Arvest Opportunity Fund establishes advisory board

Arvest Opportunity Fund, a subsidiary of Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank, has established an advisory board and named six members from the bank’s four-state footprint.

According to a news release on Monday (June 17), Hillis Schild in Little Rock, executive director of the Arvest Opportunity Fund, is the board chair. Other members include:

• Mary Beth Brooks, director of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville
• Chris Benge, vice president of operations at the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
• Kate Bulger, vice president of business development, Money Management International
• Brennan Crawford, executive director of Community Housing of Wyandotte County in Kansas
• Algerian Hart, assistant to the President for Inclusive Engagement at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

“We are excited to have such an experienced group of professionals be part of our first advisory board,” Schild said. “They have a deep understanding of the challenges the underbanked population faces, and their insight and guidance will be valuable as we continue our mission of helping people reach their full potential through finance and education.”

According to the release, board members will serve three-year terms and meet regularly throughout the year.

Launched in August 2022 across four states, the Arvest Opportunity Fund provides loans, lines of credit and financial education to small businesses that don’t meet traditional bank credit requirements.

Since its creation, the program has assisted 466 small businesses with $13.7 million in loans.