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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 is Table Sponsor at Lebanon Senior Citizen Center Event

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

First Freedom Bank sponsored a table at the Lebanon Senior Citizen Center’s annual Valentines Celebration and Fundraiser. This is one of the largest fundraisers for the center and it doubled this year as a commemoration of their 45th year of service.

Pictured from left to right is Barbara Beasley, Jim Beasley, Norma Fugate, Don Fugate, Tatum Ortlepp, Lebanon Assistant Office Manager, Garrett Ortlepp, Ray Hodges, and Marty Hodges.

First Freedom Bank Supports Lebanon Chamber Event

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

First Freedom Bank sponsored a table at the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber’s annual celebration. This was a particularly big year for the event, as the chamber was also celebrating their centennial. Held at The Mill in Lebanon, attendance was over 500 businesses and individual members.

Pictured from left to right, back row, is John Lancaster, Chairman and CEO, Ryan Woodall, Assistant Vice President and Relationship Manager, Jackie Gaither, Board Member, John Bradshaw, President / COO & CLO, Phillip Vance, Vice President and Relationship Manager, and J.B. Owens, Executive Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking, Pictured from left to right, front row, is Maliea Oakley, Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources, and Shelia Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Managerial Lender.

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 Recognizes Employees with the Chairman’s Cup Awards

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, Press Releases.

First Freedom recognized several employees this past quarter for exceptional job performance and for exceeding their individual goals for enhancing and broadening customer relationships. Their outstanding performance earned them the prestigious honor of Chairman’s Cup Member for the quarter.

Congratulations to the following Staff for qualifying for Chairman’s Cup:

Blake Smith, Lebanon FSR Manager

Kasey Johnston, Lebanon FSR

Tori Oakley, FSR / Personal Banker

Miah Lamb, Providence FSR

Kaye Fajardo, Providence FSR

Chrissy Wright, Providence FSR Manager

Kyleigh Heady, Gainesboro FSR

Rebecca Birman, Gainesboro FSR Manager

Shelby Mayberry, Gainesboro FSR

Abby McCann, Cookeville FSR Manager

Kaylie Roberson, Cookeville FSR

Teola Ragland, Algood FSR Manager

Hannah Philpot, Algood FSR

Abby McCann, pictured below with John Lancaster, Chairman and CEO, received additional recognition as the Chairman’s Cup Top Performer for achieving the highest overall performance score among all participants.

Pictured above, back row, left to right is Kenny Beavers, Senior Vice President and Director of Retail Banking, Rebecca, Shelby, Miah, and John and pictured front row, left to right is, Sarah Poss, Vice President and Assistant Director of Retail Banking, Tori, Blake, Kasey, Abby, Kaye, and Kyleigh.

Denise Bingham smiles at the camera against a grey background.

First Freedom Promotes Bingham

Written by Sarah Poss on . Posted in Bank News, New Hires/Promotions.

Denise Bingham has been promoted to Providence Office Manager and Assistant Vice President, announced John Lancaster, Chairman and CEO. Bingham’s prior role was as a Senior Personal Banker and Development Coordinator.

“I’m very excited to see Denise move into this important role,” stated Lancaster.  “Her coworkers love and respect her and her customers know she has a wealth of banking knowledge.  Denise is a top-shelf individual in every respect and I’m proud to have her representing First Freedom.”   

Bingham is a career banker with extensive experience in the retail division, as well as lending. Before joining First Freedom in 2017, she served as an Assistant Vice President and Branch manager with a corporate bank where she was recognized with a Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award. Over the last couple of years, she has served as an Ambassador for the Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce.

A native of Lebanon, Bingham continues to reside there with her husband. They have two daughters and are members of Maple Hill Church of Christ.

First Freedom Bank, headquartered in Wilson County, was established in 2006.  A full service, community bank, First Freedom Bank offers personal and commercial banking services from six locations in Wilson, Putnam and Jackson Counties, and has approximately 70 employees. First Freedom Bank has assets in excess of $600 million and is owned by more than 1,100 shareholders throughout Middle Tennessee. First Freedom Bank is a member of the Better Business Bureau, an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additionally, First Freedom has earned the prestigious Five Star rating by Bauer Financial, the nation’s leading independent bank and credit union rating firm.

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.