People & Flashes

People in Business: IberiaBank's Amy Castro, NIRC's Simmons

by Leslie Turk

IberiaBank promotes Amy Castro to VP/private banker, and Dr. Joe Simmons takes over UL's New Iberia Research Center.

Amy Castro

Amy Castro was promoted to VP/private banker in the Lafayette market for IberiaBank. Castro has 18 years of banking experience and for the past seven years served as branch manager of the bank's Settlers Trace facility in River Ranch. The Abbeville native is a member of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Acadiana through its annual Day of Caring efforts. She also serves as a volunteer with ECGC Women's Business Center, where she presents small business seminars.

Thibodeaux

Nain

Guillory

IberiaBank also announced branch manager changes for three of its Lafayette locations. VP Shelia Thibodeaux moved to 332 Settlers Trace Boulevard in River Ranch; VP Mary Nain moved to the Downtown Tower branch at 200 West Congress St., and VP Reenae Guillory transferred to 2110 W. Pinhook Road. Thibodeaux joined IberiaBank in 2008 and has more than 32 years of banking experience. She most recently served as branch manager of the Downtown Tower location. Thibodeaux volunteers with the UW/Day of Action effort and is an active member of the Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation. Nain joined the bank in 1998 and has more than two decades of banking experience. She most recently served as branch manager for the Pinhook location. Nain is actively involved in the Kiwanis Club of Broussard/Youngsville and also volunteers for the UW/Day of Action. Guillory joined the bank in 2011 and has 15 years of banking experience. She most recently served as branch manager of the Moss Street location. Guillory is a member of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, a Small Business Association panel member and serves as a UW/Day of Action team leader for the bank. She is also a member of the American Cancer Society's Cure for Cancer and a March of Dimes participant.

Dr. Joe Simmons is the new director of UL Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center. The NIRC offers a broad range of diagnostic, laboratory, and human resources for the development and characterization of nonhuman primate models for applied and basic research aimed at promoting human quality of life. Simmons is regarded as a strong, thoughtful leader in the biomedical research community, says Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, UL Lafayette interim vice president for research. Before joining the NIRC, a research center that houses, breeds and manages nonhuman primates, Simmons was executive director of nonhuman primate veterinary and professional services at Charles River Laboratories in Houston. Simmons has worked as a research professor at the University of Missouri, where he earned a doctoral degree in veterinary pathobiology. He earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Simmons earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Louisiana Tech University, and holds a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Colorado.