20 minute read
Bankers News & Moves
Flora Sisemore
Senior Vice President (middle)
RETIRES AFTER 60 YEARS WITH BANK
After 60 years of service to the DeWitt community and Arkansas County Bank (now Southern Bancorp), Flora Sisemore retired. The bank held a retirement ceremony on May 24. Flora Sisemore’s career began at First National Bank (then Arkansas County Bank and now Southern Bancorp) of DeWitt in June of 1961, in the Bookkeeping Department.
Since she began working at the bank right after high school, Flora has worked under five Chief Executive Officers, and has received promotions from Assistant Cashier to Senior Vice President.
JEFF TEAGUE
NAMED CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF CITIZENS BANCSHARES AFTER SALE OF AUTO DEALERSHIPS TO NBA LEGEND KARL MALONE
Jeff Teague has been appointed Citizens Bancshares chairman and CEO. Citizens Bancshares of Batesville, Inc. is the holding company for Citizens Bank of Batesville.
In his role with the holding company, Teague will help guide the policies of Citizens Bank, which recently announced leadership changes with Adam Mitchell stepping into the bank’s CEO role in April 2021.
In late June, Teague finalized the sale of his El Dorado-based auto dealership company, Teague Auto Group, to former NBA legend Karl Malone.
Teague’s involvement in Citizens Bank goes beyond the official position. The bank was founded by the grandfather of his wife, Sarah, more than 60 years ago.
“Jeff has been a dedicated teammate for years. We look forward to his increased attention to our community-focused bank,” said Adam Mitchell, CEO of Citizens Bank. “He is a trusted community partner and committed to enhancing our ‘Beyond Banking’ solutions.”
Teague is a graduate of Dumas High School and went on to earn a degree in math from Ouachita Baptist University in 1978.
According to a biography provided by the National Automobile Dealers Association, he worked in auto sales and for Arkansas Power & Light Co. until 1981, when he and his father bought a ChevroletOldsmobile dealership in Walnut Ridge.
Teague was named Time magazine’s national Dealer of the Year for 2014. Teague has served the community in many capacities through various organizations including Rotary International, chairman of the South Arkansas Regional Airport Commission, El Dorado Economic Development Board, member of the Arkansas State Police Commission, and two local chambers of commerce TEAGUE’S INVOLVEMENT IN CITIZENS BANK GOES BEYOND THE OFFICIAL POSITION. THE BANK WAS FOUNDED BY THE GRANDFATHER OF HIS WIFE, SARAH, MORE THAN 60 YEARS AGO.
Charlton Seward
Director of Lending
SOUTHERN BANCORP COMMUNITY PARTNERS
NAMES SEWARD NEW DIRECTOR OF LENDING
Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP), a 501(c)(3) loan fund and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), recently announced the hiring of Charlton Seward as Director of Lending. In this role, Seward will lead SBCP’s lending activities throughout the Southern Bancorp footprint, deploying targeted capital aimed at helping financially underserved communities build wealth.
“After an extensive search, we are excited to welcome Charlton to the Southern team and back home to Arkansas,” said Darrin Williams, Southern Bancorp, Inc. CEO. “His expertise will significantly increase SBCP’s lending capacity, and his passion for development finance will be an asset to the people, families, and small businesses we serve.”
Seward brings to SBCP more than 30 years of experience in lending, small business development, and personal financial development services. After the 2008 financial crisis, Seward started his own financial consulting business serving clients like Capital One throughout the U.S. and Mexico. He has held management roles for several large financial institutions across the country, including most recently in Wells Fargo’s Chicago market.
“I am honored to join a mission-driven organization like SBCP that welcomes change and innovative thinking, as my personal mantra is ‘getting comfortable with the uncomfortable’,” said Seward. “I believe integrating new ideas and new technologies into the traditional lending space is needed in order to best deploy capital to those for whom it has traditionally been inaccessible. I am excited to now do this important work in my hometown.”
An Arkansas native, Seward received his bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College in Conway in 1993 and did his graduate work at the University of Houston. In 2014, he graduated from compliance school.
SBCP works in tandem with Southern Bancorp, Inc. and Southern Bancorp Bank to increase access to capital in underserved markets through financial development services, public policy advocacy, and flexible lending.
ARVEST BANK
PROMOTES MATT KENDALL TO FULL-TIME CEO OF MORTGAGE DIVISION
Arvest Bank named Matt Kendall president and CEO of the bank’s mortgage division and Arvest Central Mortgage Co. Kendal filled the role on an interim basis since February, following the resignation of Steven Plaisance.
