Officers & Directors

Officers

Ben R. Ogletree, Jr. Chairman Barry Whisenhant VP/Buna & Woodville Branch Manager
Robert Sebaugh Chief Executive Officer Rusty Phillips Vice President
Stephen L. Ernest President              Joyce Howard Vice President/Mortgage Lending Officer
Kari Parker Senior Vice President/Chief Operations Officer Grace Neel Vice President/Mortgage Lending Officer
Clark Ogletree Senior Vice President/Lending & Security Officer Shenna Beddingfield Vice President/Asst. CFO
Joe K. Puckett Senior Vice President/Senior Lending Officer Melody Kellar Vice President/Electronic Banking Officer
Jason Schofield Senior Vice President/Senior Lending Officer Shellie Chrisley Asst. Vice President/Lending
Jess Conner Senior Vice President/ Chief Financial Officer Brianne Leonard Asst. Vice President/Lending
Darla Campbell Vice President/Mortgage Lending Officer David Perez Vice President/Chief Technology Officer
Jennie Caple VP/Admin. Asst. to the President Sheri Flurry Vice President/Cashier
Sonia Hidalgo Vice President/Compliance Deanna Amlin Vice President/BSA Officer
Buna Jones Vice President/Branch Manager Angie Edwards Asst. Vice President/Branch Manager
Carol Rodgers Vice President/Cashier Patricia Reeves Asst. Vice President/Branch Manager
Lisa Blackerby  Vice President/H.R. Manager Lisa Haynes Vice President/Marketing
Cathy Ladner Senior Vice President/Loan Operations Officer
    Heather Nichols Asst. Vice President/Asst. BSA Officer/ Asst. Electronic Banking Officer

Directors

R.M. Alvis Matt Murphy Gene Bush W.L. Neal, Jr.

Stephen Ernest Ben R. Ogletree Jr.

David Fain Ben R. Ogletree III

Ky Griffin Gregory R. Ogletree

Joe Haynes Robert Sebaugh Louis Lindsey Tommy Shaver

Marvin McDonald Tony Taylor

Todd McDonald Director Emeritus - Steve Townley

Ben R. Ogletree, Jr. is a 1956 graduate of Livingston ISD. He received his BBA degree in Industrial management from the University of Texas in 1960. He also graduated from the Southern Methodist University’s Southwestern Graduate School of Banking in 1991. After graduating from the University of Texas he spent the next 25 years managing the family’s land, timber, and wood products business. In 1970 he was elected to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of East Texas Bancshares, Inc. In 1976 he was elected to the Livingston City Council and served for 32 years. During that time he also served as Mayor of the City of Livingston for 22 years. In 1985 he became President and Chief Executive Officer of First State Bank, and later Chairman of the Board of both First State Bank and East Texas Bancshares, Inc. East Texas Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company for both First State Bank in Livingston and it’s sister bank First National Bank of Jasper. In 1989 he was selected as Polk Countian of the Year. He has held a Commercial Pilot’s license for over 50 years with ratings for Multi-Engine, Instrument and Flight Instructor. In 2005 he retired from the office of President of First State Bank but remains as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Robert Sebaugh is a 1978 graduate of Spring ISD. He received his Bachelor Business Administration Degree in 1982 from Sam Houston State University and later passed the CPA exam. After graduation he worked for Axley and Rode, CPA in Lufkin, Texas for 9 years. He spent most of his time there auditing and working with financial institutions. In 1991 he moved his family to Livingston and was hired by First State Bank as Controller. In 1996 he was elected to the Board of Directors of First State Bank. That same year he was also elected to the Board of Directors of East Texas Bancshares, Inc. In 2002 he was elected to the board of Directors of First National Bank of Jasper. In 2005 Robert Sebaugh became the President of First State Bank. in 2019 he also became CEO of First State Bank. He is currently a member of the Livingston Lions Club and the Treasurer for Polk County Crime Stoppers.

Stephen Ernest is a 1986 graduate from Alief ISD. He received his Bachelor’s in Business Studies Degree in Accounting from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1990 and started working for Axley & Rode as an auditor. In 1991 he joined First Bank and Trust as an internal auditor and in 1997 he relocated to Jasper, Texas to be the Senior Lending Officer for the Jasper market. In 2010 he joined First National bank as Senior Vice President and was soon promoted to President in 2011. In that same year Stephen was named to the board of directors of First National Bank and East Texas Bancshares. Stephen remained President of First National Bank until merging with First State Bank in 2023 where he was named President of First State Bank. Stephen is a current Board Member of the Jasper Economic Development Corp in Jasper which encourages the creation of jobs and expansion of the local tax base.