutNorthwest Arkansas that really
um people get wrong, or maybethey they don't get they don't
understand about this region andits evolution?
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
Yeah, I think I think the growth and how fast
the growth has happened.
It's fast growth.
Yeah, has has scared people in away.
Um, and you know, change.
Um, and and the change, youknow, being married to someone
who, you know, was basicallyraised here um has seen even
more change than I've talkedabout.
Um and I think that that's alittle bit of the fear that
(16:25):
people have of all the thechange that I don't just and you
know, infrastructure, um, theamount of people um and all of
that, uh, I think is uh somewhatof a negative in perceptions
from people.
SPEAKER_00 (16:37):
Yeah, I was just um I was at a uh a mayor's uh
coffee this morning, and ofcourse, you know, to talk about
city issues.
And of course, the first guestshe brought up was um Preston
Newbill, the water wastewaterutilities director in
Bentonville, because that's whateverybody's talking about.
Preston Newbill, a UCA guy, bythe way, and um worked for the
city since 1991.
(16:58):
And I told him, you know, ifhe's not already, you're about
to be the most popular guy inthe in City Hall because of the
constant growth challenges andgrowth discussions about water
and water, wastewaterinfrastructure.
All right.
So you talked about, let's go tothe JB Hunt chapter.
You you mentioned that, youknow, you you were looking for a
job, and um um, and this part ofthe story is is kind of
(17:18):
interesting to me.
You applied all over.
I mean, not just those three,but you applied to a lot of
places.
And you walk into um at thattime JB Hunt's brand new
intermodal division.
I think you were one of the veryfirst, one of the first, you
know, 10 or 12 um employees, andnow it employs thousands of
people.
And it's you know, if it's knownfor a division, intermodal may
(17:41):
be one of the highlightdivisions of JB Hunt.
Do you really did you realize atthe time?
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Absolutely not.
Yeah, you know, I was justlooking for a job, literally a
job in business.
Um, and thankfully, you know,like I said, started uh they
resurrected the brand ofQuantum.
And I distinctly remember wewere part of the quantum group,
and I think there were like adozen of us.
Um, I I was an hourly uhemployee at the time, tracking
(18:09):
chassis and containers, and Icould give you all kinds of you
know horror stories of you canimagine the manual process that
that that required.
Um, but I had no idea, you know,really what was coming.
Did you use a computer?
Um yeah, I we did have acomputer, yes.
We had Lotus 123, I think is isthe email, and I just thought
(18:30):
that you know how interestingthat was.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, I think that waswhere I I injected myself into
corporate America um and learnedso much about corporate America
and business.
Some great teachers, greatmentors.
Um, you know, some are stillthere, a lot were not.
(18:52):
Um, but uh uh what a greatexperience.
I spent about a decade there ina variety of roles um and
really, you know, cut my teeththere on supply chain.
That started my, it wasn'tinternational, but it started my
supply chain and my interest insolving logistics problems.
SPEAKER_00 (19:09):
So, what did you what do you remember or what do
you recall about that learningcorporate America?
What would you you sound likeyou were figuring it out as you
go?
I mean, what do you recall aboutyou know, just figuring it out
as you as you go in a newdivision, new company, and a new
place to live?
SPEAKER_01 (19:24):
It was the basic stuff of a business meeting, how
to conduct yourself, literally.
You know, I had not had thatexperience, um, you know, not
growing up.
And um, even, you know, in my inmy studies at UCA, conducting a
meeting, how to conductyourself, how to lead people.
Um, I had an opportunity to leadpeople three years into my
(19:45):
career there, um, and had a lotof understood uh uh the value of
relationships and mentors andbeing mentors and having
mentors.
Um, at that time it wasn'tcalled that, or I didn't call it
that.
Looking back on it, I knowexactly that's what it was.
And I had a lot of greatteachers.
Um, you know, they just taughtme about business, um, not
(20:08):
necessarily about the work, butabout business.
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
So it sounds like, you know, and you said you moved
on, and we're going to get tothat next.
But as you look back on yourtime at JB Hunt, that that
mentorship and being part ofthat sort of um, you know,
partnership was uh maybe animportant lesson that you that
you took with you as youdeparted.
SPEAKER_01 (20:27):
Yeah, no, it absolutely did.
Um, you know, and reflectingback on it, I know that now at
that time, I didn't know thatthose were the lessons that I
was learning.
But uh really, you know, havingpeople uh teach you um and
mentor you um was reallycritical for me during those 10
years.
And when I reflect back on my mytime at JB Hunt, very fond
(20:48):
memories of exactly that.
SPEAKER_00 (20:51):
All right.
So after 10 years, uh you makethe jump to Walmart, make the
jump up to uh to Bentonville.
What drew you there?
What were the circumstances ofthat job change?
SPEAKER_01 (20:59):
Uh you know, it was it was a phone call that I
received from a friend of minethat I knew outside of work that
said, hey, I've got this role.
It's called the Jones Act.
Um, it's ocean logistics forHawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
And I questioned, why are youtalking to me?
You know where I work, you knowI play with trains all day.
(21:20):
Um, you know, why are youtalking to me?
Um, long story short, uh Iinterviewed for it and someone
took a chance on me, 10 years ofmy career, uh, which really
started my international, myglobal logistics supply chain
career, um, which is what I'vedone my entire career and what
I'm what I'm doing today.
But started off uh, you know,managing Jones Act.
(21:44):
Um and I distinctly rememberstarting in July of 2002.
And anybody in the supply chainworld knows what happened in the
fall of 2002, which was whichwas the first of many of ILWU
strikes, um, labor disruptions.
Um, and you can imagine Hawaiiand Alaska were negatively
(22:04):
impacted.
And I was three months, fourmonths into my career um at
Walmart managing freightmovement from the mainland U.S
to those entities, thoseentities and to Puerto Rico.
Um, and I baptism by fire.
I learning as you go.
I learned as I went.
Um had some phenomenal serviceproviders um that came in and
(22:29):
taught me about maritimelogistics, global logistics, um,
that I am forever grateful for.
Um uh just you know, took meunder their wing and helped uh
teach me um ocean maritimelogistics.
SPEAKER_00 (22:44):
So besides, besides that difference of as you say,
working with trains and nowyou're in the water, your
freight, your cargo freight,your maritime, what was the most
different about the pace andreally just the scale of
stepping into Walmart and thatjob?
Yeah, yeah, significant.
SPEAKER_01 (23:01):
And I didn't realize it at that time as well.
Um, I was, you know, um uh justtrying to absorb the fact that I
was responsible for stores inthese states in Hawaii and
Alaska for having cargo.
Um and it wasn't, I didn't havea team, it was one person, and
is how it was structured.
(23:22):
Um, and you know, again, anybodyknows anything about Walmart?
Very lean.
Um, those teams were very, verylean.
And that's why I relied a lotvery heavily on the service
providers that managed thatmovement of cargo.
But, you know, a great learningcurve that I I use those
learnings, you know, today, Iuse those relationships.
(23:42):
Um, I take that approach withthe relationship of service
providers um that took thatchance um with me.
SPEAKER_00 (23:49):
Going back to uh the mentors that we discussed, who
who were the mentors and theleaders uh at Walmart that still
you remember today?
Who was the most uh influentialuh in your career as you got up
and running at Walmart there?
SPEAKER_01 (24:03):
Yeah, that's a great question because I had a lot of
those, a lot of good industryleaders.
You know, a lot of them were atWalmart, but again, they were
all through a lot.
They were at service providersor people that were in the
industry.
