Faces of the ABA: ELS Council President John Thomas Anderson

John Thomas Anderson Named ELS Council President

John Thomas Anderson has been appointed as the 2017-18 Emerging Leaders Section Council President. Anderson is a 1999 graduate of Pine Bluff High School. He received a degree from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 2003, where he was a four-year letterman and pitcher on the baseball team. Anderson is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Q& A with John Thomas Anderson

How long have you been in the banking industry, and with Malvern National Bank? I began my career in banking almost 15 years ago in mortgage lending and transitioned into commercial lending a few years later. I joined MNB in Little Rock, last year as Vice President of Commercial Loans and am really enjoying it.

How long have you been involved with the Emerging Leaders Section of the Arkansas Bankers Association? I’ve been involved with the Emerging Leaders program for the last four years. It has been a great opportunity and honor to serve in leadership roles within the Association.

What are some of your favorite experiences from being involved with the Emerging Leaders Section? My favorite experience would be our trip to Washington, D.C. We had the chance to see the political side of banking in action and the opportunity to meet with several representatives and senators to discuss issues important to banking in Arkansas. I’ve also enjoyed having the opportunity to meet so many fellow colleagues in banking from around the state through the Emerging Leaders program. We’ve benefited from valuable leadership training, and opportunities for professional development.

What advice do you have for someone just getting started in the banking industry, or someone who has worked in the industry for a short time? I would say a good start is to get involved in the banking community and community as a whole, including the Arkansas Bankers Association. There are so many opportunities for learning, career growth, professional education and networking. Also, be open to advice from colleagues in the industry and to learning new things, as banking is an ever-evolving industry.

(clockwise, from left) Anderson and his family; with fellow ELS Councilmen James Lyle and Jacob Box; and with Senator John Boozman.

To you, what is the most enjoyable aspect of being a banker? The most rewarding part of my career in banking is the ability to help people achieve their dreams of business ownership and success, and guiding them through that process. We offer clients the opportunity to pursue dreams that may not otherwise be possible.

As the ELS Council President, are there any specific goals you would like to achieve? I’d like to encourage participation in this program and to recruit new members and leadership, through providing new opportunities for them to get involved. I would also like to continue to promote the “Teach Children to Save” and “Get Smart about Credit” programs.

Tell us something your fellow bankers might be surprised to know about you? I like cats….I know, I know. I like dogs, too. We just happen to have two cats for now so my friends and family love to mess with me about this. I get some “real men love cats” gag gifts from time to time.

A little bit about me… I’ve been married to my wife, Lauren, for over 10 years and we have two daughters, Caroline and Catherine. We live in Little Rock and attend Christ the King Catholic Church. As far as extracurricular activities go, we spend a lot of our free time taking our two daughters to their activities and I coach my daughter’s second grade soccer team! When it’s warm outside we enjoy family tennis matches and cookouts and I like watching football.

What is the Emerging Leaders Section?

The Emerging Leaders Section was organized by the Arkansas Bankers Association Board of Directors to provide information concerning educational opportunities available for its members. The group provides 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. Formed in the fall of 1922, the Junior Bankers Section of the Arkansas Bankers Association was charged with “encouraging systematic education, disseminating information concerning this institution — and, by various means of propaganda, increasing the enrollment of the Arkansas Junior Bankers in the American Institute of Banking.” The Junior Bankers later became the Young Bankers and in 2005 the program renewed its image and became the “Emerging Leaders Section” — a name that better represented the organization’s purpose and future goals. Over the years, the ELS has helped groom some of our state’s most noted banking leaders. Many of ABA’s Junior Bankers have gone on to lead their banks, their communities, this association, and our state.

ELS Mission Statement To provide opportunities through education, networking, and leadership development to improve Arkansas banks and the communities they serve.

ELS Vision Statement To be the primary platform for cultivating and developing leaders in Arkansas banks.