[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 8, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S5440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       TRIBUTE TO CANDACE FRANKS

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, I rise today to celebrate 
Commissioner Candace Franks for all she has accomplished over her 40-
year career with the Arkansas State Bank Department, ASBD. She will 
retire as department commissioner in October, an especially significant 
milestone given her appointment as the first female in this role and 
her tenure as the longest serving commissioner in ASBD history.
  Commissioner Franks' leadership at the ASBD has directly improved the 
economic well-being of Arkansas communities and citizens by ensuring 
safe, convenient, and competitive banking. The department was 
established in 1903 to fulfill a simple yet essential role: regulate 
Arkansas banks and bank holding companies. Since her arrival at the 
department, she has worked tirelessly to achieve the mission of safe 
and sound financial institutions that garner public confidence. An 
impressive statistic demonstrates this dedication: When she began in 
1980, the department oversaw institutions holding $7 billion in assets; 
as she leaves in 2020, the institutions now hold over $123 billion in 
assets.
  She grounds herself in the notion that hard work, commitment, and 
patience pay off. After completing three postsecondary degrees--two at 
Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and one at the University of 
Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law--she joined the ASBD as 
general counsel in 1980. She held this position until she was promoted 
to deputy commissioner and general counsel in 1995, before her 
appointment to commissioner in 2007.
  Commissioner Franks' ability to lead, guide, and better the State of 
Arkansas extends beyond her critical role in the financial sector. From 
2014 to 2015, she served as chairman of the Conference of State Bank 
Supervisors, where she is now chairman emeritus. She currently serves 
as chairman of the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System after 
being appointed to the board of trustees by Governor Asa Hutchinson in 
2017. Additionally, she serves as a trustee on the Arkansas Teachers 
Retirement System and the State Board of Finance.
  It is with no surprise that Commissioner Franks has been repeatedly 
recognized for her accomplished career and influence in Arkansas. For 3 
consecutive years--1996, 1997, and 1998--she was honored by Arkansas 
Business as one of the ``Top 100 Women in Arkansas.'' In 2010, she was 
recognized by the same publication as one of 20 ``Women of Influence'' 
in Arkansas.
  On behalf of Arkansas, our financial institutions, and the ASBD, I 
thank Commissioner Candace Franks for her dedication to developing a 
healthy banking system that improves the quality of life in Arkansas. I 
wish her well in her retirement.

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