Um, you know, Rob, the namedrop, Rob Casil and Brian Most,
those are the two that reallytook me under their wing, taught
(24:24):
me not just about maritimelogistics, but you know,
strategy development, you know,fine-tuning my people skills,
um, mentoring skills, but uhboth of those, you know, well
known in the industry um andreally, you know, taught um
taught me a lot about how toconduct yourself and how to how
(24:44):
to work with service providers.
SPEAKER_00 (24:46):
Yeah, I'm guessing uh I knew you'd say Brian most.
I I got familiar with him frommy days at the business journal.
Yeah.
Uh a Titan really in thatindustry and in that company.
Uh, I'm guessing you you guyscollected a few stories that
you'll never forget from thatera.
Um, so all right, so just a fewyears ago, I think 20 uh 22, you
decide to launch your own firm,KP Global Logistics Consulting.
(25:10):
What pushed you to uh to makethat leap into the consulting
world in the consulting world?
Yeah, my wife asked me that aswell.
SPEAKER_01 (25:17):
What do you do?
You're still a lot, you know.
I I call it KP, you know, KevinParkerson, but I go by KP.
Um, quite a few people in theindustry um don't know my name
is Kevin.
They just call me KP.
Okay.
Um duly noted.
Yeah, but I I woke up one dayliterally and decided, um, you
know, at that point in time Ihad a pivotal decision.
(25:38):
Do I want to stay in corporateAmerica or do I want to write
solo?
You know, and at this point inmy career, um, I chose to kind
of go the entrepreneurial route,start my own consulting
business, advisory for who I seeare underserved small and
medium-sized businesses.
(25:58):
Um, and people ask me why smalland medium-sized businesses?
One, they're geographically alot of those around me, um, you
know, in Northwest Arkansas, um,but they're also underserved in
the industry and typically arenot resourced with people or
dollars in a way that they needor have a dedicated global
(26:22):
logistics or a supply chainresource.
Um, so I'm thoroughly enjoyingsmall and medium-sized
businesses navigate globallogistics or global global
supply chain um trying times inthe last four or five years.
So um there is not uh um, youknow, there's there's a lot of
(26:43):
businesses that need thatresource or what I call the
phone of friend.
Um, and I've chosen to to helpthese businesses that are, like
I said, geographically aroundme.
Not all of them are.
Um I've got clients that areacross the globe that just need
someone in many cases to helpthem navigate what is
transpiring in the industry.
(27:03):
I leverage my background, myexperience, my network to be
that resource and to help.
SPEAKER_00 (27:09):
Yeah, what a time for you to go into your own,
start your own business, right?
These last three or four years.
I mean, uh pretty smoothsailing, right?
I say that tongue in cheek, verysmooth sailing.
Yeah, it it's been challengingtimes.
SPEAKER_01 (27:21):
And it's really been, you know, because of the
pandemic, uh, the light has beenshown on supply chains.
And, you know, some businesseshave done really well in um, you
know, reacting, and uh some havenot.
Um, and that's where I can stepin and try to be that resource
or that advisor that can help.
SPEAKER_00 (27:41):
What the businesses that do well versus the ones
that do not do well, what is thedifference there?
What what what do they do thatthat uh allows them to succeed
where others are uh struggling?
SPEAKER_01 (27:53):
They tap into their resources and their plan.
That's it.
I mean, it's it's really basic,you know, tapping into the
resources that you have, um,people like myself that are in
the industry, but also aligningwith the right service provider,
and I say right, um, serviceproviderslash partner, um, and
then setting, being beingprepared for a lot of my career,
(28:15):
um, all of my career, um, reallycontingency planning and being
prepared for the next event.
There always is one.
Um, that that was a huge part ofmy career and a lot of
experience um in doing exactlythat.
And I help a lot of businessesplan and strategize for the the
(28:36):
events that no one's thinking ofright now.
Um, and there's a lot of valuein being prepared um for those
type things, especially insupply chain.
SPEAKER_00 (28:45):
Is that work still interesting after all these
years?
SPEAKER_01 (28:47):
You're still designing for you?
It's it's problem solving,right?
And I learned that from day one,sitting at a desk at JB Hunt.
Um, I was problem solving.
Where was the where was thechassis at, or where was this
container at?
And making sure that thecustomer got, you know, got
their delivery.
That was my job from day one.
(29:07):
Um, and that problem solving,the movement of cargo fascinates
me, still interesting, and whyI'm still doing it today.
SPEAKER_00 (29:15):
So the one, the one constant thing up here, um
Northwest Arkansas is justalways going to be evolution
growth uh in your industry,supply chain, logistics.
What's the next big wave comingin, especially for a place like
Northwest Arkansas?
No pun intended with the wavethere.
SPEAKER_01 (29:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, you have to talk aboutAI and what that is doing.
It's so interesting to me.
I think about the things that AIcan do today.
And I think about things that Idid in my career just five, 10,
15, 20 years ago, and how itcould have helped me be more
efficient, saved me more time.
I'm so excited and interested tosee how that's going to play and
(29:54):
what role it's going to play.
And that's part of the myconsulting and advisory type
work that I'm doing today.
is helping businesses figurethat out, start figuring that
out.
SPEAKER_00 (30:04):
Yeah.
Okay.
Well that that really kind ofties directly into the purpose
of this podcast, right?
To help uh to help enterprisesfigure things out.
And and one of the reasons thatthis podcast even exists is
because UCA wants to be morevisible, wants to be more
engaged and connected andpresent in Northwest Arkansas.
So you've got a great vantagepoint.
(30:26):
You know, you've been here, youknow, coming up on 35 years in
this region.
Where do you see, uh, and I'llsee if your your opinion kind of
jabs with mine, where do you seethe biggest openings for UCA to
plug in in Northwest Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (30:40):
I, you know, I think the work that you're doing,
making people aware um the valuethat the university in Conway,
Arkansas has.
I, you know, the the reason thatmy youngest daughter attended
was the value that it provides,the size of the university, the
(31:01):
location of the university, andthe offerings that it has are
the three, three reasons why,outside of we had taken her to
visit there many, many timesthrough her life and knew that,
you know, that's where mom anddad um met, but the value that
it provides is huge.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
Where could UCA create more value?
And you've seen this up close.
You've recently been been backto campus, saw some students,
visited some classes, done thata couple of times this past
year.
Where could UCA create some morevalue uh for companies in the
supply chain world?
SPEAKER_01 (31:37):
You know, I think um I think the university can help
with um um maybe ask that in adifferent way I mean figure out
how to well just if if if if uhfor an employer what kind of
supply chain graduate stands outright now yeah that that's
that's a great question I thinkyou know as I visited students
(31:59):
I've been really pleased withtheir eagerness you know their
excitement to learn um and thentheir communication skills I had
an opportunity to sit down witha group of them and um I thought
many times their ability toconverse and talk about and ask
questions about the industry umlight years from where Kevin
(32:23):
Parkinson was at and 18, 1920years old.
Yep.
So I think you know continuingto foster that type of uh
engagement in those typestudents um is critical.
Well what did they want to know?
What questions did they ask you?
It was really surprising youknow someone would just want to
know the basics like what do youdo?
(32:44):
Like what do you sit at a deskall day or are you in meetings?
You know they hear those typethings and the other ones are
like what type of problems areyou solving?
You know we're reading aboutproblems and things in the
industry.
What's your day to day look likeum and that's what's really
interesting to me in the supplychain and I think a lot of
industries it's different everyday.
(33:05):
And that's what excites me.
And if you like that then focuson those if you don't like that
change then that's probably notthe industry that you want to be
in.
SPEAKER_00 (33:14):
Was it fun being back in a classroom speaking to
students, interacting?
SPEAKER_01 (33:18):
Yeah I I love you know um I have a lot of that
reflection of like that I thatperson that's not asking a
question of that student outthere that's that's Kevin
Parkinson.
That's me, you know, and youknow that giving back how can I
help?
What do I need?
And I I take those learnings umI plan to take those learnings
(33:38):
back to the foundation you knowand incorporate those into some
of the work that we can do.
And I know that that's likely areason why you know I was chosen
to do that.
But I I can really relate youknow I have a unique perspective
of born and raised in Arkansas Iattended UCA I sat in those same
(33:59):
classes and I've gone and workedfor some phenomenal companies
and now I have my own company.
That perspective alone you knowis is very unique and I don't I
don't take that lightly I knowthat I need to um use that to
the best way that I can and thefoundation is going to allow me
(34:19):
to do that.
SPEAKER_00 (34:19):
So yeah so here are my learnings that I can take
back from your answer to thisquestion.
You know if we were we UCA if wewere to plant a big a bigger
flag in northwest Arkansas youknow what where would you start?
Would you start with events?
Would you just would you startwith talent pipeline?
Would you start withpartnerships?
I mean what what do you say ismaybe most important of that?
SPEAKER_01 (34:40):
Yeah I I like all of those but I'm you know I'm a I
have a marketing communicationsdegree and I'm the lot of the
work that I'm doing now with myconsulting business is
marketing.
So I lean toward the eventsgetting the word out connecting
with people reminding peoplethat there's a university in
Central Arkansas and what it hasto offer, what the value is for
(35:04):
me as a parent, you know, Iloved the fact that my child
could be three hours away at agreat university and in state
those were really important tome.
And then knowing that you knowum the value that they were
getting the size of classes thetype of classes the type of
education um that it providedand again three hours away.
SPEAKER_00 (35:28):
Yeah not bad.
You could be home when you needto be and you can meet down
there when you need to be rightso um so you recently interacted
with some of our students oncampus in Conway um here's some
advice questions what what uhskills or or what habits do you
think that are are mostimportant right now for young
professionals?
What matters most for youngprofessionals recent graduates?
SPEAKER_01 (35:49):
Yeah that's a great question you know I
communication skills andself-motivation you know those
are huge big one um you know youcan hire a lot of different
people um if they can'tcommunicate um to you um that
that can that can be a difficultone to try to teach and their
(36:11):
eagerness are they eager tolearn are they eager to fail and
learn from those failures arethey eager to work you know
those are you know you can'tteach a lot of that I've seen a
lot be very very successful justfrom their eagerness and
willingness to roll theirsleeves up do the work um fail
(36:32):
and absorb that and then applythat to the to the next item the
next issue um that's reallyreally important um and I see a
lot of students you know havethat um that some of that is not
taught so I think those arereally did you get a sense that
there was a there was a uh amindset of eagerness and work
(36:52):
ethic with the students that youwere around at UCA yeah that I
think that's kind of what ourour president I know would love
to say that's what our studentbody is known for is that they
show up on campus ready to work.
Yeah these were all it was itwas such a um a great experience
for me and for the other theirother mentor um that uh put that
(37:12):
together at the event that uhthat we hosted and just talking
with the students you can seethe eagerness the the lights are
on they're ready to go um justin the questions that they asked
and their engagement um and thatwas across the board there was
not one that didn't um thatwasn't eager so that was really
really positive.
SPEAKER_00 (37:31):
Yeah well I hope you keep um finding opportunities to
go back between you and Doug andand whoever else in the college
business to I do I do too.
SPEAKER_01 (37:38):
I you know I told Doug I I I I get as much out of
it as anybody else um justbecause I know that uh um I'm
giving back um in a way and canhelp answer questions.
You know it's not it's notrocket science by any means.
It's just answering questionsfrom the 18 year old Kevin
that's sitting out there that uhwants to know what it's like to
be in corporate America and whatare the type things that you
(38:00):
work on.
It's that basic.
It really is.
SPEAKER_00 (38:03):
Well if there's a UCA student that's listening
right now who's studying supplychain and logistics and they ask
you the question what should Ibe doing right now at this point
in my undergraduate career, whatwould you tell them?
Would you advise uh for summerinternships, would you advise
something else?
What would the answer be?
SPEAKER_01 (38:19):
Yeah, that that's a great question and we're asked
that quite a bit um getting thattype of experience you know and
if it is an internship or jobshadowing networking events um
those are the type things that Iwould highly recommend.
And those are the things thatI'm I'm trying to uh to make
happen um as well.
(38:40):
We referenced uh a time where Ibrought students up uh I call it
the scholarship and we attendedsome events in Northwest
Arkansas and got to hear greatspeakers but also get to work on
networking skills.
Um networking is ultra criticalin in many industries but uh
supply chain and being able tonetwork and meet people in the
(39:02):
industry and ask them questionsum and learn from those are
ultra critical and I loveexposing students to those type
of experiences.
SPEAKER_00 (39:11):
What are you most excited about as we as we end
this year and get ready for 2026what uh for your logistics uh
consultancy for your podcastthat you have now I've been a
guest on his podcast he's been aguest on my podcast so uh we're
even there we are even we'llwe'll we'll compare notes on
that later but what excites youthe most about 2026?
(39:32):
What are you working on?
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
What has your attention yeah you know a lot um
it's so fascinating to me atthis point in my career you know
I mentioned you know people tobe eager and self-motivated I'm
so motivated by what istranspiring in the industry and
where I can help um solve thosebasic challenges of of moving
(39:56):
cargo.
AI again is the the the flash umright now that everybody is
focused on um but the industrythere's always something new and
different tariffs you know inthe current uh customs um
compliance uh category has madeum importing and exporting ultra
(40:17):
complicated um and I think youknow people like myself um can
help uh from an advisory andbeing a resource um to help
those businesses so I'm excitedabout continuing to do that type
work um and podcasting you knowI started a podcast for it's
it's a marketing strategy for myconsulting advisory business and
(40:38):
we're thoroughly enjoying doingthings like this talking to
people bringing voices forwardhighlighting what the good work
that they're doing in theindustry um and where they can
help businesses small medium andlarge um navigate the
complexities of global logisticsand giving a forum for that so
I'm excited about the podcastingside of it but continuing to be
(41:00):
able to to help businesses in anadvisory consulting business of
all things supply chain.
SPEAKER_00 (41:06):
Yeah so where can people find uh that podcast and
where can they find uh your yourconsultancy online tell us about
that yeah uh website kpglc.comum linkedin um podcast is on on
youtube and all other platformsum go subscribe uh we're on
social media just abouteverywhere that you can think of
(41:26):
um exploring you knowopportunities there and uh look
forward to to talking to you togeek out on global logistics
talk about UCA talk aboutnorthwest Arkansas um I'm
passionate about all three yeahwell I can geek out on two of
those three UCA and NorthwestArkansas but global supply chain
and logistics I I might need alittle handful I got you yeah so
(41:46):
you might need to hold my handthere but um uh KP great to have
you here so excited for you andthank you for for being part of
our foundation board and thankyou uh for helping me be an ally
for UCA uh in Northwest Arkansasit's been a privilege getting to
know you and I'm so glad wecould spend some time with you
here today.
Yeah this was great.
Thanks Paul.
All right Kevin thanks for beinghere pleasure to visit with you.
(42:09):
Thank you.
