Cybersecurity (MBA)

Dr. Haak's history with John Brown University goes back to 1985 when she was the Administrative Assistant to JBU's President.  While employed at JBU, she earned her B.S. in Business Administration and then went on to earn both her MBA and Ed.D. degrees at the University of Arkansas.

From 1999-2005, Dr. Haak served as the first Director of Graduate Business Programs at JBU.  Prior to that, she was the Director for the Soderquist Center for Business and Leadership at JBU.  Although she left JBU in 2005, she has continued to teach graduate classes for the university.  The classes she teaches most often are Marketing Strategies, Designing and Executing Strategies and Foundations of Leadership.

In addition to teaching classes for JBU, Dr. Haak is a Republican state legislator in Arkansas. She represents the 91st District covering part of Benton County, Arkansas in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Dr. Ryan Ladner moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2015 to teach at JBU and lead the undergraduate department in the College of Business. In 2017, he transitioned from the department head for undergraduate studies to the department head for the Graduate Business Programs.  He has a B.S.B.A., in Personal Financial Planning from The University of Southern Mississippi, an M.B.A., from Mississippi College, an M.A., in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and a D.B.A., in Marketing from George Fox University.

Before his role at JBU, Dr. Ladner was a District Sales Leader in the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo North America. After leaving PepsiCo, he served in various roles in higher education including Director of Enrollment and Assistant Professor of Business at Bryan College and Assistant Professor of Marketing at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Dr. Ladner teaches courses in strategy and marketing at the undergraduate and graduate levels and he conducts research as well as presents in the areas of active learning, college choice theory, team-based learning, and digital marketing. He also earned the online marketing certified associate designation and serves as the Director of Marketing for the Christian Business Faculty Association.

Dr. Ladner enjoys working out, playing sports and competing in intramurals. He is married and has two children – one boy and one girl. He and his family reside in Siloam Springs.

After teaching at the University of South Dakota for 18 years, Dr. Randall Waldron moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2012 to teach at JBU.  He has a B.A. degree with majors in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Vanderbilt University.  Prior to attending graduate school, he worked as an analyst for the market research firm, Market Facts, Inc., in Chicago and Los Angeles.

Dr. Waldron’s teaching interests include a variety of fields within Economics and International Business.  Specializing in applied microeconomics, he has published papers on game theory, experimental economics, business competition, and economic impact analysis.  He brings extensive experience in these fields as well as in managerial economics.

Dr. Waldron is a Fulbright Scholar and has lived and taught in China, first at Beijing Jiaotong University and more recently at Yunnan Province at Honghe University.  His work has also taken him to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as to Europe.  With his experience in the Asian culture, he was co-founder of the East Asian Institute at the University of South Dakota.

Dr. Joe Walenciak holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Arkansas and has been a member of the business faculty at John Brown University since 1982.  During that time, he has taught business classes in the undergraduate, online and graduate programs.  He has also chaired the undergraduate, graduate and online business programs and is currently serving as the Dean of the College of Business.

While at JBU, Dr. Walenciak has developed and led mission trips and studies programs in Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Jordan, China, Brazil, and several other countries.  He has received recognitions as SIFE USA Sam Walton Fellow of the Year, SIFE USA Hall of Fame, CBFA Richard C. Chewing Award, Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding Alumnus.  He has also been named Ambassador of the Peace of Guatemala by the Guatemalan Government on two separate occasions.

With interests in community development and business accreditation, Dr. Walenciak has held national leadership roles with the Christian Business Faculty Association and with the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

Shannon Hampton is a Senior Consultant in the Organizational Effectiveness area at Walmart.  His area of focus is on Change Management, Organization Design, and High Performing Team Alignments.  Prior to this role he was the Senior Human Resource Director at Walmart responsible for the Asia region.  He has been with Walmart for 22 years working in Store Operations and Corporate Human Resources.  Shannon started his Walmart career working in the stores as a part-time associate while attending school.  He completed the management training program and worked in five different stores before moving to the Home Office in Bentonville, Arkansas.  He led the Computer Based Learning initiatives for the US business, served as Regional Personnel Manager for 120 stores in the Northeast United States, and led the Training and Development efforts for Walmart International supporting 15 countries.

In 2009, Shannon moved his family to New Delhi, India, for two years to support the Walmart India start-up venture where he helped grow the business from 25 to 130 stores.  He was serving as Head of Human Resources in India when he left to join the Asia Regional office in Hong Kong in January of 2011.  There he was responsible for ensuring Walmart Asia had the talent necessary to achieve its aggressive growth plans in China, India, Japan, and new market entry.

