Meet the 2026 Outstanding Alumna

The Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation has selected Shelley Wooldridge Simpson, president and chief executive officer of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., as the 2026 ZTA Outstanding Alumna. Shelley, a 1991 initiate of Epsilon Chapter at University of Arkansas, leads the third-largest trucking and transport company in the country, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue and more than 31,000 employees.

Shelley was named to her current position in February 2024 and was elected to the board of directors later that year. She has worked for J. B. Hunt for 31 years, starting as an hourly customer service representative just two weeks after graduating from Arkansas with a degree in marketing. “I took the job because it paid $2 more than KinderCare, where I worked during college,” she said.

After two years in the entry-level position, Shelley received the first of what would be 14 promotions over 30 years. Before becoming president in 2022, she served on the executive leadership team for 15 years, including as president of Integrated Capacity Solutions and Truckload business segments, and as chief marketing officer and chief commercial officer. In 2020, she added oversight of People and Human Resources, expanding her responsibilities to include the company’s people and culture strategy as executive vice president of People.

Shelley believes her family’s encouragement played a key role in her success. “I knew society said, as a woman, I had limits, but there were no limits in my home growing up,” she said. She met her husband, David, at J.B. Hunt, and they have been married for nearly 29 years. “I married a guy who was my biggest cheerleader.”

She credits ZTA with providing one of her first leadership roles. “I ran for House Manager because I wanted my own room,” she admitted. “Being on Executive Council gave me the opportunity to influence my peers and develop leadership skills. It was the first place where I realized I could take on responsibility.”

During her tenure as president and chief executive officer, J.B. Hunt has earned numerous accolades for operational excellence, innovation, and workplace culture, including recognition as a Gold Employer on the 2026 Where You Work Matters list. Shelley received the 2024 AWESOME Legendary Leadership Award, which honors influential, senior-level women in supply chain management, and the 2022 Woman of the Year in Innovation award from the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

“We are thrilled to honor Shelley as an innovative leader in the supply chain industry and as a positive role model for our membership,” ZTA Foundation President Carolyn Hof Carpenter said. “The remarkable story of her professional success demonstrates the value of living our Creed and the virtue of being steadfast and strong.”