The Jones Center
Chris W. Sooter's work experience includes serving as the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance at The Jones Center since December 2019. Chris W. has also been an Alderman for Ward 2, Position 2 at the City of Bentonville since October 2002. In addition, they have held the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors at VISIT BENTONVILLE since January 2008. Previously, they worked as the EVP Finance and Operations at Whistler Group, Inc. from January 2002 to December 2019, and at Member Services, Inc. from March 1998 to December 2019. Chris W. has also been actively involved as the President of the Rotary Club of Bentonville from July 2015 to June 2016 and as a Board Member at Circle of Life Hospice from January 2013 to December 2015. Starting from an unspecified date in 2002, Chris W. Sooter has been a Board Member at Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce until 2006.
Chris W. Sooter obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in Accounting from the University of Arkansas, where they studied from 1994 to 1998. Before attending university, they completed their high school education at Bentonville High School, graduating in 1994. No specific degree or field of study is mentioned for their high school education.
The Jones Center
The Jones Center is a regional destination in downtown Springdale where everyone can learn, play and thrive. The 220,000 square-foot center features Northwest Arkansas’ only indoor ice arena — an important amenity for the growing region — as well as the Tyson Foods Fitness Center, an indoor pools complex, a gymnasium with indoor track and a conference center. The Jones Center hosts arts, cultural and STEM-based programming that celebrates the diversity of the region, as well as classes for youth in sports, recreation and education. The center’s 50+ acre campus features the world-class Runway Bike Park and Velosolutions pump track and provides housing and collaborative space for dozens of regional nonprofits. The Center was founded in 1995 by Springdale philanthropist Bernice Jones, the wife of Jones Truck Lines founder Harvey Jones. The Jones Center continues to follow Bernice Jones’ vision of being a destination where all are welcome and no one is turned away based on their ability to pay. Through the generous support of the Walmart Foundation, The Jones Center proudly provides program scholarships and activity passes to area children and families. To learn more about The Jones Center, visit thejonescenter.net.