Smith joins Business First Bank

T. Baker Smith President and CEO Kenneth W. Smith has been named as the newest member to serve on the Business First Bank Board of Directors.

Smith leads the business founded by his grandfather T. Baker Smith, which now is listed among the 500 top engineering firms in the United States.

Houma-based T. Baker Smith provides environmental, on and off shore surveying, engineering services, marine positioning and construction management services.

“Kenny Smith prioritizes relationship building with T. Baker Smith in the same way that we do at Business First Bank, BFB CEO Jude Melville said. “That and his extensive involvement in the Louisiana community make him an important addition to our Business First Board of Directors. I look forward to working with him and integrating our common values to strengthen Business First capabilities.”

Smith is a Louisiana native and a member of The Committee of 100 for Economic Development Inc. He serves as the Louisiana Political Action Committee Chairman for the American Council of Engineering Companies. Smith performs work with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, is a past Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Chairman, past president of the Louisiana Pipeliners Association and a member of the Nicholls State University College of Business Executive Advisory Board.

“I believe in the Business First approach to serving a niche business clientele- not only the businesses themselves, but their executives and their owners-with personalized service,” Smith said. “I have served on the Business First Bayou Region Loan Committee and am looking forward to being a member of the Board of Directors.”

The new board member said that at his corporate philosophy carries over into how he views the working of BFB. “At T. Baker Smith, we continually strive to exceed our clients’ expectations. I hope to contribute this same added-value approach as a member of the board of Business First Bank,” he said.

“Kenny Smith is intrinsically involved in the communities of Houma and Thibodaux, having lived here and worked for the continued economic development of this region all of his life,” Bayou Region Loan Production Office President Don Hingle said. “His dedication to community, leadership development and economic growth across the state will be an invaluable addition to an already strong Business First Bank Board of Directors.”

Business First Bank is a full-service, FDIC-insured, commercial bank serving businesses and professionals throughout Louisiana.