BANKER NEWS & MOVES MELTON NAMED ‘DIAMOND ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER’
Lori Case Melton of Arvest Bank was named the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Diamond Achievement Award winner at the organization’s annual Women in Business Awards Luncheon in December. This award is presented to an individual with at least 25 years of professional experience who has inspired and empowered many generations of women and who has had a positive impact on those in her profession and in the community. Melton is the vice president of business development at Arvest Bank, and also spent 13 years with Centennial Bank, which has the distinction of being the fastest-growing financial institution in Arkansas history. The Arkansas Bank Marketing Association named Melton “Bank Marketer of the Year” in 1999 and again in 2007. She is the only banker ever to have received the award twice. In addition to her award, Melton received a diamondstudded pendant featuring the Conway “C.”
CENTENNIAL BANK EXPANDS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Centennial Bank has expanded its Jonesboro team with the addition of Joey
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Speir and Brock Ferguson as business development officers, according to Deana Osment, Centennial Bank’s Northeast Arkansas Division President. “Joey and Brock are tremendous assets to our bank. They are strongly committed to going the extra mile in order to provide outstanding service for our customers,” said Osment. Joey Speir holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing management from Arkansas State University and has over 14 years of sales and customer service experience. He currently serves on the Jonesboro Baseball Boosters board and is a member of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and Jonesboro Young Professionals Network. Speir and his wife, Sarah, are members of Central Baptist Church. They have four children, Weston, 10, Lily, 7, Stevie Jo, 2 and Harlie, 4 months. Brock Ferguson has over eight years of sales and customer service experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance and a master’s degree in business administration from Arkansas State. Ferguson is also an honor graduate of the Arkansas Bankers Association Basic Lending School. He is a member of Jonesboro University Rotary, Northeast
The Arkansas Banker | January 2015
Arkansas Home Builders Association and JYPN legacy and social committees. He also serves on the administrative and parent advisory boards of First United Methodist Church and the communications committee of United Way of Northeast Arkansas. Ferguson and his wife, Kristen, have one son, Graham, 3. They are members of First United Methodist Church. Speir and Ferguson will operate from Centennial Bank’s Northeast Arkansas headquarters at 2901 East Highland Drive in Jonesboro.
BRUECKNER JOINS ARVEST BANK IN SPRINGDALE
Arvest Bank is pleased to announce that Megan Brueckner has joined Arvest Bank in Springdale as Consumer Loan Officer at the 3950 West Sunset location. Brueckner started her career with Arvest Bank in Siloam Springs as a financial services representative in 2009. Since then, she has worked as a mortgage call center representative and a commercial loan assistant. “Megan joins our Springdale team with a good background in lending,” said Christy Queary, Consumer Loan Manager for Arvest Bank in Springdale. “She has strong project management skills coupled with a solid foundation in customer service. We are so happy to add her to our lending team in Springdale. ”
A Colcord, Okla., native, Brueckner graduated from Colcord High School in 2008 and earned a Bachelor of Science in organizational management from John Brown University in 2013. She and her husband, Hause Brueckner, have a daughter, Ellie. The family attends Cross Church.
MORETON NAMED LOAN MANAGER AT ARVEST BANK, PRAIRIE GROVE
Arvest Bank is pleased to announce that Dax Moreton has been named as Loan Manager for Arvest Bank in Prairie Grove. He replaces Steve Purdy, who is retiring in January after serving as loan manager in Prairie Grove for 19 years. Moreton has worked as a commercial loan officer for Arvest Bank in Prairie Grove for the past 14 years. During the past year he has worked from the Arvest Bank branch in Lincoln. He will continue to manage his existing commercial loan portfolio as he assumes his new duties. “Dax is a strong asset for Arvest Bank and the local community,” said Mike Willard, president of Arvest Bank in Prairie Grove. “His banking experience is topnotch and he understands what our customers need from their banking partner.” Moreton graduated from Lincoln School and earned his Bachelor of Science in agriculture business in 2000 while he played baseball for Arkansas Tech University. He is a 2009 graduate of
