Deep Bonds & Brotherhood

Aboukheir joined the Army in 2009 and served until 2015. The rigors of the Army didn’t surprise him, he said. In 2011 and 2012 he was deployed to multiple countries including Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. He often had to jump from air planes and his job as a gunman required him to “blow a lot of things up,” he said.

One thing he learned earlier on was that sol diers form deep bonds. Those experiences and re lationships are among the best he’s had during his life, he added.

When he left the Army, he did some real estate investing and he got back into restaurant and bar management. He worked at airports in a couple of large cities, such as Atlanta. He typically man aged companies that took in $14 to $15 million per year and managed more than 200 employees.

His wife, Katy, is from Arkansas and several years ago they decided to return to the Natu ral State. There was only one problem. The large restaurants that he was used to running don’t ex ist on that scale in Arkansas, so he had to tran sition into another type of business – mortgage loan originator.

He currently works as a loan officer at Eagle Bank in Little Rock. The bank was started in 1919, and is one of the oldest banks in operation in the state.

There are many lessons he learned in the Army that apply in the banking industry, he said. Hard work, honesty, and integrity are required to succeed in the Army and in the world of banking, he added.

Even as he dove into his newest business career, there was another problem that Aboukheir decided he needed to tackle. He loves lamb chops, and he couldn’t find any good ones at the local grocery stores.

His solution?

“I started a lamb farm,” he said with a laugh.

The challenges on the farm are very different from those in the Army or banking, he said.

“Oh man, it’s something new every day,” he said. “You are dealing with nature. You are dealing with animals. There are things that you cannot control. It’s an interesting challenge for sure,” he said. What do you miss from your time in the Army?

“The brotherhood, no question about it. I'd do it all over again. It was the best experience of my life,” he said.

Sandy Starnes Senior Vice President and Director of Marketing

American Bankers Association Honors Sandy Starnes With Inaugural Emerging Leader Award

Sandy Starnes, senior vice president and director of marketing at Citizens Bank in Batesville was honored by the American Bankers Association as a recipient of its inaugural ABA Emerging Leader Award. This new award recognizes the next generation of bank leaders who are committed to the highest standards of achievement and service to both their industry and their local communities. Starnes is one of 10 winners of the award.

“On behalf of Citizens Bank, we want to congratulate Sandy for this exceptional achievement on the national level,” said Adam Mitchell, president and CEO of Citizens Bank. “Sandy is a dedicated and passionate leader who will continue to do great things for Citizens Bank, the banking industry and our community.”

The winners were selected by a diverse steering committee of industry professionals. The qualities and characteristics the committee evaluated as judging criteria included dedication to the profession, inventiveness, leadership skills, mentoring ability, personal integrity, tenure at the bank and broader commitment to a career in banking, sustained career progress, and academic training including advanced degrees and certificates/certifications.

Arvest Bank Hires Cinthya Allen As New Dei Officer

Arvest Bank has hired Cinthya Allen as its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer, effective Nov. 1.

Allen has 20 years of relevant experience and most recently served as the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator for the City of Norman, Okla. She also serves an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Cinthya Allen Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer

In her role at Arvest, Allen will lead the bank’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, building on its existing program. The bank earned a spot on Forbes magazine’s list of “Best Employers for Diversity 2022” earlier this year.

“I am thrilled that Cinthya is joining the Arvest family,” Arvest Chief People Officer Laura Andress said. “Her passion, drive and dedication to DE&I –both within the bank as well as in our communities

– makes her a perfect person to lead these efforts. The result will be a more respectful and inclusive workforce, workplaces and communities for us all to grow and celebrate for decades to come.”

Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Oklahoma and a graduate certificate in diversity and inclusion human resources policy from Cornell University. She also holds an ADA coordinator certificate from Great Plains ADA and the University of Missouri. She worked for years at AT&T where she led HACEMOS, AT&T’s Latinofocused employer resource group.

“I am excited to join the Arvest family,” Allen said. “The people-centric commitment that runs throughout the organization is the lifeblood of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles. I look forward to partnering with our teams to learn, lead and build our workforce and communities in transformative ways.”

“HER PASSION, DRIVE AND DEDICATION TO DE&I – BOTH WITHIN THE BANK AS WELL AS IN OUR COMMUNITIES – MAKES HER A PERFECT PERSON TO LEAD THESE EFFORTS. THE RESULT WILL BE A MORE RESPECTFUL AND INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE, WORKPLACES AND COMMUNITIES FOR US ALL TO GROW AND CELEBRATE FOR DECADES TO COME.”

Bill Oliva Vice President, Commercial Lending & Diversity Outreach