Forty Under 40: Charles Cross

Charles Cross, 31, came home to Eureka Springs in 1996 to work at the bank his family has owned since 1929.

Two years later, Cross took over operation of the Bank of Eureka Springs after his father, John Cross, went into semi-retirement.

Charles Cross received a bachelor’s degree in finance and banking from the University of Arkansas in 1992. He spent the next five years at State Bank in Tulsa, where he worked his way up to vice president and regional branch director for south Tulsa, overseeing three branches.

Cross said things have been changing at the Bank of Eureka Springs, which has total deposits of more than $80 million.

The bank has already started a brokerage service and is building a financial center on U.S. Highway 62 that will expand its offerings to include asset management, real estate development and insurance services.

“For banks to compete in the future,” Cross said, “you’ve got to turn yourself into a financial services company.”

In addition to serving on the bank’s board of directors, Cross is on the board of the Ozark Guidance Center in Springdale. He is also on the Legislative Committee of the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Finance Committee for the city’s school district.