Broken Arrow Banker Recognized for 50 Years of Service

Virginia W. Johnson inducted into the Oklahoma Bankers Association’s 50-Year Club.

AVB Bank and the Broken Arrow community would like to offer congratulations to Virginia W. Johnson, director of AVB Bank in Broken Arrow, who was among six Oklahoma bankers to recently be inducted into the Oklahoma Bankers Association’s 50-Year Club. The elite club is comprised of individuals who have devoted 50 years or more of service to Oklahoma’s banking industry. The 2009 inductions took place during the awards dinner at OBA’s 112th Leadership Forum and Annual Convention, held May 18 and 19 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman. 

Virginia W. Johnson attributes her longevity in the industry to loving the customers, making them happy, and simply being a good friend to them. She joined Arkansas Valley State Bank on April 1, 1957, as one of six employees. Named for the fertile Arkansas Valley that surrounds the area, the bank eventually modified its name to AVSB, and in October of last year officially became AVB Bank. Throughout the bank’s changes, Johnson has remained a vital, steady force in the company. She has held most positions within the bank, including president in 1984 – a time when few women were in bank management.  

One of Johnson’s favorite positions that she held was as a teller. This was a place where she could visit with all the customers; she says they always had good stories to tell. Johnson retired in January of 1998. Today, she continues to serve AVB as a bank director.  

AVB also congratulates this year’s other inductees: A.P. “Pat” Martin, chairman, Okemah National Bank, Okemah; H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt; chairman, BancFirst, Oklahoma City; Charles L. Stoner, chairman, Welch State Bank, Welch; Norma Vanderslice, teller, The Central National Bank of Alva, Woodward; and Ray Ventris, director, The Bank of Union, El Reno.

Virginia Johnson has remained at AVB because she truly believes in the company. A fourth-generation, family-owned community bank, AVB was founded in Broken Arrow in 1905, two years prior to Oklahoma statehood. The bank provides a wide range of financial services, including personal, business and online banking. They offer home equity lines of credit, free financial educational seminars, health savings accounts, IRAs and much more. Online banking with bill payment and cash management is available, in addition to installment loans with automatic draft from your checking account. The loan department can arrange small business loans, mortgages and construction to permanent financing. Also, more than 104,000 ATM locations are on hand throughout the United States and in 43 countries worldwide, so AVB customers have access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no matter where they are.

Stop by and see the bank to which Johnson has devoted five decades. AVB has three locations in Broken Arrow – 302 S. Main St., 6401 S. Elm Pl., and 2201 N. Elm Pl. in Stone Wood Hills – and one location in Tulsa at 9800 E. 51st St. Lobby hours for all locations are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The drive-through is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information, contact

AVB Bank

(918) 251-9611

www.bankavb.com