All right that's Kevin ParkersonUCA class of 1991 and we
appreciate you tuning in to thelatest edition of Central to NWA
a UCA podcast.
Until next time, go bears.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
(42:30):
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward,people who are shaping
industries and defining what isnext for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
All right, we're back foranother edition of Central to
NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andI'm very excited today to be
joined by Kevin Parkerson,somebody I've met through my job
here at UCA last year.
I think our first conversationuh was at Heroes Coffee.
(00:43):
It was, which is very nearby.
I know.
It feels like this this is theperfect spot to keep this going.
Because if you don't know, we'rerecording at podcastvideos.com,
and it's about what, 20 stepsaway from Heroes Coffee here in
Pinnacle Hills.
So um, and it's been, you know,if you're like me, it's kind of
my unofficial office.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
And that's where I was gonna say, Paul, is if you
ever look for me, I'm probablyat Heroes Coffee.
So not to give them a too muchof a plug, but it's a great hub,
a great meeting place.
SPEAKER_00 (01:12):
Yeah, well, we'll give them a plug.
Yeah, we'll give those guys aplug.
So uh anyway, Kevin, thanks forbeing here today.
I'm excited to have aconversation with you.
Um, you know, you've you knowwe'll get into this, your
career, you know, 30 plus yearswith logistics at both JB Hunt
and Walmart, and now uh thefounder of your own consulting
firm, KP Global Logistics,that's based here in Northwest
(01:34):
Arkansas.
Thanks for being here.
Yeah, I'm excited.
Thanks for having me.
All right.
So uh, like we said, we'll getinto that uh uh shortly, your
career here.
But let's go back to where itall started at UCA in Conway,
Arkansas.
You're from Dermont, Arkansas,Extreme South Arkansas.
How does a boy from the Deltaend up in Conway at the
(01:55):
University of Central Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (01:57):
Yeah, I love telling this story, but um, you know,
you may have to edit it becauseI'm gonna be long-winded on it.
But I, you know, it's a storythat I love to tell because, and
it's got a, you know, UCA is abig part of it.
But um I tell people I was bornand raised, educated, got
married, started my career,started my family, all in the
(02:18):
state of Arkansas.
Um and I'm very proud of that.
Like I said, I love telling thatstory.
But if people don't know whereDurmont is, it is the exact
opposite of where you and I areat today.
We're in northwest Arkansas, andit is in the far southeast
corner of Chico County.
A lot of people, uh, when I tellthem where I'm at, they say, Oh,
yeah, I think I went throughthere on my way to Florida to
(02:40):
the beach.
Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00 (02:41):
Only so many bridges to cross.
SPEAKER_01 (02:42):
You didn't go through Dermot, you went by it.
Yep.
Um, but uh yeah.
All the way to Lake Village.
All the way to Lake Village,exactly.
So, you know, I'm from Dermont,uh uh educated in the public uh
school system in Durmont andended up in Conway at UCA, and
we'll talk a little bit aboutthat in a second.
But uh um born and raised inSoutheast Arkansas and uh met my
(03:06):
wife at UCA and uh ended up inNorthwest Arkansas, um which is
where I'm at today.
But uh uh I'll I'll I'll give alot more details about that
story, but very proud of myheritage of Southeast Arkansas
and being raised and educated inin Southeast Arkansas.
SPEAKER_00 (03:23):
As a senior in high school, what was it about UCA
that ultimately uh initiallycaught your attention and
ultimately um got you up toConway?
SPEAKER_01 (03:33):
Uh so my sister attended Hendricks um and uh I
went on a school visit um andactually I was excited about
this.
So being from SoutheastArkansas, at that point in time
and not been out of SoutheastArkansas very often, um, but
being a I was actually a juniorand got the opportunity to start
(03:55):
visiting some schools on tryingto determine exactly where I was
gonna go.
Um my sister, um, like I said,was at Hendrix, and I took the
opportunity to take twogirlfriends um to uh UCA for a a
tour of the campus.
And that really at that point intime, I had leaned toward that
(04:15):
because my sister was uh atHendrix, but um following uh her
in a way was a little bit uh ofthe draw.
But once I went on the tour andwalked through the campus,
talked to people, I was sold.
Um, I loved the campus.
I loved uh the um the peoplethat I visited with.
(04:36):
Um I love the fact that it wasthree hours away from home, but
it was still in the state ofArkansas.
Um, and to be honest with you, Ilike the fact that some friends
of mine that I knew were alsogoing to be attending there.
So all of those combined is whatultimately led me to UCA.
There's a lot more to the storythat starts at UCA, but that's
(04:58):
how I ended up at UCA.
I had explored a couple ofother, you know, schools
in-state and out of the state.
Um my dad set me down and said,look, in-state is is what you're
doing for these reasons.
And I understood at that pointin time, but loved the fact that
I would still be in the state ofArkansas, but could be, you
know, away from mom and dad andspread my wings.
SPEAKER_00 (05:19):
So a lot of those variables led you to UCA, and
then UCA led you, you mentionedto um the love of your life,
your wife.
You know, I think you guys, youtold me you guys met in your
second year at UCA.
What do you remember about thattime in your life and those
circumstances that brought youtogether?
SPEAKER_01 (05:34):
I've told this story a lot, so I'm I'm glad I'm
documenting it for uh my kids,my grandkids, and just a legacy.
But uh, yeah, I was a sophomore,you know, at UCA in Arkansas
Hall.
A lot of great stories inArkansas Hall.
Um, but uh my uh wife was inConway Hall.
(05:55):
And this was uh her freshmanyear, my sophomore year.
Um it was like the second weekof school, I think.
And a friend of hers that shehad gone to high school with was
in the dorm and in the roomright next to me.
She came over to visit just tosay hi, make the connection.
And my door just happened to beopen to my dorm room.
(06:17):
And he stopped by and said, Hey,let me introduce you to Beverly.
And um he walked her to thedoor, left, and as soon as he
came back, I said, Who was that?
You got it, you know, thanks forthe introduction, but um,
include her in our our groupoutings or whatever.
And literally from that pointon, um uh we dated for like
(06:41):
three or four months, and thatwas in 1988.
SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
What is a first date in Conway in 1988?
What what and where does what'sthat look like?
SPEAKER_01 (06:51):
You know, I don't remember what the first date was
like.
A lot of the, you know, at thattime was more of uh the groups
going out, um, you know, I don'tnecessarily remember taking her
to Wendy's or to WesternSizzling, you know, or any of
those type uh those dates.
I do remember, you know, andthese are some of the details of
the stories, I do remember, youknow, the location of the first
(07:13):
kiss, um, which uh, you know,this is a great uh uh a great
story, and uh um very few peopleprobably will um this will
resonate with a lot of the UCAalumni, but our first kiss was
at Totesuck Park.
And a lot of people are like,what?
And when I tell people whoaren't from this area, they they
stand up and take notice.
(07:34):
But uh Totesuck Park was uh alocation that a lot of us as a
group we always hung out at.
Yep.
Um but I distinctly remember,you know, the first kiss.
Um the second kiss was on thesteps of Conway Hall at UCA.
SPEAKER_00 (07:46):
And I you your wife is loving you telling this
story, I know.
She's hating it right now.
All right.
Well, let's let's go to a moreinstitutional uh question.
Then you were you were a phibeta lambda guy in the UCA
College of Business.
Uh what do you remember aboutthat?
What do you, what, what standsout from those days studying as
an undergrad?
SPEAKER_01 (08:05):
Yeah, I just loved, you know, the getting into
college life and finding, I'llcall it my people, you know,
from a business standpoint.
