July 25, 2025
First Community Bank is proud to announce that Nikki Smith, vice president, credit analyst for the bank’s Harrison region, and Brandt McDonald, vice president, retail banking at the Batesville headquarters, have graduated from the prestigious Paul W. Barret, Jr. Graduate School of Banking in Memphis,Tennessee.
Smith and McDonald were among 83 students who completed the rigorous three-year curriculum and graduated with the class of 2025. The school was held May 18-23 on the campus of Christian Brothers University in Memphis. Jennifer Nunley, chairman of the board of regents, addressed graduates during theceremony and congratulated them on behalf of the board.
“We are proud of Nikki and Brandt for their dedication to continuing their education and enhancing their leadership in the banking industry,” said Boris Dover, president and chief operating officer of First Community Bank.“Their accomplishment is a reflection of our bank’s ongoing investment in the professional development of our team members.”
In addition to comprehensive course work, students attended the annual Paul W. Barret, Jr. Lecture Series event featuring keynote speaker Amy Purdy—two-time Paralympic medalist, New York Times best-selling author, and co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports.
For over 50 years, the Paul W. Barret, Jr. Graduate School of Banking has provided advanced banking education focused on all facets of commercial banking. This year’s session hosted 236 financial industry professionals from 33 states. Graduates received more than 150 hours of instruction and completed in-depth reports across eight areas of study.
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