Forty Under 40: Eileen Jennings
by January 1, 2014 12:00 am 163 views
After high school, Eileen Jennings’ only career aspiration was to be a clothing designer.
The St. Paul, Arkansas, native had been sewing since age 9 and could not imagine she would one day trade fashion for finance, but that’s what she did.
While studying at the University of Arkansas, Jennings discovered she enjoyed learning about economies around the world, and she ended up earning her bachelor’s degree in international business in 2000. Her studies included six months of French-language advanced international business classes in Toulouse, France.
One year after graduating, she had returned to school and finished her bachelor’s in finance. She then worked in Kansas City, Missouri, for a few years, but moved back to Northwest Arkansas in 2004 and has worked at Arvest Bank ever since.
At Arvest, Jennings is focused on helping others reach their potential.
“I really enjoy working with small businesses and listening to new ideas from entrepreneurs,” she said.
A breast cancer survivor, Jennings is heavily involved with the American Cancer Society, counseling newly diagnosed patients, and also serves as president of the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas.
But she still takes time to design. Her pieces have been in local boutiques, and she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every morning to work in her sewing studio on her family’s farm south of Fayetteville.