Bank announces promotions
Farmers & Merchants Bank, headquartered in Stuttgart, and The Bank of Fayetteville announced the promotions of Jon Aaron Jackson, Miranda Gauthier and Jayson Krisell to community president, according to a news release.
Jackson will lead Stuttgart, Gauthier will lead the Springdale market and Krisell will oversee the Fayetteville area.
Jackson of Stuttgart is a 30-year banking veteran. Jackson most recently served as vice president of lending in Farmers and Merchants’ Southeast Arkansas market, specializing in commercial, consumer and agriculture loans.
A Stuttgart native, Jackson attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello and began his banking career with First Commercial Bank in Little Rock before moving to Clarksville, where he managed a mortgage company for First Security Bank. He later returned to Stuttgart to serve as loan officer and vice president for BancorpSouth, a role he held for 20 years before joining Farmers and Merchants Bank in 2021.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jackson serves on the Stuttgart Industrial Development Corporation (SIDC) Board, is a Stuttgart Rotary Club member and is a member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. He lives in Stuttgart with his daughter, Ella Gray, and enjoys golf, hunting and spending summers on Lake Hamilton. He is in the second year of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking Commercial Lending School at SMU.
“Taking on this role is a privilege,” Jackson said. “I look forward to building on the trust we’ve established here and ensuring that Farmers and Merchants Bank continues to lead with integrity and a community-first mindset.”
Springdale resident Gauthier has 20 years of banking experience spanning nearly every area of lending, including loan operations, commercial and consumer lending, and market leadership. She most recently served as senior commercial loan officer at the Farmers and Merchants loan production office in Springdale after joining the organization in March 2025. Before that, she held leadership and lending roles at United Bank, Centennial Bank and Today’s Bank, where she also served as market president.
A Fayetteville native who has lived in Springdale for more than two decades, Gauthier has been an Ambassador for the Springdale Chamber of Commerce for several years, is a CASA volunteer supporting children in foster care, and is a graduate of Leadership Springdale Class XXVI. She and her husband also own Impact CFA, a youth sports organization serving teams across multiple states.
Krisell of Fayetteville most recently served as private banking loan officer at The Bank of Fayetteville’s main branch. He has more than a decade of experience as a business owner and financial professional. Before joining the bank, Krisell owned and operated Krisell and Jennings Agency, which was voted Best Insurance Agency six consecutive years from 2018-23 before being sold in 2023.
Krisell was named among the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 2025 40 Under 40 honorees and is a graduate of Leadership Fayetteville Class 39. He has served on the board of Hope Cancer Resources since 2019 and helped establish its annual Toss for Hope Cornhole Tournament in memory of his father, Greg Krisell. He and his wife, Casey, have two children, Cope and Collyn, and are active members of Cross Church in Fayetteville.
UAM continues virtual sessions
Due to winter weather resulting in unsafe travel conditions, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), the UAM College of Technology-Crossett (UAM-CTC) and the UAM College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) will continue virtual learning and virtual business operations Thursday. Notices concerning the operation of each of UAM’s campuses can be obtained on the UAM website, on local TV and radio stations and through UAMAlert.
Russ center sets meeting
Community conversations will be held at the Carnell Russ Vision Center in Star City at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The agenda includes the 2026 calendar, community concerns, new community proposals and business opportunities, according to a news release. Leatrice Russ-Glenns is the executive director of the Carnell Russ Foundation.
AgHeritage to give $10.1 million
For the 20th year in a row, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services will return a portion of the association’s net earnings to its customer-owners through its Patronage Program. This year, the program will return $10.1 million to eligible customer-owners in February, according to a news release.
“Since 2006, AgHeritage has returned a total of $96.65 million in profit-sharing to eligible customer-owners through our Patronage Program,” said Greg Cole, AgHeritage president and chief executive officer. “This program has, for two decades, supported the economic health and long-term sustainability of the rural communities in our service area. By returning margins, we inject capital directly into local economies, which benefits not only farmers but also small businesses and infrastructure.” Details: agheritagefcs.com/patronage-program or 1-800-444-FARM.