10 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT LORI BALDOCK AND SIMMONS BANK Her eyes might be one of the first things people notice about Lori Baldock, Simmons Bank Fort Worth Market President. A sense of sincerity and genuine interest can be seen in their golden-brown depths; characteristics that speak to the values Baldock finds crucial as the point person in Simmons Bank’s role as the official bank of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. “Today’s commitment from Simmons Bank is greater than any I have ever been involved with previously,” she said. “Simmons Bank is a community bank, and this partnership is a great example of the value created by our investment as evidenced by the Stock Show’s economic impact on Fort Worth. That value is exponentially greater when you witness what happens in the barns and during the Sale of Champions, when hundreds of students from across Texas leave with thousands in scholarships and prize money targeted toward their education.” Headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Simmons Bank first appeared in North Texas in 2017. While the name may have been a new one to Fort Worth, the bank brought a history that spanned more than a century, beginning in 1903. Today, Simmons Bank has approximately $28 billion in assets and locations throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. When Simmons came to North Texas, it came with a bang, joining Dickies Arena as a founding partner and securing the naming rights to the popular Simmons Bank Plaza, where Stock Show fans gather before and after each rodeo performance to enjoy an abundance of entertainment options, including the Bud Light Roadhouse and The Corkyard. After Simmons Bank arrived in Texas, Baldock was named market president in 2019, a role she relishes as she melds it with extensive community involvement that has been part of her desire to pay it forward for important causes. She is a board member of Downtown Fort Worth Inc., the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and formerly served as board chair for Near Southside Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Near Southside located in the Magnolia and medical district areas. Even though the FWSSR was the first rodeo relationship for Simmons Bank, it wasn’t Baldock’s first rodeo, not by a long shot. “My relationship with FWSSR goes back nearly 40 years when my husband, Mike, a born and raised Fort Worthian, first introduced me to the FWSSR,” she explained. “As a family, we have a 30+ year tradition of attending the Stock Show every year and we’ve enjoyed the chance to host many local TCU students to their first ever rodeo. Our three adult children are now involved as frequent visitors and Stock Show volunteers and, like Mike and I once were, are parents bringing their children to enjoy the Stock Show. I suppose that is one of the aspects that is most unique about it because I’ve had a personal relationship with the Stock Show for such a long time, it’s allowed me to share the value of the relationship with others from the bank in a truly genuine way.” Invitations from Simmons Bank to attend rodeo in Dickies Arena are highly coveted, she said, and is a highlight of the year for many of their banking clients. 10 Lori Baldock, Simmons Bank Fort Worth Market President, right, congratulates Tahoka FFA member Jynli Woodley, left, on the purchase of her American Cross steer. They are joined by Kim Carter of LKCM Headwater Investments. Women Steering Business photo
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