Barry Ledbetter, Executive Vice President & Chief Banking Officer of Simmons Bank Simmons Bank • 866-246-2400 • simmonsbank.com Barry Ledbetter, executive vice president and chief banking officer, has always enjoyed people and numbers. And it was that passion that led him to the...
Author - Caleb Talley
Democrat Jared Henderson Looks to Change the Game
Over the last decade, Republican candidates have taken a record number of state- and federal-level political offices in Arkansas. This November, Democrat Jared Henderson looks to turn the tide. The 39-year-old candidate is looking to unseat Arkansas’ Republican governor. And he brings with him...
Funding the Governor’s Cup
Since 2001, the Arkansas Governor’s Cup has bolstered the state’s college students in bringing their entrepreneurial ideas to life. But it would not have been possible without the hard work of Arkansas Capital Corporation, through its nonprofit Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, and the...
Don’t Sleep on the Delta
by Caleb Talley Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released their most recent population estimates for every county in the country. The population of Arkansas increased, with some counties seeing tremendous growth since the last official census. The areas that saw the most growth were Northwest...
The Banker Behind Commercial Bank
George Harris, President of Commercial Bank Commercial Bank & Trust • 870-367-6221 • commercial-bank.net George Harris, president of Commercial Bank, didn’t want to be a banker. An experienced, oft-traveling CPA, Harris spent a lot of his time auditing banks. In an effort to spend less...
Libertarian Mark West Brings His Message to the Big Stage
by Caleb Talley Mark West is on a mission. The Libertarian candidate for governor knows he might not take home the most votes this November, but he wants to make sure Arkansas voters know they have options and give them the opportunity to break out of the two-party trap. West, a minister and office...
Arkansas’ nursing home lobby strikes again
by Caleb Talley When considering the most depraved group of lobbyists in Arkansas, one might not immediately consider nursing homes. After all, nursing homes lend an incredibly valuable service to society, caring for our loved ones and providing the elderly with a cost-effective way to recover from...
The Banker Behind Southern Bancorp
Darrin Williams, CEO Of Southern Bancorp Southern Bancorp • 800-789-3428 • banksouthern.com For Darrin Williams, becoming CEO of Southern Bancorp was not happenstance. It was predestined. Before taking the reins, he served as chief deputy for then Attorney General Mark Pryor. He was a...
Republicans, fear the pendulum
by Caleb Talley Beware; the pendulum swingeth. It’s been an interesting week in politics. (When hasn’t it?) Tillerson got the boot. A GOP committee botched their Russia report rollout. The Arkansas Legislature kicked off a special session. But there’s one major takeaway. In a Pennsylvania...
Hutchinson to Reduce State Agencies
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday announced his intention to present a transformation plan to the 2019 General Assembly that will reduce the number of cabinet-level agencies in state government by 50 percent. Forty-two cabinet-level agencies report directly to the governor. The plan is to reduce the...