Shannon earned his Business degree at the University of Arkansas and his MBA at John Brown University where he teaches courses in Cross-culture Communication, International Business, and Principles of Leadership.

Derrek received his B.A. in Management Information Systems from the University of Oklahoma in 2013, and is completing his M.S. in Cyber Security with Western Governor's University in 2022. He served 15 years in the military primarily as a cryptologic and cyber warfare officer from 2004-2019. He worked as a senior information systems and cloud security engineer with multiple defense contractors, and is currently serving as the senior cloud security engineer for Arvest Bank's cloud adoption. He enjoys church, family hikes, reading, and high intensity workouts.

Paul received his B.A. in Computer Information Science from Judson University in 1990, and his M.B.A. in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix Online in 2000.  He has worked as a consultant, corporate trainer, and contract programmer for several firms in downtown Chicago.  He was employed in technical support, network management, and systems design for DaySpring Cards in Siloam Springs from 1990-1999.  He has been employed as the inaugural Chief Information Officer for John Brown University since 1999, and leads the strategic and operational information technology services of the institution.  He enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, fine dining, gaming, model rockets, and reading – especially Sherlock Holmes and Jules Verne.

Dr. Brad Gatlin joined the faculty of John Brown University in 2016 as Associate Professor of Management. He is currently serving as Department Chair for Undergraduate Business and Associate Dean of the Soderquist College of Business. Prior to his move to Northwest Arkansas, Dr. Gatlin served at Bryan College in Tennessee, where he held positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Dean of Adult and Graduate Studies. He has a B.S. and MBA from Bryan College and a D.B.A. in Management from Anderson University (IN).

Dr. Gatlin teaches courses in the management department including strategic management, production and operations management, and project management. He holds certifications from the Project Management Institute and is a certified Scrum Master. He is currently serving on the board of the Christian Business Faculty Association.

Mrs. DeNisha McCollum teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses for the College of Business.  Prior to her current faculty role, she served as the Director of Graduate Business Programs for three  years.  As an instructional designer, she also worked on the development and implementation of online course and program offerings for graduate business students.  She has a B.A., in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas, an M.S. in Leadership and Ethics from JBU, and an M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership from Northcentral University.

Prior to coming to JBU, Mrs. McCollum worked for 12 years with Walmart Stores, Inc. in the areas of Corporate Risk Management and Associate Health Benefits.  She has also provided consulting and facilitation services for Walmart and Milestone Leadership.

Mrs. McCollum brings her professional experience and passion for the promotion of ethical leadership into the classroom and online courses and works diligently to engage learners and fulfill the mission of JBU to provide Christ-centered education that prepares people to honor God and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual, and professional lives.

Mr. Gerald Reimer teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in accounting for the College of Business.  He has a B.S. in Accounting from JBU, an M.B.A. from Washburn University in Kansas, and is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Arkansas.

Prior to teaching, Mr. Reimer spent 13 years in the professional world of accounting with over 11 of those years in public accounting at a national CPA firm in Kansas.  His main focus was in leading audits and reviews for construction industry and financial institution clients.  Then, Mr. Reimer made both a career and culture change by moving with his wife and two young daughters to Morocco to teach accounting at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, a university that follows the American system.  He spent 11 years there on the business faculty and also coordinated the MBA program before leaving Morocco and coming full circle back to JBU in 2017, his alma mater.  He enjoys bringing real-life experience in accounting and an international perspective into the classroom.

As a JBU alum, Dr. Sam Heinrich returned to JBU in 2014 to accept a position as Associate Professor of Business and Department Head for Online Undergraduate business programs.  He now focuses solely on teaching traditional and graduate courses in the areas of Finance, Economics and Marketing.  Along with a B.S. from JBU, Dr. Heinrich has an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a D.B.A. in Marketing from George Fox University.

Prior to coming to JBU, Dr. Heinrich spent 20 years in management and the financial services industry.  He worked in commercial lending, as a banker, during the first half of his industry related career and then transitioned into the role of President for a medium-sized electric utility contracting firm.  His industry experiences include leading and supporting small, mid and large business enterprises in private and public forums both as a banker/lender/consultant and in a management role.

In 2001, Dr. Heinrich left industry to pursue his passion for teaching.  Initially, he taught in a private Christian high school and then moved into Christian higher education in 2007 where he’s able to bring his real-life experience in the business world into the classroom.

Dr. Jeffrey Hendrix received his Doctorate of Business Administration in 2016.  Jeffrey has also led multiple business units responsible for all transactions between manufacturer supplier and the largest retailer in the world, Walmart.  Serving as Senior Director or Vice President Team Leader for Hostess Cakes, Snyders-Lance, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Ebro Riviana Foods, Jeffrey has experience in go to market strategies across several consumer product goods (CPG), from both a domestic and international perspective. Additionally, Jeffrey has held responsibilities for selling and marketing National Brand and Private Label Branded products for the past 25 years.

Dr. Matt Benson currently serves as Vice-President of Global Connections for Operation Mobilization where his team gives leadership to catalytic relationships and strategies between Operation Mobilization fields worldwide and Christian organizations across the U.S. His work keeps him in global contexts in which the intersection of leadership, organizational strategy, and cultural values coalesce or collide!.

The bulk of Dr. Bensons professional life has been spent as a faculty member and vice-president at Bryan College in which he served as the chief strategist overseeing innovative and integrative educational strategies that promoted formational education across all areas of the college. At JBU, he enjoys helping students explore the inherent role of business as a deeply Kingdom enterprise.

Dr. Benson is a graduate of both Dallas Seminary and Talbot School of Theology. He and his wife, Melody, also a professional educator, have three children and live in Peachtree City, GA.

Mr. Tom Verdery came to JBU with over 34 years of experience working with Procter & Gamble.  He spent his last 14 years at Procter & Gamble at the senior leadership level working exclusively outside the US with Walmart, Inc.

Dr. Berg's teaching philosophy is "to create a positive learning environment that is rigorous, engaging, supportive and effective." She has more than 28 years of university teaching experience and is a 3-time nominee for the Joe Ezzie Educator of the Year Award, winner of the Christian Business Faculty National Teaching Award, and winner of the Ohio Magazine Excellence in Education Award.

The best reflection of Dr. Bergs passion for teaching is stated by her students Dr. Berg is a professor who is a prime example of a true, all-around educator. She brings her personality and passion for what she is teaching into the classroom, creating a more relaxed and creative learning environment for students. Not only is she interested in student comprehension, but she goes above and beyond to take a genuine interest in students career goals and interests. Nominator for the 2020 Joseph Ezzie Educator of the Year Award.

Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Christian Business Faculty Association CBFA, A regular presenter at meetings of the CBFA, she has also published articles in the journals of Christian Business Academy Review, Management Teaching Review, Atlantic Marketing Association, and The Teaching Professor. Her research areas include resiliency, positive psychology, leadership, and increasing student engagement. Dr. Berg also holds 2 Design Thinking Badges from IBM.

She lives on a 200-acre beef cattle farm in Wayne County, Ohio with her husband, Mike, who teaches middle school math, coaches football, and runs the family farm. Mike and Trish have 4 adult children Hannah, Sydney, Colin and Riley and enjoy family time most of all.

Research Interests
Resiliency, Positive Psychology, Psychological Capital, Millennials, iGens, Student Engagement, Leadership

Selected Publications
Berg, T., Carson, T., 2020 Resilience in the business curriculum A biblical perspective and directions for future research. Christian Business Academy Review. April 2020
Berg, T. & Pietrasz, C. 2017. Turning classroom failure into student success The value of integrating resiliency-building activities in the academic classroom. Management Teaching Review., doi DOI 10.1177/2379298117710780. http//journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2379298117710780
Dulaney, E., Berg, P., Bates, M., Gunn, R., Koontz, R., et al. 2015. Faith integration in the classroom A plural view. Christian Business Academy Review.
Berg, T. 2012. Connecting the dots The long-term impact of a liberal arts education in business. Quaker Higher Education QHE.
Berg, T. 2003. Group leadership project teaches corporate skills. The Teaching Professor.
Berg, T., Peddicord, M. 2021. The TUG of War in Higher Education The Potential Impact of Merging Traditional Undergraduate Students and Adult Learners in the Heutagogical Online Learning Environment. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee.
Berg, T., Carson, T. 2021. The HyFlex Model Is It Never or Now for Higher Education in this High Stakes-Post Covid-19 Market. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee.
Berg, T. 2020. Leveraging the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership to Foster Successful Integrated Healthcare Teams. Heidelberg University Healthcare Colloquium, Tiffin, Ohio Virtual Conference.
Berg, P., Carson, T. 2019. Resilience in the business curriculum a biblical perspective and directions for future research. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
Berg, T., Kaminski, H. 2019. Common ground Bridging the gap between on ground and online student engagement. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
Carson, T., Berg, T. 2019. Concept maps A managerial accounting teaching Tool. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
Berg, T., Carson, T., Vazzano, B. 2018. Creating FLEXible Students Increasing Student Resiliency through Integrating Impactful Activities. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Chattanooga, TN.
Berg, T., 2018. Inside the Pylon How Leadership in the Front Office Has Impacted Wins and Losses for Two Eternal Rivals The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. Christian Business Faculty Association Annual Conference, Chattanooga, TN.

