NEWS & MOVES SBA NAMES PENNINGTON NEW LENDER LEADER
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Christian Pennington
Lender Relations Specialist
he U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Arkansas District Office added Christian Pennington as a new Lender Relations Specialist. He served for six years as the Lender Relations Specialist and Public Information Officer in the SBA Boise District Office. He has also worked in the SBA Office of Disaster Assistance as a disaster loan analyst for Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Prior to joining the SBA, Pennington worked at Louisiana Economic Development Corporation as a Loan & Investment Officer. He worked on various Louisiana state programs to aid financing to small business and lending programs to recruit business to the state. In his role of Lender Relations Specialist at the SBA Arkansas District Office, Pennington will conduct training and familiarize potential new and existing banks with SBA loan programs and offerings to ensure small businesses are able to access the money they need to start, grow, and expand.
PENNINGTON WILL CONDUCT TRAINING AND FAMILIARIZE POTENTIAL NEW AND EXISTING BANKS WITH SBA LOAN PROGRAMS AND OFFERINGS.
FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK APPOINTS THREE COMMUNITY BANK PRESIDENTS
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he Board of Directors of Farmers & Merchants Bank and The Bank of Fayetteville announced the promotion of three employees to the role of community president, where they will oversee retail and lending operations in growing markets across the state. Kyle Pattillo is the community president for Farmers and Merchants Bank’s Northwest Arkansas market and will oversee operations in Bentonville and Rogers. With more than 20 years of experience in the Northwest Arkansas real estate market as a
lender, broker and appraiser, Pattillo specializes in commercial real estate, development and construction loans. Marlin Boyle will lead operations as community president for Morrilton and Perryville in Farmers and Merchants Bank’s Western market and specializes in commercial lending. He is a graduate of Morrilton High School and Arkansas Tech University, where he earned a bachelor of science in business. Tyler Cox has been named the Prairie County community president for the bank’s Southeast Arkansas market, where he also focuses on commercial, agriculture and mortgage lending. Cox, a Des Arc native, earned a bachelor’s in agricultural business from Arkansas State University.
SIGNATURE BANK ANNOUNCES
NEW MORTGAGE DIVISION PRESIDENT
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ayetteville-based Signature Bank of Arkansas has promoted Kim Whedbee to president of its mortgage division. According to the bank, her predecessor, Christine Morrison, has retired from the mortgage industry
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but not from Signature Bank. She has accepted a new role within the human resources department. Whedbee has worked for the bank since 2014. She’d previously been a mortgage underwriter and a mortgage lender. She’s worked for multiple banks in her 26-year career.
