Michael J. Highfield was appointed to the Board as an independent director in June 2026. Mr. Highfield brings more than two decades of experience in finance, banking, capital markets, governance, and executive leadership. He is the President and Chief Academic Officer of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University ( LSU ), providing executive leadership for the institution s academic programs, strategic initiatives, institutional effectiveness, and long-term growth. Mr. Highfield previously served as Provost and Executive Vice President at Mississippi Christian University from 2023 to 2026, after serving on the faculty at Louisiana Tech University from 2002 to 2005 and Mississippi State University from 2005 to 2023, where he served as Professor of Finance, Robert W. Warren Chair of Real Estate Finance and Head of the Department of Finance and Economics. During his 18-year tenure at Mississippi State, Mr. Highfield also held several key leadership roles, including, faculty representative on the MSU Foundation Investment Committee, chair of the Department Head Executive Committee, and chair of the university s Financial Conflict of Interest Committee. Mr. Highfield is a consultant for the CFA Institute and past president of the American Real Estate Society. He serves on the Board of Directors of a mutual health insurance company, a private life insurance company, the Mississippi Higher Education Assistance Corporation and the Woodward Hines Educational Foundation where he chairs the investment committee. Mr. Highfield earned a BBA and MBA from Mississippi State University, followed by a MS in Economics and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Kentucky. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Treasury Professional (CTP), and Chartered Banking Professional (ChBP) designations. The Board believes that Mr. Highfield s more than two decades of experience in finance, banking, capital markets, governance, and executive leadership qualify him to serve on the Board.