LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Simmons Bank has named John Barber executive vice president and chief credit officer and Jimmy Crocker executive vice president, wealth management. Both executives will be based in Simmons’ River Market building in Little Rock.
John Barber, executive vice president and chief credit officer
Barber, who previously served as executive vice president and senior credit officer for IberiaBank in Texas, has been named executive vice president and chief credit officer for Simmons Bank. He will oversee the bank’s asset quality, directing the commercial lending approval process and ensuring regulatory compliance.
“John brings nearly 30 years of experience in commercial credit administration, underwriting and lending with major institutions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and northern Louisiana markets,” said George Makris Jr., chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corporation. “His credit expertise will be especially valuable in ensuring that Simmons’ performance continues to keep pace with our rapid growth.”
Barber holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana in Monroe and is an alumnus of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
Barber’s arrival also marks a shift in leadership for Steve Wade, Simmons’ former chief credit officer. Wade will transition to the role of assistant general counsel, leveraging his respective 37 and 20 years of industry and company experience to focus on credit and lending in Simmons’ Office of General Counsel.
Jimmy Crocker, executive vice president, wealth management
Crocker has been named Simmons’ executive vice president, wealth management. In addition to overseeing business strategy for this business area, his responsibilities will include driving sales, fee income, compliance and operations related to the fiduciary function of Simmons.
“Jimmy’s track record for visionary growth and strategic leadership aligns perfectly with Simmons’ goals for this role,” said Makris. “We look forward to our trust and investments teams and clients benefitting from his exceptional insight.”
With more than 27 years of experience, Crocker joins Simmons from IberiaBank, where he most recently served as executive vice president and director of trust after being hired to build the bank’s fiduciary business in 2010. In his new role, he will oversee more than 100 trust associates serving Simmons’ entire seven-state footprint with approximately $6 billion in assets under management.
A University of Mississippi alumnus, Crocker also holds a juris doctor from Birmingham School of Law and a master’s degree from the University of Alabama. In addition to serving as a member of the Alabama State Bar and the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, he taught wills and trust classes for 17 years at Birmingham School of Law, where he was named “Professor of the Year” four times by the graduating third-year class.
About Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank is an Arkansas state-chartered bank that began in 1903. Through the decades, Simmons has developed a full suite of financial products and services designed to meet the needs of individual consumers and business customers alike. Simmons has grown steadily and today operates more than 200 branch locations throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Simmons is the subsidiary bank for Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a publicly traded bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with total consolidated assets of $21.9 billion as of June 30, 2020. For more information, visit www.simmonsbank.com.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
SARAH SHAFER
Simmons Bank
Communications Specialist
501.612.8412 (mobile)
sarah.shafer@simmonsbank.com