Mark Bever has recently retired after forty-four years in the healthcare industry; ten of those years were spent in a clinical setting as a Registered Nurse. The remaining years were in leadership, which included thirty years as a healthcare executive, twenty-five of those years as a chief executive for operations. Mr. Bever and his wife, Tami, are Northwest Arkansas natives and have one daughter, Anna.

Jonathan earned his B.S. in Engineering, Electrical/Computer Engineering from John Brown University, and later went on to complete the M.S. in Cybersecurity program at JBU. Jonathan currently works as a Senior Systems Engineer and the Lead Developer at Engineering with IT that specializes in contract electrical and computer engineering. Through this work, he has had the privilege of working on many high-profile projects with multiple fortune 500 companies ranging from security analysis and penetration testing to point of sale application development. Among his many hobbies, Jonathan enjoys building electronics or software projects, cooking with his wife, Janae, studying scripture, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Dr. Traci Pierce teaches graduate marketing, research, and ethics courses, and appreciates the opportunity to integrate the Christian faith within each discipline. She holds a DBA in Marketing from George Fox University, and an MBA and BA in Religion from Campbell University.

Dr. Pierce has served as an administrator or professor in higher education for over 20 years. Prior to joining the JBU faculty, Dr. Pierce taught at Campbell University, Regent University, and Milligan College.

In addition to teaching graduate courses, Dr. Pierce also feels a calling to homeschool her twins. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children and teaches graduate online courses remotely. She enjoys her annual visits to the Siloam Springs, AR campus as well as connecting with her colleagues at professional conferences.

Justin Simpson currently works as the Director of the Data Security Area at Walmart. He is responsible for developing, operating, and strategically planning for Walmart’s enterprise cryptography and encryption areas. He analyzes, processes, and establishes protocols and complex solutions to protect the corporations’ assets, employees, and data integrity for the global enterprise. Prior to his current role, Justin led Walmart’s Identity and Access Management practice, transforming the area into a world-class team.

Justin is also a trailblazer, highly sought-after industry speaker, and servant leader in the STEAM arena. Through his service on the Florida A&M Technology Advisory Board, the University of Alabama Management Information Systems Advisory Board, and the Axway Customer Advisory Board, Simpson has drastically improved the professional trajectory for students and corporations alike. Justin is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in Management Information Systems and holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) with an Entrepreneurship certificate from the University of Arkansas. In 2012, he was recognized as the “Most Promising Engineer” by the Black Data Process Association (BDPA).

Dr. Vicki Clark joined JBU as an Adjunct Professor in 2017. She has a DBA in Marketing from Liberty University, an MBA from Christian Brothers University, and a BBA in Logistics/Marketing from the University of Memphis. She teaches Marketing courses including Supply Chain Management, as well as international business and management classes. She has 30+ years in logistics and supply chain and is a Licensed Customs Broker and a Six Sigma Green Belt. She is a member of CBFA and the Association for Supply Chain Management.

Dr. Greg Robinson is currently the Associate Professor of Outdoor Leadership Ministries at John Brown University. Previously, he was the Program Director for HoneyRock, the Outdoor Center for Leadership Development of Wheaton College, as well as President of Challenge Quest, LLC in Pryor, Oklahoma, the Managing Member of Adventure Quest Recreation, LLC.  

Dr. Robinson has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also has a M.S. in Counseling from John Brown University.     

Dr. Robinson's professional career has concentrated in the areas of experiential learning, team development, leadership development, facilitation and consulting with organizational change efforts.  He is the author of A Leadership Paradox: Influencing Others by Defining Yourself; Teams for a New Generation: A Facilitator’s Field Guide;  Adventure and the Way of Jesus, Lessons of the Way: Using experiential activities to explore the way of Jesus; and Leading from Where You Are: How Every Person Can Help or Hinder a Collaborative Culture.

His family includes his wife of 28 years Jeannie, his daughter Keely and her fiancée Nick LaTurner, his sons Kobe and Kyle, as well as two grandsons Lucas and Max.

