CNB names James P. Williams as chairman of board of directors
James P. Williams has served on the Citizens National Bank Board of Directors for over 24 years and is now moving into the Chairman of the Board position. During his time with CNB he has worked on various committees including the CNB Executive Committee, Directors Loan Committee and Loan Review Committee.
“Williams has served our shareholders with integrity and determination since he joined the Board of Directors. In his role as Chairman, we believe he will continue to contribute to the development of the company, its success and growth. It is a privilege to serve alongside him,” said Jason Smith, President and CEO of Citizens National Bank.
Williams attended C.E. Byrd High School and received his undergraduate degree from Centenary College. He obtained his medical degree from LSU Medical School New Orleans, Louisiana. He has practiced medicine in the Shreveport and Bossier City area for 50 years. In addition, Williams served on the Board of Directors of Broadmoor Baptist Church and as a Deacon for the church. Presently, he serves on the Board of Directors of NW La Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a recipient of the Founders Award from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
BOM’s Ken Hale to the ICBPAC Committee
The Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) has announced that Ken Hale, President and CEO of BOM Bank, Natchitoches, LA was elected to serve on ICBA’s ICBPAC Committee. ICBA is the nation’s voice for community banks and is committed to its 92-year mission of creating and promoting an environment where community banks flourish.
“As a civic leader and advocate for my community, I’m excited to work with ICBA to bring awareness to the vital role community banks serve locally and in our nation’s economy,” Hale said.
In addition to helping shape and advocate ICBA’s national policy positions and programs, Hale’s duties include engaging in grassroots activities in Louisiana to promote pro-community bank policies and serving as a liaison between community banks and ICBA staff and leadership in Washington, D.C.
Origin Bank promotes Price to Chief HR Officer
Origin Bank has promoted Ashlea Price to the role of Chief Human Resources Officer, Executive Vice President. Price has served the organization for more than 14 years in various roles including Director of Human Resources Operations & Strategy and Human Resources Services Director. She steps into this new position following the retirement of Linda Tuten, former Chief People and Diversity Officer, Executive Vice President.
In her new position, Price will continue to cultivate Origin’s award-wining culture, lead strategic efforts to attract top talent to the bank, oversee organizational design and efficiencies, promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and lead many other critical HR initiatives throughout the bank’s markets in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.
Price earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Entrepreneurship as well as a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech University. She has nearly 20 years of experience in Human Resources and holds designations as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from the Human Resource Certification Institute, a Senior Certified Professional from the Society for Human Resource Management, and Certified Compensation Professional from WorldatWork. She and her husband, Wesley Price, have two children and live in Ruston.
LSUHS medical student selected for prestigious NIH research program
Aaron Sheppard, a second-year medical student at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine, has been selected to participate in the 2022-2023 class of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP). The MRSP is a year-long residential research immersion program for future clinician-scientists who are current medical, dental, and veterinary students that advances health by inspiring careers in biomedical research. Aaron is one of 50 medical students from across the country and the first medical student from LSUHS chosen to participate in this prestigious program.
LSUHS faculty member awarded grant for Parkinson’s research
Stephan Witt, PhD, Chair and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been awarded a multi-Principal Investigator one-year R56 grant for $642,408 from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Dr. Witt is the Principal Investigator at LSU Health Shreveport and is collaborating with Dr. Joseph Mazzulli, the Principal Investigator at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, on this grant.
Dr. Witt and Dr. Mazzulli’s grant is titled “Examining the role of phosphatidylethanolamine and autophagic disruption in Lewy body dementias and Parkinson’s disease.”
Sepulvado joins Providence House as Director of Marketing and Community Engagement
Providence House welcomes Katherine Shirley Sepulvado as the new Director of Marketing and Community Engagement of the 34-year old non-profit organization. Sepulvado brings 30-years of traditional and digital marketing experience as well as graphic design, video production and copywriting.
Katherine is no stranger to the quad-state community. She was an Executive Commercial Producer with KTBS, a locally owned ABC affiliate that broadcasts seven channels to 28 parishes and counties for five years. She spent 15-years as Creative Director with Allegra Marketing and was a marketing intern with Missionary Assist Panama in Central America.