Cathy Owen has been in the banking industry for almost 50 years, so she well remembers the days when she was the lone woman among her peers.
"Not many years ago," said Owen, chair of Eagle Bank & Trust Co. in Little Rock, Arkansas. "I was often the only, or one of few, females attending bank leadership conferences. Nearly always, male bankers and vendors would introduce themselves to my husband and ask about his bank. He isn't in banking, so he would look at them and reply, 'I'm only the eye candy' and tell them they need to talk to his wife, the banker. It became a great way to get a chuckle, but also make a point."
She added that this kind of interaction still happens on occasion today, even though it's a far rarer occurrence. In 2018, Owen became the first woman ever to lead the Arkansas Bankers Association, a position previously held by 127 men since its founding in 1891. "I hope the future brings a universal mindset, so that a female is always considered to be a possible peer," she said.
Owen has been with Eagle Bank in various positions for over 40 years and has been chairman since 2012. She is the majority owner of State Holding Co., which owns 99% of the bank.
The past year has been a strong one for the bank, which has around $500 million of assets and 13 locations across six states. "I am extremely proud of my bank leadership team and what we all accomplished with our PPP loans, the mortgage department ranking second in mortgage originations in our state and ending the year with our second-highest return on average assets," Owen said, referring to the Paycheck Protection Program.
Given these achievements, it's notable that Owens points to an off-site event from nearly a decade ago as an enduring source of pride. She helped restore a tugboat, the USS Hoga, that had been used to rescue sailors, fight fires and save boats during the attack on Pearl Harbor. With the boat rusting and decaying in a California bay, Owen led a fundraising effort that ultimately brought the Hoga to Little Rock, where it now resides at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. In gratitude, Little Rock's mayor declared a "Catherine H. Owen Day" in 2012.
