BANKER Q&A
FIVE VE minutes with...
Nathan Gairhan
President & CEO United Bank, Springdale, AR
Q. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A HOMETOWN BANKER?
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Being a hometown banker is very rewarding. We care about the people we serve because they are our neighbors and friends. My desire is to provide customers with the best financial solutions to help them achieve their dreams, enrich their lives, and to experience peace of mind. It could be a young couple purchasing their first home or when we help a new business start up or expand in our community. Hometown banking truly embodies the essence of “relationship banking”. Customers are always treated with respect, and the focus is always on their individual needs. Decisions are local, human, and timely! United Bank is vested in the local community and we give back and invest in the communities we serve in Northwest Arkansas. We take great pride in supporting our hometowns whether that is the local schools, community events or non-profit entities. 24
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SPRING 2021
Q. WHAT CIVIC PROJECT
Q. HOW HAS YOUR LIFE
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HAS YOUR BANK PARTICIPATED IN THAT TOUCHED YOU THE MOST?
United Bank celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2018 and we came up with a special way to celebrate with our team. Each employee was given $40 in cash and teams were formed to determine how best to distribute the funds. Forty dollars is not a great amount of money but our team experienced personally how a small contribution can really impact a person in need. My team chose the Samaritan Community Center in Springdale and gave our funds to shoppers to help pay for their merchandise. An elderly woman struggling to find a book that she could afford broke down in tears when the donation bought her several books. The team’s experience was great exposure to the community and helped everyone see that there are a lot of things that we take for granted living in Northwest Arkansas. It was very humbling that our team impacted a lot of people of need in our community.
EXPERIENCE MADE YOU THE LEADER YOU ARE TODAY?
Banking has been in my blood as my father worked in banking in Jonesboro for 43 years. I learned from him the traits of doing the right thing and valuable life lessons from his incredible work ethic. I have been blessed to be a community banker for 35 years, and I strive each day to lead with integrity. I have learned throughout the years from others that great leaders make the hard choice and self-sacrifice in order to enhance the lives of others around them. I was fortunate upon completion of graduate school at Arkansas State University to be mentored by Frank Oldham, who was my undergraduate advisor before he himself became a banker. I had an interest in banking and he encouraged me to become a bank regulator with the Arkansas State Bank Department. It was a great learning experience and provided life-long contacts and friends who I still contact today for their sage advice.
