Dec. 24—Austin Bank recently honored employees for their outstanding work and years of service with the company. They were recognized at the bank's 2022 Service Award Luncheon held December 15 at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler.

"We are proud of all these employees because they work as a team serving our friends, neighbors and businesses located here in East Texas," said Austin Bank Chairman Jeff Austin III. "They are the key to our bank's success. Each one takes pride in the tasks they handle in their job; and at the same time these employees continually strive to provide excellent service to our bank customers."

"At Austin Bank our employees are the difference and perpetuate Austin Bank's legacy. Each one has earned and deserves this recognition for their dedicated commitment to the bank and its customers. We are proud of their contributions and accomplishments," said Russ Gideon, President and CEO.

This year's annual luncheon honored a group of 63 employees with a combined total of 837 years of experience. Jacksonville recipients include:

Fifty Year Service Award

Laurel "Sissy" Phillips Austin, Senior Executive Vice President, began her banking career in 1972 as a loan officer at First National Bank, Jacksonville. The bank later became Austin Bank. A graduate of Jacksonville High School and the University of Oklahoma, Austin worked as an Aerospace Engineer at NASA and then as an Aerospace Engineering Consultant for TRW Systems before entering the banking field. A very active member of the Jacksonville community, Austin has served as President and Chairman of the Jacksonville United Fund, President of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, as well as Director and Chairman of the Cherokee County Hospital Authority. In addition, she was appointed to the Stephen F. Austin University Board of Regents where she served as Vice Chairman and Chairman. Austin has also been recognized as the Jacksonville Citizen of the Year; the Woman of the Year by Jacksonville Business and Professional Women; and received the Texas Bankers Association's Chairman's Award. Austin and her husband, Jeff Austin, Jr., have three children and six grandchildren.

Thirty-Five Year Service Award

Shawn Eyre, SVP/Location President for the Jacksonville downtown bank, started his banking career in the bookkeeping department. He later moved to the loan department and began serving customers as a lender in 1990. He was promoted to his current position in 2019. Eyre is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, Stephen F. Austin State University, Southwestern Graduate School of Banking, American Bankers Association Advanced Commercial Lending School and the Jacksonville Leadership Institute. A resident of Jacksonville, he serves as a Board member for Gateway Community Partners, on the Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the local Lions Club. Eyre and his wife, ReNae, have two grown children and two grandchildren.

Twenty-Five Year Service Award

Lynn Littlejohn is a Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Human Resources. She is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler. She and her husband, Paul, reside in Bullard, have two daughters, and two grandchildren. Littlejohn is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a member of the East Texas Chapter of CPAs. She is a member of Emerald Bay Community Church.

Shaunna Nolen, Vice President/Education and Training Officer, received an award for 25 years of service at Austin Bank. Currently responsible for overseeing the training and education of bank employees, Nolen has served in many roles throughout her tenure including teller, bookkeeper, credit department assistant and loan assistant. She is a graduate of Frankston High School, Austin Bank's Leadership Development course, was a 2021 graduate of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute Program and has completed numerous banking and training courses. Nolen and her husband, Richard, live with their two sons in Frankston.

Russ Gideon, President and Chief Executive Officer, joined Austin Bank in 1997 as Branch Manager of the bank's Grand Saline office before being named President and Chief Executive Officer of First State Bank, Frankston in 2003. In 2010, Gideon returned to Austin Bank serving as Regional President, Deputy Chief Lending Officer, Chief Lending Officer, and as the bank's Chief Operating Officer. A graduate of Grand Saline High School, Gideon earned a BBA in Finance at Tarleton State University, as well as degrees from the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU and ABA Graduate Commercial Lending School. Residents of Jacksonville, Russ and his wife, Cheryl, have two grown children.

Twenty Year Service Award

Jaime Moreira fills several roles in the downtown Jacksonville office. He serves as a mail courier, back-up Customer Service Representative and assists with building maintenance. He and his wife, Leticia, live in Jacksonville and have three children — Salvador, Humberto and Alexia. Moreira served on the Bank's Hispanic Task Force.

Ten Year Service Award

Diana Rubio, Customer Service Representative, works in the bank's Jacksonville office on South Jackson. Rubio joined the bank in 2012 as a teller before moving to her current position. She is a graduate of New Summerfield High School and now resides in Jacksonville with her three children — Allison, Myla, and Mateo.

Five Year Service Award

Taylor McRight, Teller at the Jacksonville South office, was born in raised in Jacksonville. A graduate of Jacksonville High School and a current student at Tyler Junior College, McRight and her husband, Grant, reside in Jacksonville with their daughter, Saylor.

Brandi Ramirez, Teller Operations Supervisor, started with the bank in 2017 as a teller before she was promoted to her supervising role in 2021. A graduate of Jacksonville High School and Penn Foster College, Ramirez has also completed the Austin Bank Leadership Program. She and her husband, Ruben, reside in Jacksonville with their three children — Thomas, Blake, and Alex.

Esperanza Urquiza Rangel, Teller Operations Supervisor, has held several positions at the bank including teller and customer service representative. A graduate of Jacksonville High School, Rangel completed the Austin Bank Leadership Program in 2021, is a current member of the Austin Bank Culture Committee, and serves in the Austin Bank Mentorship Program. She and her husband, Hector, reside in Jacksonville along with their two children — Ivan and Delilah.

Julisa Trujillo, Human Resource Specialist/Junior Recruiter, has over 10 years of experience in human resources with the last five being at Austin Bank. Trujillo served as a payroll specialist before moving to her current position. She is a graduate of Rusk High School, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program, and the Austin Bank Leadership Program. A resident of Rusk, she and her husband, Chris, have two children.

Kimberly Tucker, Regional President Loan Assistant, has been with the bank for five years and brought with her 15 years of legal field experience. A graduate of Jacksonville High School, Tyler Junior College, and Sam Houston State University, Tucker has also completed several banking courses including the Austin Bank Consumer Lending course and the Jacksonville Leadership Program. Tucker and her husband, Steve, reside in Frankston.

Austin Bank, a community bank headquartered in Jacksonville, has been voted one of the "Best Companies to Work for in Texas" for the fourteenth consecutive year. With assets in excess of $2.7 billion, bank offices are located in 36 East Texas locations within 26 cities and fourteen counties. Austin Bank is locally owned and operated by the Austin Family who is celebrating 113 years of service in the Texas banking industry.

More information about Austin Bank can be found on the bank's website at www.austinbank.com.