Forty Under 40: Larry S. Wheaton

Larry Wheaton has worn almost every hat possible at Arvest Bank — from fixing ATMs to working in the vault, and from back room data entry to con-sumer lending.

The Harrison native graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1991 with his bachelor’s degree in administrative management.

Right out of college, Wheaton knew he wanted to work for Arvest. He wanted to be a branch manager, but at the time, Arvest was in the midst of a three-month hiring freeze. His patience paid off, though, and he’s been with the bank ever since.

The fact that he has performed so many different jobs over the years has given Wheaton a good base of knowledge in several different capacities. He rose through the ranks, and in 2003 became a senior vice president and branch administrator, a position that didn’t exist when he started with the company.

The highlight of his career has been the privilege of working with so many great people, he said.

For the past 10 years, Wheaton has worked with a program called Dollars and Sense, teaching fifth-graders at Root Elementary School about finance and money.

He enjoys spending time with his family, and loves being outdoors, whether camping or just working in the yard.