EMERGING LEADERS UPDATE As 2014 comes to a close and I look back on what took place in my life over the past year, one of my fondest memories is my time at the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
Tennessee, and Florida. We still keep in contact and I know these men will be lifelong friends of mine. The information that I learned and the friendships that I made are something I will always remember when I look at my diploma.
For the past three years, I have spent two weeks a year on LSU’s campus listening to professors, bankers, consultants, and examiners from across the country discuss numerous banking topics and how to navigate through our everchanging profession.
I would encourage every young banker to ask their supervisor about attending a graduate school of banking in the future. To help your bank with the costs, the Arkansas Bankers Association has scholarships available to several schools: LSU, SWGSB, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Stonier. To learn more about the scholarships you can contact the ABA office or visit their website, www.arkbankers.org.
I have also been able to meet and network with my classmates from all over the United States and Mexico. I was fortunate to have three great roommates, one each from Arkansas,
ELS PRESIDENT DANIEL ROBINSON
Community President of Northeast Arkansas Simmons Bank Jonesboro
Emerging Leaders Section Council at the January 9 meeting: Back row: Matt LaForce, First Security Bank, Searcy; John Anderson, Relyance Bank, Pine Bluff; Hunter Norton, First Security Bank, Fayetteville; Daniel Robinson, Simmons Bank, Jonesboro; Trey Clark, First Financial Bank, El Dorado; Brittany Thompson Little, Today’s Bank, Fayetteville; and Eduardo Abril, First State Bank of DeQueen, DeQueen Front row: Andy Horton, Fidelity National Bank, Marion; Brooke Moreton, Firstar Bank, Fort Smith; Ashley O’Brien East, Heartland Bank, Little Rock; Trent Brown, Simmons Bank, Jonesboro; Kevin Thompson, Centennial Bank, Fayetteville; and Blake Fletcher, Arvest Bank, Little Rock. Not pictured: Camron Hames.
ABA EMERGING LEADERS SECTION COUNCIL Simmons Bank, Jonesboro
DANIEL ROBINSON | PRESIDENT
KEVIN THOMPSON | VICE PRESIDENT Centennial Bank, Fayetteville
BLAKE FLETCHER | SEC./TREAS.
EDUARDO ABRIL | GROUP 4 First State Bank of DeQueen, DeQueen
ASHLEY O’BRIEN EAST | GROUP 2
BRITTANY THOMPSON LITTLE | GROUP 3
Heartland Bank, Little Rock
Today’s Bank, Fayetteville
JOHN ANDERSON | GROUP 5 Relyance Bank, Pine Bluff
CAMRON HAMES | GROUP 2 First Community Bank, Batesville
Firstar Bank, Fort Smith
TRENT BROWN | GROUP 1 Simmons Bank, Jonesboro
ANDY HORTON | GROUP 1 Fidelity National Bank, Marion
HUNTER NORTON | GROUP 3 First Security Bank, Fayetteville
TREY CLARK | GROUP 4 First Financial Bank, El Dorado
MATT LAFORCE | GROUP 2 First Security Bank, Searcy
Arvest Bank, Little Rock
BROOKE MORETON | GROUP 3
WHAT IS THE EMERGING LEADERS SECTION? The Emerging Leaders Section (ELS) was organized by the Arkansas Bankers Association Board of Directors to provide information concerning educational opportunities available for its members. The ELS was established to provide leadership training for young bankers, to enhance banking careers, offer its members the opportunity to learn, network, and be productive members of the banking profession. 6
The Arkansas Banker | January 2015 2015
