JBU’s Walenciak Recognized as 2025 Rotary Impact Award Honoree

SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (Oct. 22, 2025) - Joe Walenciak, Ph.D., distinguished professor of business, was awarded the 2025 Rotary Impact Award by the Siloam Springs Rotary Club on Oct. 14 for his years of work in Guatemala with the "Guatemalans Can Lead" program.

The educational program was founded by Rosita Tirado, a former student in the Walton International Scholarship Program at John Brown University, and is aimed at developing leadership skills in young people in Guatemala. The program is led by a team of young volunteers, and hundreds of JBU students have participated over the years, changing many lives. The Siloam Springs Rotary Club financially supports the ministry.

"Receiving the Rotary Impact Award for 2025 from the Siloam Springs Rotary Club is both humbling and encouraging," Walenciak said. "This award is not about my role - it highlights Rosita's leadership, the determination of the Guatemalan people who are working for change and the importance of empowering local leaders to shape their own communities. To me, this recognition serves as a reminder that lasting impact is achieved through collaboration, service and faith in the ability of others to lead with strength and hope."

Walenciak, a professor in the Soderquist College of Business since 1982, has a deep history with Guatemala, including teaching at the country's most prestigious university during a sabbatical and leading numerous JBU groups to serve in the country over the last three decades. He started working on the "Guatemalans Can Lead" program as an advisor in 2005.

The Siloam Springs Rotary Club has served the community of Siloam Springs and beyond for over 100 years. The Rotary Club holds its biweekly meetings at Simmons Great Hall at John Brown University.

For more information about the Siloam Springs Rotary Club and how to get involved, visit its Facebook page here. For more information about the "Guatemalans Can Lead" program, visit the Facebook here.

John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas' top-ranked regional university (U.S. News) and top-ranked private university (The Wall Street Journal), JBU enrolls more than 2,500 students from 34 states and 43 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers over 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including business, nursing, visual arts, engineering, teacher education, psychology, computer science, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Fourteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling and cybersecurity.

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