2025 Excellence in Free Enterprise Awards
Economics Arkansas will present the 2025 Excellence in Free Enterprise Awards to Ed Clifford and the Northwest Arkansas Council on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. The award recognizes exceptional individuals, families, and organizations whose entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen have improved the lives of countless people across the region, the nation, and the world. The awards honor those who have contributed to and promoted success in the free-enterprise system.

Ed Clifford
Ed Clifford is most recently the former president and CEO of The Jones Center in Springdale, a regional center for arts, sports, culture, and community. Previously, Ed served as president and CEO of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce and spent seventeen years as an executive with Walmart Stores Inc.

Northwest Arkansas Council
Founded in 1990 by regional business leaders, including Sam Walton, Don Tyson, and J.B. Hunt, the Northwest Arkansas Council seeks to "advance job opportunities, talent recruitment, physical infrastructure, health care and quality of life" for its surrounding communities.
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