Mansfield native promoted to Senior Director of Operations for Walmart’s East Business Unit:
Miami chief Little Turtle frustrated foes & was admired by them:
Charlotte Compton:
From pushing carts to becoming a Walmart big wheel
Billy Link Jr. never imagined that pushing shopping carts would lead to a successful career. He was just a college student trying to earn some gas money.
Now he’s one of the highest ranking Walmart executives in the eastern US. Billy Link Jr. never imagined that pushing shopping carts would lead to a successful career. He was just a college student trying to earn some gas money.
Now he’s one of the highest ranking Walmart executives in the eastern United States. Link grew up in Mansfield, and graduated from Mansfield Senior High School in 1997. He then began working towards a degree in biology from the Ohio State University, with aspirations to become a doctor. But he came home every weekend to work as a cart collector at the local Sam’s Club.
Link’s dad was a steel mill worker and no one in his family had ever been to college. His family pushed him to get an education — but outside the home, some assumed his future was limited. As Senior Director of Operations for Walmart’s East Business Unit, Link leads operations support for roughly 800 stores across 17 states. Those stores generate about $70 billion in revenue each year and employ more than 261,000 people.
Still, he sees himself as a kid from the wrong side of town, and in many ways that motivated him even more. After college, Link applied to med-school, but his applications were rejected. It was at that point when a coworker at Sam’s Club asked if he’d ever considered management. Link was skeptical at first, but went ahead and applied.
He got multiple offers, including a job as the assistant manager of the Ontario Walmart. From there, Link continued climbing the ladder. The company assigned him management roles in struggling stores, then transferred him to a district manager role.
Then, in February Link was promoted to his current role. And he’ll celebrate 24 years as a Walmart employee in April. Some of his best memories on the job come from his time managing stores in Columbus.
These days, Link defines success less by a dollar amount and more by intangible factors. For him, that means continuing to help others live out their fullest potential. His advice to other kids like him is to work hard and find their supporters. Link benefitted from scholarships from the Richland County Foundation as well as Ohio State. He also got help from the teachers and guidance counselors.
Little Turtle was an Ohio legend
Next, some local history. Little Turtle was born in Indiana in 1752 and died there in 1812. However, both his fighting and his peace-making were centered in Ohio. The principal village of his Miami tribe was Pickawillany, near what is now Piqua. His braves frustrated the arduous campaigns of Generals Josiah Harmar and Arthur St. Clair through the dense forests and swamps of the Miami and Maumee Valleys.
Little Turtle led an attack on Fort Recovery three years later, but he foresaw that the invaders would win in the long run, and counseled peace. Therefore, he did not take part in the final Native American Indian defeat at Fallen Timbers.
Little Turtle sat among the chiefs around the council fire at Fort Greene Ville, however, and made a vow. “I am the last to sign it and I will be the last to break it,” he said.
Mild-mannered and courteous, Little Turtle became a great favorite with the Americans, and was presented to President George Washington in Philadelphia.
Charlotte Compton
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Charlotte Compton. Charlotte’s life was adorned with precious jewels – they were her four sons, eight grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and the crown jewel, her loving husband Roy.
As matriarch, Charlotte actively oversaw her family – like a mother hen attends her flock – loving each of them fiercely and in their own unique way.
Charlotte was born in 1934 in Virginia. She met her husband in church, and they married in 1950. 9 years later they moved to the Mansfield area. Here Charlotte attended Berean Baptist Church and had formerly been a member of Lexington Church of Christ, her Christian faith was core to her values and fundamental in her family teachings.
She was a gifted cook and baker. Charlotte baked German chocolate cakes, chocolate chip cookies, and killer cornbread that will never be duplicated.
Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Charlotte’s life.
