Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the Fort Smith metro.
Bill Hanna, president, CEO, and board chairman of Fort Smith-based Hanna Oil & Gas[1], was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1961, and moved with his family to Fort Smith later that year.
He attended Fairview Elementary, Ramsey Junior High, and Southside High School in Fort Smith before enrolling at the University of Arkansas. After returning to Fort Smith in 1983, Hanna began his career with an affiliated company of Hanna Oil and Gas.
In 1987, he relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where he established Hanna Oil & Gas Canada (HOG Canada). He returned to Fort Smith in 1992 to assist with the family business and assumed the role of president in 2000, following his father’s battle with Parkinson’s disease. Today, he leads Hanna Oil and Gas Company and KMW Properties.
Hanna is actively involved in the community, serving on the board of directors for the Jim Walcott Family Enterprise Center at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS), the UAFS Foundation, First Bank Corp, and the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club. He also is chairman of the Central Business Improvement District in downtown Fort Smith. Previously, he served on the board of USA Truck in Van Buren, Ark.
Married to Adrienne for 38 years, Hanna is the father of three sons and grandfather to five grandchildren. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys cycling, spending time in nature, and any activity that involves his grandchildren/family.
• What was your first job and what did it teach you?
My first real job was washing dishes at a hotel restaurant. It was hot and wet, and people did not pay much attention to the dishwasher, unless the dishes were not clean. I made friends with other staff but learned that everyone in an organization plays a part and everyone has value no matter what their job is. Showing up and doing your job (with a good attitude) remains to be something I notice in others and continue to try and set an example for.
• What is a principle of value on which you never compromise?
I probably feel the most important principle is to be fair with others and expect the same. Doing business in a way that can be repeated. Always try and appreciate others’ opinions and perspectives. Always do what’s right for the long term even if it requires some sacrifice in the near term.
• What’s one belief you held strongly 10+ years ago that you’ve changed your mind about?
I used to think that working hard was the key but have come to understand that working smart is often better. Effort matters, but so does strategy, efficiency, and knowing when to ask for help.
• If you could change one thing about the Fort Smith metro, what would it be?
I would like to see a robust multi-use trail system. Getting around the city by bike and creating a more walkable environment could attract more jobs, companies wanting to relocate, and a generally healthier lifestyle option. Our river is an untouched resource for recreation. More access to our natural resources and surroundings.
• What’s a lesson you learned the hard way?
Probably that I’m not as important as I once thought. There are always others who are smarter, better equipped, more prepared. I can do what I can do and leave the things I cannot to others. Leadership isn’t about doing everything, it’s about knowing when to step aside and help support others to lead.
• What keeps you up at night professionally?
In a family business there are many things to think about. We are currently working our way through succession and understanding that equal and equitable are not the same thing. Helping to get our company from the founder generation to the third generation, that’s where things can get messy. We are fortunate to have some very good next gens in the building.
• What methods have you found most effective in engaging with and incorporating feedback from your community or team?
Probably asking the right questions can lead to critical conversations that can then lead to good ideas, and solutions. Giving others a voice and listening.
• What historical period do you find the most fascinating and why?
The pre- and post-World War II era. It was a time when Americans – despite enormous sacrifice – unified around a common purpose. We fought not just a war, but an idea: Nazism. Leadership then was purposeful, not political. It was a terrible time, and many lives were lost, but it was also a moment of extraordinary unity. I think about that often in contrast to today’s divisions.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SUBJECTS
Following are the links to previous posts in the Executive Summary series.
ArcBest Chair and CEO Judy McReynolds
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill
BHC President and CEO Marty Clark
Maryl Koeth Purvis, director of the Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley
Fort Smith Public Library Director Jennifer Goodson[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Related
References
- ^ Hanna Oil & Gas (www.hannaog.com)
- ^ Judy McReynolds (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ George McGill (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ Marty Clark (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ Maryl Koeth Purvis (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ Dr. Terisa Riley (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ Jennifer Goodson (talkbusiness.net)