By Marilyn Miller

A six-year-old boy picks up the just-delivered stack of “newspapers,” rolls them up, and drops them into the basket on his bicycle. He sets out to deliver every copy of “Grit” to each household in the Simsboro area. After all, “America’s Greatest Family Newspaper” was free, so everybody got a copy.

In that year of 1953, first grader Jack E. Byrd, Jr., didn’t give a thought to a future that would include so many honors, like the Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce’s “Lifetime Achievement Award,” given as the climax of the chamber’s annual gala on Feb. 27, 2024.

So, he’s from the Simsboro area??

“No, I’m from I-20,” Byrd replied, a small smile on his face. “I was the son of a Baptist minister. I went to seven different schools in 12 years…I was constantly starting over.”

After serving in the Ruston area, Jack E. Byrd, Sr. moved his family to the Antioch Baptist Church in Dixie Inn. Jack, Jr. attended schools in Minden his eighth, ninth and tenth-grade years. His Senior year found him in Garrison, Texas, where he earned his high school diploma.

“But I couldn’t wait to get back here (to north Louisiana),” Byrd commented. “I found out I couldn’t rope a calf, and I couldn’t chew Red Man.”

Jack made his way back to Ruston, where he enrolled in Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (today known as Louisiana Tech University). The Vietnam war was raging when Jack received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in May of 1968. He was told that In June, he would receive a letter from the United States Draft Board, informing him that he would receive another letter in July “inviting” him to come take his physical and report for Basic Training.

Not a man to give up control, “I checked my options out,” Jack said. After giving close scrutiny to several of the nation’s branches of the military, and more than a few physicals, Jack settled on the U.S. Air Force. After graduation, he would become a second Lieutenant at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. This would be the starting point on his journey to become a jet pilot.

However, two days after his 1968 graduation, Byrd was contacted by the Army National Guard. They wanted to form a Mortar Platoon. They were specifically wanting people who excelled at mathematics, who could analyze the trajectory of a mortar, using elements like wind speed and direction. Today these calculations are done by computer.

Byrd joined the Army National Guard and was told that he would have to live within a five-mile radius of guard headquarters. Jack drew a map of where he could live, and luckily, Minden, LA was in that circle. He applied for a job and was told he’d have to come back. Meanwhile, while leaving, he saw a notice in the elevator about another accounting firm in the same building. He went back and asked if they had an opening. They did, and by noon, he was working for Duane Cloud, Richard McCranie, and Buck Shaffer. “It just so happened that the Kennon Apartments had completed building and furnishing one unit,” Jack recalled. By the time he’d rented the apartment, and borrowed money from Buck Shaffer for the down payments, he was “in” to his new bosses for nearly $100. “But I moved in that night. And that’s how I ended up in Minden.”

“When I went to work for Duane Cloud, he told me he wanted ambitious people. He pointed towards his desk and said, ‘I don’t want anybody who doesn’t want my chair!’” Later, when I moved to another firm (Jamieson, Holland & Byrd), where I was a partner, Duane asked me why I left. I pointed to a chair and reminded him that he wanted ambitious people. Duane admitted I had him there.”

After a decade, in 1987, Byrd became president and director of Minden Building & Loan. Two years later, he was hired as president and director of Minden Bank & Trust. When MB&T merged with Regions Bank, Byrd served as North Louisiana President of Regions for the next eight years. In 2007, he became president, chairman of the board and CEO of MBL Bank. During his tenure, MBL Bank grew rapidly, with assets of more than $323 million. In 2018, MBL Bank was acquired by b1Bank. Today, Jack Byrd serves as Chairman, Northwest Region, for B1Bank.

“I told my boss that he could fire me with my blessings the day I’m no longer contributing and accountable in my work,” Byrd stated. At 77, the banker seems to be doing just fine.

Jack also serves his community. He has been a member and often chairman of the Minden Lions Club, Minden Jaycees, Minden Police and Fire Civil Service Board, United Givers Fund, Minden Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scouts Fund Drives, Minden Medical Center Foundation, Glenbrook School (30 years as a founding trustee), and First Baptist Church (everything but the choir). He was Minden’s “Man of the Year” in 2016.

He is most proud of his service to Louisiana Tech University, where he has served on various boards, associations, and committees for over 50 years. He has earned the “Alumnus of the Year” Award, the “Distinguished Service” Award, the “Tower Medallion” Award and the “Honorary Doctorate of Humanities.” Since its inception in 1894, Tech has awarded over 100,000 diplomas. Byrd is one of only three graduates to ever receive all four of these awards. He has served as president of the University Foundation and the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association. He is on the board of the LA Tech Applied Research Corporation, collaborating between LA Tech and Cyber Command Bossier.

Jack met his wife, Peggy, at a Louisiana Tech football game. They have two daughters, Natalie Byrd Jackson of Indianapolis, IN and April Byrd McDonald of Dallas. They have four grandchildren, and Jack has two sisters, Mary Beth McCullen of Simsboro and Patsy and husband, Carroll Bolton, of Dubberly. He has one brother, Chuck and wife Shirley Byrd, of Shreveport. His parents, Jack E. Byrd, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth “retired” to the Heflin-Fryeburg area, where he was an “interim” pastor. His dad passed away at age 91, while his mom died at age 100.

“Talking about Lifetime Achievement earlier, the greatest work I’ve ever done professionally is hiring good people,” Byrd said, pointing out that he has been working with some of the same people in the Minden banking industry for over 35 years. “As a leader, you get too much credit (or too much criticism). Equip your people, hold them accountable, and get out of their way,” he advised. “I’ve been extremely successful doing this.”