Tammy Engle started her career at Arvest Bank as a part-time teller and spent the next 23 years working her way up through various roles in the company.
The experience she gained and her dedication has paid off. Earlier this month, she was named president of Arvest's Siloam Springs market, which includes three branches in Siloam Springs, as well as branches in Gentry, Kansas, Okla., Jay, Okla., Grove, Okla., Stilwell, Okla., and Westville, Okla.
Engle replaces Roger Holroyd, who has served as president of the Siloam Springs market since 2012. In December, Holroyd was named president of Arvest's Fort Smith and River Valley market.
Holroyd said he views the move as a challenge and a new opportunity.
"It's a new opportunity, an opportunity to work with a bank that's been well-led down there in a good community, you know in some ways real similar to Siloam Springs, just bigger," Holroyd said.
Holroyd has worked with Engle for more than 20 years and described her as a very motivated person with a lot of ability.
"You know I have a lot of confidence in Tammy," he said "She's really smart, she's worked on the deposit side of the bank, she's been an excellent loan manager, she was an excellent loan officer, and then has done an outstanding job as the senior lending officer for the bank. We've had good loan growth, our loan quality, our asset quality, is really the strongest its been in the time I've been at the bank and that's all happened on her watch, so I have a lot of confidence that she's ready to do a great job."
Background
Engle grew up in Minnesota and Ohio, moving to Siloam Springs with her parents the summer after high school graduation. She went on to attend John Brown University, where she earned a major in business administration and a minor in pre-law.
While attending the university, she also started working as a part-time teller at the Arvest branch in Gentry.
"I don't think I ever set out to be a banker, I started working at Arvest as a part-time teller when I was in college, I needed a job," she said.
After working on the retail side as a teller, Engle became a loan assistant, then held a variety of positions as she worked her way up to loan manager.
Engle said she was fortunate to work for a company that offered her opportunities when she was ready for something new. In the summer of 2008, she earned her degree from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado. The three-year program allows professionals to do projects throughout the year, then attend class for several weeks over the summer, she said.
"I've worked for an organization where I feel like I've had a lot of opportunity so at those different points in time, I've been ready," she said. "I've been fortunate to have good bosses and good people around me that have trained me and brought me along and then again a good company that affords a lot of opportunities."
Even so, Engle didn't always see herself becoming president one day and said she is still a little shocked.
"I'm proud, and I think I worked hard to get where I am, but I think as I really step back and look at it... I've kind of grown up here in lots of ways and Arvest is who I am," she said. "I don't know a whole lot else. It's been really interesting for me to kind of reflect and see where the bank was 24 years ago and all the things that have happened along the way, and where we are today and where we as a company want to go in the future, and kind of the things we're doing now to make sure we continue to be successful and relevant in today's banking industry."
"I do think I am kind of that case in point that you can start as a part-time teller or you can start at a very entry level position and work your way up and I think it takes some dedication, it takes some hard work."
Engle feels the experience she gained working in different roles gives her more insight as president.
"I don't think I could walk into this position if I hadn't had the background and the steps along the way," she said. "The things you learn, as a teller, especially in a branch location, the things I learned there were just a lot of how the bank operates, and customer service, and especially in the branch, you kind of learn to become all things to the customer. Here at main, we have the teller line, we have the loan department, we have the different departments, but in a branch that looks a lot different."
"I really learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes and I think that foundation was huge for me. On the lending side of it, I've been fortunate to do each job along the way and I think when you do that, you do build a foundation and you really learn the ins and outs of different areas."
Dedicated to the community
One thing that makes Arvest special is it's dedication to the communities it serves, according to Engle. She has also translated that idea into her personal life.
Engle never expected to stay in Siloam Springs after college, but the community gave her and her family more opportunities than they could have ever expected, she said. She wants to make sure those opportunities are passed on to the next generation.
Engle, who lives in Siloam Springs with her husband John and their teenage son, serves on the boards of several local organizations.
She has been a member of the Main Street Siloam Springs board for the past six years, and served as board president last year. She has also served on the board for the national office of Sheepdog Impact Assistance, a national nonprofit that supports "societies protectors" -- the men and women in military, law enforcement, fire and rescue and emergency medical services, according to the organization's website, sheepdogia.org.
"I think for me, again, it's just kind of that sense of giving back and getting to know the people that are in the community," Engle said. "And also kind of serving alongside our customers as well and helping our customers when they have those needs, but for me its a sense of giving back and I think it makes our community stronger."
Looking forward
Engle said her vision is for Arvest Siloam Springs to continue the things it is already doing -- providing good customers services, taking care of customer needs and performing well financially -- and do them well. She said the bank is committed to the community and wants to be the bank of choice.
"I think that Siloam Springs is a strong market, and Arvest has been very successful here," Engle said. "For me, I want Arvest to continue, we've had a lot of years of strong growth and profitability and I think we've been very instrumental in the growth in Siloam Springs. Also I think Arvest is committed to providing banking services to the community and also our volunteer efforts and supporting the community in that way."
General News on 01/20/2019