New Director at Small Business Center

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Sam M. Walton College of Business has appointed Larry Brian as director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Arkansas.

“We are most fortunate to have a business person of Larry’s caliber - and a successful alumnus as well - to lead the Small Business Development Center,” said Walton College Dean Dan Worrell. “He had a long and distinguished career in the banking industry. As an entrepreneur, he owned a business consulting firm, a residential and commercial construction company, and a retail/wholesale lumber yard.”

Brian joined the Walton College Small Business Development Center on Feb. 1 as a consultant and was promoted to director on March 1. He reports to Dean Worrell, but will work with Don Bland, senior managing director for outreach, on the day-to-day management of the center.

He holds a bachelor of science in business administration in general business from the Walton College and is a graduate of Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. He joined Worthen Banking Corp. where, from 1969 to 1988, he served as executive vice president; chief operation officer; chairman of loan, trust, and asset liability committees; secretary and member of the board of directors. Boatmen’s Bancshares Inc. bought Worthen Bank in 1994, and NationsBank Corp. bought Boatmen’s in 1996. In 1998, NationsBank and BankAmerica merged to form Bank of America.

From 1988 to 1998, Brian was owner and COO of Larry Brian Consultants and Financial Planning, an investments, financial planning and business consultant firm. From 1990 to 2003, he was owner and COO of Hot Springs Lumber and Supply Co. Brian was owner and general contractor of Harbor East Development Corp. from 1998 to 2003. In 2003, he formed Larry Brain Drywall and Insulation and sold it in 2005. He holds a Series 7 Securities license, a Series 65 Securities license and an Arkansas Health and Life Insurance license.

The Walton College Small Business Development Center operates as a regional office of the Arkansas Small Business Development Center. The ASBDC is part of a national network of more than 1,000 small business development center offices that provide training, information and consulting services to existing and potential business owners. The SBDC is designed to provide comprehensive management and technical assistance, through one-on-one counseling and group training, to current and potential small business owners. The SBDC network is the largest small business assistance program in the United States.