Steven Cooksey has joined Great Southern Bank as senior vice president and information security officer, according to Jeff McCoy, president and CEO.

          Cooksey, a resident of Meridian, is a graduate of West Lauderdale High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Industry with a concentration in Accounting at Mississippi State University in Meridian.

    He began his career with Rea, Shaw, Giffin & Stuart, LLP in 1999 as a staff accountant and auditor. Cooksey became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in 2002. In 2009, he was admitted as a partner in the firm where he assisted clients in a variety of services.

          Cooksey is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Meridian where he serves as the current treasurer and a past president. He and his wife, Tracy, have two daughters, Savannah and Sarah.

          Great Southern Bank, originally founded in 1902 as Bank of Quitman, holds assets totaling more than $280 million and has over 120 employees that operate 13 retail banking locations in Meridian, Decatur, Quitman, Pachuta, Enterprise, Waynesboro and Hattiesburg.