First State Financial announced recently the promotion of five of their employees. Those receiving promotions were Charles “Buddy” Bishop, Teresa Francis, Royice Ealy, Sandra Gross and Chuck Sivley.

Teresa Francis was promoted to vice president/chief financial officer.

Francis, who has been with First State Financial for 11 years, holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Lincoln Memorial University. She will graduate this year from the Graduate School of Banking in Colorado, and plans to pursue a master's degree.

Francis was also recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Bell County Chamber of Commerce.

She is married to Jeff Francis (manager of Sherwin Williams), and is the mother of two children, Eric and Emily Francis.

Royice Ealy was promoted to assistant vice president/loan operations officer. She began her career at First State 20 years ago, working as a teller, customer service representative, head teller, and 13 years in the loan department as clerk, senior loan processor and supervisor in loan operations. She is 1981 graduate of Bell County High School majoring in business, vocational business and office education for secretarial curriculum.

Ealy resides at Calvin with her husband of 27 years, Jimmy Ealy.

Charles “Buddy” Bishop has been promoted to vice president, commercial lender in the downtown Middlesboro office. Bishop came to First State Financial as loan compliance and loan review officer in June 1993. He has completed the American Bankers Association National Compliance School, the American Bankers Association Graduate School of Compliance Management, the Kentucky Bankers Association General Banking School, the American Bankers Association Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado, and many other schools and seminars.

He and his wife, Mary, live in Pineville with their two daughters, Lindsay and Samantha.

Sandra Gross was promoted to customer service representative supervisor. Gross has been with First State Financial for 14 years, with four years experience as a teller and 10 years in new accounts and customer service. She has taken several business classes and attended various schools and seminars to enhance her knowledge of banking.

She is a member of Southside Baptist Church where she serves as church secretary/treasurer. She resides in Middlesboro with her husband, Danny Gross.

Chuck Sivley was promoted to vice president/information technology. With 15 years in the information technology field, Sivley joined the bank in 2002 as the information technology manager. He served as president of the Bell County Chamber of Commerce in 2006, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Cumberland Trails United Way. He holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.