Kendall has 28 years of industry experience, including serving as president and CEO of Waco Title Co.— owned by Arvest Bank Group since 2000 — and as executive director of administrative operations for Arvest’s mortgage division. Kendall is accountable for directing management teams and processes for Arvest’s mortgage division and Arvest Central Mortgage Co. in his new role.
Arvest’s mortgage division is on pace to originate more than $3 billion in mortgages for the second consecutive year and currently services more than 77,000 loans for $10-plus billion. Arvest Central Mortgage Co. services and subservices $56-plus billion in mortgages for more than 270,000 customers.
Kendall earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business, emphasizing accounting, at Hendrix College. ARVEST’S MORTGAGE DIVISION IS ON PACE TO ORIGINATE MORE THAN $3 BILLION IN MORTGAGES FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR.
Kyle Cowles, CPA
Vice President and Controller
STONE BANK
Stone Bank has named Kyle Cowles, CPA, Vice President and Controller. Cowles formerly held management positions with the BKD and PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firms and is a graduate of George Washington University. He will have principal responsibilities in the areas of regulatory reporting and oversight of the general ledger.
Patrick Hum was promoted to financial planner and analyst at Stone Bank. Hum formerly held management positions with the bank including SBA Servicing and Relationship Manager. He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with degrees in accounting and a Master of Business Administration in finance.
He will have principal responsibilities to provide senior management with analysis of historical financial performance, and forecasting future performance based on the goals and strategic plans of the bank.
Stone Bank also added Adam Mizda as a USDA Financial Analyst. He served in a similar position with Citizens Bank in Little Rock. He is a graduate of Kent State University with a BBA degree in accounting and finance. His responsibilities include credit analysis and underwriting.
Stone Bank has offices in Little Rock, Mountain View, Harrison, White Hall, DeWitt and Gillett.
SIMMONS BANK
ADDS 11 TO COMMERCIAL FINANCE TEAM
Simmons Bank announced the addition of an experienced 11-member commercial finance team led by industry veterans Lee Palm, Brian Shapiro and Phil Mulder.
Palm will lead the group as president of Simmons’ new Commercial Finance business unit. Shapiro will serve as managing director heading up the transportation and marine business, while Mulder will oversee the credit function as the division’s head of credit and risk.
The trio will lead Simmons new equipment finance team that will primarily focus on business aviation, OTR trucking, franchise finance, marine financing, and a specialized buy/sell desk function.
“Lee brings extensive industry experience building and leading successful commercial finance businesses and the relationships he’s developed will benefit Simmons as we look to further expand and diversify our commercial banking capabilities,” said Matt Reddin, executive vice president and chief banking officer at Simmons. “BEING ABLE TO ADD AN ENTIRE TEAM WITH THE EXPERTISE AND SKILLSET THAT ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THE BUSINESS VERTICALS NECESSARY TO BEGIN OPERATIONS REPRESENTS A UNIQUE ‘PLUG AND PLAY’ OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING,”
“Being able to add an entire team with the expertise and skillset that encompasses all of the business verticals necessary to begin operations represents a unique ‘plug and play’ opportunity that will allow us to immediately hit the ground running,” added Reddin. “Equally important, we’ll be able to offer our commercial finance customers a deeper banking relationship with access to our full array of complementary commercial banking and wealth management products and services.”
Palm most recently served as president of commercial finance at TCF Bank, a $50 billion asset bank formed through the merger of Chemical Bank and TCF Bank. In this role, he developed a successful de novo business plan to establish a commercial lending business targeting corporate aviation, inland marine and rail, trucking, healthcare finance and franchise finance.
The other team members include: Tom Vasilakos, Rick Riecker, Chuck Fletcher, Cabel Finch, Andy Chiarenzelli, Jim Lewis, Larry Roegner, and David Lyle.
Melanie Fuller
President of Digital Banking Solutions
ARVEST BANK
HIRES JPMORGAN EXEC FOR NEW DIGITAL BANKING ROLE
Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank announced the hiring of Melanie Fuller as president of digital banking solutions. Fuller spent the past decade working in Ohio in various leadership roles for JPMorgan Chase, including head of experience and technology for customer service and as the executive director of strategy and operations.
