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Member News
ABA Honors Husband-Wife Banker Team with Bruning Award
The American Bankers Association announced the recipients of both the Bruning and Blanchfield Awards, the association’s premier awards presented for contributions to ag banking. For the first time, this year’s Bruning Award will be presented to a husband-wife team, Gary and Hanna Canada (shown above, in center with their family), two agricultural bankers known for running Bank of England in England, AR, hand-in-hand.
Gary Canada, the bank’s chairman and president, is a longtime ag banker who has served on numerous committees and boards throughout his career, including ABA’s Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee, the Bayou Meto Irrigation District and the Arkansas Rice Council. In addition to running the bank, he has run a cow-calf operation and farmed cotton, rice and wheat. His wife, Hanna serves as EVP at Bank of England. She began her banking career as a teller and today serves on the board of directors.
Winning this year’s Blanchfield Award which was presented to a non-banker for contributions to ag and rural banking is James Radintz, who recently retired as a senior executive at the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. During his 38-year career at USDA, Radintz held several leadership positions, including deputy administrator for farm loan programs and director of the loan making division. Both awards were presented at the ABA National Agricultural Bankers Conference last November in Dallas.
Photo of Canada family courtesy of James Wolfe.
(Picture, left to right) Kevin Sabin, president/ CEO of Arvest Bank; Jim Cargill, president/CEO of Arvest Bank in central, northeast and southwest Arkansas, and Sharon Giovinazzo, president/ CEO, World Services for the Blind.
World Services for the Blind, a Little Rock-based nonprofit organization that works to empower those who are blind or visually impaired, recognized Jim Cargill, president and CEO of Arvest Bank in central, northeast and southwest Arkansas, with the 2019 Vision Award in late October.
The Vision Award is presented to an individual who has “demonstrated far-reaching vision to successfully orchestrate events through business enterprise and community involvement to help better society for all citizens, both with and without sight.”
Arvest Bank President and CEO Kevin Sabin presented Cargill with the 19th Annual Vision Award.
“The task World Services faces is monumental, yet they continue to succeed, innovate and expand their programs - changing lives in the process,” said Cargill. “It is my hope that this recognition gives our business community pause, so we can all better determine how our companies can contribute to supporting individuals of all abilities, and also build a more diverse workforce.”
More than 25 million Americans, age 18 or older, are visually impaired to the point that they must make drastic changes to their daily lives.
World Services for the Blind is the only comprehensive vocational rehabilitation organization in the World that provides job placement for those who are visually impaired. It serves clients as young as Pre-K students, to senior adults, in 50 states and 58 countries.
Cargill is a fourth-generation banker who has worked for Arvest Bank for 34 years. He currently serves as vice chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association; executive committee member of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce board of directors; board member, 50 for the Future; and board member, Big Dam Bridge Foundation.
First Community Bank Awarded Prestigious Department of Defense Pro Patria Award
When asked why he nominated First Community Bank for the Pro Patria award, Vice President of Commercial Lending and first lieutenant, Chris Milum says, “First Community Bank has not only supported me with my job at the bank, but also my service with the Arkansas Army National Guard. They have been very supportive of me and my family during my time away from work, but they also value the training and leadership skills I have obtained from the National Guard. I have had to attend various military courses to further my education, job skills, and leadership ability with the military that requires me to miss work. First Community Bank has supported my family during those times as well as the times I have been called to service during natural disasters here at home. I take great pride in serving my country, but it takes a strong family and employer to support you while you are gone. I couldn’t ask for a better organization to work for!”
First Community Bank has been awarded the 2019 Pro Patria award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve group, also referred to as the ESGR. The ESGR’s Pro Patria Award is presented annually by each ESGR State Committee to one small, one large, and one public sector employer in their state or territory. Recipients have demonstrated the greatest support to Guard and Reserve employees through their leadership and practices, including adopting personnel policies that make it easier for employees to participate in the National Guard and Reserve. This is the highest-level award that may be bestowed by an ESGR State Committee. First Community Bank honors the following veteran and active duty military personnel: • Chris Milum, First Lieutenant, Active, 2012-Present • Jennifer Wyatt, E-4/Senior Airman, Veteran, 2001-2005 • Craig Jarvis, E-4/Senior Airman, Veteran, 2002-2006 • Clint Howard, Major, Veteran, 1998-2018 • Phillip Reeves, E-4/Senior Airman, Veteran, 2011-2014 • Jacob Thomas Palese, Sergeant, Active, 2013-Present
The Pro Patria award was presented to First Community Bank by Dr. Gil Fowler (shown above, Dale Cole of First Community Bank and First Lieutenant Chris Milum), ESGR Area Chair of Arkansas, who said, “On behalf of a grateful nation and our citizen soldiers, congratulations and thanks for all that you do and will continue to do on their behalf. First Community Bank is an example that others should emulate.”
“First Community Bank is tremendously proud to receive such a prominent award, and we thank the ESGR State Committee and the Department of Defense for recognizing our organization,” said Dale Cole, CEO, First Community Bank. “Our community sincerely does come first in our eyes, and we’re committed to honoring those individuals who serve our country as members of the Guard or Reserve.”
f i d e l i t y b a n k e r . c o m
Marlene Keenan has spent 47 years in the banking industry, shattering the glass ceiling and proving there is in fact a place of power for women in the finance world. In 1986, Marlene accepted a job at Fidelity Bank in West Memphis, AR. She has spent the last 33 years paving her way from the Controller position to Executive Vice President/CFO. Keenan is Fidelity’s first female Executive VP, first Chief Fin ancial Officer - male or female and now Fidelity’s first female bank director. With a strong knowledge of both cash and accrual accounting systems, Keenan has taught “How a Banker Runs an Investment Portfolio” at the Independent Community Banking Association Bond Academy and served as the Regional President for the Fidelity Information Services User Group. She was born, raised and still resides in Memphis , TN, where she attended the University of Memphis and earned a BBA in Accounting. Fidelity is honored to select Marlene Keenan to join our Board of Directors as our first female counterpart.
