Elizabeth Kelley

When we asked Elizabeth Kelley if a bank president had to be stodgy, she laughed and pointed to the gown hanging in her office. She had dressed up as Glenda the Good Witch for Mardi Gras festivities at the Crescent Hotel the previous weekend. When the staff had a Mardi Gras party at the bank a few days later, she put on the outfit again.

Most days around the bank are a little more serious, but she relies on her "wonderful staff" at Community First Bank to try to project a particular atmosphere. "Our customers tell us when they walk in, they can tell we're happy and having fun."

The attitude at the bank reflects the philosophy of the late King Gladden, who founded the bank. "He showed me how to be a true servant leader," Elizabeth said. "He would take out the trash himself when the bank first opened."

Elizabeth was 13 when her family moved to Eureka Springs. She graduated as class valedictorian a few years later, and ranked seventh out of a class of 1,200 students at Hendrix College.

After working at a major accounting firm in Little Rock, Elizabeth went to Arvest Bank Operations in Lowell. Gladden brought her to the Arvest Bank in Eureka Springs.

A few years later, Gladden left to start his own bank. Just a year later, in 1998, he offered Elizabeth the presidency of Community First in Eureka Springs.

"I was just 29, and scared to death," she confessed. She was acutely aware of being young, and a woman, in a field then dominated by older men.

Perhaps Gladden saw some of the confidence Elizabeth's parents had instilled in her. "They never told me I couldn't do anything, " she said. "When you don't fear failure, it's kind of fun to just jump out there and see what happens!"

She played soccer on a boys' team when there wasn't a program for girls, and she later played on the first women's soccer team at Hendrix.

"I entered accounting and banking when most partners were men, and most bank presidents, too," Elizabeth said.

She had dated Jimmy Kelley since high school, and they married in 1994. Jimmy is a firefighter and EMT.

Not too long ago, Elizabeth was much more involved in community activities. She has served as president of the local chapters of the Kiwanis and the Business & Professional Women.

She stepped back after becoming the mother of two girls, now four and two years old. "Right now, it's my calling to make sure those two little kids grow up knowing they can do anything."

Elizabeth is still very involved at the United Methodist Church, where she has attended church since her teen years.

Her faith has proven a great source of strength, especially when she faced the loss of King Gladden or the arrival of her children.

In her nine years with Community First, Elizabeth has become confident about her role as a woman in business, but she didn't hesitate what asked what she liked best about being a woman. "Jimmy's a great dad," she said, "but there are times when nothing but mom will do. I love being there for my kids at those moments."