2023 Most Influential Women: Stephanie Matthews

Stephanie Matthews greets each day with a simple intention.

“I do what I can, where I can,” says Matthews, vice president and business development officer at Simmons Bank. “A phrase often heard at my church is ‘arrows pointed out,’ which simply means keeping our focus on others and the needs around us. I do my best to live with eyes wide open and arrows pointed out. If I see a need I can address, my next step is to use my resources and network to do so.”

When Matthews started at Simmons Bank in 2021, she brought extensive experience in higher education. She began as an assistant director of admissions at Southwest Baptist University before moving to career services at Southern Regional Technical College in Georgia. Then in 2006, Matthews started a 15-year stint at Missouri State University, beginning in the office of publications before transitioning to alumni relations and, finally, to the development office, where she was the director of corporate and foundation relations, a new position at the time.

“I was tasked with establishing a grants and corporate engagement program to expand the organization’s reach. In my nearly six years in that role, I was able to implement a strategy to establish key relationships,” Matthews says. “The result was millions of dollars through new funding sources and additional resources to support faculty, staff and students.”

Now at Simmons Bank, Matthews focuses on plans for growth across all business lines, from retail and mortgage to commercial lending and private wealth.

“I have implemented a strategic development plan for our southwest Missouri market spanning 10 counties which outlines prospect cultivation, customer retention, best practices, brand awareness efforts and engagement opportunities,” she says.

Matthews also works to provide equitable access to financial resources, helping organizations that serve lower- and middle-income people.

“I have been successful in increasing awareness of financial solutions, engaging more associates in community service activities and bringing additional resources to southwest Missouri,” she says.

When Matthews isn’t at work connecting people to resources, she applies those skills to her civic involvement.

“Springfield is my home. It is the place I have chosen to live, work, raise my children and serve,” she says. “I do not want to merely be an observer of what happens in my own community but to use my time, talent and treasure to make an impact.”

Matthews has volunteered on behalf of Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, Make-a-Wish Foundation and Southwest Missouri Grant Writers. She’s a graduate of Leadership Springfield, through which she’s been involved with Rosie, a networking group for women.

Matthews also sits on the board of the Springfield Dream Center, which offers programs and support to help families achieve long-term stability.

“In my role at Simmons Bank, I am well-positioned to make an impact through philanthropy, employee volunteerism, financial literacy and partnerships,” she says.