Arvest Tabs Missouri Executive to Lead Fort Smith Market

Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank announced Thursday that Rodney Shepard, president and CEO of Arvest Bank of Springfield, Missouri, has been named the president and CEO of Arvest Bank of Fort Smith, effective June 1.

Shepart spent 17 years working in the region before spending the last three years in Springfield.

Arvest operates 16 autonomous, locally-managed banks, each with its own local president, board of directors and management team.

“We are looking forward to having Rodney back in the Fort Smith community,” Arvest Bank regional executive Cliff Gibbs said in a news release. “He played a vital role during his tenure in Fort Smith prior to leading the team in Springfield. Rodney understands the Arvest culture and will hit the ground running upon his return to the community that he loves and supports.”

Shepard replaces Craig Rivaldo, who was named in April to lead Arvest’s Benton County market.

In Springfield, Shepard was involved in the growth and development of a new Arvest market. That included the acquisition of six new branches in the region and opening Arvest’s third LEED-Certified Branch.

The acquisition increased the total of Arvest branches in the area to 13, and staffing also doubled during Shepard’s time in Springfield.

 “I’m very excited and grateful to have the privilege to come back to the Arvest customers, associates, and the entire community in Fort Smith,” Shepard said. “I was blessed with a wonderful opportunity in Springfield and now I look forward to bringing all my new knowledge and gained experiences back to the Fort Smith region.” 

Shepard’s career spans more than two decades and includes a variety of positions across the retail banking spectrum. Shepard began as a credit manager in 1991 for Norwest Financial in Roland, Oklahoma. Since then, he has worked as a consumer lender, consumer lending manager, regional market manager, branch administrator and sales manager, among other roles.

During his time in Springfield, Shepard served on the board of directors for the Missouri Bankers Association, United Way of the Ozarks and the Public Utilities for the City of Springfield. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Leadership Springfield program and a member of the Springfield Southeast Rotary Club.

Shepard was actively involved in the Fort Smith community during his previous time there. He has served as a director of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund, a member of the advisory council for Young Emerging Leaders of the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, and as a council member for the 188^th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith.

He has also been involved with the River Front Blues Society, Fort Smith Area United Way, the Old Fort River Festival, and is a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith.