Sam Alley, Chairman and CEO, VCC

At the age of 14 and the oldest of five brothers, Sam Alley moved from the small town of Ramallah, near Jerusalem to another small town of Rose City, Arkansas with his family. Inspired by mentors, he found a passion for engineering and directed his schooling towards a degree in civil engineering when he was in high school. While still in college at the University of Arkansas, Sam began working in the construction industry. After graduation, he was hired as a project manager in 1979 at Pickens Bond Construction Company. Over the next few years, Sam gained experience in the field and it became his passion. He married his wife, Janet, who was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Inspired by his father, who was an entrepreneur, Sam co-founded VCC in 1987, on his 31st birthday. Sam is now recognized as one of the top engineering and construction professionals in the United States. Under his guidance, VCC is consistently listed in the top 100 contractors by the Engineering News Record, largest contractor in Arkansas, and recognized as the largest retail contractor in the Country. Sam has been a pillar in his community for over 30 years. He serves on the steering committee for Campaign Arkansas, and is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering. His service to numerous civic groups has earned recognition, including being named a lifetime Board member and Youth Home’s Board Member of the Year in 1994, Junior Achievement Board Member from 2007 to 2010 and Arkansas Business Executive of the Year for 2013. Most recently Sam was honored with the Legacy Award for Junior Achievement, the Patriot Award in recognition of his support of our service men and women, and the Distinguished Alumni award for the University of Arkansas. He will be recognized as the Honoree at the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation Legends Dinner in 2020. Sam has been married to his loving wife Janet for 38 years, and has three kids Jessica, Derek, and Adrianna. He has three grandchildren Vivienne Rose, Sam Joseph and Wellington (Wells) Louis.