ELEVATES

Kevin Sabin To Chairman Matt Machen Appointed President And Coo

Jim Walton, board chairman of Walton family-owned Arvest Bank of Bentonville and Fayetteville-based Arvest Bank Group Inc., the holding company for the bank and several related entities, is taking on a new role.

An Arvest spokesman confirmed that Walton had appointed Kevin Sabin as the bank’s new board chairman. Sabin, based in Tulsa and the bank’s president and CEO since 2002, will continue as CEO and an Arvest Bank Group board member.

“As chairman and CEO of Arvest Bank, Kevin will lead and coordinate the activities of the bank’s board of directors and the company’s overall strategic direction and management,” the company said in a statement.

The bank indicated that Walton, 75, will be “active and involved” as a board member and remain chairman of Arvest Bank Group.

The bank also confirmed that Matt Machen, based in central Arkansas, is the bank’s new president and COO. He will oversee the technology and operations groups and direct the company’s daily business activities.

Machen was previously the bank’s regional executive of enhanced banking services. He joined Arvest in 2018 following its acquisition of Bear State Financial Inc., the publicly traded holding company of Bear State Bank.

First Financial Bank Announces Promotions For Local Team Members

First Financial Bank announces promotions for Rebekah Biernacki, Bart Greene, Stewart Chandler, and Alan Meadows.

Rebekah Biernacki has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Compliance. She joined First Financial Bank in January 2020 and has been responsible for overseeing compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies. She has played a key role in developing and implementing the bank's compliance programs and has a deep understanding of the regulatory environment.

Bart Greene has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations/IT Director. He has played a vital role in streamlining the bank's operations and enhancing its IT capabilities.

Stewart Chandler has been promoted to Managing Director of Small Business Administration Operations. First Financial Bank is one of the nation's leading SBA lenders. Stewart has been instrumental in growing the bank's SBA lending business, ensuring compliance with all SBA regulations and guidelines.

Alan Meadows has been promoted to Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer. Through his relationship-based service, he has become a trusted advisor for his customers.

Cs Bank Announces Personnel Moves

Eureka Springs-chartered CS Bank announced multiple promotions and a pair of new market presidents this week.

Matt Cleaver is now senior vice president and Madison County market president. The bank also appointed Cleaver to its advisory board of directors. Cleaver was previously vice president at CS Bank’s Huntsville office and has worked for the bank for seven years.

Tammy Bullock is now senior vice president. She joins the bank’s senior management team and will continue as a loan officer in Eureka Springs.

Mickey Belle Shields-Manley, previously the bank’s marketing director, has been promoted to assistant vice president. She will continue to lead the company’s marketing efforts.

CS Bank also announced the hiring of longtime banker Mark Davis as market president of its Cassville/southwest Missouri market. Davis was previously market president of Equity Bank in Clinton, Mo. Before that, he was the market president for Arvest Bank in Cassville and Shell Knob (2008-2018) and has 30 years of banking experience.

Davis joins the bank’s corporate senior management team. He started the job the first week of January as the bank begins to add staff members prior to its upcoming move to a new facility being built in Cassville.

CS Bank had assets of $529.1 million as of Sept. 30, according to the FDIC. The company has seven locations in Northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri, with plans for continued expansion.

FIRST SECURITY’S JOHN DAVIS TO RETIRE AT END OF MARCH

John Davis, president of First Security Bank North Little Rock since 2013, has announced his retirement, effective at the end of March.

Though he spent a total of 42 years in banking, Davis began his career with First Security in 2004 as Fayetteville market president after working for a publicly-traded bank.

“First Security is a true community bank,” Davis said. “The management truly cares about the employees as well as our customer base.”

Davis has been very active in the community, spending more than 42 years on bank boards or other organizations, which include Boy Scouts, Rotary, The Salvation Army of both Hot Springs and Fayetteville, hospital boards across Arkansas and Missouri such as White River Regional Medical Center (Batesville), chambers of commerce, CareLink, and several industrial development corporations. He has been a Rotarian for 42 years, and he has been involved with Shriners for 12.

“John brought a wide range of experience to his role, and we have benefitted from it in Northwest Arkansas, as well as Central Arkansas,” said John Rutledge, regional president and CEO of First Security Bank, Little Rock.