The Mississippi Land Bank board of directors has named Bart Harris as its next president and chief executive officer. Harris will assume the top leadership position at the financial services cooperative on April 1, 2022, when current president and chief executive officer Craig Shideler retires. In his new role, Harris will continue to build upon the strong historical performance of the association.

“The board is excited and confident about the appointment of Bart Harris as president and CEO,” said Abbott Myers, chairman of Mississippi Land Bank’s board of directors. “With our excellent and dedicated staff, the future is bright for Mississippi Land Bank.”Harris began his career at Mississippi Land Bank as a loan officer trainee in December 2007. His dynamic personality and leadership skills earned him several promotions throughout his career, the most recent being regional vice president, where he supervised the day-to-day operations of the eastern branch offices located in Starkville, Tupelo and Corinth. 

According to Harris, his greatest accomplishments at Mississippi Land Bank are measured by the success of these three teams, all of which reached their highest levels of performance under his leadership. 

“I am honored to be Mississippi Land Bank’s next CEO,” said Harris. “We have a bright future, and I’m excited to work alongside such a wonderful team. I promised the board of directors that I would work relentlessly to protect the culture and legacy that sets us apart from other financial institutions and makes this such an incredible place to work,” said Harris.

Craig Shideler is confident that his successor will take the association to new heights.

“The board made an excellent decision in naming Bart Harris as CEO,” said Shideler. “His exceptional leadership skills and clear vision for the association make him the right choice.”

Harris currently serves on the board of directors for the Mississippi Forestry Association and serves on the Farm Credit Council Reputation Risk Analysis and Planning Workgroup. He is a graduate of the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending at Vanderbilt and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Mississippi State University. 

Bart’s pride and joy are his wife, Laura, and their three children, Charlie, Luke, and Mollie. 

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