(This is one of our profiles on this year’s recipients selected by an anonymous committee out of an extensive list of nominees for the 2024 Lincoln Leader Award. The Lincoln Parish Journal thanks Mayor Ronny Walker and the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce for their support of this award. We would like to thank Kevin Hawkins at HawkinsPhoto.com for the headshots).
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Name Marisol O’Neal
Age 39
Employer Origin Bank
Title Senior Vice President, Treasury Management
Hometown Monroe, LA
Years Living in Ruston 15 years
Civic Volunteer Organizations
Current
- Boys and Girls Club of North Louisiana
- Building Committee Co-Chair
- Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana
- Vice President
- Phi Mu Fraternity
- Membership Advisor – Louisiana Tech University
- Area Membership Advisor – Regionally
- Phi Mu Foundation
- Membership Assistance Committee Member
- Real Change in Ruston
- Committee Member
- Louisiana Tech Alumni Association
- Board Member
Past
- Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- Chairman – 2020
- Leadership Lincoln Graduate
Professional Highlights
- Phi Mu Fraternity
- Outstanding Alumna Achievement for Contribution to Community (2018-2020) – National Award
- Phi Mu Foundation
- Social Media Advocate for Biennium (2020-2022) – National Award
- Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- 2017 Top 5 Young Business Leaders to Watch
- Northeast Louisiana Professionals
- 2016 “Top 20 under 40” Recipient
- DeltaStyle Magazine
- 2014 “Sweet Sixteen” Top Influential Women of the Delta
- Origin Bank
- 2019 Emerging Leaders Inaugural Class
Laurie Colvin, Senior Vice President and Treasury Management Director, Origin Bank on Marisol O’Neal:
“I have worked alongside Marisol O’Neal at Origin Bank for the last 15 years. From the moment she moved to Ruston as a young woman, her passion for our community, and her desire to give back and contribute with her time and talents, has been evident. Marisol is a visionary and has tremendous organization skills, willing to take on tasks big or small to make our community better in any way that she can. From delivering a sack lunch with a smile, organizing a music festival, or mentoring young women and encouraging the next generation along their life journey, Marisol finds satisfaction in being a part of something much bigger than herself.
“Watching Marisol grow in her career has been a joy for me; however, her greatest success is being a wife and mother of two precious children. Lincoln Parish is blessed that Marisol found a home here after graduating from Louisiana Tech University. I am fortunate to call her my teammate and friend.”
Q&A with Marisol O’Neal
What makes Lincoln Parish special?
While I have only ever lived in two parishes — I can honestly tell you the unique factor of Lincoln Parish lies directly within its people. How has one parish been so lucky to have its premiere leaders be such efficient, thorough, and thoughtful collaborators? Looking inwardly at Ruston specifically — Mayor Ronny Walker has been such a tremendous asset into making our community as special as it is. He has one of the best open-door policies from a leadership perspective, and his passion to “be better, do better” really makes our city + parish truly unique. As a result of his leadership (and many others) — it is easy for our community to unite together to bring forth change and progress to our area.
How do you see your role/place in making our parish such a wonderful place to call home?
The best way to make a community great is to be a good steward to your neighbors — both personally and professionally.
As an individual, I do my best to perform small actions with great pride. One of the best (and easiest) ways to be a good steward is to simply be present. Showing up to local events is a very easy way to make a difference, and our patronage of these events inevitably keeps our parish moving forward.
Speaking professionally — it is also important to reinvest in the community in which we live, and I am beyond thankful that my employer (Origin Bank) allows me many opportunities to volunteer to serve and represent Lincoln Parish. If you ever have an opportunity to volunteer locally, I highly recommend it; you will feel wonderful at the end of the day — and you will continue to make Lincoln Parish great!
Who has played a role in your professional development and why?
Truth be told — I have too many individuals to list here, but the obvious answer would be my boss, Laurie Colvin. I started working Origin Bank in 2008 at the age of 23. To put it bluntly — I was very young. Knowing what I know now — I was unrealistically ambitious, which sounds odd to say. To elaborate, I was on this drastic, self-created timeline to chase titles, goals, money, and everything you could imagine. Over the years – Laurie provided feedback and counsel that not only helped me professionally, but also personally. She has definitely been responsible for shaping me as an individual, and I will be forever in her debt for all that she has done for me.
Let me also give a shout-out to Cathi Cox-Boniol and Corre Stegall — who are two dynamic women who stepped into my life through other organizations of which I am affiliated. If they read this article, they will likely be surprised to see me list their names listed here — as I have never personally told them the positive influences they have had on me. They are two amazing leaders who have leadership qualities of which I tremendously admire and respect. Lincoln Parish is wildly lucky to call them our own.
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