Arvest Sees Staff Changes

There’s been a shake-up at Arvest Asset Management.

Mel Parks, it seems, resigned as president and CEO on March 14. The announcement was made to other Arvest employees via e-mail on March 15.

If Parks’ resignation seems unexpected, the fact he resigned on a Monday afternoon lends at least a little credence to that notion. Regardless, Jim King has been promoted to fill Parks’ spot. That announcement was made March 24.

King now will be responsible for the leadership and management of AAM’s three operating entities: Arvest Investments Inc., Arvest Trust Company and Arvest Insurance. King will be based in Northwest Arkansas.

 

More Movement

Whispers also understands Lance Clark is leaving Arvest, where his work centers around commercial lending.

Clark’s new gig is at Great Southern Bank, where he’ll head up its private banking and treasury management departments in Northwest Arkansas. GSB, of Springfield, Mo., began taking deposits in May after operating a loan production office in Benton County for several years.