An Arvest spokesman said Fuller would eventually relocate to the state and office in Northwest Arkansas.
Fuller’s position is new at Arvest. According to a news release, the new division is part of the bank’s multi-year transformation strategy, which includes adopting a next-generation core banking platform and enhancing digital payments and services capabilities.
Fuller has experience at driving large-scale, strategic transformations across functions, lines of business and channels. According to the release, that experience makes her an ideal fit to lead the company’s digital banking strategy.
Fuller has a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in business administration from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.
LEVI RUSS AND LANCE CLARK
JOIN GRAND SAVINGS BANK; OTHERS PROMOTED
Levi Russ joined the staff of Grand Savings Bank (GSB) in Bentonville in the position of community banker. Russ comes from his most recent role as the director and co-owner of ARK Trading based in Windhoek, Namibia.
At ARK Trading, Russ worked to rebuild a deteriorating supply chain with the goal of addressing the housing shortage in Namibia. ARK Trading tripled in size during his five years of leadership. Before ARK Trading, Russ was based in the Maldives establishing marine agriculture farms.
With this unique background of finance and community development, Russ is expected to be an asset to GSB’s Bentonville community. He is a graduate of Bentonville High School and holds both a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Masters of Business Administration from the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.
Lance Clark has also joined Grand Savings Bank in the position of loan officer. Clark is a veteran of the industry with over 29 years of banking experience. Continuing his career as a commercial lender, Clark will bring a wealth of knowledge to his new position at GSB.
Clark is an alumnus of Missouri State University. He is engaged in supporting his community in various roles. He was a volunteer with Watch Dog Dads in Springdale and served as a board member with United Way, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and Rogers Little Theater.
Other Grand Savings Bank promotions include:
Jared Gabriele of Rogers, Ark. has been promoted to senior vice president/ Lending after serving as vice president/Lending for four years. He has 18 years of banking experience.
Steve Odle of Grove, Okla. has been promoted to senior vice president/ Lending after serving as vice president/Lending. Odle has been with GSB for the entirety of his 19-year banking career.
Heather Wagner of GSB’s Jay, Okla. branch has been promoted to vice president/Lending and previously served as assistant vice president/Lending. Wagner has been with GSB for 16 years.
Jackie Serrano is now assistant vice president/training after serving as the retail training coordinator. Serrano has 10 years of banking experience.
Kelsey Rhine of Grove, Okla. is now assistant vice president/human resources director after previously serving as human resources officer. Rhine has been with GSB since 2016.
John Thomas
SVP Senior Credit Officer
Trish Morrow
AVP Credit Analysis Manager
CITIZENS BANK
PROMOTES BAILEY, HERNDON, EXPANDS CREDIT DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP
Citizens Bank promoted Michael Bailey to assistant vice president portfolio manager and Aaron Herndon to assistant vice president retail manager and consumer loan officer.
Bailey, previously a loan portfolio analyst for Citizens Bank, will take on more responsibility in this new role with an increased focus on new loan production and management of individual loans in the central Arkansas region.
He attended University of North Carolina Wilmington and received a bachelors in mathematics with a focus on statistics.
Herndon, previously a retail manager for Citizens Bank, will serve the north central Arkansas region in his new role as assistant vice president retail manager and consumer loan officer at the Citizens Bank headquarters location in Batesville. Herndon will take on more responsibility for retail service and operations in his new role.
Herndon graduated from Barrett Banking School and received his associates of applied science with a focus in business services banking and finance.
Citizens Bank also announced two additions to its credit department leadership team with the addition of John Thomas as SVP senior credit officer and the promotion of Trish Morrow to AVP credit analysis manager.
Thomas, previously serving Simmons Bank as a credit analysis manager, will be responsible for all credit functions of the bank and portfolio management. He will be based in the Little Rock branch.
Thomas earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Morrow, previously serving as an AVP credit analysis supervisor at Citizens Bank, will take on new responsibility in this role to lead a team of credit analysts and work with lending officers on the structures of various credits. She will ensure loan policy compliance and manage underwriting procedures while based in the Rogers branch.
Morrow previously held multiple roles at Bank OZK. She graduated from Henderson State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
BANCORPSOUTH
HIRES CAROLYN RAMSEY AS BRANCH MANAGER IN MAGNOLIA
BancorpSouth Bank hired Carolyn Ramsey as a branch manager at its main location in Magnolia. Ramsey will be working with BancorpSouth Community Bank President Jeff Venable to promote community involvement and business development efforts.
