Jeff Austin III, vice chairman of the board of Jacksonville-based Austin Bank, recently announced the promotion of two employees. The promotions were approved at the July board meeting at the Austin Bank corporate office.

Teressa Karns has been promoted to vice president/retail market manager. Having served for the past seven years as retail office manager of the Nacogdoches office, she will move into her new role as retail market manager of the Piney Woods region, consisting of Nacogdoches, Timpson, Garrison and Lufkin. She fills the role being vacated with the retirement of Pat Davis.

Karns joined Austin Bank in 2011, bringing with her four years of banking experience. She has worked as teller operations supervisor and loan assistant in the Nacogdoches office before assuming the position of retail office manager in 2014. In March, she was named vice president/assistant retail market manager for the Piney Woods and Southeast regions. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, Karns has also completed the Dale Carnegie Leadership course and the Austin Bank Leadership program.

Megan Hodgkins has been promoted to assistant vice president/assistant CRA officer. She joined the Austin Bank team as a teller in the Timpson office in 2010. In 2011, she moved into the role of loan assistant in Timpson before going to work for the bank’s Longview lenders. While in Longview, she served as regional trainer for loan assistants and on the wire committee.

Established in 1900, Austin Bank has assets of more than $2.4 billion and operates bank offices in 34 East Texas locations within 24 cities and 12 counties.