Forty Under 40: Erica Preston

Erica Preston has climbed the ladder for 18 years, and the ascension didn’t stop when she joined Chambers Bank in March.

She was hired initially as senior vice president and retail manager, but when the COO of the bank’s holding company (Chambers Bancshares Inc.) resigned a month later, she was the in-house choice to fill the role.

She now oversees branch operations at the Danville-based company’s 18 lending locations in the state.

Preston began her banking career while attending the University of Arkansas, working as a part-time teller for First Financial Bank in July 1997. She began full time at the bank, even before graduating in 2000, with degrees in psychology and political science.

FFB’s six NWA branches were acquired by Simmons Bank that same year, and Preston continued to advance within the organization, becoming a branch manager in 2001, senior vice president in 2008 and regional operations manager in 2014.

Preston, who recently completed the three-year Graduate School of Banking program in Colorado, has a personality that is suited to seeking out responsibility. That is her advice for other up-and-comers, both professionally and in the community.

“Don’t wait to be asked to do something,” she explained. “Be the one who volunteers to do things.”

Preston is active with several groups, including Leadership Benton County and the Sunshine School and Development Center.

She loves music and attending concerts, and Pearl Jam is easily her favorite band.

Preston lives with her husband and 5-year-old son in Bentonville.