A resident of Wilmette, Illinois, Stuart Urkov studied psychology at Syracuse University. An experienced banker, Stuart Urkov is the manager of Waterman State Bank in Illinois and a member of several professional associations, including the Business Executive Association (BEA) in Chicago.

Formed in 1941, the Business Executive Association works to improve business networking and sharing of ideas. The group comprises leaders and business owners who lead a broad range of largely B2B businesses, including financial, insurance, real estate, and technology companies.

The members help each other through mentoring and educational programming. Besides sharing management philosophies, BEA strives to enhance learning by inviting experts and guest speakers to present innovative ideas to the members. BEA members also mark an annual day of service that benefits different community organizations.

A social group, members of BEA get together and meet twice a month. For now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings are held via Zoom twice a month.