The board of directors of First Financial Bankshares made multiple promotions for First Financial Bankshares, First Financial Bank and First Financial Trust and Asset Management.
Ron Butler was promoted to vice chairman of the executive management committee of First Financial Bankshares and will continue to serve as chief administrative officer of the company.
Butler has been with the company for 32 years and during that time has been senior vice president of commercial lending, president and CEO of the Eastland Division, president and CEO of the Stephenville Region, and CEO of the Abilene Region. He continues to be executive vice president, and chief administrative officer of the company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University, a master’s degree from Tarleton State University, is a graduate of Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU and the National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma.
Butler is presently the chair-elect of the Texas Bankers Association and board chair of ContinueCare Hospital at Hendrick. He previously has been Board Chair of Abilene Industrial Foundation, Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Stephenville Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA of Abilene. In 2023, he was inducted into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, and in 2024, he was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus of Texas Tech University.
David Bailey has been promoted to president of First Financial Bankshares and First Financial Bank, a position previously held by F. Scott Dueser, who will continue to serve as CEO and chairman of the board of both entities.
Bailey has been with the bank for 21 years, where he started as a teller and moved up the ladder to become president and CEO of the Eastland Division and later, executive vice president, head of commercial banking for the company. He is currently executive vice president, chief banking officer, where he oversees all lending and treasury management functions, while also serving as co-chair of the service improvement team.
He is a graduate of McMurry University, FFIN University and Southwest Graduate School of Banking at SMU. Bailey presently serves as first vice chair of the board of trustees for McMurry University, secretary and treasurer of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, executive board member of the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation and board member of the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra. Previously, he has served on multiple boards in Eastland County and has actively served his church in numerous volunteer positions.
The First Financial Trust and Asset Management board of directors has elected Lon Biebighauser to president, replacing Kirk Thaxton, who will transition to relationship manager on a reduced schedule and serve as vice chairman of First Financial Trust and Asset Management board of directors.
The First Financial Bank, Abilene regional board approved the promotion of Marelyn Shedd to CEO of the Abilene region, a position previously held by Ron Butler.
Shedd has been with First Financial Bank for 34 years, starting as senior vice president of commercial lending and moving up the ladder to president of the Abilene region in 2012, when she was selected as the first female president and now will be the first female CEO in the Abilene region’s history. She is a graduate of Baylor University and has been honored as a Women of Outstanding Achievement, Business Hall of Fame Honoree and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award from the Rotary Club. Shedd currently serves on the boards of Abilene Christian University and Abilene Arts Alliance. She has previously served as the chair of the Community Foundation of Abilene and the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation. She also served on the boards of the Texas Bankers Association, United Way of Abilene, Hendrick Home for Children and the Development Corporation of Abilene.
Marshall Morris was elected as president of the Abilene region, a position previously held by Marelyn Shedd.
Morris joined the bank 14 years ago as a credit analyst and has risen through the ranks to executive vice president and senior relationship manager for the Abilene region of First Financial Bank. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU and FFIN University. Morris has been the chairman of the board for the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and the Abilene A&M Club. He has served on the boards of Texas Trails Council – Scouts of America, Abilene Young Professionals, Frontier Texas, Junior Achievement, United Way of Abilene, Young Life Committee, Abilene Preservation League and St. John’s Episcopal School. He was in Leadership Abilene and was also selected as Top 20 Under 40 by Abilene Reporter-News.
“Several of our senior officers are transitioning to oversight roles to allow the next generation of leaders to grow and prosper,” F. Scott Dueser, CEO and chairman of the Board of First Financial, said. “These promotions are well deserved and these individuals are well prepared to move into positions of higher importance. As you can tell, those of us who have been here for a long time are not leaving; we will be here to provide continuity, support and mentorship.”
These new positions will be effective January 1, 2025.
