VIDALIA — Patrick Biglane, president and CEO of Concordia Bank and Trust Co., announced that at a recent board of directors’ meeting, the following promotions were made.

Vernita Barber-McKeel was promoted to assistant auditor. She is a 1991 graduate of Ferriday High School and received her bachelor’s degree in accounting with honors from Southern University.

Barber-McKeel began working for Concordia Bank in February 1996. Her current focus is on internal and compliance auditing for the bank.

She is married to Bill McKeel. They have three sons, Derrien, Cailyn and William. She attends The Harvest Baptist Church and is on the finance committee there.

Kathren Laughlin was promoted to assistant loan review officer. She is a graduate of LeTourneau University with a bachelor’s in business administration and holds a masters in accounting and finance. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992-1996 and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. She joined the Concordia Bank staff in November 2008 and works in the loan review department of the Vidalia branch.

She is married to Vance Laughlin, and they have two daughters, Ashley and Hunter. They are members of Jefferson Street United Methodist Church.

Cheryl Cullum was promoted to assistant vice president.

She began her career with Concordia Bank in March, 1991 at the Ferriday branch. Currently, she helps manage the centralized loan processing Department at the Vidalia branch.

Cullum is married to Ricky Cullum, and they have one daughter, Ashley. They are active members of Ridgecrest Baptist Church where she is a choir member, Sunday School teacher and assists with AWANA. She has a personal passion for participating in Relay for Life and volunteers willingly each year to support the cause.