BancorpSouth Bank promoted Robert Harris to director of community lending.

Harris was also named senior vice president, director of diversity and inclusion, responsible for developing strategies and initiatives to enhance the company’s organizational culture.

Harris brings more than 10 years of experience in various financial services and human resources roles. He joined BancorpSouth in 2016 and most recently served as a first vice president and community lending officer, supporting the bank’s Fair Lending and Community Reinvestment Act initiatives with business development, product development and community engagement efforts. He will retain his community lending responsibilities while serving in the new role.

“We’re excited that Robert has agreed to transition into this role and help us to expand the work we’ve already done in diversity and inclusion,” said BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Dan Rollins. “We’re committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture for our teammates, so we can better serve our customers and make an even greater impact in our communities.”

Earlier in his career, Harris handled corporate training and development for a regional bank, where he developed learning plans, corporate-wide leadership development and evaluation along with several other programs and initiatives. He also has human resources experience from a major employer in Birmingham, AL, as well as a third-party consultant group.

BancorpSouth Bank is headquartered in Tupelo, MS, with approximately $21 billion in assets.