Tom Parsons of Mid-State Bank & Trust will be honored with the Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce Directors Award at its installation dinner Thursday.

The chamber/s board of directors gives the award to a businessperson who has worked on behalf of the business community to help create a strong local economy, according to Judith Bean, chamber president and chief executive officer.

&#8220I was always taught (that) by my father, who gave back through his involvement through the Boy Scouts of America program,C Parsons said about his involvement. &#8220For years, even when I wasn/t a Scout, he said, >It/s something you do to give back to the community to offer something for those that may not have the chance, because if there aren/t volunteers, you don/t have a lot of the programs that make the community individually successful./ I guess that/s my way of giving back.C

Parsons is a multiyear board member, having held various positions within the chamber, including chairman of the board in 1992.

For the Kiwanis Club of Greater Pismo Beach, Parsons is a current member of the board of directors, the program coordinator and the weekly bulletin editor.

He also volunteers for the Junior Achievement program.

Just recently, Parsons has been involved as a founding committee member of the East Grand Avenue Merchants, a group of business people and property owners formed to help revitalize that commercial corridor.

Parsons is a 30-plus-year employee at Mid-State Bank & Trust, employed since 1997 in the Arroyo Grande branch, where he is the vice president and events manager.

He also worked as a staff writer for the Times-Press-Recorder for a time, covering city government and crime.

This isn/t the first time Parsons has garnered recognition for his community involvement. He was voted Kiwanian of the year in 2003.

Parsons currently lives in Arroyo Grande with his wife and son, a senior at Arroyo Grande High School. His daughter is a fifth-grade teacher in Milpitas.