Rodney O. Parks
Rodney O. Parks is a 1991 graduate of Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance. He started his banking career in 1989, while in college. In 1993, he was promoted to executive management training, while at First National Bank of Russellville AR (now Regions Bank). Also that year, he was awarded the Leadership Award as part of Leadership Russellville sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. In 1994, he was hired at United Missouri Bank (UMB Bank) as a commercial credit analyst. Afterward, he was promoted to loan review analyst and then was to commercial loan officer. In 1997, he was hired as an assistant vice president of commercial lending at First Business Bank of Kansas City (now Marshall & Ilsey Bank). In 1999, he finished his coursework with an incomplete thesis for his MBA with a 3.21 GPA from Baker University in Kansas. Also that year, he joined the Arkansas Enterprise Group (now Southern Bancorp) as a program director over their $10 million revolving loan fund. In 2000, he joined Firstar Bank (now US Bancorp) as a Treasury Management Officer. In 2003, he joined Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor. He passed the rigorous training program and generated $16 million in assets/liabilities over a three year period and oversaw $26 million of wealth management. After being promoted into management; he assisted more than 50 financial advisors to seek new markets and improve efficiency. In 2008, he accepted the position as director of development at Philander Smith College. In 2010, he was nominated as one of the upcoming stars in higher education development by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Rodney O. Parks was elected president of the Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association in 2003. He has volunteered his time to the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Foundation in corporate sales since 2004. In that time, the foundation has awarded over $270,000 to community organizations across the state of Arkansas. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee appointed him to the Arkansas District Judges Retirement System Board of Trustees. In 2007, he graduated in the first class of Leadership Arkansas sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and also that year he was honored to be named as Arkansas Business Forty under Forty recipients. In 2009, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe appointed him to the State Banking Board of Arkansas. Through the years, he has been an adjunct professor at Pulaski Technical College, Philander Smith College and the University of Phoenix.
Rodney is married to the former Carmen Hamilton of Little Rock and have twin daughters. He is a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. since 1988. He likes to work with children’s organizations; was a “Big Brother” with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kansas City MO and was recognized as “Dad” of the Year for the Jack and Jill organization in central Arkansas. It is his belief that through service does one find their direction.
