Front Street buildings to be auctioned



By Jennifer Jacob



Two buildings at 2311 and 2315 Front Street will go up for auction Friday, April 4, to be sold as is to the highest bidder.

The properties, which are currently owned by a firm in Miami, according to Auctioneer Benny Taylor, include the McLemore building and are on the Southeast side of the street.

Taylor says the buildings, one of which “you can walk in” and the other in which the roof is falling in, are expected to sell well below market value. He calls the auction “a good opportunity to bid on downtown Meridian real estate.”

To bid, interested persons must bring with them a letter of credit from a bank stating that they have adequate funds to purchase the buildings, which he says are on one deed.

The historic buildings total 60,000 square feet together. The auction begins at 11 a.m. and will take place on Front Street.

For more information, visit. www.taylorauction.com.



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Hall joins boards at Citizens National Bank



Maurice H. Hall has been elected as a new member of the Boards of Directors of Citizens National Banc Corp. and Citizens National Bank. Hall has assumed the position on both Boards, which was vacated due to the retirement of Archie McDonnell Sr. McDonnell Sr. retired from management after 40 years of service as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank from 1960 through 1999. He then continued his service as Chairman Emeritus and members of both Boards and served as Chairman of the Director’s Loan Committee, through this year’s election. Archie McDonnell Jr. will succeed him as Chairman of the Director’s Loan Committee.

An attorney and successful businessman, Maurice Hall is President and CEO of Halltree, Inc. and is affiliated with several timber related businesses operating as Hall Timberlands, a grower of pine and hardwood timber in East Central Mississippi. He has strong ties to the Bank as a shareholder and as a member of the McDonnell family. He is married to Cathy McDonnell Hall, the sister of Bank President and CEO Archie McDonnell Jr.

A 1967 graduate of Millsaps College and a 1970 graduate of the Duke University Law School, Hall has served as a member of Millsaps College’s Board of Trustees since 1984 and as Board Chair since 2002. He is a member of the American Bar Association as well as the Mississippi and Lauderdale County Bar Associations. An avid supporter of the Boy Scouts, Hall serves as President of Area One in the Southern Region of the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a Past President of the Choctaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

He has served as Chairman of Mississippi Methodist Senior Services and is on the Board of the Community Foundation of East Mississippi. Hall is a past President of the United Way of Lauderdale County, a member of the Meridian Rotary Club, a member of the Wesley House Community Center’s Board of Directors and the Board of Aldersgate Retirement Community.

He and his wife, Cathy, reside in Meridian, where they attend Central United Methodist Church. They have one son, David, and a daughter, Catherine.

Citizens National Bank is headquartered in Meridian, and has 26 locations throughout the state of Mississippi. The Bank’s asset size is in excess of $1.1 billion.



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Shelton named branch

supervisor at Trustmark



Robin Shelton has been named Branch Supervisor at the East Branch of Trustmark National Bank in Meridian. She has more than 13 years of experience in the financial industry.

Shelton is a native of Meridian. She serves as Secretary for the Martin Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Shelton is a member of Leadership Lauderdale and is a participant in United Way. Previously, she volunteered with Relay For Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. She is married to Danny Ray Shelton. They have two children and are members of Pine Grove Church in the Martin Community in Collinsville.



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Vermillion receives credential

as National Certified Counselor



A therapist at Weems Community Mental Health Center recently attained certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Courtney Nicholson Vermillion, 26, received the credential through National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC). Currently employed in the Division of Children and Youth Services in Meridian, Vermillion joins more than 40,000 counselors who are certified through NBCC.

A Meridian native, Vermillion received a Master of Science in Community Counseling at Mississippi State University Meridian Campus and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Mississippi. She joined Weems in 2004 as a direct care worker and then served as a case management professional until August, 2007, when she received her Master’s degree and became a mental health therapist.

NBCC, located in Greensboro, N.C., is the largest national counselor credentialing organization in the United States. National Certification promotes professional accountability and ensures that consumers’ rights are protected through the NBCC Code of Ethics. The requirements for the NCC credential include a graduate degree in counseling from a regionally accredited institution, supervised post-master’s counseling experience, and a passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE).

Vermillion and her husband Jack reside in Meridian.