I started off as an accountingmajor.
My dad was a CPA.
Um, I ended up a marketingcommunications major, but I knew
I wanted to do something inbusiness.
(08:25):
Um, and that organizationallowed me to, I'll say, be with
my people, find people who werelike-minded, and it gave me an
opportunity to really start someof my leadership and um, you
know, polish some of myleadership skills.
Um, a lot of the sponsors, theprofessors um that were
involved, you know, in thatorganization helped, you know,
(08:47):
in some ways mentor me and teachme, you know, um business.
Um but I really I thoroughlyenjoy just being a part of a
group um in a collegiate settingand business, like like-minded
people who wanted to, you know,better their education, but
wanted to be in that type field.
SPEAKER_00 (09:05):
Is there anything about those lessons and those
teachings and that network thatyou were in about that UCA
experience that still resonatestoday as you work and as you
lead?
Anything that sticks out?
SPEAKER_01 (09:17):
Yeah, at the at the time, Paul, I don't think I
realized it, but it reallyhelped me focus in on developing
those people skills.
You know, I was 18, 19 yearsold, shy, introverted, kid from
Southeast Arkansas, you know, atcollege, not had been away from
home very, very much, um, andreally got to, you know, get to
(09:39):
uh start the people developmentskills.
I call them people developmentskills, um, that I use today,
you know, at an obviouslydifferent level and in the
business.
But I distinctly remember, youknow, interacting with
professors and my peers in thattype setting and having to
(09:59):
learn, you know, how to conductyourself in those type settings.
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (10:05):
Okay.
Well, let's fast forward alittle bit today to something
that's happening right now, andthat's your recent uh
appointment um to the UCAfoundation board.
Congratulations.
We're very excited.
I know you're excited now.
I'm excited to have you there.
Um it's a big deal for us, andfrankly, kind of a full circle
uh moment for you because a lotof your stories we've just
(10:26):
discussed, uh, so much of itstarts on campus.
What made you say yes to servingon the foundation board for UCA?
SPEAKER_01 (10:33):
Yeah, it's you know, it's a season of life, I would
say, that I'm at.
And it may sound a littlecliche, but I love at this point
in time that I can give back insome way.
I'm not exactly sure how I'llgive back, but getting the
opportunity, you know, being,you know, hearing my story that
I just mentioned, being born andraised in Arkansas, and then now
(10:54):
in a position that I can workcollaboratively, you know, with
people like-minded, you know, atUCA to help support UCA, um, to
help uh foster relationships,um, develop policies, all the
things that a board um can doand should do.
Um, I'm just excited to be apart of that and honored um to
(11:17):
be chosen and to participate inthat way.
SPEAKER_00 (11:20):
Initial takeaway from your first board meeting in
Conway earlier this year.
SPEAKER_01 (11:24):
Yeah, um, you know, we were just talking about it.
You know, it was um it was avery, very good experience.
I I observed.
Um, my personality is uh for thefirst time, I observed quite a
bit, but I was very, verypleased and had a little bit of
a moment of how did a young,shy, introverted Southeast
Arkansas kid end up here, youknow, on the board.
(11:47):
If someone had told me that in1987 when I walked on that
campus, that I would be, youknow, sitting on the foundation
board and having theconversations about how to
support um the university, Iwould have been really surprised
that that's the path um that Iwas at.
But I'm I'm very honored um toreally be a part of that and
hope that I can serve well andyou know give back um as much as
(12:11):
I can.
SPEAKER_00 (12:11):
Uh that sounds like a you had a moment of great
reflection as you were sittinghere.
I really did on campus.
As it relates to NorthwestArkansas, how do you see um the
foundation board um helping theinstitution strengthen its
presence in this region?
SPEAKER_01 (12:25):
Yeah, I think you know, having your leadership
here um is is huge.
Um I love um, you know, I I'velived here 30 plus years.
Um, so I feel like, you know,I'm not one of the OGs.
Um that would be my wife.
Uh pretty close.
Um, but I love, you know, thebackground and the history um of
(12:47):
raising a family here.
Um I also have uh uh my youngestdaughter is an alumni of UCA.
We'll probably get to that aswell.
But I love that background andthat uh that rooted, you know,
I'm not from Northwest Arkansas,but a lot of times, you know,
I've lived here longer thananywhere else.
So I feel like, you know, I'mrooted here and love supporting
(13:08):
the Northwest Arkansas area andlove the role that I have on the
foundation board that I can helpdo that.
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
Yeah, you and I are are alike and we've talked about
this.
It'll be 25 years for me inJanuary living in Northwest
Arkansas.
I I ask people uh when duringconversations, what do you think
the cutoff is?
And I think we've we've come upwith if you've lived here for 10
years, you're a native, becauseanything less than 10 years is a
lot of people.
That's a big demographic ofpeople who've lived here for
(13:35):
less than 10 years, or less thanfive years, even, because
there's so much movement intothis region.
SPEAKER_01 (13:39):
Yeah.
I had not been to this areauntil I met my wife in college.
Yeah.
I drove into Biddenville and Icould, you know, there were the
interstate stopped um at theBiddenville exit.
And Moberly Lane was like aliterally a one-lane road.
I think it may have been gravel.
Barely gravel at that point intime.
Um, but uh, you know, 1988 droveinto Biddenville um and uh have
(14:06):
seen a dramatic change,obviously, you know, since that
time frame.
SPEAKER_00 (14:10):
Yeah, that's that is one for the uh the time capsule
there if you're listening.
Moberly Lane in Bentonville, uhbarely gravel road, one lane
road at one, the outskirts ofBentonville.
It really was.
All right.
So you moved here, let's let'sgo back to that time.
You moved from Conway toNorthwest Arkansas.
And I think you and your wifehad like um like a pact.
You know, whoever got the jobfirst, wherever they got the
(14:30):
job, that's where we're going.
So your your wife gets a job inSpringdale, and so um, I think
early 90s, 1992, you move um tonorthwest Arkansas.
So paint, we did a little bit ofthat.
Paint that picture.
What did their this region feellike, you know, 1992?
SPEAKER_01 (14:46):
Yeah, like I said, I had not even been to this part
of the state.
Um, you know, born and raised inSoutheast Arkansas, I went to
all the Razorback games at WarMemorial Stadium.
I didn't go north of LittleRock.
I didn't have any reason to gonorth of Little Rock, much less
Northwest Arkansas.
I knew about um Bentonville andheard about Bentonville and
Walmart and on the news.
(15:07):
Um, but when uh my wife and I wedecided to get married, and uh
uh the pack was whoever got thejob first, that's where we would
locate at, she was really smartand said, Hey, look, this area
up here, this is where I want tobe, this is where I'm from.
And she got the job first andworked at uh Springdale
Hospital.
Um we lived in Rogers, and atthat point in time, I was just
(15:30):
graduating out of college.
And uh where do you apply for ajob in Northwest Arkansas in
1992?
It's Walmart, it's Tyson, and JBHunt.
And JB Hunt is uh who called whocalled first.
Um, and the story begins there.
SPEAKER_00 (15:46):
Right.
Well, you've you've seen a lot,you know, 30 plus years, you've
seen this region evolve quite abit.
Uh what is something aboutNorthwest Arkansas that really
um people get wrong, or maybethey they don't get they don't
understand about this region andits evolution?
SPEAKER_01 (16:02):
Yeah, I think I think the growth and how fast
the growth has happened.
It's fast growth.
Yeah, has has scared people in away.
Um, and you know, change.
