REVISED – REVISED
Statements Regarding the Passing of
Highway Commission Chairman Thomas Schueck
Arkansas Highway Commission Vice Chairman Robert S. Moore, Jr.
(on behalf of himself and fellow Commissioners Alec Farmer, Philip Taldo, and Keith Gibson)
“Tom Schueck was a visionary, a self-made success story. His ability as a leader is evident by the successful companies he founded, and he brought that leadership to the Commission. Tom was never short on having opinions – and he voiced them. He could be tenacious, he could be stubborn, but he coupled that with a long-term vision and goal that, quite honestly, almost always resulted in success.
“Tom always described himself as a fighter – he loved to argue and debate. And as Commissioners Farmer, Taldo, and Gibson will attest, we had some very ‘direct’ conversations on the Highway Commission; that’s just the nature of the job. Tom reveled in that, he wasn’t afraid to push hard to make a point. But we all knew that coming from Tom, it wasn’t personal, it was business. He had that unique ability to cuss you and buy your lunch all at the same time.
“Tom will be missed in so many ways – his directness, his humor, his laugh, his leadership, his generosity, just his presence in general. He could have this gruff outward demeanor, but he was as soft as they come on the inside. Tom has left his own unique positive mark on this state, this Commission, and each of us individually. We’ll get a new Commission member, but there was only one Tom Schueck.”
Statement from Arkansas Department of TransportationDirector Scott Bennett
“On the Commission, Tom combined the intelligence of an engineer with the inquisitiveness of a schoolchild. He had a great depth of knowledge, but he never quit asking questions. Let’s just say the Commission meetings got longer once Tom became a member. But he kept all of us on our toes, constantly challenging us to make sure we were getting the best possible outcomes.
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“I owe a lot to Tom. My time as Director coincided with his time on the Commission – we kind of came into our roles together – and it was a new experience for both of us. But I learned a lot from Tom about leadership and how to handle tough situations. Whether he did it on purpose, I don’t know, but he was a great teacher and mentor.”
