Benton woman: Service on public safety panel 'learning experience'
By MIKE DOUGHERTY Editor

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT MIKE DOUGHERTY PHOTO Winnie Stamps, a 1978 graduate of Benton High School, said she tries to stay involved in the community. Stamps is vice president/corporate compliance officer for Iberia Bank.

Winnie Stamps said she tries to do her part to help the community. When Benton Alderman Charles Cunningham asked her to serve as a member of the Citizens Public Safety Committee, she agreed to do it.

"I said, 'Yes, I can do that.' " Stamps said. "I've always tried to be a good citizen and do my part.

Stamps is vice president/corporate compliance officer of Iberia Bank, which owns Pulaski Bank. Her office is in Little Rock.

"I was enlightened about police and fire protection," she said of her experience on the CPSC. "There is so much that I didn't know before I became a member of the committee.

"I think most people in Benton are that way. Because the police officers and the firefighters do such a good job, we don't realize the true situation."

She said the continued excellent protection in the city, despite police and firefighting personnel being down in numbers, is a tribute to the officers and firefighters and the excellent leadership of Fire Chief Ben Blankenship and Police Chief Gary Sipes.

"Chief Blankenship did such a good job when we asked for the information when we were studying what the departments needed. It was complete … very professional."

Members of a statistics class from University of Central Arkansas at Conway are conducting a telephone survey of Benton residents for the committee. Their calls will be completed this week, but results will not be compiled for a month or so.

Town-hall-style meetings to be hosted by the committee are scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, Gene Moss Building, Tyndall Park; 7 p.m., Thursday, April 10, First Assembly of God, 1801 Hot Springs Road (Arkansas 5 South); and 7 p.m., Thursday, April 17, City Council Chambers, Benton City Hall, 114 S. East St.

At those meetings, the committee will present its findings to the public and listen to their opinions on police, fire and emergency service in the Benton community.

Committee members also are speak- ing at civic clubs, property owners associations and senior centers. One was held at the Benton Senior Activity Center Tuesday.

Stamps grew up in Benton, attending Westside Elementary and Westside Junior High schools before graduating from Benton High School in 1978.

She attended Hendrix College, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She took a year off, during which she served as a substitute teacher in the Benton School District.

Then she took a part-time job with Benton State Bank, which is where she began working with regulatory compliance issues. Eventually, Benton State Bank became First Commercial Bank and then Regions Bank.

In 2006, when her position was moved to Birmingham, Ala., Stamps moved to Iberia Bank, which has its headquarters in Lafayette, La. Iberia bought Pulaski Bank in 2007.

Stamps said she has tried to be a part of the community. She is a member of Club in Benton, of which she is president-elect. She also is a member of the Wilma Stewart Garden Club and the Urban Financial Coalition of Central Arkansas.

She attends Johnson Street Church of Christ and said she served as a volunteer in the campaign of Charlie Cole Chaffin of Benton, when Chaffin was serving in the Arkansas Senate.

"I try to keep abreast of what's going on in Saline County and Benton," Stamps said. She acknowledged that she likes the community in which she grew up, and chooses to still live here, despite working in Little Rock.

"Race relations are not horrible here," she said, "though, like a lot of places, they could stand to improve."

She said she believes that talking about problems between different races always helps. "I believe it helps for people to talk to each other about the way they feel."

She noted, though, that all races have their instances of prejudice, whether it comes in the form of stereotyping or having preconceived notions about someone before meeting them.

Stamps said her time spent serving on the Citizens Public Safety Committee has been a learning experience.

"I have learned a lot about police, fire and emergency services on this committee," she said, "and all of the issues that these departments are dealing with, while continuing to do a good job. I have been impressed."