Thomas J. Periou Jan. 10, 1918 – July 21, 2007. Mr. Periou served as an officer and director of the Bank for almost 40 years. He served in the United States Air Force in World War II with former President Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart. Mr. Periou was recognized by the Louisiana Bankers Association for his service to community banking. He was an employee of FARMERS-MERCHANTS BANK & TRUST CO. since 1956 and was Chairman of the Board, a member of the Executive Committee, and the Loan Committee. He will be missed. He was a Hall of Fame Banker, respected by many.

Fred H. Mills, Jr. began service as a director in 2001. Mr. Mills is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Farmers-Merchants Bank. He is a member of the Bank's Executive, Loan, and ALCO Committee. He is also Chairman of the Marketing Committee. Mr. Mills serves on the St. Martin Parish Government Council, the St. Martin Hospital Board of Directors, and is a member of the St. Martin Parish Economic Development Association.

John Herman LaGrange has served on the Board of Directors since 1972. Mr. LaGrange has been in the farming industry all of his life. He became a member of the Bank's Executive, Loan, and ALCO Committee in 2001. Mr. LaGrange also serves on the Bank's Trust Committee.

Vance J. Theriot has served on the Board of Directors since 1964. Mr. Theriot was Mayor of Breaux Bridge from 1977 to 1986. Mr. Theriot was the proprietor of a general store Theriot's located on Bridge Street in Breaux Bridge.

John A. Girard has served as a director since 1981. Mr. Girard presently serves on the Audit Committee. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with an MA in History. He is active in farming and property management. Mr. Girard is a member and founding President of the Breaux Bridge Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as a member of the Louisiana Cattlemen's Association, and the Special Forces Association.

John Carroll Bergeron has been a director since 1995. He is a principal in Acadian Credit; part owner of Teche Financial Service in Ville Platte and American Loans, LLC. Mr. Bergeron serves on the Trust Committee.

Warren J. Degatur, Jr., M.D. is a Family Practice Specialist with an office in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Dr. Degatur is Chief of Staff at St. Martin Hospital. He serves on the teaching staff of the University Medical Center in Lafayette and is a clinical instructor at the L.S.U. School of Medicine in New Orleans. He is the Medical Director of St. Agnes Nursing Home and is on the medical staffs of Lafayette General Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, and St. Martin Hospital. Dr. Degatur serves as a team physician for Breaux Bridge High School and is the Medical Director of the St. Martin Parish Health Unit. He also serves on the Marketing Committee of the Bank.

Allan L. Durand is a graduate of USL and has a law degree from LSU, as well as a Master of Laws in Taxation from Southern Methodist University. He served on active duty as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and also as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard. After graduating from SMU, he was employed as a Tax Senior with a major international accounting firm, and also practiced law in New Orleans and Dallas before returning to St. Martinville.  He is licensed to practice law in both Louisiana and Texas, and was one of the co-founders of the Tax section of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association, as well as one of the co-founders of the Lafayette law firm of Perrin, Landry, deLaunay and Durand.  He presently practices law in Lafayette and has served as General Counsel to Farmers-Merchants Bank since 1996. In addition to his law practice, he has been either the producer or associate producer of four feature length motion pictures (including “Belizaire the Cajun”), and various documentaries for public television.

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