Um, and and the change, youknow, being married to someone
who, you know, was basicallyraised here um has seen even
more change than I've talkedabout.
Um and I think that that's alittle bit of the fear that
(16:25):
people have of all the thechange that I don't just and you
know, infrastructure, um, theamount of people um and all of
that, uh, I think is uh somewhatof a negative in perceptions
from people.
SPEAKER_00 (16:37):
Yeah, I was just um I was at a uh a mayor's uh
coffee this morning, and ofcourse, you know, to talk about
city issues.
And of course, the first guestshe brought up was um Preston
Newbill, the water wastewaterutilities director in
Bentonville, because that's whateverybody's talking about.
Preston Newbill, a UCA guy, bythe way, and um worked for the
city since 1991.
(16:58):
And I told him, you know, ifhe's not already, you're about
to be the most popular guy inthe in City Hall because of the
constant growth challenges andgrowth discussions about water
and water, wastewaterinfrastructure.
All right.
So you talked about, let's go tothe JB Hunt chapter.
You you mentioned that, youknow, you you were looking for a
job, and um um, and this part ofthe story is is kind of
(17:18):
interesting to me.
You applied all over.
I mean, not just those three,but you applied to a lot of
places.
And you walk into um at thattime JB Hunt's brand new
intermodal division.
I think you were one of the veryfirst, one of the first, you
know, 10 or 12 um employees, andnow it employs thousands of
people.
And it's you know, if it's knownfor a division, intermodal may
(17:41):
be one of the highlightdivisions of JB Hunt.
Do you really did you realize atthe time?
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Absolutely not.
Yeah, you know, I was justlooking for a job, literally a
job in business.
Um, and thankfully, you know,like I said, started uh they
resurrected the brand ofQuantum.
And I distinctly remember wewere part of the quantum group,
and I think there were like adozen of us.
Um, I I was an hourly uhemployee at the time, tracking
(18:09):
chassis and containers, and Icould give you all kinds of you
know horror stories of you canimagine the manual process that
that that required.
Um, but I had no idea, you know,really what was coming.
Did you use a computer?
Um yeah, I we did have acomputer, yes.
We had Lotus 123, I think is isthe email, and I just thought
(18:30):
that you know how interestingthat was.
Yeah.
Um, but yeah, I think that waswhere I I injected myself into
corporate America um and learnedso much about corporate America
and business.
Some great teachers, greatmentors.
Um, you know, some are stillthere, a lot were not.
(18:52):
Um, but uh uh what a greatexperience.
I spent about a decade there ina variety of roles um and
really, you know, cut my teeththere on supply chain.
That started my, it wasn'tinternational, but it started my
supply chain and my interest insolving logistics problems.
SPEAKER_00 (19:09):
So, what did you what do you remember or what do
you recall about that learningcorporate America?
What would you you sound likeyou were figuring it out as you
go?
I mean, what do you recall aboutyou know, just figuring it out
as you as you go in a newdivision, new company, and a new
place to live?
SPEAKER_01 (19:24):
It was the basic stuff of a business meeting, how
to conduct yourself, literally.
You know, I had not had thatexperience, um, you know, not
growing up.
And um, even, you know, in my inmy studies at UCA, conducting a
meeting, how to conductyourself, how to lead people.
Um, I had an opportunity to leadpeople three years into my
(19:45):
career there, um, and had a lotof understood uh uh the value of
relationships and mentors andbeing mentors and having
mentors.
Um, at that time it wasn'tcalled that, or I didn't call it
that.
Looking back on it, I knowexactly that's what it was.
And I had a lot of greatteachers.
Um, you know, they just taughtme about business, um, not
(20:08):
necessarily about the work, butabout business.
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
So it sounds like, you know, and you said you moved
on, and we're going to get tothat next.
But as you look back on yourtime at JB Hunt, that that
mentorship and being part ofthat sort of um, you know,
partnership was uh maybe animportant lesson that you that
you took with you as youdeparted.
SPEAKER_01 (20:27):
Yeah, no, it absolutely did.
Um, you know, and reflectingback on it, I know that now at
that time, I didn't know thatthose were the lessons that I
was learning.
But uh really, you know, havingpeople uh teach you um and
mentor you um was reallycritical for me during those 10
years.
And when I reflect back on my mytime at JB Hunt, very fond
(20:48):
memories of exactly that.
SPEAKER_00 (20:51):
All right.
So after 10 years, uh you makethe jump to Walmart, make the
jump up to uh to Bentonville.
What drew you there?
What were the circumstances ofthat job change?
SPEAKER_01 (20:59):
Uh you know, it was it was a phone call that I
received from a friend of minethat I knew outside of work that
said, hey, I've got this role.
It's called the Jones Act.
Um, it's ocean logistics forHawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.
And I questioned, why are youtalking to me?
You know where I work, you knowI play with trains all day.
(21:20):
Um, you know, why are youtalking to me?
Um, long story short, uh Iinterviewed for it and someone
took a chance on me, 10 years ofmy career, uh, which really
started my international, myglobal logistics supply chain
career, um, which is what I'vedone my entire career and what
I'm what I'm doing today.
But started off uh, you know,managing Jones Act.
(21:44):
Um and I distinctly rememberstarting in July of 2002.
And anybody in the supply chainworld knows what happened in the
fall of 2002, which was whichwas the first of many of ILWU
strikes, um, labor disruptions.
Um, and you can imagine Hawaiiand Alaska were negatively
(22:04):
impacted.
And I was three months, fourmonths into my career um at
Walmart managing freightmovement from the mainland U.S
to those entities, thoseentities and to Puerto Rico.
Um, and I baptism by fire.
I learning as you go.
I learned as I went.
Um had some phenomenal serviceproviders um that came in and
(22:29):
taught me about maritimelogistics, global logistics, um,
that I am forever grateful for.
Um uh just you know, took meunder their wing and helped uh
teach me um ocean maritimelogistics.
SPEAKER_00 (22:44):
So besides, besides that difference of as you say,
working with trains and nowyou're in the water, your
freight, your cargo freight,your maritime, what was the most
different about the pace andreally just the scale of
stepping into Walmart and thatjob?
Yeah, yeah, significant.
SPEAKER_01 (23:01):
And I didn't realize it at that time as well.
Um, I was, you know, um uh justtrying to absorb the fact that I
was responsible for stores inthese states in Hawaii and
Alaska for having cargo.
Um and it wasn't, I didn't havea team, it was one person, and
is how it was structured.
(23:22):
Um, and you know, again, anybodyknows anything about Walmart?
Very lean.
Um, those teams were very, verylean.
And that's why I relied a lotvery heavily on the service
providers that managed thatmovement of cargo.
But, you know, a great learningcurve that I I use those
learnings, you know, today, Iuse those relationships.
(23:42):
Um, I take that approach withthe relationship of service
providers um that took thatchance um with me.
SPEAKER_00 (23:49):
Going back to uh the mentors that we discussed, who
who were the mentors and theleaders uh at Walmart that still
you remember today?
Who was the most uh influentialuh in your career as you got up
and running at Walmart there?
SPEAKER_01 (24:03):
Yeah, that's a great question because I had a lot of
those, a lot of good industryleaders.
You know, a lot of them were atWalmart, but again, they were
all through a lot.
They were at service providersor people that were in the
industry.
Um, you know, Rob, the namedrop, Rob Casil and Brian Most,
those are the two that reallytook me under their wing, taught
(24:24):
me not just about maritimelogistics, but you know,
strategy development, you know,fine-tuning my people skills,
um, mentoring skills, but uhboth of those, you know, well
known in the industry um andreally, you know, taught um
taught me a lot about how toconduct yourself and how to how
(24:44):
to work with service providers.
