The parent company of MidSouth Bank announced Monday that Jake Delhomme has been appointed chairman of the board.
A former standout quarterback for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns and Carolina Panthers of the NFL, Delhomme joined MidSouth in an advisory capacity in 2012, soon after his pro football career ended; he later became a full member of the board of directors.
The bank also announced that Joe Tortorice Jr. has been appointed vice chairman of the board. Tortorice has been a board member since 2004.
From the release announcing the appointments:
Delhomme, a retired Pro Bowl quarterback who has served on the bank’s board for more than four years (having initially been an advisory member), will replace Will Charbonnet Sr., who has served as Chairman since 1990. A founding board member, Charbonnet is retiring to spend more time with his wife in Lafayette and children and grandchildren in Philadelphia, Penn.
“Will Charbonnet has been a steady hand for our organization through many prosperous years and an equal number of challenging times for MidSouth Bank and the banking industry as a whole,” MidSouth Bank President Troy Cloutier said.
Charbonnet, a founding member of the board, guided the bank through the process of being listed on the American Stock Exchange in 1993. At the time, MidSouth was one of the smallest banks in the country to be listed on a public exchange.
“Will has been focused, determined and insightful, and we are eternally grateful that he devoted so many of his professional years to guide our growth from a very small community bank into one with almost $2 billion in assets,” said MidSouth Bancorp President and CEO C.R. “Rusty” Cloutier.
Incoming Chairman Delhomme’s proven leadership skills, team-building expertise and community-minded spirit have made him a strong force on the board, earning him the respect of board members, employees, customers and shareholders. Delhomme led the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII in his first season in 2003 and was the starting quarterback for the next six seasons. He played his final year of professional football with the Houston Texans in 2011.
“We are thankful for the key role Jake has played in the oversight and governance of our company over the past four years, and for his long-term view about building on our successes and learning from our mistakes,” bank President Troy Cloutier said in announcing the new Chairman. “I am looking forward to having an even closer working relationship with him, because I know he will inspire and energize the bank’s management team and board.”
Delhomme said the newly appointed Bancorp Board Vice Chairman’s business acumen — Joe Tortorice is the founder and CEO of Texas-based Jason’s Deli — has made him an invaluable asset to the board, noting the critical role the entrepreneur’s Texas ties have played in the bank’s ongoing expansion into that state. “Hard-working and persistent, Joe is a highly respected business leader in Texas,” Delhomme said.
Delhomme commented that the bank has benefited immensely from Tortorice’s passion and positive attitude, and stressed that the Vice Chairman will continue to be a critical adviser to MidSouth’s Texas expansion strategy.