BancorpSouth Announces Cowsert’s Replacement

A new executive vice president has been announced at ""BancorpSouth, Inc."":https://www.bancorpsouthonline.com/home/home, with the appointment of James Ronald Hodges to the position. Hodges' ascension to the role follows the company's previously planned retirement of W. Gregg Cowsert after 21 years of service to BancorpSouth.

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In addition to acting as executive vice president of BancorpSouth, Hodges will also function as the vice chairman and chief lending officer of BancorpSouth Bank. Hodges will assume his updated roles on October 1, following Cowsert's last day on September 30.

Hodges has been a part of BancorpSouth for more than 38 years, originally joining the company in Tupelo, Mississippi as a management trainee in 1973; the entity was known then as Bank of Mississippi, later changing its name to reflect its

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expansion beyond the state. HIs initial positions with BancorpSouth encompassed community bank management activities, and in the mid-1980s, Hodges returned to the corporate offices to serve in loan administration and as the company's corporate secretary.

When BancorpSouth acquired a community banking system in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1992, Hodges was added as its president and chief operating officer and was then promoted to regional and area loan administrator for Arkansas, Louisiana, and East Texas, taking on senior management duties for all credit-related programs. By 2010, Hodges was serving as BancorpSouth Bank's senior executive vice president and deputy to its chief lending officer.

Commenting on Hodges' new title, BancorpSouth's chairman and CEO, Aubrey Patterson, said, ""Ron Hodges' extensive and diverse ├âÔÇÜ├é┬áBancorpSouth management experience, including his community bank management and senior level loan administration responsibilities, uniquely qualify Ron to serve as our Company's Chief Loan Officer. ├âÔÇÜ├é┬áHe has served in critical roles throughout our Company and as a valued member of our senior staff management team."" ├âÔÇÜ├é┬á

Boasting $13.2 billion in assets, BancorpSouth, Inc. remains headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, and the financial holding company also operates wholly-owned subsidiary, BancorpSouth Bank. The banking division has 290 locations throughout the southeast and southwest and also includes an insurance office in Illinois.