NEA Women in Business: Melissa McDaniel

Residence: Jonesboro

Education: Bachelor’s degree in corporate finance and master’s degree in business administration, Arkansas State University

What character traits do you feel have benefited you in your success? I am competitive to a fault. If I am going to do something, I am going to strive to be the best.  Though this can just as easily become a downfall, I work to ensure this is a professional advantage. I want to ensure that I am the best that I can be individually and hope that I instill that same winning desire in my team.

What was your dream job and why? My dream job changed often as a child, at one point I wanted to design roller coasters and at another I was set on becoming an OBGYN. Funny enough, banking never made the list. My greatest fear was coming to an office and doing the same thing day after day. I knew I wanted a job that was always changing and always challenging. Fortunately, that is exactly what I found in my banking career.

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far? 2020 through 2022 were some of the most challenging times of my career. As we battled a nationwide pandemic, there were also a number of changes within our organization that directly impacted myself and my team. It became a challenge to separate work stress from personal stress. However, standing on the other side of that and looking back is extremely fulfilling. During that time, I was promoted to my role as market president and was able to build a banking team of the most talented and genuine individuals in the business. I was introduced to numerous mentors within the First Horizon organization that will continue to positively impact me both professionally and personally for years to come. Today, I am grateful for that challenging time and recognize it as one of tremendous personal growth and learning.

How do you spend your time away from work? What are your hobbies? If I am not in the office, I am traveling. I sometimes joke that I work in order to vacation. I love the process of planning a trip almost as much as I love going on a trip. Whether it is our annual Disney visit or a recent adventure through Iceland, Norway, and Belgium, I am always ready for the next vacation — and I will have a spreadsheet to keep things organized.

What advice would you give young women who are at the beginning of their careers? Be a rock star — no matter what the role. I think it is easy to feel like those early roles are less valuable or maybe even less than what is deserved based on education and experience, but in the end, if you can be a rock star at that role, the advancement and promotions will come. It is also the lessons learned in those early roles that often provide the foundation to make you successful in opportunities down the road.

Do you have a significant other and/or children? If so what do you guys like to do for fun? I have been married to Von McDaniel for 15 years, and we have two children, Eviegale (11) and Harris (6). Obviously, travel is a big passion for our entire family, but we also enjoy being at home in Jonesboro. We spend our time watching Eviegale perform in various musical theater productions, while Harris plays literally any and every sport he can find. We also never miss a chance to cheer on our Red Wolves.

What’s the next big personal or career challenge you plan to take on? My personal and career related goal is to continue to grow First Horizon’s impact in Northeast Arkansas by partnering with businesses and individuals that love this community as much as I do. Whether that means meeting loan and deposit needs of business partners, funding nonprofits with our First Horizon Foundation, or simply making our team available for community volunteer and leadership positions, I am committed to having a lasting impact on NEA as an organization and as an individual.

Can you share how COVID impacted your business or organization during the pandemic? Just the mention of COVID immediately conjures memories of 2 a.m. conference calls as I sat on my couch endlessly keying PPP loans for my clients. Banking as we knew it had to change, and it had to change quickly. Fortunately, we were prepared to shift most of our lenders to a work-from-home setting and were able to take care of our clients throughout the pandemic with little interruption. I am forever grateful to our retail staff that continued to keep our branches open for business.

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? I don’t necessarily have a bucket list, but if I did, it would center around travel. I would like to visit every continent, maybe spend a few months living abroad, and certainly experience every Disney Park.

What’s the last good book you read? I would love to offer up something truly inspirational here, maybe a great leadership or self-help book, but truth be told, I’m really good at buying these types of books, but not so great at actually reading them. I love to read, but my genre tends to be more of a great murder mystery or a novel centering around the Tudor dynasty and one of Henry VIII’s six wives.

What’s your favorite app at the moment? I purchased a Hatch alarm clock earlier this year and I love looking through all the listening and lighting options in their app. You can choose from hundreds of bedtime stories and sounds, then wake up to a rising sun and birds chirping. I keep thinking I will land on the combination that finally makes me a morning person.

Who have been mentors who’ve influenced your professional career? I can think of several individuals that impacted my professional path over the past 15 years. There have been a handful of previous managers and co-workers who allowed me to learn from them and ask an endless number of questions. However, when I think of one individual that set me on my track, it has to be Jim Washam, dean of the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University. The Lord was looking out for me when I found my way to his office as a freshman needing to choose a major. He agreed to be my adviser and has done just that for around 20 years now.