East Texas Business

Gay Smith joined Southside Bank as a senior vice president, and will serve as a commercial lender at the South Broadway Avenue location.

Ms. Smith is a graduate of The University of Texas at Tyler and the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. She has more than 20 years of experience in banking in the Tyler area.

Southside also announced three vice president promotions.

Carole Jones was appointed vice president of mortgage operations. She has a bachelor of science degree with a major in mathematics from The University of Texas at Tyler. Ms. Jones began her banking career with Southside in July 1991.

Jill Kinsley was promoted to vice president of operations. A four-year Southside employee, Ms. Kinsley earned a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in finance from The University of Texas at Tyler.

Brian J. Merritt was promoted to vice president. He has been employed with Southside for 11 years and is a loan officer at the South Beckham Avenue bank.

Merritt attended Tyler Junior College, Texas Tech University and The University of Texas at Tyler.

------

Texas Bank & Trust Co. Chairman Rogers Pope announced Lori Sirman joined the bank staff in Tyler as senior vice president and commercial lending officer.

Ms. Sirman has 23 years of banking experience, including the origination of real estate and equipment loans, lines of credit, letters of credit and providing cash management solutions. She has been responsible for the management of 16 branches of Regions Bank and had indirect responsibility for the management of more than 44 additional branches. She is a certified public accountant and earned a bachelor of business administration degree from Iowa State University.

Suddenlink Communications announced its technical operations center at the Tyler Glenwood location received a Gold Safety Award by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Eng-ineers.

The award recognizes operations centers that achieve an outstanding level of safety. Recipients had recordable incident rates that were at least 50 percent below the industry’s national rate, as measured by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The Tyler Glenwood operations center was one of 73 Suddenlink systems that received Gold Safety Awards, the second most among 13 cable companies judged.

------

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons granted a three-year reaccreditation to the cancer program at the East Texas Medical Center Cancer Institute.

Established in 1922, the commission is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to reducing the morbidity and mortality of cancer through education, standard-setting and monitoring the quality of cancer care.

------

The American Angus Association announced Martin A. Metzner of Tyler owns a bull listed in the association’s 2008 Fall Sire Evaluation Report.

Issued in the spring and fall, the report features the latest performance information available on 6,670 sires.

Bill Bowman, association chief operating officer, said the report “provides both Angus breeders and commercial cattle producers using Angus genetics with accurate, predictable selection tools for improving their herd.”

------

Cambridge Who’s Who announced it recognized Dr. David Hector, a partner of Tyler Cardiovascular Consultants in Tyler, for dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of health care.

Dr. Hector has been in the health care profession 30 years. He came to Tyler CVC from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, where he was a professor of internal medicine and cardiology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1978.

------

Avon announced Tyler representative Shirley Jordan was recognized among its top representatives in the country.

The company awarded her a trip to Las Vegas and its President’s Recognition Program Celebration. The celebration is annual event that brings together the nation’s top achieving representatives.

Larry Goddard, executive director of the Tyler Independent School District Foundation, attended the 55th annual seminar of the National School Public Relations Association in Washington, D.C., July 6-9.

Goddard is chairman-elect of the Texas School Public Relations Association education foundation division.

Aug. 5-7: A Circle of Ten Inc., Network for Collaboration announced it is accepting applications for its workshop, Part 1, The Process of Collaboration. The workshop will show attendees how to write successful funded grants. Those who complete the workshop may receive 2.2 continuing education credits. For more information, call 903-541-0013.

These conventions and sporting events are scheduled in the Tyler area, according to the Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau information. Listed in order are the dates, organizations having the conventions, hotels/motels serving as headquarters and total room nights.