Forty Under 40: Brian Cole
by January 1, 2002 12:00 am 280 views
Brian Cole, 34, joined Arvest Bank Group Inc. this year in Fayetteville, where he said it’s “a thrill” to be managing the investment and trust division of the oldest bank in Arkansas.
A native of Searcy, Cole earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in 1990. He graduated from the UALR School of Law in 1994 and passed the bar the first time he sat for the exam.
He was the deputy prosecutor in Benton County from 1997-2000 before entering private practice, when he focused on probate, commercial real estate and banking law for the Mike Miller firm in Searcy. He moved back to the area and was trust manager at another Northwest Arkansas bank before joining Arvest.
“There is no place I’d rather be,” Cole said. “I have to pinch myself a lot of times to see if I’m really in the position that I am in.”
Cole is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association and the Springdale Rotary Club. He holds both federal and state broker’s licensees.
He said Gary Head, president of Arvest-Fayetteville, is a strong role model both for developing business and serving customers. He enjoys helping clients grow their portfolios with what he called the “strength and vision” of Arvest.