Forty Under 40: Jay Amargos, 36

The only thing that could entice Jay Amargos to leave her VP job at Arvest, where she worked for 12 years, was the chance to touch even more lives.

A volunteer with ALPFA, an association of Latin American professionals, for two years, Amargos was chosen in April from a nationwide pool of candidates to lead the local chapter.

Her new job entails development, creating programs for high school and college students, and helping professionals move up in their careers.

“Even though it was hard to leave Arvest, a great company that taught me possibly 80 percent of the leadership skills I know, it was an easy transition because I felt ALPFA would offer a bigger platform, especially in the Hispanic community,” she said.

Amargos will finish her MBA in January at the University of Phoenix in Rogers. She’s cut back on volunteer work until then, but remains on the board of Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders.

Her No. 1 motivation is her 14-year-old son, who has autism.

“I see the persistence he has and the hunger he has for knowledge and doing things right,” she said. “He inspires me every day.”

Second is helping people reach their full potential.

“I’ve had really good mentors throughout my career and have been really grateful for that,” she said, “so I want to make that my mission, to help others.”