Sep. 20—Great Southern Bank announces the promotions of Steven Cooksey to System President and Chief Operating Officer, Michael Gibson to Chief Banking Officer and Executive Vice President, and Michelle Rowland to Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President according to Jeff McCoy, Chief Executive Officer.

McCoy stated that these promotions are in conjunction with the bank's management succession plan. "We are fortunate to have officers with this type of ability and experience. Their leadership will ensure the bank's continued success for years to come" stated McCoy.

Cooksey, a native of Meridian, joined Great Southern Bank in May 2015 as a Senior Vice President. In April 2016, he was named Chief Financial Officer and, since January 2020, has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Cooksey also serves as the Treasurer of Great Southern Capital Corporation, the Bank's parent holding company.

Cooksey graduated from Mississippi State University's Meridian Campus in May 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Industry with a concentration in Accounting and earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credential in March 2002. Prior to joining the Bank, he spent 16 years with Rea, Shaw, Giffin & Stuart, LLP, six of those years as a partner of the firm.

Cooksey is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), and the Adkerson School of Accountancy Advisory Council for Mississippi State University. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Meridian, past President of the Kiwanis Club of Meridian, and serves on the Board of Directors for the East Central Chapter of the MSCPA. He and his wife, Tracy, have two daughters, Savannah and Sarah. They are members of Pursuit Church of Meridian.

Gibson, a native of Laurel, is a graduate of Jones Junior College where he earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Business. He also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Mississippi State University and is a graduate of The Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. In 1993, Gibson started his financial career at Deposit Guaranty National Bank in Laurel, MS. Gibson's vast banking background includes Branch Management, Operations, Marketing, Compliance and Lending.

Gibson is the Board Chairman with the United Way of East Mississippi, Board Member for East Mississippi Business Development Foundation, Program Chairman of the Lauderdale County Distinguished Young Women Program, Board Member with Hope Village for Children, and Trustee for the Mississippi School of Banking. Gibson and his wife, Danyell, have two daughters, Anna Jane and Mary Michael. In addition to his banking career, Gibson serves as the Director of Music and Worship Ministries at First Presbyterian Church, Meridian.

Rowland, a resident of Marion, graduated from Northeast High School and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and Marketing from the University of West Alabama, Livingston, AL. In addition to the Southeastern School of Consumer Credit and Mississippi Bankers Association Commercial Lending schools, she also successfully completed the Bank Administration Institute's Loan Review Certification I and II. Rowland began her financial career in 1992 at BancorpSouth in Hattiesburg, MS. Joining Great Southern Bank in 1997 as Marketing and Training Coordinator, she later also served as Bonita Lakes Branch Manager and Loan Officer. In 2008, Rowland transferred to the Meridian Main Office as Vice-President, Marketing Officer and System Security Officer. In 2015, she assumed the role of Loan Review Officer and was promoted to Senior Vice-President in 2020.

Approaching her twenty-fifth anniversary with Great Southern Bank, Rowland was recently promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President. Rowland has served on the Mississippi Bankers Association Security Committee and Meridian Museum of Art Board. She also served as member and past president of Saint Patrick Catholic School Advisory Council and the Meridian First Ladies Civitan Club, where she received the Distinguished President Award.

Rowland and her husband, Scot, have two daughters, Annakatharine and Alexandria. As members of the Catholic Community of Meridian, the family enjoys attending both Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph Catholic Church.

Great Southern Bank, originally founded in 1902 as Bank of Quitman, holds assets totaling over $350 million and has over 105 employees that operate 12 retail banking locations in Meridian, Decatur, Quitman, Enterprise, Waynesboro and Hattiesburg.