Southern Bancorp Hires Chief DEI Officer (Movers & Shakers)
LaTricia Hill-Chandler previously served as Arvest Bank's first diversity, equity and inclusion officer. read more >
Banks Are Set For Steady Rise In Interest Rate
Predicting mortgage dip due to high interest rates, Arkansas bankers say their job is "managing the spread." read more >
by Marty Cook -
Southern Bancorp Poised to Double Capital, Expand Financial Reach
It took more than a decade for Southern Bancorp Bank to double its tally of total assets from $1 billion to $2 billion. The top executive of the bank’s parent company expects the journey to $4 billion will be much shorter. read more >
by George Waldon -
Southern Bancorp’s Anthony Young Seeks Community Opportunities
Anthony Young, president of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, savors his work in mission-focused financial services. read more >
Brown Promoted at Greenwood Gearhart (Movers & Shakers)
Greenwood Gearhart Inc. of Fayetteville, a wealth management and investment firm, has named Lisa A. Brown to president and partner, overseeing operations, service offerings and client experience initiatives. read more >
Southern Bancorp to Buy Premier Bank of Arkansas
The deal includes $200 million in assets and three branches in northeast Arkansas. read more >
Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams Appointed to National Advisory Board
Williams says he wants to ensure that the bank's customers' stories and perspectives are heard by policymakers. read more >
Correction: $1.25M in Loans to be Available for Minority-Owned Businesses
Wells Fargo awards $1.25 million in grants to Communities Unlimited of Fayetteville and Southern Bancorp of Little Rock. read more >
Square Inc. Invests in Southern Bancorp
Digital payments company Square Inc. of San Francisco makes an equity investment in Southern Bancorp Inc. of Little Rock. read more >
Darrin Williams Named to St. Louis Fed’s Board
Darrin Williams, CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc. in Little Rock, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. read more >
Report Shows Gaps in Lending to Minority Businesses in Arkansas
Minorities and women do not have the same access to capital as their white male counterparts, a systemic issue that can be addressed, a panel of Arkansas bank leaders and a small-business owner says. read more >
Second Round of PPP Loans Prioritizes the Underserved
The second round of the federally funded Paycheck Protection Program is prioritizing “underserved” businesses — minority-, women- and veteran-owned and rural businesses — by setting aside money for them and through targeted outreach efforts. read more >
Todd Moves to First Community Bank (Movers & Shakers)
Scott Todd has joined First Community Bank in Batesville as vice president of secondary mortgage production and sales manager. read more >
Berry Bishop Faces Pressure from Feds for Prison Time
Berry Bishop, the Hot Springs insurance agent who also had offices in Prescott and Arkadelphia, is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hot Springs on Friday morning. read more >
Do Your Employees A Solid (Gwen Moritz Editor’s Note)
Making your employees’ lives a little easier and less expensive would be a solid benefit at no cost to your company. read more >
by Gwen Moritz -
‘The Business Case for Diversity’ (Gwen Moritz Editor’s Note)
To be blind to color is to be blind to the reason for so much injustice. We have got to talk and we have got to listen. read more >
by Gwen Moritz -
Joe Clay Young Moves Up at Merrill Lynch (Movers & Shakers)
Joe Clay Young IV was recently promoted from first vice president to senior vice president at Merrill Lynch in Jonesboro. Brenda Eldridge has been hired as chief financial officer at Partners Bank of Helena, the new name of the bank previously known as Helena National Bank. read more >
Southern Bancorp Makes Move in Mount Ida
Southern Bancorp Bank of Arkadelphia is developing a full-service branch at 1017 U.S. Highway 270E in Mount Ida. read more >
by George Waldon -
Southern Bancorp Selects Community Relations Leaders (Movers & Shakers)
LaRay White and Brooke Beck have been promoted to community relations leaders for Southern Bancorp in Little Rock. White will be representing Blytheville and Beck will be serving Arkadelphia in their new roles. read more >
In El Dorado, Dollars Will Get You Spudnuts
Spudnuts, an El Dorado fixture for 70 years, now thrives under the Gonzalez family. Unlike their product, the Gonzalezes’ business plan had no holes in it. Through decades of changing tastes, the fried delicacies have been a hit in El Dorado. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
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![Darrin Williams is the CEO of Southern Bancorp Inc., one of the United States’ oldest and largest community development financial institutions. [Karen E. Segrave]](https://arkansasbusiness.wppcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ARBusiness-Darrin-Williams-0011_opt-150x150.jpg)
![Andy Wilson (left), host of the “Doing Business in Bentonville” podcast, interviews Becca Shaddox and Brandon Viveiros of tech startup AdFury. [michael Woods]](https://arkansasbusiness.wppcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250611_Andy_Wilson_013_opt-150x150.jpg)
