October 26, 2022
First Community Bank’s Bill Oliva has been honored by the Arkansas Bankers Association with the Bill Holmes Leadership Award. This prestigious distinction recognizes outstanding leadership among the emerging leaders in Arkansas banking. The award is in honor of former ABA President Bill Holmes (1949-2018) to recognize rising stars who contribute to team success, industry success, and to making an impact on their communities.
“Bill’s career is a reflection of his values that civic and community engagement go hand-in-hand with what he does every day as a commercial lender and as an integral part of our bank’s efforts in diversity outreach,” said Boris Dover, president and chief operating officer for First Community Bank. “Bill exemplifies the spirit of the Bill Holmes Leadership Award. Having personally known Mr. Bill Holmes and the tremendous legacy that he left behind, I think this particular award recipient would make him proud. We congratulate Bill and thank him for his continued service.”
“This is a huge award, and I’m flattered to receive such an accolade,” said Bill Oliva, vice president, commercial lending & diversity outreach. “For me, banking has been not only rewarding but also a challenging career path. To know that we can help serve the communities that we’re in by helping underserved families buy their first homes, start successful businesses, or further their children’s education is a unique and powerful opportunity that we get to be a part of everyday. I’m grateful to First Community Bank for taking an interest in me at a young age, and helping me to reach the milestones that I have achieved to date. Finally, I want to thank the Arkansas Bankers Association for presenting me with this tremendous honor. ”
Oliva came to First Community Bank as a senior high student at Batesville High School participating in JAG, a job placement program, where he began in the maintenance department in 2007, before officially joining the bank in 2008. He has 15 years of banking experience and will be a graduate of the Barret School of Banking in 2023.
Oliva has served the bank in various roles including marketing, insurance, Hispanic outreach and lending. In his current role as vice president, commercial lender and diversity outreach officer, he focuses on commercial lending within Independence County and the surrounding areas, as well as works diligently to provide quality-banking services to the underbanked communities in the area.
Oliva is a graduate of Leadership Batesville and was named Ambassador of the Year in 2016 by the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been featured in the Arkansas Bankers Association (ABA) Emerging Leaders Spotlights and Millennial Minute. He also participated as a DEI panel member at the ABA Annual Convention in 2021. He serves on the North East Arkansas Hispanic Professionals Network (NEAHPN) whose mission is to empower Hispanic youth to seek higher education opportunities through fundraisers for scholarships. Furthermore, he serves on the adult education board of the NEAHPN which caters to non-traditional students, who are steered often toward obtaining their GEDs or considering a trade school, such as the robust programming offered by the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. He is an emeritus ambassador with the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. In addition to raising their two young children, Oliva and his wife, Sydney, own and operate successful area businesses.
What’s more, Oliva was recognized by the Emerging Leaders Section of the Arkansas Bankers Association at the 2022 Emerging Leaders Leadership Conference Bankers Association on October 25 where educational sessions focused on banking industry trends, leadership development skills, and networking.
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