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. 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 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, 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. 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.

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 DANIEL ROBINSON | PRESIDENT Simmons Bank, Jonesboro KEVIN THOMPSON | VICE PRESIDENT Centennial Bank, Fayetteville BLAKE FLETCHER | SEC./TREAS. Arvest Bank, Little Rock

EDUARDO ABRIL | GROUP 4 First State Bank of DeQueen, DeQueen

JOHN ANDERSON | GROUP 5 Relyance Bank, Pine Bluff

TRENT BROWN | GROUP 1 Simmons Bank, Jonesboro

TREY CLARK | GROUP 4 First Financial Bank, El Dorado

ASHLEY O’BRIEN EAST | GROUP 2 Heartland Bank, Little Rock

BRITTANY THOMPSON LITTLE | GROUP 3 Today’s Bank, Fayetteville

CAMRON HAMES | GROUP 2 First Community Bank, Batesville

ANDY HORTON | GROUP 1 Fidelity National Bank, Marion

MATT LAFORCE | GROUP 2 First Security Bank, Searcy

BROOKE MORETON | GROUP 3 Firstar Bank, Fort Smith

HUNTER NORTON | GROUP 3 First Security Bank, Fayetteville

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.

ABA Live Events... Provide you with face-to-face interaction with an expert instructor!

FEBRUARY 2015 10 | IRA Basics Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: New Account Representatives, Certificate of Deposit Personnel, Savings Counselors, Accountholder Service Representatives and Investment and Trust Personnel

10 | 2015 Call Report Update Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Anyone who is responsible for the preparation, verification or certification of the Call Reports, Operations Officers, CEOs, CFOs and Internal Auditors

3–4 | Training the Bank Trainer Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Bank Supervisors, Branch Managers, Trainers, and Those responsible for the bank’s training efforts MARCH 2015

24 | Retail Banking Conference 18 | The Risk Rating Process & Problem Asset Administration Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Chief Credit Officers, Senior Loan Officers, Loan Officers, Credit Analysts, Loan Administrators, Loan Review Officers, Special Asset Officers and Loan Workout Professional

19 | ALLL: What Works and What Does Not Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Chief Financial Officers, Senior Loan Officers, Loan Officers, Chief Credit Officers, Loan Review Officers and anyone who is responsible for their institution’s ALLL

Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: CEOs, CFOs, Presidents, Senior Executives & Management responsible for retail banking growth and profitability related to innovative product solutions

26–27 | Security Workshop

For more information about ABA Live Events, log on to www.arkbankers.org or call 501.376.3741 8–9 | Agri Lending Conference

Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Agri Lending Officers 13-17 | Commercial Lending School Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Bankers with a minimum of one year experience in commercial lending or credit administration in a bank, or five years of banking experience, Bankers who have successfully completed courses in commercial lending, analyzing financial statements, economics, or equivalent coursework, or demonstrated knowledge. APRIL 2015

24 | Marketing/Business Development Negotiation Skills Building for the Banker Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Commercial Lenders, Relationship Managers, Branch Managers, Private Bankers, and Business Development Officers

25 | Commercial Real Estate Lending in Today’s Economy Holiday Inn Presidential, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Commercial Lenders, Credit Analysts, Loan Documentation Specialists, Branch Managers, Private Bankers, and Business Development Officers

Embassy Suites/Hot Springs Convention Center Who Should Attend: Security Officers, Cash Management Officers, Bank Legal Counsel, Operations Managers, Chief Information Officers, and Branch Managers

21 | BSA/AML Hot Topics Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: BSA Officers and BSA Personnel

21–22 | Supervisor Boot Camp Crowne Plaza, Little Rock Who Should Attend: Supervisors, Branch Managers, Assistant Managers, Department Heads, Human Resources Managers, Team Leaders, Lead Customer Service Representatives or other employees with supervisory responsibilities