The Legacy Award presented by The Great Bend Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development honors the life and legacy of individuals who have made an indelible mark on the fabric of our community. The first recipient of this award was Great Bend’s own Skip Yowell, founder of the company Jansport - an American brand of backpacks and collegiate apparel, now owned by VF Corporation, and one of the world’s largest apparel companies.
The second Legacy Award will be presented to Kari Smith, Executive Vice President of Stores for Buckle, Inc. For nearly 40 years, Kari has led the Buckle to great accomplishments through her Side by Side Leadership and her appetite for Legendary Service. Her greatest contribution and why she was selected for this award, is her outstanding mentoring of numerous Great Bend young people. Over the years Kari’s influence and leadership has influenced the like of Darah Klima who is now a Regional Manager for The Buckle, Natalie Deutsch/Patton and Jace Smith, head buyers on men’s buying team for The Buckle, Larissa Ost, Sales/Marketing on the Buckle Select division, Darlys Fisher, a District Manager and Store Managers Lleraldy Sandoval, Lindsay Stafford and Adam Keenan, as well as te Manager of the Great Bend store, Sally Mauler.
Beginning as a part- time teammate in Great Bend, Kansas in May of 1978, Kari continued to grow, influence and impact more and more people, Kari progressed to Store Manager in 1983, on to Area Manager, and then District Manager. In 2001 she was named Vice President of Sales on her journey to her current position as Executive Vice President of Stores.
Kari is a visionary leader who is recognized and characterized by her constant mission to develop the leaders around her. She has initiated, designed and worked tirelessly on Leadership Development at The Buckle which has affected thousands of people both inside and outside the organization. She is fueled by the people she is surrounded by and selflessly gives her time to the growth of each and every one of them. Kari adds value to people through her true belief in them and by sharing her vision and message of inspiration along with the actions to achieve these goals.
Every year Kari challenges and empowers the team to level up and take everything to heights not seen before. She exemplifies the standard in guest and teammate service and is not bound by contemporary thinking of what can and cannot be done. She embodies a true passion for people, a contagious love and zest for life and ignites those that share in the light of her excitement. Her amazing ability to make a connection with anyone she is around and make them feel like they are the most important person at that moment is one of her greatest strengths.
As an avid reader and constant learner, it would not be unusual to find Kari immersed in four or five books at any given time in what little ‘spare’ time she does have. She is on a relentless pursuit of growth and excellence and relishes every opportunity that leads her and the Team to that destination.
President/CEO of Buckle, Dennis Nelson states “I have had the opportunity to work with Kari almost 40 years. She is an outstanding retailer and has been very important to The Buckle and our teammates. Even more impressive is the amazing way she lives her personal life with family and friends. I believe Kari sets out to make every day her masterpiece.”
Michelle Hoffman, Vice President of Sales, has been with the Company since 1979 and adds, “Kari is a leader who truly sees the potential of every person she is around, then leads, coaches, impacts and influences that person to reach their potential! I have seen so many leaders become greater than they ever thought possible because of Kari’s belief in them. She has impacted my life both personally and professionally, and I am a better person because of Kari. She is absolutely the hardest working woman I know, she is driven, she is passionate and she is always on a relentless pursuit for the success and growth of everyone around her!”
Kari and her extremely supportive husband Craig, have two sons, Jace and Cole, a daughter- in-law Sarah, and a granddaughter, Emma.
The Buckle, Inc. (NYSE: BKE) is a leading retailer of medium to better–priced casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for fashion–conscious young men and women. The Company currently operates over 450 stores in 44 states, under the names Buckle and The Buckle. In 2015, the company had net sales of $1.120 billion, employed 2,800 associates.
Buckle markets a wide selection of brand names and private label casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories and footwear. The Company emphasizes personalized attention to its guests (customers) and provides individual customer services such as free alterations, layaways, and a frequent shopper program.
Because of her passionate mentoring and her impact on so many young people in the Great Bend area, Kari Smith was chosen for this prestigious award.