Howard joined Argent Trust Company in April 2012 as Chief Executive Officer and was named Vice Chairman in 2020. He serves families providing trust, investment, estate and family office services.
Howard has more than three decades of experience. Prior to joining Argent, he has served as President of a 900 million trust company, the Managing Partner for a 90 person CPA and consulting firm, a Chief Financial Officer for a substantial private company and a Controller for a NYSE public company.
Research Magazine honored Howard as one of five advisors nationwide inducted in the 2012 Hall of Fame. The Nashville Business Journal has named Howard as a “Power Leader in Finance” annually from 2016 through 2020. The October 2007 issue of Worth magazine named Howard as one of “The Top 100 Wealth Advisors”. JK Lasser’s New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning recognized Howard as a “Top Professional Advisor” in 2002. Howard was included in Worth’s “Best Financial Advisors” listing of “talented and trustworthy” advisors starting in 1996. In 1998, he was presented “The Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry Award” in recognition of his business achievements by the Tennessee Society of CPAs. The Society also presented Howard a leadership award for “Dedication to Excellence” in 2000.
In December 1999, Ticker magazine named Howard as one of the top five Ace Advisors in the nation. The magazine noted his work for his clients as being among the “Most Innovative Investment Professionals”. In March 1998, Howard was featured in the Dow Jones Investment Advisor story, “Top Billing” for his leadership in managing wealthy clients’ estates.
Howard served as a member of the 1994 CFP National Advisory Council on Financial Planning, which provides broad-based advice on the development of financial planning to the CFP Board, a non-profit professional regulatory organization. The 1994 Securities Industry Institute recognized him as an Exceptional Speaker for his presentation at the Wharton School.
In 1992, he was presented the “Outstanding Service Award” from the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA) Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Division. He is one of six CPA’s who served on the original AICPA PFP Committee, which achieved Senior Technical Committee status. He is a past chairman of the Tennessee Society of CPAs PFP Committee, and past president of the LINC-Society of CPA Financial Planners.
He lives in Nashville with his wife Arlene and is especially proud of their three daughters, Lori, Traci and Mindy, and seven grandchildren.
