Business Briefs

TOM FREEMAN, former Delphi resident, has been named Indiana, Illinois and Eastern Kentucky Area Executive of Regions Bank. He will oversee approximately 100 branches and 900 associates.

The expansion is due to a restructuring by Regions Financial Corporation of its Midwest region to achieve strategic growth plans in 2008 and beyond.

Freeman joined Regions, formerly Lafayette National Bank & Union Bank & Trust- Delphi, in 1971 as a management trainee and subsequently worked throughout most areas of the bank.

He served in leadership roles during the bank's acquisitions, mergers and divestitures with Indiana National Bank, First Chicago NBD, Union Planters Bank and Regions. He was most recently the area executive for North/Central & Southwest Indiana and Southeast Illinois markets.

Freeman received a bachelor's degree in economics from Wabash College in 1970 and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking in 1978.

"While we have realigned our geographic footprint, we should see little change in our local operations and no change in the quality of service we provide to our customers," Freeman said.

The Regional Board of Trustees of Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette and Crawfordsville have appointed

JERRY L. HENDRESS of Deer Creek to a three-year term. Hendress will represent the region's agriculture industry on the board.

Hendress' appointment was approved by the college's State Board of Trustees on June 14.

Hendress is customer relationship and career development manager at Excel Co-op Inc. in Monticello He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Purdue University, and owned and operated a swine and grain farm in Carroll County.

He is a Carroll County councilman and serves on the Salin Bank Community Board of Directors. He previously served on the college's steering committee for its new agriculture program.