STATE BANK DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS, PROMOTIONS

The Arkansas State Bank Department has promoted Kendal Williams to Bank Senior Examiner. The department has also promoted Tanner Ballard, Lane Hardee, Reed Middleton, and Patrick Seung to Assistant Bank Examiner positions.

Williams earned a Bachelor of Finance with emphasis in banking from Arkansas State and serves as a Bank Senior Examiner in the Little Rock office. Ballard earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in Financial Management from Arkansas State University and serves as an

Assistant Bank Examiner in the Jonesboro office. Hardee earned a Business Administration Degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Central Arkansas and serves as an Assistant Bank Examiner in the Little Rock office.

Middleton earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with an emphasis in Financial Management, along with a triple minor in Business Management, History, and Political Science from Arkansas State University and serves as an Assistant Bank Examiner in the Jonesboro office. Seung earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems and a Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Central Arkansas He will serve as an Assistant Bank Examiner in the Springdale office.

Renee Walters Named Chief Retail Officer For Chambers Bank

Chambers Bank promoted Renee Walters to Chief Retail Officer, a newly-created position that will oversee the retail banking operations of the bank’s 24 branches. Walters will now serve on the bank’s executive committee as a member of senior management.

Walters has been at Chambers Bank since 2004, serving as a loan assistant, executive assistant, regional retail manager and SVP/director of retail banking prior to her recent promotion.

“Renee has long been an important member of our management team,” President Mike Donnell said. “She is an exemplary leader, and her dedication to maximizing our team to provide the best customer service is unmatched. I know that she will continue to serve Chambers Bank and our customers well in her new role.”

Chambers Bank is a community-focused financial services company headquartered in Danville.

Matt Mason Returns To Bank Of Fayetteville As Nwa Market President

Stuttgart-based Farmers and Merchants Bank (F&M) announced the hiring of former commercial lender Matt Mason as Northwest Arkansas market president. He succeeds Jennifer Hardin, who has been promoted to the company’s chief operations officer. F&M also announced Tyler Morgan’s promotion to chief risk officer.

Mason will oversee the bank’s retail and lending operations at nine locations in Northwest Arkansas. F&M acquired The Bank of Fayetteville (BOF) in November 2015 but BOF maintained its trade name doing business in eight branches — five in Fayetteville and one each in Farmington, Prairie Grove and West Fork. F&M also has a full-service branch on Walton Boulevard in Bentonville.

Mason has 27 years of banking experience in Arkansas and Oklahoma. He previously worked at BOF as the senior vice president for commercial loans before leaving for Claremore, Okla., where he has worked as the executive vice president and market president for RCB Bank for the past 13 years. His work experience also includes Arkansas’ agricultural industry, with stints as an economist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and a grain merchandiser.

Hardin brings over 25 years of experience to her new role as COO. Since starting her career with The Bank of Fayetteville as a part-time teller after high school, Hardin has worked as a loan processor, lender, branch manager and as vice president and retail operations officer. She had been market president for the past two years.

Morgan joined F&M in 2018 and, most recently, was the bank’s chief security officer. He comes to his new role with eight years of experience in the financial industry and 12 years of history in the risk and security fields.

Federal Reserve Promotes Matuschka Briggs To Svp In Little Rock

Matuschka Lindo Briggs has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Regional Executive for the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

In a note from the Fed, the promotion was made in recognition of her outstanding performance since taking on her new role in June 2022.

Briggs’ responsibilities include representing the St. Louis Fed with business leaders, bankers, local government officials, and other key stakeholders, and through public speeches and local events. She also supports the Little Rock Branch’s Board of Directors.

Briggs joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 2015 as a relationship manager and became Director of Community Development, Special Projects, and Strategic Support in April 2020. Prior to coming to the St. Louis Fed, Briggs was a television and radio reporter in Des Moines and St. Louis.

STONE BANK ANNOUNCES 3 SENIOR STAFF PROMOTIONS, NEW HIRES

Stone Bank announced that three senior officers have been promoted to new positions. Joe Dunn, a SVP and Senior Lender, has been elevated to the position of Chief Lending Officer. Blake Fletcher, SVP and Senior Lender at the bank’s Little Rock location, will now serve as Little Rock Market President. Sandy Straessle, SVP of Retail Banking, assumes the position of Chief Retail Banking Officer.

Chad Daniel was named a Senior Vice President and Guaranteed Loan Officer covering South Arkansas specializing in ag lending and FSA guaranteed loans. He was formerly a senior vice president with First Western Bank in Rogers and is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business.

Matthew Stewart, Sr., joined the Stone Bank SBA lending team as Senior Relationship Manager and

Michael Oppel is joining the bank as a vice president and loan officer in the USDA Government Guaranteed Loan Division.

Stewart has an undergraduate degree from Baylor University and holds an MBA from Tarleton State University. He was formerly with Bank of the West. Oppel holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Valdosta State University and was formerly associated with Colony Bank.

Trey Scallion has joined Stone Bank as a loan officer at the bank’s White Hall location. He was most recently affiliated with Sanders Farm in Altheimer. Scallion is a graduate of Arkansas State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Finance.

Stone Bank is a $670 million bank with locations in Mountain View, White Hall, Harrison, Little Rock, DeWitt and Gillett.