Shanea Floyd – A Heart for Helping

by jaclyn rose

Born and raised in south Polk County, Shanea Floyd is a dedicated citizen, always ready to lend a hand to her neighbor and better her community.  After graduating from Wickes High School in 1999, Floyd married her husband Brandon, who at the time was active duty Army, and the couple moved to Fort Hood.  “Being an Army wife wasn’t easy.  I would relive just about anything, except that.  Brandon went to Iraq between the 2003-2005 time frame and it was hard.  He works off now, but nothing compares to him being over there.  My husband and I had some issues years ago, like all couples do, and my dad told me to be sure that I knew what I was doing because someone else could be rocking my sick babies and that is all it took for me to tell him, ‘get in here and let’s work this out.’  I want to be the only one rocking my babies.  For us, that is the main drive to make our marriage work,” explained Floyd.

As soon as possible, the Floyds moved back to Polk County where they now live on a farm in Hatfield.  “My daddy told my husband that we better be back home before we had our children or else my husband would be coming to visit them here,” Floyd said with a laugh.  The couple has three children, Makaya, a 12-year old 7th grader at Cossatot River High School, and 9 year old twins, Luke and Lacy, who are 3rd graders at Wickes Elementary.  “I love watching my kids become who they are going to be.  At three years old I could already tell my twins’ personalities, Luke was like a laid back older man, while Lacy is me made over, she just gets things done, and Makaya is just her own person and is really protective of her brother and sister,” Floyd explained.

After moving back to Polk County, Floyd began her career in banking and worked for 11 years at First National Bank in Mena.  “You name it, I did it,” said Floyd with a laugh.  “Technically though, I was a loan processer for Bobby Sanders and Greg Goss.  I loved Bobby like a dad, he was such a great man and I really enjoyed working for Gary Newcomb.”  Three years ago, Floyd was able to move her career back to south Polk County by accepting a job as a teller for the Union Bank Wickes Branch.  “I’ve always seen and heard how Union Bank employees are so well respected by the company and they are, they really treat their employees wonderfully.  I think one of the things I like so much is that they are hometown to the bone.  My co-workers and my boss, Kyle Cannon, are so wonderful about letting me work on community events.  For Relay for Life, we sold 140 dozen chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day, out of this branch. We had customers even coming in to help us, because they believe in the cause.  So much of the work I did for the Ty Thacker Family Fun Day, I did at my desk and it takes them caring about the cause and their community, to let me do that,” Floyd explained.  “I also own a photography business, Memory Lane Photography by Shanea Floyd, which is a wonderful creative outlet.”

Aside from her work and her family, Floyd stays very busy with community events.  A member of the Polk County Fair Board and part of the Fair and Rodeo Committee, Floyd oversees concessions at any event held at the Fairgrounds.  She also serves as a director for the Eagles Nest Foundation, the Cossatot River Booster Club, which provides the necessities for athletes and other functions from the quiz bowl to the band and choir.  Floyd is also a director and a coach for the Polk County Basketball Association and she and her family are active members of the Zafra Church of Christ.

When a member of her community is in crisis and needs help, Floyd is one of the first to step up to the plate.  “I like to help the different families in the community with their events and when Ty Thacker was diagnosed I just felt like God laid it on my heart to help and I’m a firm believer that when God lays things on your heart, you need to do it.  I think He gave me the ability to be able to organize those types of events, so I feel like I should use it.  And we live in such a generous community and that helps so much,” explained Floyd.  The Ty Thacker Family Fun Day went on to raise $17,000 to assist the Thacker family during Ty’s ongoing battle with Leukemia.  “I couldn’t do half of what I do without this wonderful community and the generosity of the people and the businesses in it.  Their support is so important,” Floyd explained.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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