FDIC-Insured - Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. GovernmentMurphy-Wall Directorate Elects Bigham as Chairman,
Crawford as Director to Continue Legacy of Leadership
The Directors of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company are pleased to announce that Matthew D. Bigham has been elected as Chairman of the Board and Brian J. Crawford as board member.
Matthew is the son of David and Nancy Bigham and grandson of former chairman of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company, the late Robert Crawford.
Brian is the son of Connie Crawford and the late J. Joseph Crawford, former Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company board chairman, who passed away earlier this year.
This announcement was made following the bank’s annual board meeting. “It is with great pleasure that I can declare that the Crawford legacy will continue for years to come through both of these men,” reported Murphy-Wall State Bank President/CEO Marty Davis.
Leadership runs in the families of both the Pinckneyville natives, as Murphy-Wall has been under the direction of their lineage since the inception of the bank in 1874. Noting on the continuation of the Murphy/Crawford chairmanship of the bank, Bigham who has been a board member since June of 2019 will be the seventh chairman of the board as a direct descendant to the original founder, W. K. Murphy.
Bigham, a Pinckneyville native, graduated as valedictorian from Pinckneyville High School, then went on to receive a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business from the University of Illinois. He then received his Juris Doctorate degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. Following law school, Bigham served as an attorney at law firms in Belleville, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri before taking his current position as corporate counsel of LS Power Development, LLC in Chesterfield, Missouri. Bigham resides in Waterloo, Illinois with his wife and son.
Crawford, also a Pinckneyville native and graduate from Pinckneyville High School, attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Recreation Sport & Tourism – Sports Management. In addition, he went on to earn a Masters of Science in Education – Sports Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Crawford used his experience in the Intercollegiate Athletics departments at the University of Memphis, Southern Illinois University, and University of Houston. He most recently served as Director of Marketing for Lowe’s Pro/MSH in Houston Texas.
“We are equally proud to have Matthew as our new chairman and Brian as a new board member,” Davis went on to say, adding, “These men that the Pinckneyville community knows well will both represent six generations of the tradition, leadership, and commitment which has seen Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company through 145 years and made it the premier regional bank that it is today. This is an exciting time for our bank as we pass the torch of leadership to the upcoming generations, keeping up with changes in the banking industry, but most of all assuring that we will continue to be a locally owned community bank. They are committed to carrying on the tradition.”
Adding to the strength and longevity of the board, Dr. James Wittenauer was elected to serve as a director in March of 2018.
Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust Company is an independent bank that traces roots back to 1874. It serves Pinckneyville, Murphysboro, Elkville, Carterville, and Marion, along with Perry, Jackson and Williamson Counties and Southern Illinois with a variety of banking services. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at murphywall.com and Like Us on Facebook.