Simmons First Announces Promotions, Dividend
by March 27, 2006 12:00 am 92 views
J. Thomas May, chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff, recently announced the promotions of David Bartlett to president and chief operating officer, Marty Casteel to executive vice president, and Bob Fehlman to executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The promotions came with the retirement of Barry Crow, the holding company’s executive vice president and COO. May said the company has been planning for Crow’s retirement for two years.
In the past 10 years, the company’s net income increased to $25 million from $5 million, and its number of locations reached 79 from 19.
May said Bartlett and Fehlman will have offices in Little Rock. May, Casteel and David Garner, controller, will maintain offices in Pine Bluff.
Most recently, Bartlett has been chairman and CEO of Simmons First Bank of Hot Springs. As president and COO, he will oversee the corporation’s affiliate banks, except for Simmons First National Bank, and will continue as chairman and CEO of the bank in Hot Springs.
Casteel was executive vice president of Simmons First National Bank overseeing retail branching, wealth management, cash management and operations support. Fehlman was senior vice president and CFO of the corporation.
The company also recently declared a regular dividend of 16 cents per share.
The dividend is payable April 3 to shareholders of record as of March 15.
This dividend is a 1-cent, or 6.7 percent, increase over the dividend it paid during the same quarter last year.
Simmons First National Corp. is a financial holding company with eight banks in Pine Bluff, Lake Village, Jonesboro, Rogers, Searcy, Russellville, El Dorado and Hot Springs.