William Easterlin III is one of several CSRA business leaders selected for a major honor by Georgia Trend Magazine.
Easterlin, President, and CEO of Queensborough National Bank & Trust Co., a role he has held since 1994, has been profiled in the magazine’s premiere edition of Georgia 500: The State’s Most Influential Leaders, which was just published.
The edition lists a variety of leaders from across the state, including CEOs, doctors, educators, and economic developers. The magazine placed them in various categories, such as Real Estate, Healthcare and Arts, and Entertainment & Sports.
Easterlin, whose great-grandfather founded Queensborough in Louisville in 1902, was selected for the Banking, Finance & Insurance category. The bank currently has nearly $2 billion in assets, 27 locations, and more than 350 employees.
“It’s an honor to be included in this list,” he said. “It is a testament not to me, but to our incredibly dedicated team, our customers who trust us to handle their needs, and the communities in which we have the privilege of serving.”
Like Easterlin, Destination Augusta President and CEO, Bennish Brown, who was selected for the Hospitality & Tourism category, said the honor isn’t all about him.
“The fact that my work in the hospitality and tourism industry – the fifth largest employment sector in the Augusta region – is being recognized means this essential link in the community economic development chain is also being acknowledged,” Brown said. “I’ll take that all day long.”
The list also includes a Living Legends category, which includes CNN founder Ted Turner and former Atlanta Mayor, Shirley Franklin.
According to Georgia Trend, the selection process for Georgia 500 was based on nominations and interviews. ABD has compiled a list of all CSRA leaders selected for this honor.
Arts, Entertainment & Sports
Brenda Durant, Executive Director, Greater Augusta Arts Council
Michelle Naval, CEO, Augusta Sports Council
Agribusiness
J. Eric Tillirson, President and CEO, Thiele Kaolin Co.
Automotive
Jimmy Childre Jr., President, Childre Ford Inc.
Banking, Finance & Insurance
William Easterlin III, President, and CEO, Queensborough National Bank & Trust Co.
Economic Development
Robbie Bennett, Executive Director, Development Authority of Columbia County
Sue Parr, President, and CEO, Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce
Cal Wray, President, Augusta Economic Development Authority
Education
Dr. Brooks Keel, President, Augusta University
Dr. Jermaine Whirl, President, Augusta Technical College
Government & Military
Tom Clark, Executive Director, CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon
Maj. Gen. Paul T. Stanton, Commanding General, U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence & Fort Gordon
Healthcare
Dr. Jorge Cortes, Director, Georgia Cancer Center
Hospitality & Tourism
Bennish Brown, President, and CEO, Destination Augusta
Real Estate
Jim Hull, Owner and Managing Principal, Hull Property Group LLC
Will McKnight, President, McKnight Construction
Technology & Research
Eric Toler, Executive Director, Georgia Cyber Center
Transportation & Logistics
Ben Tarbutton III, President, Sandersville Railroad Co.
To view the full list of honorees and their profiles, visit editions.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=8924&i=764194&p=136&ver=html5.