Mr. Kai Togami is the Sam Walton Fellow for the JBU Enactus Program, Professor of International Business in the University’s Soderquist College of Business and an organizational effectiveness consultant. Previously, he served as the Department Head for Graduate Business Programs at JBU and brought the Global Leadership Summit Simulcast to JBU to impact leaders across NWA.  He has a B.S. from Wheaton College and an M.S. from Illinois State University. 

Prior to JBU Mr. Togami worked in retail with Walmart Stores Inc. as Senior Director of Global Organizational Effectiveness, served as VP of Learning and Organizational Development in the construction industry for Neumann Homes, and worked in the service industry as Senior Director for Organizational Development and Change with The ServiceMaster Company.

Before entering the business world he was a coach, educator and then assistant professor at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Mr. Togami consults with executive leadership teams in areas of organizational effectiveness and counts it a privilege to be able to interact with students, leaders and organizations around the world. He currently serves as a Faculty Advisor Committee member for Enactus USA, a Board member for Ezekiel Rain and Lake Geneva Foundations and co-Director and VP of the Stenkirke Family Foundation.

Brent Nohl currently works as the Director of the Security Operations Center at Walmart. He is responsible for the systems, SIEM and SOAR, that identify and correlate bad or malicious behavior in the enterprise. Brent has 15 years of experience in Information Technology, with the last six focused on Cybersecurity. He has extensive industry experience working in Transportation Logistics Systems, Software Development, Relational Database Management Systems, Infrastructure, Procurement, Project, and Program Management.

Rick teaches adjunct at JBU in undergraduate and graduate business programs. His full-time work is at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN where he lives with his wife and three children. Prior to becoming a member of the full-time faculty at Lipscomb University, he served 15 years overseeing the enrollment at Lipscomb as the Vice President for Enrollment Management.

Mr. Jones is a doctoral student in Business Administration with expertise in Operations Management, Human Resource Management, and faith integration. He has a Master of Business Administration, a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management.
Mr. Jones has taught, written, and supervised business and management courses onsite and online.
Before moving into education, Mr. Jones served as an Operations Manager in the manufacturing industry, performing such roles as Inventory Control, Quality Control, and Production Management in the textile, chemical and plastic injection molding industries.

Mr. Morrow has been in the Information Technology industry for just over 20 years. He has been employed as a computer forensic specialist for the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Upon moving to Bentonville five years ago, he has been employed at Walmart in a Risk Analyst capacity being promoted twice. Currently as a Risk Expert, he enjoys teaching the next generation of Cybersecurity professionals.

Mr. Graham is currently employed as a Director-Cybersecurity/Incident Response for a multi national firm and previously was a Lead Forensic Examiner for a Fortune 10 company. He formerly served as the Director of the Computer Forensics Unit in the Computer Crime Section of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and as a Deputy Sheriff for almost 18 years. Mr. Graham has been a computer repair/networking professional for over 30 years. Mr. Graham obtained his graduate degree in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigation in 2018.

Certifications include A+ Certified Computer Technician, Certified Computer Examiner CCE, Certified Computer Forensic Technician CCFT, Certified Forensic Computer Examiner CFCE, and AccessData Certified Examiner ACE.

Mr. Graham has provided numerous computer forensic trainings at the state and national level.

Robert Furrey graduated from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and immediately began his career with Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, AR as a Management Engineer working on performance improvement initiatives across all facilities within the Baptist Health system. He continued his education by attending the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and obtaining his Masters degree in Healthcare Administration.

During his tenure with Baptist Health, he has had various roles around process, financial, and quality improvement including working with Baptist Health Physician Partners, a clinical integration network, working with the healthcare system and insurance payers to further value-based and population health endeavors in the state of Arkansas. Robert currently serves in the role of Associate Vice President of Hospital Operations at the Baptist Health Medical Center Conway and System Performance Improvement.

Dr. Linda Vytlacil, former Vice President for Data Science/Global Data & Analytics Platforms for Walmart Labs, is a recognized people leader and commercial manager with extensive experience in building teams and creating analytics capabilities to harness profitably the power of big data analytics.  With business development experience and P&L responsibilities in global consulting services, Dr. Vytlacil is a successful and award-winning team leader who is skilled at identifying and developing talent.  She brings numerous skills to the classroom including technical credentials in advanced analytics across customer domains such as strategy, loyalty, digital marketing, pricing strategy, retail, product innovation, market research, econometrics, demand forecasting and performance measurement.