Business Digest: Final award for TB&T photo contest announced

Published 5:35 am Sunday, July 20, 2025

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Virgel Conner

Final award for TB&T photo contest announced

George Freeney  Jr.’s  photo “Ole Town Road” won the People’s Choice Award in Texas Bank and Trust’s 43 annual Photography Contest.

Freeney’s entry was chosen by the public from the 620 photographs entered in this year’s

contest. “Ole Town Road” was entered in the Spirit of Texas category.

Visitors to the bank were invited to vote on their favorite during the two-week

period the photos were on display in the bank’s main lobby in Longview. One hundred and thirty four photographers, representing 68 communities, submitted photographs depicting life throughout Texas.

The award-winning People’s Choice photograph will be on display in the main bank lobby, at 300 E. Whaley St., through Aug. 1.

All winning photographs will appear in Texas Bank and Trust 2026 Collector’s Calendar,

which will be available at all bank locations in mid-December.

Small Business Development Center adviser earns honor

Virgel Conner, senior business adviser at the UT Tyler-Longview Small Business Development Center, is the 2025 recipient of the North Texas SBDC Network’s State Star Award.

Each year, 62 business advisers receive the award in a nationwide network of more than 4,000 advisers in 900 SBDC field centers.

“This is the most highly coveted award business advisers can receive in the SBDC network,” said Day Shelmire, director of the UT Tyler-Longview SBDC. “It is presented to the top business advisers in each state and region. This award reflects the fact that Virgel is one of the best of the best business advisers in the country, and he’s serving small businesses right here in East Texas.”

Conner has worked as a business adviser in the Small Business Development Center program for 21 years.

He will be recognized in September at the annual America’s SBDC conference in Orlando.

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