SPEAKER_00 (24:46):
Yeah, I'm guessing uh I knew you'd say Brian most.
I I got familiar with him frommy days at the business journal.
Yeah.
Uh a Titan really in thatindustry and in that company.
Uh, I'm guessing you you guyscollected a few stories that
you'll never forget from thatera.
Um, so all right, so just a fewyears ago, I think 20 uh 22, you
decide to launch your own firm,KP Global Logistics Consulting.
(25:10):
What pushed you to uh to makethat leap into the consulting
world in the consulting world?
Yeah, my wife asked me that aswell.
SPEAKER_01 (25:17):
What do you do?
You're still a lot, you know.
I I call it KP, you know, KevinParkerson, but I go by KP.
Um, quite a few people in theindustry um don't know my name
is Kevin.
They just call me KP.
Okay.
Um duly noted.
Yeah, but I I woke up one dayliterally and decided, um, you
know, at that point in time Ihad a pivotal decision.
(25:38):
Do I want to stay in corporateAmerica or do I want to write
solo?
You know, and at this point inmy career, um, I chose to kind
of go the entrepreneurial route,start my own consulting
business, advisory for who I seeare underserved small and
medium-sized businesses.
(25:58):
Um, and people ask me why smalland medium-sized businesses?
One, they're geographically alot of those around me, um, you
know, in Northwest Arkansas, um,but they're also underserved in
the industry and typically arenot resourced with people or
dollars in a way that they needor have a dedicated global
(26:22):
logistics or a supply chainresource.
Um, so I'm thoroughly enjoyingsmall and medium-sized
businesses navigate globallogistics or global global
supply chain um trying times inthe last four or five years.
So um there is not uh um, youknow, there's there's a lot of
(26:43):
businesses that need thatresource or what I call the
phone of friend.
Um, and I've chosen to to helpthese businesses that are, like
I said, geographically aroundme.
Not all of them are.
Um I've got clients that areacross the globe that just need
someone in many cases to helpthem navigate what is
transpiring in the industry.
(27:03):
I leverage my background, myexperience, my network to be
that resource and to help.
SPEAKER_00 (27:09):
Yeah, what a time for you to go into your own,
start your own business, right?
These last three or four years.
I mean, uh pretty smoothsailing, right?
I say that tongue in cheek, verysmooth sailing.
Yeah, it it's been challengingtimes.
SPEAKER_01 (27:21):
And it's really been, you know, because of the
pandemic, uh, the light has beenshown on supply chains.
And, you know, some businesseshave done really well in um, you
know, reacting, and uh some havenot.
Um, and that's where I can stepin and try to be that resource
or that advisor that can help.
SPEAKER_00 (27:41):
What the businesses that do well versus the ones
that do not do well, what is thedifference there?
What what what do they do thatthat uh allows them to succeed
where others are uh struggling?
SPEAKER_01 (27:53):
They tap into their resources and their plan.
That's it.
I mean, it's it's really basic,you know, tapping into the
resources that you have, um,people like myself that are in
the industry, but also aligningwith the right service provider,
and I say right, um, serviceproviderslash partner, um, and
then setting, being beingprepared for a lot of my career,
(28:15):
um, all of my career, um, reallycontingency planning and being
prepared for the next event.
There always is one.
Um, that that was a huge part ofmy career and a lot of
experience um in doing exactlythat.
And I help a lot of businessesplan and strategize for the the
(28:36):
events that no one's thinking ofright now.
Um, and there's a lot of valuein being prepared um for those
type things, especially insupply chain.
SPEAKER_00 (28:45):
Is that work still interesting after all these
years?
SPEAKER_01 (28:47):
You're still designing for you?
It's it's problem solving,right?
And I learned that from day one,sitting at a desk at JB Hunt.
Um, I was problem solving.
Where was the where was thechassis at, or where was this
container at?
And making sure that thecustomer got, you know, got
their delivery.
That was my job from day one.
(29:07):
Um, and that problem solving,the movement of cargo fascinates
me, still interesting, and whyI'm still doing it today.
SPEAKER_00 (29:15):
So the one, the one constant thing up here, um
Northwest Arkansas is justalways going to be evolution
growth uh in your industry,supply chain, logistics.
What's the next big wave comingin, especially for a place like
Northwest Arkansas?
No pun intended with the wavethere.
SPEAKER_01 (29:30):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, you have to talk aboutAI and what that is doing.
It's so interesting to me.
I think about the things that AIcan do today.
And I think about things that Idid in my career just five, 10,
15, 20 years ago, and how itcould have helped me be more
efficient, saved me more time.
I'm so excited and interested tosee how that's going to play and
(29:54):
what role it's going to play.
And that's part of the myconsulting and advisory type
work that I'm doing today.
is helping businesses figurethat out, start figuring that
out.
SPEAKER_00 (30:04):
Yeah.
Okay.
Well that that really kind ofties directly into the purpose
of this podcast, right?
To help uh to help enterprisesfigure things out.
And and one of the reasons thatthis podcast even exists is
because UCA wants to be morevisible, wants to be more
engaged and connected andpresent in Northwest Arkansas.
So you've got a great vantagepoint.
(30:26):
You know, you've been here, youknow, coming up on 35 years in
this region.
Where do you see, uh, and I'llsee if your your opinion kind of
jabs with mine, where do you seethe biggest openings for UCA to
plug in in Northwest Arkansas?
SPEAKER_01 (30:40):
I, you know, I think the work that you're doing,
making people aware um the valuethat the university in Conway,
Arkansas has.
I, you know, the the reason thatmy youngest daughter attended
was the value that it provides,the size of the university, the
(31:01):
location of the university, andthe offerings that it has are
the three, three reasons why,outside of we had taken her to
visit there many, many timesthrough her life and knew that,
you know, that's where mom anddad um met, but the value that
it provides is huge.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
Where could UCA create more value?
And you've seen this up close.
You've recently been been backto campus, saw some students,
visited some classes, done thata couple of times this past
year.
Where could UCA create some morevalue uh for companies in the
supply chain world?
SPEAKER_01 (31:37):
You know, I think um I think the university can help
with um um maybe ask that in adifferent way I mean figure out
how to well just if if if if uhfor an employer what kind of
supply chain graduate stands outright now yeah that that's
that's a great question I thinkyou know as I visited students
(31:59):
I've been really pleased withtheir eagerness you know their
excitement to learn um and thentheir communication skills I had
an opportunity to sit down witha group of them and um I thought
many times their ability toconverse and talk about and ask
questions about the industry umlight years from where Kevin
(32:23):
Parkinson was at and 18, 1920years old.
Yep.
So I think you know continuingto foster that type of uh
engagement in those typestudents um is critical.
Well what did they want to know?
What questions did they ask you?
It was really surprising youknow someone would just want to
know the basics like what do youdo?
(32:44):
Like what do you sit at a deskall day or are you in meetings?
You know they hear those typethings and the other ones are
like what type of problems areyou solving?
You know we're reading aboutproblems and things in the
industry.
What's your day to day look likeum and that's what's really
interesting to me in the supplychain and I think a lot of
industries it's different everyday.
(33:05):
And that's what excites me.
And if you like that then focuson those if you don't like that
change then that's probably notthe industry that you want to be
in.
SPEAKER_00 (33:14):
Was it fun being back in a classroom speaking to
students, interacting?
