HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. Announces Retirement Of Executive Chair Dana L. Stonestreet, Appointment Of Richard T. "Stick" Williams As New Chair
The Board of Directors of HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTBI) ("Company"), today announced the retirement of its Executive Chair, Dana L. Stonestreet, effective at the conclusion of the Company's Annual Meeting on November 13, 2023. Richard T. "Stick" Williams, currently Vice Chair and Lead Director of the Company, will serve as Chair of the Company upon Stonestreet's retirement from the Board of Directors.
Mr. Stonestreet has served as Executive Chair of the Company since September 2022 when he retired as Chief Executive Officer. He joined HomeTrust Bank in 1989 as its Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and President in 2008. He became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2013. When Stonestreet joined HomeTrust (formerly Clyde Savings Bank), the Bank had $200 million in assets with locations in western North Carolina. Through organic growth and a series of mutual savings bank mergers, HomeTrust grew to over $1.5 billion in assets with locations across North Carolina. In July 2012, Stonestreet led the Company through its initial public offering/conversion to stock form raising over $200 million. Since then, under Stonestreet's leadership, HomeTrust has grown to $4.7 billion in assets across five states through numerous bank acquisitions as well as organic growth with new lines of business and top talent. In addition, HomeTrust Bank was named a 2023 Great Employer to Work for in North Carolina by the Best Companies Group research firm.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Dana for his tireless service to HomeTrust and its employees, customers and stockholders," says Richard T. "Stick" Williams, Vice Chair and Lead Director of the Company. "It has been a pleasure to work with Dana over the past eight years as HomeTrust has evolved into a premier regional bank. We appreciate his long and dedicated tenure and wish him well on his much-deserved retirement. As we enter into a new era, I am excited by the promise of continued growth under the leadership of Hunter Westbrook whose vision has already strengthened the foundation of HomeTrust for employees and stockholders alike over the last eleven years."
Mr. Williams is a retired executive from the Duke Energy Corporation and Duke Energy Foundation. He joined the HomeTrust Board of Directors in April 2016 after serving as an advisory director of the Company for six months. He has served in numerous leadership roles and on various boards over his career, receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2015, one of North Carolina's most prestigious awards for service. Recognized as one of the Top 100 directors for 2020 nationally by the National Association of Corporate Directors, Mr. Williams brings to the Board of Directors extensive business experience gained from a variety of leadership roles within a large organization, as well as strong ties to the local community.