Arvest Bank is pleased to announce Mike Willard has accepted the role of regional director of community banks for Benton County, Ark.
Willard has held various roles at Arvest, most recently as the president and CEO of its North Central Arkansas region. He also served as president and CEO for Arvest in Prairie Grove and community bank president in Mountain Home.
In his new role, Willard will lead and direct Arvest’s community banks presidents in Berryville, Eureka Springs, Gravette and Pea Ridge in Arkansas, and Anderson and Cassville in Missouri.
“Much of Mike’s career has been spent leading community banks and he has a passion for our community banking system and the important role it plays,” said Brad Crain, president and CEO for Arvest in Benton County. “Those strengths, along with his servant-leader attitude and understanding of the need for collaboration with our local teams and strategic partners, make him an ideal fit for this role.”
Willard earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Southern Nazarene University and is a graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Banking. He has served in leadership roles for the Arkansas Economics Advisory Board, the Baxter Regional Medical Center Foundation, Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce and the Performing Arts Council for Arkansas State University – Mountain Home, among a long list of other civic endeavors.
“Being involved in our communities and staying connected to them is what Arvest is all about,” Willard said. “That is especially true as the preferences and expectations of customers everywhere continue to evolve. We want to help drive that change and deliver the products and services that meet the needs of our customers and communities.”