Panola College said Gene Giles was sworn in as a member of its Board of Trustees at the board's November 2 meeting. He was appointed at the previous meeting to fill the seat formerly held by Bobby Phillips, whose resignation was accepted earlier this year.
Giles, a native of Long Branch, Texas, earned a business administration degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1976. He worked as a supervisor at Valmac Poultry and a purchasing agent for Louisiana Pacific before joining First State Bank & Trust as a loan officer in 1978. The college said he rose to president and director of the bank before retiring after a 45-year banking career.
Giles and his wife, Brenda, support the Green Jackets, the Panola College Alumni Association and the Panola College Foundation, the college said. His mother-in-law, Fannie Watson, was part of the college's first class of students. In a statement, Giles said, "Panola College is such a positive asset for the East Texas area."