2025 Men of the Year: Mark Walker

Mark Walker revived his family business after taking over leadership in 2013, modeling a “servant style of leadership” not only at TransLand but also at home to teach his children how to be owners of a business and be good community stewards.

Walker joined TransLand after 34 years in the corporate world at the request of his parents, who sought his help to revive the company. He led his employees through a series of change management exercises and monthslong projects to create transformational change at the trucking company – a new brand and a new way of doing things.

“It all led to creating a mission, vision, core values and a completely new culture of employee empowerment and engagement. Now we work every day to live our values and fulfill our mission for customers and employees,” Walker says. His leadership helped TransLand earn recognition as of the “Best Fleets to Drive For” in the U.S. and Canada for four consecutive years.

Beyond business, Walker is deeply invested in mentoring future leaders. He promoted 25-year employee Laura Gates to president to help prepare her to eventually succeed him as CEO. In addition, as a member of the executive committee of the Missouri Trucking Association, he created the Missouri Trucking Leadership Forum to cultivate industry leadership.

His commitment to education led him to chair the Missouri Blue-Ribbon Commission for Teacher Retention and Recruitment to address the state’s critical teacher shortage.

“In 2022 and 2023, I’ve used my leadership skills to guide 24 volunteers from across the state to make recommendations to DESE and the state board of education on how to best improve Missouri’s ability to retain and recruit teachers,” he says. “We have a critical shortage of teachers across the state, especially in rural areas. This is my first large-scale leadership role in the public-sector arena, and I’ve found my career experiences have served me well in providing insight into the issues our education system faces today.”

Walker serves on the boards of Drury University, National CASA and Care to Learn. He serves on the Rotary Club of Springfield Southeast Endowment Fund Board. In 2021, he was named Rotary Volunteer of the Year by his club for my non-Rotary volunteering. He has also been involved with the United Way of the Ozarks since he returned to the area from California in 2013.

Walker’s proudest achievement is securing TransLand’s future.

“The greatest accomplishment has really been creating a pathway for my parents to successfully transition the company they founded 41years ago to the second generation of leaders, my immediate family,” he says. “Preserving their legacy and implementing their core values into the company has created a sense of fulfillment that I’ve not felt before. Preserving and growing more than 200 jobs in southwest Missouri is a byproduct of this accomplishment. For this we are all proud.”

Family: My world revolves around my family. My amazing wife, Mary, is clearly the source of inspiration for our three children Andrew, Patrick and Catherine along with their spouses, respectively, Jessica, Kari and Jeff and our six grandchildren who create joy in our life everyday.