The Kansas Business Hall of Fame (KBHF) announced retired BNSF Railroad President and CEO Carl Ice and late Salina entrepreneur and business owner Charlie Walker will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Emporia State University.
The Kansas Business Hall of Fame exists to celebrate the heritage and history of the outstanding Kansas business community and recognize individuals who have made remarkable contributions in the state.
“KBHF recognizes historical contributors and present-day leaders who have made private enterprise work in Kansas and throughout the country,” said KBHF Executive Director John Rich.
KBHF Chairman of the Board of the James Leiker explained the process for induction involves seeking out individuals that exemplify the highest quality leadership — as heads of a companies or active trailblazers in economic development.
“Or it could be someone who’s an entrepreneur and had investments in different areas.” Leiker continued. “But your record has to be such that you provided some sort of unique experiences in the totality of your career that lets you rise to the level of being inducted.”
Retired President and CEO of BNSF Railway Carl Ice will be inducted into the KBHF’s Contemporary category. Ice spent 42 years at BNSF Railway and moved up the ladder from intern to Executive Vice President of Operations to President & COO and eventually to President & CEO in 2014.
Ice lead a period of ‘financial outperformance’ from 2009-2019 before his retirement in 2020. Financial outperformance refers to the ability of a company to generate returns higher than the returns of its peers or the market as a whole.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force flight engineering division during the Korean War, Charlie Walker in 1967 designed a mobile power-wash truck that could be used to wash buildings and clean large vehicles. Walker will be inducted into the historical category for the success of his many related business concepts and the positive environmental changes his inventions have on the vehicle wash industry.
In 1999, Walker created the Rolling Zoo to showcase native and exotic animals, contributing the wildlife museum to the attraction in Selina. His Walker Family Foundation provided the central gift to create Selina’s teen center “The City” and gave a top donation to build The Tammy Walker Cancer Center.
Please join the Kansas Business Hall of Fame Board of Directors for the celebration of the Hall’s two newest members. Click here to learn more and register.