Ramsey has nine years of banking experience, previously serving as a branch manager at both national and regional banks. She has completed courses at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Ramsey is a member of the Rotary Club of Magnolia, a board member of United Way Board of Columbia County and a supporter of the Columbia County Animal Protection Society. She previously served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity and Harvest Regional Food Bank.
Mickey Shields
Marketing Director
CS BANK
APPOINTS MICKEY BELLE SHIELDS AS MARKETING DIRECTOR
Mickey Belle Shields has been named Marketing Director for CS Bank.
Shields, who currently attends Arkansas Tech University online, will oversee all aspects of CS Bank’s marketing, advertising, social and digital media, public relations and brand development functions. She will coordinate these initiatives along with community and philanthropic endeavors for the company.
“It is always rewarding to promote deserving young professionals to positions of leadership within our institution. Mickey Belle has proved to be an outstanding individual who brings not only a strong aptitude but tremendous energy and passion for the local communities we serve. We are blessed to have her as part of our bank family and have every confidence she will excel in this new role moving forward,” said Jason F. Tennant, CS Bank President and Chief Lending Officer.
CS Bank, formerly Cornerstone Bank, a 109-yearold rapidly growing local financial institution, has six locations throughout Northwest Arkansas and one location in Southwest Missouri.
FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK
ADDS THREE TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Farmers & Merchants Bank announced that Meg Johnston, Sam Tarkington, and Kirk Vansandt have been named to the bank’s board of directors.
Farmers & Merchants Bank, headquartered in Stuttgart, is a locally-owned community bank with 26 locations across the state of Arkansas, including eight operating as The Bank of Fayetteville.
With assets in excess of $1.6 billion, Farmers & Merchants is the 10th largest bank chartered in Arkansas.
Johnston is a Stuttgart native and now works as a business and regulatory attorney with the Mitchell Williams Law Firm in Little Rock. Her clients include Fortune 500, bank and insurance companies along with small businesses and agricultural landowners navigating mergers and acquisitions, commercial and agricultural loans and commercial, corporate and real estate transactions.
Tarkington is a life-long resident of Arkansas County and a fifth-generation farmer. His family, which has owned an agricultural operation in the region for more than a century, currently farms 5,600 acres of rice, corn and soybeans outside of Stuttgart.
Vansandt is a longtime employee of Farmers & Merchants Bank and currently serves as the Chief Agriculture Lending Officer for the organization. Prior to being named CLO in 2019, Vansandt worked as the Senior Vice President, Eastern Market President and Loan Officer. A native of Dewitt, Vansandt graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
“I am thrilled to announce and welcome Ms. Johnston, Mr. Tarkington, and Mr. Vansandt as directors to our bank board,” said Farmers & Merchants Bank President and CEO Brad Chambless. “Our institution has been fortunate to see substantial growth over the past five years. With that growth comes the responsibility of diversifying and enhancing the subject matter expertise of our bank directors.”
“I AM THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE AND WELCOME MS. JOHNSTON, MR. TARKINGTON, AND MR. VANSANDT AS DIRECTORS TO OUR BANK BOARD. OUR INSTITUTION HAS BEEN FORTUNATE TO SEE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. WITH THAT GROWTH COMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DIVERSIFYING AND ENHANCING THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE OF OUR BANK DIRECTORS.”
HOME BANCSHARES
Home BancShares, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Centennial Bank, announced Tuesday (July 13) the appointment of Audra Foster as Director of Corporate Social Responsibility.
“We are proud to announce our intention to enhance the development of strategic initiatives supporting Centennial Bank’s focus on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) topics,” said Tracy French, Centennial Bank President and Chief Executive Officer.
“The corporate social responsibility program already has a solid foundation at Centennial, and I am honored for the opportunity to help the bank expand on what is already in place,” said Foster. “I am looking forward to partnering with both internal and external stakeholders on these important initiatives,” Foster continued.
Foster has been with Centennial Bank for 20 years. During her tenure with Centennial, she has served in roles including Teller, Senior Trainer, Operations Analyst and most recently, Assistant Director of Deposit Operations. WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR INTENTION TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES SUPPORTING CENTENNIAL BANK’S FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (“ESG”) TOPICS.
Bryant Bowles Jr.
