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Banker News
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Union Bank and Union Bankshares Announce New Positions The Boards of Directors of the Union Bank of Mena and Union Bankshares, Inc. announce the appointment of Kevin Williams as President of the Union Bank of Mena and Jarrod Yarnell as Chief Executive Officer of Union Bankshares, the holding company which owns the Union Bank of Mena and the First National Bank of Paris. In their new roles, Kevin and Jarrod will succeed Philip Hensley, who will continue his involvement with the organization as Senior Advisor to the Union Bank of Mena. Kevin Williams joined the Union Bank of Mena in 2003 and has held a variety of roles throughout the organization including lending, internal audit, finance, risk management and compliance. Prior to joining the Union Bank of Mena, he worked as a Bank Examiner in the Arkansas State Bank Department. He is a native of Mena and graduated from Mena High School and the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He is actively involved in the community, currently serving as Chairman of the Mena Intermountain Airport Commission, and he formerly served as President of the Mena Lions Club. As part of his new role, Kevin will also be appointed to the Boards of Directors of the Union Bank of Mena and the First National Bank of Paris. Jarrod Yarnell has served as President of the First National Bank of Paris since 2007, shortly after its acquisition by Union Bankshares. During that time, he has overseen the growth of the Paris bank from $100 million in assets to $180 million today, and has led the recent successful opening of branches in Clarksville and Ozark. Prior to that, he served in various lending roles for Summit Bank of Arkadelphia and Superior Bank of Fort Smith, and as a Bank Examiner for the Arkansas State Bank Department. He is a native of Ozark and graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Finance, and from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas with a Master of Business Administration degree. He is actively involved in the Paris community, having served as President of the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce, the Paris Rotary Club and the Boys and Girls Club of Paris. Jarrod’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Union Bankshares represents an expansion of his current responsibilities as he will continue to serve as President of the First National Bank of Paris. He will also be named to the Boards of Directors of Union Bankshares and the Union Bank of Mena.
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The Arkansas Banker n Winter 2019
In his new role, Philip Hensley will continue to serve as a member of the Boards of Directors of the Union Bank of Mena and First National Bank of Paris, and will focus on customer relationships and community relations. Philip joined the Union Bank of Mena in 2000, became President in 2002, and became Chief Executive Officer of Union Bankshares in 2002. During this time, he presided over the growth of the organization from $110 million to $260 million in total assets. Additionally, he oversaw the acquisition of the First National Bank of Paris in 2005. “We are extremely excited about the appointments of Kevin Williams and Jarrod Yarnell to their new roles with the Union Bank of Mena and Union Bankshares,” said John Stevenson, Chairman of Union Bankshares. “Over the past 15 years under Philip’s leadership, our organization has enjoyed tremendous growth and recognition as the leading bank in each of our home communities. During that time, Jarrod and Kevin have been key contributors to that success and have demonstrated that they are among the brightest and most capable young bankers in the state. We are highly confident in the ability of this team to continue to lead our organization going forward.”
GSB Welcomes Gary Sams as SVP Commercial Lending Grand Savings Bank is pleased to announce the hiring of Gary Sams as Senior Vice President, Commercial Lending at their Fayetteville location. A seventeen-year banking veteran of consumer, mortgage and commercial lending, Sams has led many diverse teams and projects. A business strategist passionate about sustainability, Sams brings a demonstrable history of delivering community-based, innovative solutions to complex challenges to GSB. After earning his Bachelor’s degree in Management Accounting from John Brown University, Sams spent several years in northeastern Wisconsin before returning to the Natural State. He and wife, Kristi, along with their four daughters, live in Fayetteville where they call the Hogs and cheer on the Packers. “I expect Gary’s knowledge and leadership to become a driving force in commercial lending at GSB that will serve our customers and our community well. We are pleased he is joining our team.” said Guy Cable, Grand Savings Bank CEO.
