In an alternate universe, Conway native Tammie Davis fulfilled her desire to help people by earning acceptance to and graduating from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and becoming a successful nurse.
That is just the path she was on before something — call it the butterfly effect — altered her course. Banking ultimately found and “chose” Davis, and the once would-be nurse is proving her course change was the right one as an executive for Cadence Bank in Little Rock.
“I was fortunate to be in a community with a great school system and teachers who truly cared about helping me reach my full potential,” she said. “When it came time for college and making career decisions, I leaned into my desire to help people and nursing felt like a good choice. I was accepted at the [UAMS] College of Nursing but needed to defer while I relocated to Little Rock.”
The deferment was supposed to be short term, but a funny thing happened after Davis took a job as a receptionist at Worthen Bank, now Bank of America. She loved what she did enough to reconsider her career path.
“I took a permanent position — which offered tuition assistance — and pursued an accounting degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.”
Davis worked in accounting in Little Rock and New York for several years after passing the certified public accountant exam, but banking would not let her go. She was asked to rejoin the team at Worthen as a commercial lender.
“I jumped at the chance. It was the perfect fit for me,” she said. “While I like number crunching, analysis and problem-solving, what I cherish most is building relationships. Banking lets me do that while helping individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals, which, in turn, helps build stronger communities. It’s a complete circle.”
Banking became an even better fit in 2021 when her employer, BancorpSouth — based in Tupelo, Mississippi, and with multiple locations in Arkansas — merged with Cadence Bank of Houston and adopted the latter’s name. The new bank became the sixth-largest in a nine-state footprint and had $48 billion in assets.
Recently promoted to division president for mid-south Arkansas, Davis oversees an area that includes the Little Rock market plus a “rich heritage of smaller communities” in south Arkansas — 15 branches in all.
“This diversity has enabled me to better understand that consideration must be given to each market because what works in one place may not work in another,” she said. “It is so important to listen to your teammates on the frontline and understand the needs of your customers to find positive outcomes. I now have the privilege of sharing lessons and passing along encouragement and helpful guidance that I received through the years.”
Davis is a seemingly tireless volunteer for local nonprofits. A member and former president of Junior League of Little Rock, she serves as a volunteer and fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, United Way and the American Heart Association. Davis and her husband, Mark, are the co-chairs for this year’s American Heart Association Central Arkansas Heart Ball.
For Davis, it has always been important that her bank shares her community values. Last year, Cadence provided $6.5 million in community-reinvestment-eligible grants and contributions while giving $7 million to charitable organizations within its footprint, she said.
“We also awarded $2.43 million in grants to partner organizations that support community-based organizations that help underserved communities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas,” she said. “I am so impressed by my Cadence teammates who work hard every day to help create positive change in our communities and foster sustainable economic growth. We genuinely want to empower and strengthen the communities that we are privileged to serve.”
Banking chose Davis all right, and she said she is grateful it did.
“I feel very fortunate that banking chose me,” she said. “It has been one of the greatest joys in my life to share my time and energy to help improve and make a difference in a community that has been such a blessing to my family.”
