TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
TEXAS BANKING NEWS, PEOPLE AND IDEAS
Jess Laird, vice chairman of Athens-based First State Bank, is retiring on March 12 after 36 years of service. Laird began his banking career with First State Bank in 1988 as a loan officer. In 1999, he was named president and chief executive officer. In 2019, he was elected vice chairman by the First State … Read more
On August 7, Athens-based First State Bank broke ground on a new full-service banking center in Forney. Construction of the 4,278-square-foot facility is targeted for completion by the end of the year. Bank executives, along with general contractors with the SLI Group Inc., a fully integrated commercial design firm specializing in financial institutions, were on … Read more
Athens-based First State Bank has announced the hiring of two bankers to serve as senior vice presidents in lending: Blake Laird and J.D. King. With 15 years of experience in Texas community banking, Laird previously served as vice president and relationship manager at Austin Bank in Tyler. He holds a BS degree in economics from Texas … Read more
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Brad Curlee and reappointed Michael A. Neill to the School Land Board for terms set to expire on August 29, 2023. The board manages the acquisition, sale and mineral leasing of the lands that comprise the Permanent School Fund, which contributes billions of dollars each year to public education … Read more
Athens-based First State Bank recently announced several additions to the company’s board of directors. Lisa Kocian has been appointed to the bank’s board, and Cathy Jezek and Lee Tackett will serve as advisory directors. Lisa (Anderson) Kocian, PharmD, RPh, CDE, is co-owner of Gibson Pharmacy in Athens. She and her husband, Bruce, also a pharmacist, … Read more
This month, David Kelton Monk is celebrating 50 years in the Texas banking industry and he’s not done yet. He launched his banking career in September 1970 as a teller at Citizens State Bank in Malakoff. From 1972 to 1980, he served as vice president at First Savings & Loan in Athens. He then worked … Read more