Mikel Williamson, who served as president and CEO of Amarillo-based Happy State Bank until its 2022 merger with Conway, Arkansas-based Centennial Bank, has been named president of St. Louis, Missouri-based First Bank. He will also assume the role of CEO at the end of this year upon the retirement of Shelley Seifert, who has served as CEO since 2019. Seifert informed the board in late 2022 of her plans to retire. After an extensive search, the board selected Williamson to succeed her. Over the coming months, First Bank will work to transition Williamson into his new leadership role.

“I believe in the importance and vitality of regional banks, and First Bank is one of the strongest in the country,” Williamson says. “Shelley has positioned the bank for continued growth and I am excited to collaborate with this team to build upon our unique and valuable offering.”

After Happy State Bank was sold, Williamson stayed on to oversee the bank’s Texas market, representing approximately $6 billion in assets and more than 60 locations across the state. Prior to his 10-year stint at Happy State Bank, he had a variety of senior roles at Capital One, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America.

“Mikel is a proven leader and the perfect person to succeed Shelley,” says Michael Dierberg, chairman of FB Corp., First Bank’s holding company. “He has demonstrated success as a CEO and fostering growth through a strong culture and continuous improvement to serve clients. He shares our passion for making a difference in our communities and building our capabilities and team to serve family-owned and other privately held businesses, their executives, employees and families.”

“I am delighted that Mikel has joined us to continue the bank’s legacy,” Seifert says. “He is a terrific banker, talented leader and well-positioned to meet the opportunities that lie ahead.”