Bruce Maloch, one of the longest-serving and most respected leaders in the 120-year history of Farmers Bank & Trust, is set to retire from banking at the conclusion of 2026.
A lifelong resident of Emerson, Arkansas, Maloch currently serves as vice chairman and general counsel of Farmers Bank & Trust. He has spent his entire career in Columbia County, joining the bank on May 1, 1986.
Over that time, Maloch has seen Farmers Bank & Trust grow from approximately 40 employees and two locations in Magnolia, Arkansas, into a regional financial provider with more than 400 employees, two sister companies, and 34 branches across Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. During that time, he has also helped oversee the bank’s assets grow from less than $100 million to almost $3.2 billion today.
“Those early years were both work and fun at the same time,” said Maloch. “The bank’s growth and impact on the communities we serve have allowed me to anticipate coming to work every day for over 40 years.”
Before joining Famers Bank & Trust, Maloch worked as an attorney at Anderson, Crumpler, Bell, and Maloch in Magnolia, Arkansas. At 28, he transitioned into banking.
Maloch’s connection to Farmers Bank & Trust began long before 1986, though. During the 1971-72 school year, as a ninth-grader working on a project with Future Farmers of America (FFA), Maloch asked the bank for a $1,000 loan to buy an Angus cow. The bank approved the request, and that helped launch his success in FFA, an organization that he is still active in today. By the time Maloch graduated from Emerson High School in 1975, he had been elected State FFA President and named State Star Farmer. He also served as a National FFA Officer, which took him to the White House to meet President Jimmy Carter and to 46 states and six foreign countries over the year-long appointment.
“The loan I got from Farmers Bank as a ninth-grader was more than a legal transaction,” Maloch said. “It enabled me to start a high-quality project that propelled my interest and success in FFA.”
A dedicated public servant, Maloch also served 14 years in the Arkansas State Legislature. First, as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, where he represented District 4 from 2005 to 2011, and then as Senator of District 12 from 2013 to 2021. During that time, he chaired the Joint Budget Committee. Prior to his election to the state legislature, he served 10 years as a Columbia County Justice of the Peace.
In addition to his public service, Maloch is a lifelong cattleman, farm advocate, and civic leader. He is Chairman of the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show Association, the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Foundation, the Arkansas Farm Bureau AgPac board, and serves as a board member of the Arkansas FFA Foundation and the Arkansas State Board of Animal Health. In the past, he has served as President of the Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and as a board member of the Columbia County Industrial Development Corporation, Abilities Unlimited, Magnolia Rotary Club, and the South Arkansas Development Council.
Among his many professional accomplishments, Maloch is also known as one of the premier auctioneers in Arkansas. Developing the skill since 1977, he has become a familiar voice and figure at junior livestock premium sales and other charitable events across the state.
Over a lifetime of service to agriculture, his community, and the state, Maloch has earned many honors. He was named the Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2019, and, as a legislator, he was named Legislator of the Year by the Arkansas Realtors Association, received Outstanding Legislator honors from the Arkansas Municipal League, and was named one of the top ten legislators by Talk Business magazine.
He is an alumni of Southern Arkansas University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in 1980 and a Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law. He also completed executive and leadership programs at Georgetown University and Southern Methodist University.
Upon his official retirement on Dec. 31, 2026, Maloch will remain connected to Farmers Bank & Trust as a consultant, advisor, and member of the board of directors. He also hopes to continue his lifelong love of farming and plans to spend even more time with his family, including his wife of 47 years, Martha, and their three children and five granddaughters.
“Retirement is bittersweet in some ways, because I will miss daily contact with my Farmers Bank family,” said Maloch. ”I have been blessed to work for a bank committed to helping our customers reach their financial and life’s goals, just like it did for me starting in the ninth grade, and one that unselfishly gives back to the communities we serve.”
Chris Gosnell, chairman, president, and CEO of Farmers Bank & Trust, said, “I cannot express into words how much Bruce means to Farmers Bank, to this community, and to me as a leader, a mentor, and a visionary. For 40 years, his wisdom and steady counsel have helped shape who we are and who we will continue to be. On behalf of everyone at Farmers Bank, thank you, Bruce, and thank you for all you have done for others and all you have accomplished over your incredible life and career.”
To celebrate Maloch’s time with Farmers Bank & Trust, a public reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Magnolia Main Branch at 200 E. Main St. Everyone is invited to attend.
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