First Mid names new member to board of directors

First Mid Bancshares Inc. appointed Gisele A. Marcus to the company’s board of directors, effective Jan. 25.

Marcus (shown) will also serve on the board of directors of First Mid Bank & Trust, which is a subsidiary of the company. Marcus currently serves as a professor of Practice at Washington University in St. Louis, where she focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion to prepare students with the tools and techniques for DEI in the workplace.

Marcus also currently serves as the vice president of Operations and Client Engagement at One Stone Development Company LLC, where she ensures operational efficiency and leads client development activities. A five-time general manager, Marcus has led profit and loss for businesses within Fortune 250 companies, such as Johnson Controls, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and AT&T. Marcus has also held the role of chief operating officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, one of the top tenrevenue generating Chambers in the country.

“We are delighted to welcome Gisele to the First Mid team,” said Joe Dively, chairman and chief executive officer at First Mid. “As the former chief operating officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, she will be a strong advocate for this strategic growing market. Her role as an executive with success in solving talent and culture focused challenges will provide valuable insight towards making us a stronger employer and enhancing our employee engagement initiatives.”

Marcus earned her Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems & Transportation Distribution Management from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management and her Master of Business Administration in General Management from Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

Marcus serves several volunteer organizations. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for Syracuse University, serves as co-chair of International Trends and Services for the Archway (MO) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, serves as chair for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Kappa Lambda Chapter’s $1 million endowment campaign at Syracuse University, and serves as Finance Board chair of the Children & Family Institute in Dallas. In addition, she is the past Board Chair of Black Repertory Theatre and past President of the Harvard Business School Club of St. Louis.

Marcus is a TEDx speaker on networking and relationship building. Some  national  organizations  she’s  spoken  for include  the  Association  of  Chamber Executives, National Sales Network, Toastmasters International District 25, and Syracuse University.