Don Walsworth

President, Overland Park, Kansas

I have been at Walsworth for 24 years. I spent my first six months working through the plant and learning the manufacturing process. After that, I started as a yearbook sales rep, then a sales manager, the head of the Yearbook division and then President of the company.

I oversee all our facilities and people. I am heavily involved in strategic planning and making sure the company will be viable in the future. I spend most of my time working on where we are going and less on the day-to-day activities. My main goal is to make sure our people have a future with the company.

I came into the family business to make sure the legacy of the company continues.

The thing I love most about my job is working alongside my dad and now my son. Family has always been important to me, and I think it is really cool to be working with the two other generations. I know we have had that in some of our plants with other families as well.

What makes me want to come to work every day is the goal of ensuring the future of the company and making sure the people in our communities have a future with us.

A fun fact about me is I played professional golf for 13 years all over the world, including in two U.S. Opens. I love to play golf, and it’s something Tripp and I love doing together. We have had some great times on the golf course.

My family includes me, my wife and our children; we’re proud parents of Tripp, 26, and Kate, 24. We really enjoy spending time together and taking trips as a family. We have a Cavapoo named Emmie. She is loved by all of us and is the center of attention in our house. The kids started stopping by more just to see her.

My favorite memories of working at Walsworth all involve the people here who make the company great.