Austin Bank Honors Jacksonville Employees
December, 2007

Austin Bank recently honored 13 Jacksonville employees at its 2007 Service Award Luncheon. They were among 32 bank employees recognized for outstanding service and longevity on the job at a luncheon held December 7 at the Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler.

“We are proud to recognize these Jacksonville employees. They work as a team providing financial services to our friends, neighbors and the businesses in Jacksonville and throughout East Texas,” said Austin Bank Vice Chairman Jeff Austin III. “These valuable employees are dedicated, loyal workers who give our bank customers excellent service on a daily basis.”

 “At Austin Bank our employees are the difference.  We proudly recognize the commitment and dedication each of these individuals has made to the Bank and its customers,” said John P. Williams, President and CEO.

The annual luncheon recognized Austin Bank employees who completed five, 10, 15, or 20 years of service in 2007. 

Jacksonville employees receiving service awards were:

Shawn J. Eyre, Vice President of Lending, was the recipient of a 20 year service award.  Eyre is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, Tyler Junior College, Stephen F. Austin State University and the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking.  He has been actively involved in community organizations including the Jacksonville Lion’s Club and Kiwanis Club.  He is a member of the First Baptist Church.  Eyre and his wife, Renae, have two children, Bradley and Lauren.

Julia D. Davis received a 15 year service award.  Davis is the Retail Office Manager at the Jacksonville South bank location.  She has more that 26 years banking experience as a bookkeeper, teller, Credit Department Supervisor, lending associate and manager. Davis has been previously recognized by Austin Bank as employee of the quarter and employee of the year.  Davis and her husband, have two sons, PJ and Jeremy.  She is a member of Central Baptist Church.

Alisha Matejka was honored with a 15 year service award.  Matejka is a Lending Officer who has also worked in bookkeeping and as Loan Assistant.  She is a graduate of Neches High School and Tyler Junior College.  She is currently attending Texas Tech College.  Matejka has one daughter, Caitlyn, and a son, Westin.

Sandra (Sandi) Brown was honored for 10 years service.  Brown works as a teller in the Jacksonville Drive Thru.  A resident of Troup, she and her husband, Guy, have three sons and two grandchildren.

Keith Chambers, Senior Executive Vice President / Chief Financial Officer, was the recipient of a 10 year service award.  Chambers has 33 years banking and financial experience.  He is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and Trinity Lutheran Church in Tyler.  Chambers and his wife, Barbara, have two sons and one grand-daughter.

Debbie Colville received a 10 year Service Award.  Colville is the bank’s Assistant Controller and Vice President who has 29 years banking experience.  She is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, Tyler Junior College and the American Institute of Banking.  Colville and her husband, John, have a son, Jared, and daughter, Caitlynn.  She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville.

Lynn Littlejohn, Executive Vice President / Director of Human Resources, received a 10 year Service Award.  Littlejohn, a Certified Public Accountant, is a graduate of Jacksonville High School, the University of Texas at Tyler, and the Jacksonville Leadership Institute.   She is a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and First Baptist Church of Rusk.  She currently is a volunteer photographer for the Rusk Eagle Athletic Program and covers local sporting events for newspapers.  Littlejohn and her husband, Paul, have two daughters and one son-in-law, Sydney Littlejohn of Rusk and Kim and Nolen Moss of Gresham.

Sherri McDonald, a Customer Service Representative and Banking Officer, was the recipient of a five year service award.  McDonald recently completed certification as a Customer Service Representative through the Institute of Certified Bankers. She is a graduate of Jacksonville High School and Jacksonville College. McDonald has been recognized as Bealls' General Offices Employee of the Year and Girl of the Year by the Alpha Rho chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.  She is a volunteer at East Side School, a children’s teacher and assistant Choir Director at Central Baptist Church, Secretary of the Jacksonville Soccer Association and active in the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.  McDonald and her husband, Kevin, have a son, Jonathon, and daughter, Berkley.

Jaime Moreira, a Customer Service and Maintenance Assistant, was recognized for five years of service.  Moreira also serves as a Spanish translator for the bank.  A resident of Jacksonville, Moreira and his wife, Letica, have one daughter, Alexia, and two sons, Salvador and Humberto.  He is an active member of The Plan, an organization assisting Hispanics and others in the community, and Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.

Amy M. Phillips, a Customer Service Representative and back-up Teller, was honored for five years of service.  Phillips recently completed certification as a Customer Service Representative through the Institute of Certified Bankers.  A graduate of Jacksonville High school, she is currently attending LeToureau University.  She is also an active member of Green Acres Baptist Church volunteering as a choir member and Kindergarten teacher.

Melinda F. Russo, a Loan Assistant, was recognized for 5 years service with the bank.  She has also handled new accounts, teller reports and branch operations.  A graduate of Enid High School in Enid, OK, Russo attended Northern Oklahoma College and Community Bankers Lending School in 2006.  A resident of Bullard, she has two children, Chris and Carli.

Nettie Scott received a 5 year service award for work as a Teller.  Scott is a graduate of Jacksonville Senior High and attended Trinity Valley Community College and Tyler Junior College.  She and her husband, Bennie, have two sons, Brandon and Bennie II, and a daughter, NeKettia.  Scott is an active member of the Seminary Heights Church of Christ.

Anita J. Woody, a Teller at the Jacksonville South location, was honored for five years service.  Woody began work at the bank in bookkeeping and worked in loan documentation, and teller services.  A resident of Rusk, she is a Board member of the Rusk Quarterback Club and a member of Rusk Church of Christ. She and her husband, Jack, have three sons, Clint, Paytn and Nick, and two granddaughters, Marisol and Halyn.

Austin Bank, an East Texas based community bank with headquarters in Jacksonville, Texas, has in excess of $800 million in assets with 23 offices in nine counties throughout East Texas. 

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