July 2026 - Star of the Month - Shamel Shipman

At Austin Bank, our greatest strength has always been our people.  Their commitment to our core values and the people we serve is what sets us apart. This month, we are proud to recognize a long-time member of that team as our July Star of the Month.  Please join us in congratulating Shamel Shipman, Assistant Vice President and Relationship Manager in our Big Sandy office, on this honor.

As Shamel approaches her 38th anniversary with the bank, her knowledge and experience,...

Are you traveling this summer?  Let us know the dates and location(s) you will be traveling to so we may enhance debit card monitoring and ensure your debit card will work while you are there.  You may update this information in your mobile app by clicking on Cards and then Manage Travel Plans.  Or, you can give us a call at 800.644.9275 and speak to a customer service representative.

This is also a good time to verify your contact information to assist...

While some technical aspects of customer service can be trained, there is more often than not a set of soft skills and behavior traits that allow some employees to excel in this area. This month’s Star possesses those essential qualities – empathy, patience, professionalism, and a genuine desire to help others - which have earned him the respect of his coworkers, and their nominations for Star of the Month.  We are excited to introduce you to Daniel Torres, Universal Banker in...

One of the core values held by Austin Bank is that of nurturing.  By definition, nurturing is the process of caring for, supporting, and encouraging the growth, development, or success of someone or something.  This month’s Star has been the very picture of this definition since she came to work in our Marshall office.  Her employees made sure to note it in their nominations, and we are excited to honor this trait as we recognize Melanie Valdez, Retail Office Manager, as our...

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a virtual or digital currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions. It is decentralized, meaning it does not have a central authority that regulates or taxes it.

Crypto is based on blockchain technology, which is a distributed ledger that records transactions and is enforced by a network of computers. No participant can change or tamper with a transaction after it’s been recorded to the shared ledger. Each block is connected...

In an organization the size of our bank, it truly takes efforts from everyone on the team to ensure positive customer interactions, increased productivity, and a supportive workplace culture. As John Nash said in the movie A Beautiful Mind – “. . . the best result would come from everyone in the group doing what is best for himself and the group.” This month’s Star personifies the term ‘team player’ and is praised by those around her for the job she is doing....

We have become aware of fraud attempts against some of our customers in which fraudsters are impersonating officers of the bank, going so far as to spoof bank phone numbers in an attempt to appear legitimate.

In these attempts, customers have been asked for online banking credentials, or sent a link to online banking which is actually a fraud site designed to collect your credentials. Fraudsters may even go so far as to attempt to collect answers for security questions or security...

When customers enter the Austin Bank office in Frankston, they are consistently greeted with a smiling face and a positive, friendly attitude.  This helps set the stage for the rest of the customer’s experience and provides a great foundation for the team to build upon.  We are honored to introduce our March Star of the Month, and the first contact you’ll meet upon entry into Frankston, Brenda McMichael.

Brenda currently serves as a customer service representative,...

How Scammers Operate on Social Media 

Fraudsters use various tactics to lure unsuspecting users into their schemes, including: 

The Information Technology (IT) team at Austin Bank is critical to our organization and serves as the backbone for operational efficiency, data security, and strategic growth.  This team is responsible for ensuring banking systems are available 24/7, protecting sensitive data from cyber threats, and supporting employee productivity by managing technology infrastructure.  This month we are pleased to shine the spotlight on a member of this team and recognize Lance Byrnes, Systems Administrator,...