Memorial Day is time to honor the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect America’s freedom. In honor of Memorial Day, Simmons Bank associates Morris Estep and Caleb Goss share their insights into service, sacrifice and the many ways we honor and remember our Veterans.
Q: Tell us about your service and which branch of the military you served?
Morris: I served initially in cavalry units as a company grade officer, then was selected for additional educational opportunities and training as the Army’s version of a data scientist; I served as special staff to senior decision makers across multiple areas from campaign wargames to evaluating models and weapon systems for the Army. I served in the US Army while on active duty for 15 years and then in the Texas Army National Guard for 6 years, ultimately retiring in February 2022 as a Lieutenant Colonel after the privilege of serving and leading troops as a Battalion Commander.
Caleb: I commissioned into the Army as an Armor Officer from the United States Military Academy and medically retired in late 2017.
Q: Can you each share your role and responsibilities here at Simmons Bank?
M: I am the SVP of Enterprise, Operational, and Model Risk – the teams and I provide the oversight and quantify Simmons’ risk exposures to ensure that across all functions, we are mitigating our risk-taking activities to that of acceptable levels in pursuit of Simmons’ Strategy and shareholder expectations.
C: Currently I serve as the VP of Marketing Technology and Insights. In this role I am fortunate enough to support our various marketing technologies such as our CRM system, corporate email platform, and a handful of others. Our team also supports Simmons Bank’s Customer Experience program as well as marketing analytics.
Q: Caleb you are one of the co-leaders for the Veterans Business Resource Group (BRG), can you share with us how the group provides support and resources for Veterans?
C: Since the Veterans BRG was formed, we have seen continued growth in membership and as more members join, the more services we are able to provide across the Simmons Bank footprint. To help provide transitioning service members an opportunity to gain relevant experience in the civilian workspace, Simmons Bank has become an industry partner with the Department of Defense SkillBridge. One of the BRG co-leaders, Corey Groves, started his tenure with Simmons Bank via this program before transitioning as a full-time associate upon the completion of the SkillBridge program and retirement from the Air Force. Additionally, we have recently partnered with a local chapter of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to provide members resources to assist them in navigating the VA benefits process. Finally, the BRG is partnering with outside organizations that focus on equipping Veterans with mental health assistance via support from other veterans that have shared experiences and are able to relate to the challenges that our service members face daily.
Q: With Memorial Day coming up, can you share how Simmons Bank honors our Veterans?
C: There are multiple events taking place across the footprint in support of Memorial Day. At both the River Market and West Little Rock locations, Simmons Bank will be setting up Missing Service Member tables which are a solemn way to honor service members who haven’t returned home. Additionally, the Veterans BRG will be volunteering at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day, placing flags at the headstones of the service members buried at the cemetery.
Looking forward to Veterans Day, the BRG provides the opportunity for Simmons’ associates to bring in photos of themselves or family members that have served. Throughout the week of Veterans Day, ribbons are provided for associates to wear indicating if they have served in the Armed Forces, have a family member that has served, or are an ally to our service members.
Q: Caleb, what drew you towards leading the Veterans BRG at Simmons Bank?
C: I have been fortunate enough to serve as a co-leader for the Veterans BRG since its founding in 2022. Knowing that I was not unique in the challenges that I faced transitioning from the military, I have always had a passion for helping others in that process. The BRG provides the perfect venue for helping others adjust to the civilian sector as well as supporting other challenges that our Veterans and service members face. It is incredibly fulfilling being part of an organization like Simmons Bank that supports our Veterans and service members so heavily.
Q: What would you say to someone considering becoming a member of the Simmons Bank team who is also a Veteran?
C: Take the leap and join! We are constantly looking to transform the BRG so that we best serve our Veterans here at Simmons Bank and within our local communities. The group provides a venue to connect to others with shared experiences and build relationships that stretch beyond the workplace.
Q: How did your experience in the military prepare you for your position at Simmons Bank?
M: The military allows you the privilege to serve in a structured environment among others that want to serve our Nation and lead our most valuable resource: our sons and daughters. You quickly learn self-sacrifice, place a great deal of emphasis on teamwork, taking care of your people, discipline, decisiveness, and having the mental and physical grit to accomplish missions assigned to you regardless of the obstacles that one may encounter.
Moreover, the military provides opportunities to interact with other foreign militaries and learn from them: their cultures, belief systems, and how their military shapes and influences their societies. Those opportunities permit a more diverse and inclusive perspective and strengthens our commitment to serving: you have to build rapport and understand other cultures’ viewpoints quickly especially in combat when conducting joint missions with your foreign counterparts. The military prepares one for the same challenges that one encounters in the civilian / corporate world.
C: The military placed me in situations where I had to grow as a leader and was forced to understand how to be the most effective in my role. I quickly learned the value of trust within an organization and amongst team. While the situations might differ from the military, the challenges placed before us can still be solved with the same leadership principles — providing the appropriate resources with the tools and direction to succeed and then trusting the team to execute.
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced in transitioning from the military to the private sector?
M: The military provided comradery of a deep and strong level that is due to a commonality of shared experiences across all branches with other Veterans: this helped re-integrating back into civilian life because those shared experiences draw other Veterans together into a community. That community helped navigate the forgotten and unfamiliar requirements of living in challenging times like the COVID Pandemic.
C: Similar to other service members transitioning to the civilian workforce, I struggled with translating my knowledge and experience from the Army into the private sector. I was fortunate enough to have mentors who were willing to help me navigate the process and eventually landed at Simmons Bank.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Morris Estep and Caleb Goss and are not endorsed by, and do not necessarily reflect the views of, Simmons Bank. Simmons Bank does not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice.