For over three decades, it has always been about service for Debra Smith.
The notion of service is what inspired the Yazoo City native to join the banking industry. Serving as first vice president and banking center manager at BankPlus, Smith is exactly where she can fulfill that desire…to serve.
“I love customer service and being able to assist people with their financial needs,” Smith said. “I get a joy out of working with customers and being there to assist them with a variety of needs concerning the banking industry.”
Smith, a 1981 graduate of Yazoo City High School, attended Belhaven University, where she majored in business management. She later joined the banking industry in 1986.
Smith is also a 2005 graduate of The Mississippi School of Banking.
“I always had the perspective of business, and I wanted to join an area where I could assist people from a business standpoint,” Smith said.
Smith first joined Unifirst Savings and Loan in Yazoo City as a teller. She would later be promoted to head teller and then a customer service representative. When Citizens Bank purchased Unifirst in 1990, several opportunities arrived for her to consider for the future.
“I felt I was ready for a new challenge,” she said. “One of the first positions open was in the loan department so I took that position with documentation filing.”
From there, Smith progressed from consumer loans to assistant vice president. When the local bank changed its name to BankPlus, she would eventually transition to first vice president, a role she has had for the past three years.
Although customer service is the most rewarding experience for Smith, she admits that are its share of challenges. The biggest?
“Technology,” she said, with a smile. “It is certainly more rapid than it was when I started some years ago. Something is always changing on a consistent basis and very quickly. You must rely on your knowledge to get to the next level. But embrace the change. I find when you embrace the change, it makes it so much easier.”
Another great benefit of working within the BankPlus family is the bank’s service to the community, Smith said.
“They are concerned about their customers, as well as their employees,” she said. “They offer a lot of services to this community and the surrounding areas as well. We are customer and community minded.”
It is a special industry to work for, Smith said. And to be able to provide that service to her hometown makes it even more special.
“Yazoo’s people care for each other,” Smith said. “Her people are always willing to help. They will lend a helping hand in any situation.”
When she is not at work, Smith enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband Edward Smith and their children. She is a member of Word of Truth Full Gospel Church. And she finds peace in reading and traveling.
