Great Scott! Meet Highway Commissioner-Banker Frank Scott

Editor’s note:  This article, written by Casey Penn, appears in our latest magazine edition of Talk Business Arkansas, which you can read at this link. 

Frank D. Scott, Jr., 30, has the heart of a servant and – it seems – wisdom beyond his years.

The commercial lending executive for First Security Bank, and former advisor to Gov. Mike Beebe, has earned a reputation for his leadership skills in business, politics and faith. And despite being only 30, Scott already has years of experience making life-changing decisions – including this past October when he said yes to Gov. Mike Beebe who appointed him to fill the unexpired term of John Burkhalter on the Arkansas State Highway Commission, which will expire in January of 2017.

A native of Little Rock, Scott is a former member of the Pulaski Technical College Board of Trustees and currently serves on several boards including the Little Rock Port Authority, UALR Alumni Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and he attends Greater Second Baptist Church in Little Rock, where he serves as an ordained minister on the associate ministers’ staff and as a member of the church’s board of trustees.

THE BUSINESS OF POLICY
At age 21, Scott had a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Memphis and was already a manager at Target Corporation’s Arkansas Distribution Center in Maumelle. It was a short-lived role, but one that taught him a great deal.

“While working at Target, I listened to the concerns of my employees. It was a challenge,” he said. “I had to lead people who were twice my age, I had to hold them accountable while gaining their respect, and I had to be humble enough to gain their respect.”

“I enjoyed the job so much, but I still felt a desire to get involved,” said Scott, whose interest in Arkansas politics and policy had developed partly, he says, from living outside the state.

While at the University of Memphis, he did a small stint as Student Government Association Speaker of the Senate and worked on a couple of electoral campaigns.

“I gained an appreciation for my home in Arkansas – and Little Rock. I always loved Arkansas, but being away made me love it even more,” he said.

As manager of the night shift at Target, Scott had a little free time during the workday (“when I should have been sleeping,” he says) during which he found his opportunity to get involved through a fraternity brother who was working with Gov. Beebe’s campaign.

“From February 2006 through the end of the campaign, I was a campaign volunteer,” recalls Scott. “In January 2007, I transitioned to being part of Beebe’s administration.”

For the next five years, Scott worked in Mike Beebe’s gubernatorial administration, primarily as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs & Deputy Director of Policy. He was the liaison between the governor’s office and everyone else (the White House, Congressional members and staffs, federal agencies, the National Governors Association, Southern Governors Association, etc.). He advised the governor on his legislative agenda as well as on an array of public policies such as broadband, budget, health care, health information technology (HIT), human services, economic development, and workforce development.

FORGING TWO PASSIONS
In January 2012, Scott left the Beebe administration to join First Security Bank as a commercial lender. While he has a true passion for public policy, he also has a keen drive to serve in business leadership.

“I didn’t feel led to have a career in politics. It’s kind of common for political administration members to go into lobbying. I didn’t desire to do that. At night, while in politics, I attended UALR and obtained my Masters in Business Administration,” said Scott.

As a man of dual passions, Scott felt commercial banking was a good fit for him.

“I found that even in politics, it was advantageous to understand business. The two things tie together. I cut my teeth in business, where I gained a true understanding of operations management,” he said. “What better way to forge business and policy than to get involved with community banking and economic development? It’s my job to create a better environment for businesses and their workforce by expanding financial options … to create better economy, to create taxpayers, to keep money in the state.”

A STRICT POLICY OF GRATITUDE
As remarkable as the decade of legislative and business experience on his resume is, even more impressive – and refreshing – is Scott’s evident gratefulness for the opportunities that have come his way. He’s thankful to have worked for Gov. Beebe at the highest level of state government.

“Being at that level, I could truly see changes made on a daily basis – sometimes with just a phone call that established a connection. Helping a constituent felt good,” he said.

Scott is honored, too, by his appointment to the Arkansas State Highway Commission. “I count it as a blessing to join the Highway Commission,” he said. “He took a chance on me, and I have a responsibility to live up to his choice.”

He’s grateful that his position at First Security allows him to serve on the Highway Commission, where he enjoys still having a hand in public policy. He said, “I’m so appreciative to First Security Bank and the Rutledge family for allowing me the time to serve our state in this capacity.”

Scott is also appreciative of his parents, whom he credits for his success. Their sacrifices gave him and his siblings a fighting chance at a good life. “Do your best, be your best self, work hard, treat others how you want to be treated, and understand that your faith in God is what will get you through on the darkest days,” he said, sharing the biggest lesson they imparted to him. “They provided that strong foundation … I realize how that foundation steers the direction of my life and because of that, I pay much homage to my parents.”

That strong core foundation of faith is evident in the future goals of this young, accomplished Arkansas businessman. “I want to be a servant leader,” he said. “I want to be a servant leader at First Security Bank, at the Highway Commission, and for this state.”