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ABA: The American Bankers Association
Press Release
  • For Immediate Release
  • October 27, 2026

Eagle Bank & Trust Chairman and CEO Catherine Owen Elected as New ABA Chair

SALT LAKE CITY — The American Bankers Association today announced the election of Catherine Owen as its chair for the 2026-2027 association year at ABA’s annual convention in Salt Lake City. Owen is chair, president and CEO of State Holding Company, the holding company for Eagle Bank & Trust Company in Little Rock, Ark. She also serves as executive chair of Eagle Bank & Trust, a 107-year-old, $503 million state-chartered bank with 13 branches in central Arkansas and mortgage loan offices in Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana and Mississippi.
 
“Cathy brings exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to serving communities to her role as ABA chair,” said Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO. “Having spent her entire career in community banking, she understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing banks of all sizes. Cathy has been a dedicated leader within ABA for many years, and her decades of experience, perspective and passion for our industry will be invaluable as she guides our association in the year ahead.”
 
This year marks Owen’s 52nd year in banking. She began her career as a teenager working as a shred clerk at Eagle Bank & Trust and went on to serve in nearly every role within the organization before becoming president and CEO. Under her leadership, the bank has continued its longstanding commitment to serving customers and communities throughout Arkansas and beyond.
 
Owen has been an active leader at both the state and national levels. She served as chair of the Arkansas Bankers Association from 2018 to 2019 and remains the only woman to hold that position in the association’s 136-year history.
 
“I am honored to serve as ABA chair and represent banks across the country at such a critical time for our industry,” said Owen. “Banks of every size play a vital role in supporting economic growth, helping customers achieve their financial goals and strengthening their communities. I look forward to working with my fellow bankers to ensure our industry remains strong, innovative and well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of the people and businesses we serve.”
 
Owen was elected vice chair of the ABA Board of Directors in October 2024 and has held numerous leadership positions within the association. She has served on ABA’s Board and Executive Committee, chaired the association’s Compensation Committee and served on the Membership and Dues Committee. She also chaired ABA’s Government Relations Council and Professional Development Council, leading the latter for five years. In addition, she serves on the Conference of State Bank Supervisors Bank Advisory Board. She testified before the House Financial Services Committee on behalf of ABA in February 2025.
 
Beyond banking, Owen oversees One Financial Centre Real Estate Holdings and serves on the boards of Hastings Holding Company, Moon Distributors and Arkansas Bolt Company. She is past chair of the Baptist Health Hospital Foundation Board and past president of the Arkansas Arts Center Fine Arts Club, and she serves on the boards of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum Foundation, Fifty for the Future and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.
 
Owen has received numerous industry and community honors, including recognition as one of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking to Watch in 2022 and 2026, the 2026 Rotary Club of Little Rock’s Business & Professional Leader of the Year and induction into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame in 2023. Arkansas Business named her a 2023 Contemporary Legend after recognizing her for several years as one of the state’s most influential leaders. She also has been recognized as a Powerful Woman in Banking by Arkansas Money & Politics from 2022 through 2025 and received the 2019 Sandra Wilson Cherry Award for female leadership and community service. In 2019, she was knighted into the Knights of Saint Martin in Rome, Italy, in recognition of her commitment to equality and service.
 
Owen earned a B.S.B.A. degree in finance and banking from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and a graduate banking degree from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. She is also a graduate of the National Security Forum at the Air War College in Montgomery, Ala.

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About the American Bankers Association

The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation’s $26.5 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ over 2 million people, safeguard $20.7 trillion in deposits and extend $13.9 trillion in loans.

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