Published: August 21, 2008 03:45 pm            

Loan officer promotes community to drive business

A part of 20 under 35, a supplement of The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — Darin Kent, senior vice president and loan officer at Citizens Bank of Edmond, believes it’s important to improve community growth in order to have successful businesses. That is one reason why he maintained status as one of the top volunteers for Edmondopoly, the first resource campaign to fund new and existing programs for the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I look at Edmondopoly as a way to offer opportunities to members of our community,” Kent said. “I think in all businesses, the community drives the business.”

He said it is important to make sure all community programs are vibrant in order to maintain a good quality of life.

Kent took a job as assistant vice president and loan officer at Citizens Bank in 2004. He worked for about two years at Great Southern Bank in Missouri, a $2 billion bank. Kent worked his way up from an assistant manager to a credit analysis and loan officer.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a master’s degree in communication from Missouri State University.

“I was a diver in college and my wife was a swimmer,” Kent said.

He made many trips to Edmond, where his future wife, Tyler, was raised.

“I was impressed with the overall quality of life,” he said.

Three months before Tyler finished a teaching assistantship in Missouri, a position opened at Citizen’s Bank. The couple decided to move back to Edmond and Kent took the position.

“I felt there was a ceiling at the old bank,” he said. “This bank, in a smaller community, gives you more of a chance to show your skills and progress faster.”

Kent said he can have better personal relationships and contact with his customers at a smaller bank.

He worked his way up to vice president in 2006 and then to senior vice president in 2007.

“He’s very passionate about what he does,” said Amy Bailey, Citizens Bank of Edmond loan officer. “At the same time, he can put business aside and talk as a person to anyone.”

Kent currently is completing a graduate degree at the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado.

He is the treasurer for the Edmond Public Schools Foundation Executive Committee and the secretary for the Fine Arts Institute of Edmond Executive Committee. Kent also is a member of the Edmond Rotary Club and the chairman of Youth Leadership.

“If we don’t continue to look for ways to improve community, our growth will slow,” Kent said. “We have to do each one our parts to make it better.”

He said as a business leader it is important to have passion for yourself, your company and your community. Kent said it is important to always follow through with what you say you’re going to do and never think anything is beneath you.

When the loan officer is not promoting business or community, he spends time playing sports, watching movies and viewing art. He also spends a lot of time with his wife and his 7-month-old daughter, Ryan.

        

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