#2BFayetteville

Eileen was born and raised in St. Paul, a small town in the southern edge of Madison County. After graduating from St. Paul High School, she went on to earn a BSBA in Finance and Financial Service and International Economics from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Eileen's first job was as a Securitization Analyst for Key Bank. After seven months she moved over to Arvest Bank, where she has been for over 16 years. Her current title is Senior Vice President, Area Loan Manager, Commercial Banking. In her position she manages a team of commercial bankers and business bankers. "I work with businesses in all aspects of the banking needs," Eileen said. "I work with a team to get business owners back to doing what they love, running their business. I also lead a team of commercial bankers, assistants and an analyst. As a team, we take care of over 330 customers." In 2017, Eileen was named Business Advocate of the Year at the Fayette- ville Chamber's 5th Annual Excellence in Business Awards. She could have chosen to take her talents elsewhere and enjoy a successful career in New York or Los Angeles, but she stayed in Fayetteville. "I love working with so many great people in the area and that there is only about one to two degrees of separation between most of them," She said. "And I love going home to my farm south of Fayetteville at the end of the road and not seeing anyone but my husband and daughter while I work in my garden or hike on my trails. It is indeed the best of both worlds!" Eileen is a big believer in Fayetteville as a business center. And she feels it is particularly accessible to young businessmen and women launching their careers. "Fayetteville is a great place to start," she noted. "It's a small town with big town characteris- tics and ideas. There are a lot of different people from varied backgrounds. Plus, the access to outdoor activ- ities and nature is a huge benefit. The schools are great and there are multiple educational options for kids and adults." Eileen felt that Leader- ship Fayetteville allowed her access to so many areas and leaders in Fayetteville, Northwest Arkansas and the state. "I met some great people in the program and have been able to stay con- nected," she said. "We have worked on community projects together and been able to individually assist each other. It's great having a group of classmates/ citizens that I have a strong connection with and can call on for advice or help. It also provided a behind- the-scenes view into areas I did not have access to. It helped me refine my focus of community service." Eileen has carried that idea of community service into her day-to-day work at Arvest Bank. "I've been able to help a lot of local businesses and organiza- tions grow and succeed, thus creating more jobs and doing more good in the community," she said. Eileen B. Jennings Leadership Fayetteville Program 9 Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce

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