Austin Bank

**EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT:** This week’s employee spotlight is Chris Molina. Chris has been with Austin Bank since 2018 and currently serves as a Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager. Chris splits his time, serving customers in both our Lindale and Tyler West Loop offices. With 15 years of banking experience and a degree from UT Austin, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team. His commitment to building strong relationships with our customers is truly appreciated. We appreciate you, Chris! #WeAreAustinBank #banklocal #communitybanking

It is with heartfelt sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Laurel Ann (Sissy) Phillips Austin who left us on Thursday, August 29. She touched the lives of all who knew her with endless warmth, infectious laughter, and unwavering kindness. One of the first female aerospace engineers for NASA and TRW Systems in Houston, Sissy made Jacksonville her home once again when she married Jeff Austin, Jr. on September 18, 1971. Sissy served as a member of the Austin Bank Leadership Team from 1972 to her death. She was Chief Lending Officer, Investment Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Bank and Austin Bancorp, Inc. She graduated from Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU in 1977 and was a 2022 recipient of the Texas Bankers Association 50 Year Banker award. Sissy was an approachable and sincere mentor to many. As a trailblazer for progress, she shared her knowledge with fellow bankers and other advice seekers. A common phrase around the bank is: “If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it the way Sissy told you”. These words will always ring true, and many of us will always ask ourselves: “What would Sissy do”? Thank you, Sissy, for your love, patience, laughs, and all the good times. https://lnkd.in/d3TyE8Cu

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: This week’s employee spotlight is Hannah Cochrane. Hannah joined the Austin Bank team in 2018, and currently serves as a Customer Service Representative in our Jacksonville Main office. Hannah has a variety of banking experience, previously serving as a Teller throughout the Southwest Region. We appreciate you, Hannah! #WeAreAustinBank #JacksonvilleTX #banklocal

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: This week’s employee spotlight is Ricardo Baeza. Ricardo joined the Austin Bank team in 2018 and holds over 27 years of experience in the banking industry. He currently serves as Vice President and Relationship Manager for our Longview Loop office. Ricardo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from UNITEC along with an MBA from Texas A&M. We appreciate you, Ricardo! #WeAreAustinBank #LongviewTX #banklocal

Please join us in congratulating Lisa Emmons, Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Banking from our Jacksonville Office on her retirement after 26 years of invaluable service with Austin Bank. Thank you, Lisa! We wish you a Happy Retirement from the Austin Bank Family, and all the best in your next chapter ⭐ #WithYouForGood

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: This week’s employee spotlight is Ashley Twigg. Ashley joined the Austin Bank team in 2018. She currently serves as a Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Assistant in our Whitehouse office. Ashley does exceptional work and is a summa cum laude graduate of Schreiner University! We appreciate you, Ashley! ⭐ #WeAreAustinBank #WhitehouseTX #banklocal

⭐Congratulations to our August Star of the Month - Jeri Hein! “Jeri has a willingness to soak up as much knowledge as she can so that she can provide even more value to our customers. An asset to our region, we are very glad to have Jeri’s help.” You can read more about Jeri here: https://lnkd.in/gQHuqPzi #WithYouForGood

The Core Value Ambassador Awards program is an internal program designed to highlight and recognize our six Austin Bank Core Values: Appreciation, Unity, Service, Trustworthiness, Integrity and Nurturing. These six core values are a representation of the bank’s vision, mission and principals. We are proud to announce our first round of Core Value Grand Ambassadors. These stellar employees were nominated by their peers and hand selected as representatives from each region for our first AUSTIN Core Value: Appreciation. Join us in congratulating these six amazing members of the Austin Bank team! (📸 left to right) ⭐North Region- Lynette Martin- Retail Office Manager- Longview Oak Forest ⭐Piney Woods Region- Jodie Ham- Regional President Loan Assistant- Nacogdoches ⭐Rural Region- Casey Nix- Assistant Retail Office Manager- Kilgore ⭐Smith County Region- Kenny Stuth- CLD Assistant Manager - Whitehouse/CLD ⭐South East Region- Lizbet Portillo- Retail Office Manager- Cleveland ⭐South West Region- Robbie Davidson- Systems Administrator - Jacksonville #WithYouForGood #CoreValues #Appreciation

Our Board of Directors is proud to announce the following promotion and new hire! ⭐ Dee Dee Lang, Vice President, Assistant Internal Auditor promoted to Fraud Department Manager ⭐ Elva Estrada, named Vice President, Relationship Manager for our Tyler Med Center office. Elva brings over 20 years of banking experience to her role at Austin Bank - be sure to stop by and meet her! Congratulations to Dee Dee and Elva! #WithYouForGood #Promotions

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: This week's spotlight is Marti Hart! Marti currently serves as the Retail Office Manager in our Gilmer office. She joined the Austin Bank team in 2018, and brings over 15 years of banking experience to her position. Marti has served successfully in multiple roles during her banking career and holds a Business Management degree from Kilgore College. We appreciate you, Marti! ⭐ #WeAreAustinBank #GilmerTX #banklocal