
Board of Directors - Director
Dr. Ed Wilkinson D.B.A., LL.M.
Arkansas-Fayetteville ’79
Ed Wilkinson resides in Greenwood, Arkansas. He met his wife of 30+ years, LaDonna, while training to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot. He earned his aviator wings and got a lot more. They have one son, Attorney Wm. Daniel Wilkinson. Ed followed family tradition as a community banker, state legislator, United States Navy officer, and brother of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BSBA, Finance & Banking, and MBA. Ed was inducted into the U of A “Towers of Old Main.” He served on the U of A Alumni Association national Board of Directors and on its Chancellor’s Society, Board of Advisors, and Campaign Arkansas. The active brethren of Lambda Chi elected Ed “2019 Alumnus of the Year.” Subsequently, Ed earned a Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) from Walden University. Using the conceptual framework learned at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Ed’s doctoral study was “Credit Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Within a Changing Environment.” Later, Ed earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Liverpool (UK). ” Ed is a third generation Farmers Banker. He has 40 years executive and board leadership experience. Ed has served Farmers Bank in virtually every capacity. He was elected Wilkinson Banking Corporation CEO 1986 and Farmers Bank President 1994. He is secretary of Arkansas Community Bankers Association Executive Board. Ed also served in both the U. S. Navy and the Arkansas legislature.