Forty Under 40: Kelly S. Thomas
by January 1, 2005 12:00 am 104 views
Farmington native Kelly Thomas, 37, said what she likes best about her job is that no day is ever the same.
“There’s always something new,” she said, “you never know what you’re going to face.”
World markets can change over night or a local plant can make an announcement, she said, and her day can take a sudden turn.
Thomas started her career with Fayetteville’s McIlroy Bank & Trust Co. in 1991 and she remained there through the Arvest Bank acquisition until 1999. The co-workers and managers she knew during those years helped ingrain a sense of customer service in her.
Then she moved to Merrill Lynch where she worked as a sales assistant and earned her broker’s license.
Thomas started with Stephens Inc. in 2000 and now her job as the branch administrator for the firm’s Fayetteville office requires that she oversee all of the office’s SEC compliance, among other things.
She also manages her own small portfolio, which she does very conservatively, Thomas said.
Every day she wants to “go out there and do a little better than the day before,” she said.