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First Freedom a Sponsor for Student Athlete Award Event

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement, Sponsorships/Community.

First Freedom Bank sponsored lunch for the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce’s Best All-Around Student Athlete of the Year Awards Luncheon. Eligible nominees were one male and one female from each high school in Wilson County that were selected by their Athletic Director, Coach, or Principal. These nominees were chosen for their excellence in both academics and athletics. If chosen as the final recipients, the students received a scholarship to the school of their choice.

This year’s scholarship award recipients were Sophia Beverly Allen of Green Hill High School and Jackson Thomas Allen of Wilson Central high School.

Pictured from left to right is Tatum Ortlepp, Retail Banking Sales Manager, Shelia Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Managerial Lender, Colton Dowell, keynote speaker and Tennessee Titans Wide Receiver, Phillip Vance, Vice President and Managerial Lender and Division Vice Chair of the Wilson County Sports Council, and J.B. Owens, Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking.

First Freedom Donates to Algood Library Program

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

In support of the Algood Library’s summer reading program, First Freedom bank donated goody bags to be given to program participants. As it is Older American’s Month, the library is using this as their focus for May.

Pictured from left to right is Teola Ragland, Algood FSR Manager / Personal Banker and Rochelle Turner, Algood Branch Library Manager. 

First Freedom Bank Supports Community Career Fairs

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

Being in the community is a top priority for First Freedom Bank and we’ve enjoyed doing so through our participation in local career fairs. Staff have attended several over the past month, attending fairs at Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Livingston, Wilson Central High School, and Watertown High School.

Pictured top, left to right, is Sarah Poss, Vice President and Director of Retail Banking, and Teola Ragland, Algood FSR Manager, at TCAT.

Pictured bottom, left to right, is Maliea Oakley, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources, and Sarah Poss at Watertown High School.

First Freedom Sponsor for Wilson Books from Birth Fundraiser

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom Bank sponsored a table for Wilson Books from Birth’s annual fundraiser, the Imagination Dinner. Advertised as the  “wackiest night you will attend,” the event boasts themed tables and costumes, a live and silent auction, tongue-in-cheek challenges, and table awards. All proceeds go to Wilson Books from Birth.

First Freedom’s table theme was based on the book Luke Goes to Bat, and included a variety of baseball items and vintage game flair. The table won the “Best All Around” award.

Those in attendance included Kayla Ring, Assistant Vice President and Construction Manager, Helen Green, Lebanon Administrative Assistant, Sarah Poss, Vice President and Director of Retail Banking, Denise Bingham, Assistant Vice President and Providence Office Manager, Shelia Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Managerial Lender, Tatum Ortlepp, Retail Banking Sales Manager, Maliea Oakley, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources, Mary Cate Holbrook, Lebanon Personal Banker, and Holly Wolfe, Lebanon Personal Banker.

First Freedom Raises Funds for United Way

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Community Involvement.

First Freedom Bank has once again conducted an employee campaign to raise funds for United Way of Wilson County and the Upper Cumberland. The bank is a long-time supporter of this organization and joins their fundraising efforts each year. This year the bank raised $7,500, which was contributed to over 40 local non-profit programs.

United Way’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in Wilson County and the Upper Cumberland through the combined efforts of individuals and organizations working together. First Freedom’s Ryan Woodall, Assistant Vice President and Relationship Manager, serves on their board of directors.

Pictured are First Freedom staff with their campaign contribution check.

First Freedom Hosts Financial Literacy Program at Senior Center

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom hosted a Financial Literacy Program at the Mt. Juliet Senior Activity Center on March 25th. The program focused on common scams targeting older adults and offered strategies to avoid fraudsters and financial exploitation.

Pictured from left to right are the program hosts, Ashley Montgomery, Assistant Vice President and Mt. Juliet Office Manager, and Sarah Poss, Vice President and Director of Retail Banking.

First Freedom’s Montgomery Delivers Books to Students

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom’s Ashley Montgomery, Assistant Vice President and Mt. Juliet Office Manager, delivered books last Friday to all Wilson County first grade students through the Mt. Juliet Noon Rotary’s Read to Succeed Program. She serves as the Club Membership Chair for the Noon Rotary. This is the second year she has participated in the Read to Succeed Program.

First Freedom’s Tippit Participates in Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation Roundtable

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom’s Ashley Tippit, Gainesboro Assistant Office Manager, joined a roundtable with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation earlier this month. Tippit is a board member for the Jackson County Imagination Library and by participating in the roundtable she had the opportunity to meet with other Dolly Parton Imagination Library board members from surrounding counties. Meetings like this help strengthen partnerships, share ideas, and increase awareness of the program.

Tippit is pictured third from the left with other roundtable attendees.

First Freedom Supports Mt. Juliet Chamber

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom Bank supported the Mt. Juliet Chamber’s annual celebration with the purchase of seats at the event. Held at the Hilton Garden Inn & Tru on February 9th, the chamber uses this event as a time to recognize those who have made a particular impact in the business community in the prior year.

Pictured from left to right is Ashley Montgomery, Assistant Vice President and Mt. Juliet Office Manager, Sarah Poss, Vice President and Assistant Director of Retail Banking, Kaitlin Wattenbarger, Providence Personal Banker, Meagan Roberts, Providence Personal Banker, Denise Bingham, Assistant Vice President and Providence Office Manager, and Kenny Beavers, Senior Vice President and Director of Retail Banking.

First Freedom staff stand and smile at the camera.

First Freedom Supports Cookeville Chamber

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Community Involvement.

First Freedom supported the Cookeville Chamber’s annual meeting by sponsoring a table at the event. Held on February 6th at the Leslie Town Center, the chamber honored six members for their commitment to Putnam County in the prior year. The keynote speaker was Dianne Murphy, senior partner at the PICTOR group.

Pictured from left to right, front row, is Rachel Honaker, Algood Office Manager, Abby McCann, Cookeville FSR Manager, Bryan Sweet, Cookeville Personal Banker, Donna Elrod, Vice President and Gainesboro Office Manager, Sarah Poss, Vice President and Assistant Director of Retail Banking, and J.B. Owens, Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking. Pictured from left to right, back row, is Kenny Beavers, Senior Vice President and Director of Retail Banking, and Ladell Medley, Vice President and Cookeville Office Manager.