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

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

28 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

Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He is active in the community and currently serves as the vice president of the Lincoln School Board, the Board of Directors for the Lincoln Summer Ball Program, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the Ganderville Cemetery. He and his wife, Christina Moreton, have a daughter, Brinkley. The family operates a small farming operation of commercial beef cows and attends the Summers Missionary Baptist Church.

SAUNDERS, HENRY PROMOTED AT BANK DEPARTMENT Michael Saunders, who has been employed at the Bank Department for almost 23 years, has been promoted to fill the assistant deputy commissioner’s position opened by the retirement of Larry Hillyard. Saunders, currently a certified bank examination manager, will assume the position effective on January 12, 2015. Also on that day, Bob Henry, a certified bank examination manager assigned to special projects at the Bank Department, will assume Saunders’ current position as supervisor of one of two commercial examination groups based in Little Rock.

As one of four assistant deputy commissioners, Saunders will oversee the commercial examination group assigned to northwest Arkansas, concentrating in particular on monitoring the progress of banks in the area that are under enforcement action or that are beginning to exhibit indications of problems. One of the responsibilities of the Department’s assistant deputy commissioners is to work closely with the executive management and board of directors of banks operating under enforcement actions. Saunders initially was hired by the Bank Department in October 1990 as a commercial examiner. He subsequently moved to the Department’s consumer compliance/ trust examination group and progressed to become a commissioned senior examiner. In February 1998, Saunders accepted a position as a Consumer Affairs examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, but he returned to the Bank Department in June 1999 and was promoted to commercial group supervisor in October 2000. Saunders received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia in 1989. He is a 1998 graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In 2013, Saunders earned his credential as a Certified Fraud Examiner from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Bob Henry was hired by the Bank Department as a commercial examiner in

May 1992 and advanced to become a commissioned senior examiner. Henry was promoted to bank examination manager in February 2013 and has concentrated in this position on special projects, including assisting the commercial groups on examinations of large and “problem” banks. Henry received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1991 at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. His emphasis was in finance and accounting. In 2012, Henry earned his credential as a Certified Fraud Examiner from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

MASSANELLI JOINS SIMMONS FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION AS EVP OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Simmons First National Corporation recently announced the addition of Stephen C. Massanelli as Executive Vice President of Organizational Development according to George A. Makris Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “I am extremely pleased to announce the addition of Steve Massanelli to the executive team at Simmons First National Corporation. He brings many years of relevant experience in finance and corporate management including corporate performance strategy and merger integration processes. Additionally, he will have oversight responsibility for human resources, training and corporate facilities. Steve’s leadership skills and strategic direction will play a key role in recruiting, retaining and providing professional development to our associates as we continue to grow and expand our footprint,” stated Makris. Massanelli most recently served as CFO & Principal of Treadstone Partners, LLC, a Dallas-based private investment firm. Prior to joining Treadstone in 2011, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Zale Corporation (NYSE: ZLC). At various times during his 13 years with Zale Corporation he had responsibility for treasury/ finance, real estate, IT, credit, credit insurance and risk management functions. Massanelli, a Pine Bluff native, began his financial career with Simmons First National Bank, as Assistant Vice President of Correspondent Banking where he maintained relationships with commercial banks located in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi. Prior to joining Zale Corporation, Massanelli gained 20 years of financial experience in Arkansas and Texas. Massanelli is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Economics. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma National Commercial Lending School and has completed the American Bankers Association Institute for Financial Education banking school.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - CELEBRATE WITH A NEW LOWER RATE WHITLOW JOINS ARVEST BANK IN SPRINGDALE

Arvest Bank is pleased to announce that Angela Whitlow has been named Human Resource Manager for Arvest Bank in FORD NAMED ARVEST BANK BRANCH MANAGER IN SPRINGDALE

Arvest Bank is pleased to announce that Megan Ford has been named Branch Manager for the Walmart Supercenter location of Arvest Bank in Springdale. Ford has worked for Arvest Bank for the past four years, starting as a time teller in Centerton. She later worked as a financial services representative in Centerton and then assistant branch manager in Springdale. “Megan brings several years of banking experience to her new role,” said Justin Luebker, regional in-store administrator for Arvest Bank. “This is an exciting opportunity for her and we look forward to her valuable addition to our team.” Ford graduated from Rogers High School in 2007 and earned her Bachelor of Science in organizational management from John Brown University in 2013. She and her husband, Justin Ford, attend First Baptist Church in Rogers.

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The Arkansas Banker | January 2015 Springdale. Whitlow has worked for Walmart Stores Inc. for the past 24 years. For the last 14 of those years, she focused on progressive human resource management roles across various divisions. “Angela has tremendous knowledge and skills in human resources that we can’t wait to benefit from here at Arvest Bank in Springdale and management,” said Lisa Ray, president of Arvest Bank in Springdale. “She is a true professional with a great personality. She will make a great addition as a key member of our team.” Whitlow has been Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certified since 2006. She is an active member of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the National Society for Human Resource Management (NOARK). She and her husband, Scott Whitlow, live in Rogers.

TAPPAN JOINES SIMMONS BANK AS EVP OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

Simmons Bank recently announced the addition of Philip A. Tappan as Executive Vice President of Financial Services with oversight responsibility for Simmons First Trust Company, Simmons First Investment Group and Simmons First Insurance Services, Inc. “We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Philip Tappan to the executive team at Simmons Bank. He brings us experience as an investment banker combined with many years of relevant executive level management and leadership skills. Mr. Tappan’s leadership and vision will play a vital role in the continued integration of our growing financial services business lines into our core banking products and services,” said Marty Casteel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Simmons Bank. Currently, Tappan is the Managing Partner of Tappan Land & Water Company. He previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Quality Foods and as President and CEO of Quality Performance Food Group. Tappan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and Banking from the University of Arkansas. Tappan is a member of the Simmons Bank Board of Directors and previously served on the Board of Directors for Delta Trust & Bank. Tappan serves on the Arkansas Community Foundation Board and Finance Committee, the St. Vincent Infirmary Foundation Board of Directors where he is Immediate Past Chairman, the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission where he serves as Commissioner and Past Chair, the Fifty for the Future Board of Directors, and the Arkansas Food Bank Board of Directors where he served as Chairman of the Capital Campaign.