SPEAKER_01 (33:18):
Yeah I I love you know um I have a lot of that
reflection of like that I thatperson that's not asking a
question of that student outthere that's that's Kevin
Parkinson.
That's me, you know, and youknow that giving back how can I
help?
What do I need?
And I I take those learnings umI plan to take those learnings
(33:38):
back to the foundation you knowand incorporate those into some
of the work that we can do.
And I know that that's likely areason why you know I was chosen
to do that.
But I I can really relate youknow I have a unique perspective
of born and raised in Arkansas Iattended UCA I sat in those same
(33:59):
classes and I've gone and workedfor some phenomenal companies
and now I have my own company.
That perspective alone you knowis is very unique and I don't I
don't take that lightly I knowthat I need to um use that to
the best way that I can and thefoundation is going to allow me
(34:19):
to do that.
SPEAKER_00 (34:19):
So yeah so here are my learnings that I can take
back from your answer to thisquestion.
You know if we were we UCA if wewere to plant a big a bigger
flag in northwest Arkansas youknow what where would you start?
Would you start with events?
Would you just would you startwith talent pipeline?
Would you start withpartnerships?
I mean what what do you say ismaybe most important of that?
SPEAKER_01 (34:40):
Yeah I I like all of those but I'm you know I'm a I
have a marketing communicationsdegree and I'm the lot of the
work that I'm doing now with myconsulting business is
marketing.
So I lean toward the eventsgetting the word out connecting
with people reminding peoplethat there's a university in
Central Arkansas and what it hasto offer, what the value is for
(35:04):
me as a parent, you know, Iloved the fact that my child
could be three hours away at agreat university and in state
those were really important tome.
And then knowing that you knowum the value that they were
getting the size of classes thetype of classes the type of
education um that it providedand again three hours away.
SPEAKER_00 (35:28):
Yeah not bad.
You could be home when you needto be and you can meet down
there when you need to be rightso um so you recently interacted
with some of our students oncampus in Conway um here's some
advice questions what what uhskills or or what habits do you
think that are are mostimportant right now for young
professionals?
What matters most for youngprofessionals recent graduates?
SPEAKER_01 (35:49):
Yeah that's a great question you know I
communication skills andself-motivation you know those
are huge big one um you know youcan hire a lot of different
people um if they can'tcommunicate um to you um that
that can that can be a difficultone to try to teach and their
(36:11):
eagerness are they eager tolearn are they eager to fail and
learn from those failures arethey eager to work you know
those are you know you can'tteach a lot of that I've seen a
lot be very very successful justfrom their eagerness and
willingness to roll theirsleeves up do the work um fail
(36:32):
and absorb that and then applythat to the to the next item the
next issue um that's reallyreally important um and I see a
lot of students you know havethat um that some of that is not
taught so I think those arereally did you get a sense that
there was a there was a uh amindset of eagerness and work
(36:52):
ethic with the students that youwere around at UCA yeah that I
think that's kind of what ourour president I know would love
to say that's what our studentbody is known for is that they
show up on campus ready to work.
Yeah these were all it was itwas such a um a great experience
for me and for the other theirother mentor um that uh put that
(37:12):
together at the event that uhthat we hosted and just talking
with the students you can seethe eagerness the the lights are
on they're ready to go um justin the questions that they asked
and their engagement um and thatwas across the board there was
not one that didn't um thatwasn't eager so that was really
really positive.
SPEAKER_00 (37:31):
Yeah well I hope you keep um finding opportunities to
go back between you and Doug andand whoever else in the college
business to I do I do too.
SPEAKER_01 (37:38):
I you know I told Doug I I I I get as much out of
it as anybody else um justbecause I know that uh um I'm
giving back um in a way and canhelp answer questions.
You know it's not it's notrocket science by any means.
It's just answering questionsfrom the 18 year old Kevin
that's sitting out there that uhwants to know what it's like to
be in corporate America and whatare the type things that you
(38:00):
work on.
It's that basic.
It really is.
SPEAKER_00 (38:03):
Well if there's a UCA student that's listening
right now who's studying supplychain and logistics and they ask
you the question what should Ibe doing right now at this point
in my undergraduate career, whatwould you tell them?
Would you advise uh for summerinternships, would you advise
something else?
What would the answer be?
SPEAKER_01 (38:19):
Yeah, that that's a great question and we're asked
that quite a bit um getting thattype of experience you know and
if it is an internship or jobshadowing networking events um
those are the type things that Iwould highly recommend.
And those are the things thatI'm I'm trying to uh to make
happen um as well.
(38:40):
We referenced uh a time where Ibrought students up uh I call it
the scholarship and we attendedsome events in Northwest
Arkansas and got to hear greatspeakers but also get to work on
networking skills.
Um networking is ultra criticalin in many industries but uh
supply chain and being able tonetwork and meet people in the
(39:02):
industry and ask them questionsum and learn from those are
ultra critical and I loveexposing students to those type
of experiences.
SPEAKER_00 (39:11):
What are you most excited about as we as we end
this year and get ready for 2026what uh for your logistics uh
consultancy for your podcastthat you have now I've been a
guest on his podcast he's been aguest on my podcast so uh we're
even there we are even we'llwe'll we'll compare notes on
that later but what excites youthe most about 2026?
(39:32):
What are you working on?
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
What has your attention yeah you know a lot um
it's so fascinating to me atthis point in my career you know
I mentioned you know people tobe eager and self-motivated I'm
so motivated by what istranspiring in the industry and
where I can help um solve thosebasic challenges of of moving
(39:56):
cargo.
AI again is the the the flash umright now that everybody is
focused on um but the industrythere's always something new and
different tariffs you know inthe current uh customs um
compliance uh category has madeum importing and exporting ultra
(40:17):
complicated um and I think youknow people like myself um can
help uh from an advisory andbeing a resource um to help
those businesses so I'm excitedabout continuing to do that type
work um and podcasting you knowI started a podcast for it's
it's a marketing strategy for myconsulting advisory business and
(40:38):
we're thoroughly enjoying doingthings like this talking to
people bringing voices forwardhighlighting what the good work
that they're doing in theindustry um and where they can
help businesses small medium andlarge um navigate the
complexities of global logisticsand giving a forum for that so
I'm excited about the podcastingside of it but continuing to be
(41:00):
able to to help businesses in anadvisory consulting business of
all things supply chain.
SPEAKER_00 (41:06):
Yeah so where can people find uh that podcast and
where can they find uh your yourconsultancy online tell us about
that yeah uh website kpglc.comum linkedin um podcast is on on
youtube and all other platformsum go subscribe uh we're on
social media just abouteverywhere that you can think of
(41:26):
um exploring you knowopportunities there and uh look
forward to to talking to you togeek out on global logistics
talk about UCA talk aboutnorthwest Arkansas um I'm
passionate about all three yeahwell I can geek out on two of
those three UCA and NorthwestArkansas but global supply chain
and logistics I I might need alittle handful I got you yeah so
(41:46):
you might need to hold my handthere but um uh KP great to have
you here so excited for you andthank you for for being part of
our foundation board and thankyou uh for helping me be an ally
for UCA uh in Northwest Arkansasit's been a privilege getting to
know you and I'm so glad wecould spend some time with you
here today.
Yeah this was great.
Thanks Paul.
All right Kevin thanks for beinghere pleasure to visit with you.
(42:09):
Thank you.
All right that's Kevin ParkersonUCA class of 1991 and we
appreciate you tuning in to thelatest edition of Central to NWA
a UCA podcast.
Until next time, go bears.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
(42:30):
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.