Bank On It: Noah Stoddard, Vice President, Accounting

Jacob Slaton

Noah Stoddard
Vice President, Accounting, First National Bank
Age: 28 | Hometown: Paragould | Alma Mater: Williams Baptist University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Noah Stoddard opened his first bank account when he was 16 years old, and it was the best money decision he’s ever made. Wishing he had started saving his money sooner, he began investing his hard-earned money during college. His interest in investing flourished, and he decided to pursue it as a career.

“I think if you enjoy finance and desire to understand the inner workings of a business, accounting is a great place to be,” Noah said.

Noah lives by the famous Warren Buffet quote, “Accounting is the language of business,” so he got his certified public accountant (CPA) licensure. Noah wants to fight the common misconception that accounting is boring work.

“Regularly, accounting requires you to leverage problem-solving and critical thinking skills to find solutions or provide insights that help inform decisions throughout the organization,” Noah said.

Noah’s financial role model is his dad. He watched his father work in banking when he was younger, which inspired Noah to believe he could do it, too. His favorite part of his job is the people he works with and the wide range of projects he works on.

“Accounting touches nearly every part of a business’s infrastructure, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how it operates,” Noah said.