Arvest Bank Jodi Hopper
Arvest Bank Ryan Dagley
Signature Bank of Arkansas Daniel Kelsey
FDIC
ARKANSAS FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS BANKING DIPLOMA
The Graduate School of Banking at Colorado (GSBC) is proud to announce the graduation of four Arkansas financial professionals who have completed the school’s state-of-the-art graduate school of banking program.
The graduates are Bryant Bowles Jr., Arvest Bank, Siloam Springs; Ryan Dagley, Signature Bank of Arkansas, Bentonville; Jodi Hopper, Arvest Bank, Berryville; and Daniel Kelsey, FDIC, Little Rock.
Graduates receive their GSBC diplomas upon successfully completing three annual two-week sessions of classroom training on the University of Colorado Boulder campus in Boulder, Colo. The above individuals were among 141 students honored in a ceremony on July 29, 2021.
GSBC’s curriculum is community banking-focused, delivered by expert faculty which covers four tracks: financial management, general management & technology, leadership & human resources, and lending. The students also complete six immersive intersession research projects throughout their time in the program.
The program’s capstone course is an in-depth bank management simulation, where students assume the roles of senior management of a commercial bank, involving themselves in the group dynamics and managerial skills of managing a bank in a competitive environment with changing economic conditions. GSBC’S CURRICULUM IS COMMUNITY BANKINGFOCUSED, DELIVERED BY EXPERT FACULTY WHICH COVERS FOUR TRACKS: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, GENERAL MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY, LEADERSHIP & HUMAN RESOURCES, AND LENDING.
Jeff Schmid
President and CEO
NAMES JEFF SCHMID AS PRESIDENT AND CEO
Jeff Schmid has joined the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking (SWGSB) Foundation, headquartered at SMU’s Cox School of Business, as president and CEO effective Sept. 1. Schmid’s move comes as current President and CEO S. Scott MacDonald, Ph.D., retires from the position after 24 years of service.
“In that time, Scott has helped strengthen ties between SWGSB and SMU Cox,” said Vic Pierson, chairman, president & CEO of Moody National Bank in Galveston and chairman of the SWGSB Board of Trustees. “He has contributed greatly to SWGSB’s role as a trusted educational source for banking education, bank leadership development and bank director training programs. We are grateful to Scott for his leadership even as we look ahead to Jeff taking the helm.”
With nearly 40 years of banking and regulatory experience, Schmid began his career at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in 1981 and remained until 1989. He graduated from the SWGSB summer residence program at SMU Cox in 1990.
“My 35-year association with the Foundation’s schools changed the trajectory of my career,” says Schmid. “I look forward to offering that kind of career-changing experience to future SWGSB students. The Foundation’s director programs also afford the opportunity to positively influence bank boards and their governance.”
After completing the SWGSB program, Schmid became president and CEO of two closely held banks in the Midwest. In 2007, he led the establishment of Mutual of Omaha Bank, a wholly owned investment of Mutual of Omaha, where he served as chairman and chief executive officer. He built the organization into a national franchise with assets of nearly $10 billion.
Schmid is a longtime member of the Cox School of Business Executive Board. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska. His involvement with the SWGSB Foundation is long established, including service as past chairman of the SWGSB Foundation Board of Trustees. He has also been a SWGSB faculty member and was Dean for Bankers at SWGSB.
The Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Foundation was established in 1957 at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas and has become one of the top banking educational institutions. It is a professional school for bank officers, regulators and others holding management positions in the financial services industry.
THE PEOPLES BANK
PURCHASES MAGNOLIA BRANCH FROM BANK OZK
The Peoples Bank in Magnolia announced it has entered into an agreement for Bank OZK to sell its branch in Magnolia, Arkansas.
Peoples Bank will assume certain deposit liabilities and acquire certain loans, as well as cash, real property, personal property and other fixed assets associated with Bank OZK’s Magnolia branch.
Subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, the pending sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. Until that time, customers of Bank OZK’s Magnolia branch will continue doing business with Bank OZK as usual and will receive additional information regarding the impact of the sale prior to the closing of the sale.
The Peoples Bank is a locally owned community bank headquartered in Magnolia. It was established in 1910 and operates two banking offices in Magnolia and one in Waldo. THE PEOPLES BANK IS A LOCALLY OWNED COMMUNITY BANK HEADQUARTERED IN MAGNOLIA. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1910 AND OPERATES TWO BANKING OFFICES IN MAGNOLIA AND ONE IN WALDO.
