Tag: Putnam County

Putnam County includes First Freedom Bank’s Cookeville Office

Honaker to Lead First Freedom in Putnam County

Written by Sarah Poss on August 1, 2024. Posted in Bank News, New Hires/Promotions, Press Releases.

Rachel Honaker has been promoted to Putnam County Market Manager, announced John Lancaster, Chairman and CEO.

Rachel began her career with First Freedom in 2021 as a Personal Banker at the Cookeville Office. She received multiple promotions, ultimately serving as the Algood Office Manager. Under Rachel’s leadership, the Algood office experienced tremendous growth and outperformed many First Freedom Offices in key metrics. With this promotion to Putnam County Market Manager, Rachel will oversee the operations of both the Cookeville and Algood offices, representing $120 million in customer deposits.

“Rachel is an outstanding young banker and very deserving of this critical position,” stated Lancaster. She understands that top-shelf service is our brand, and that local decision-making and community commitment is key to our success.”

Rachel has a B.S in Business Administration / Finance from Tennessee Tech, as well as several years of prior experience in the financial industry. She is currently completing the Retail Banking Leadership Series through Tennessee Bankers Association.

Having attended college and having worked for several years in the area, she is at home in Putnam County and prioritizes being an active member of the community. Rachel currently serves on the Administrative Office Technology Advisory Board for TCAT-Livingston and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

First Freedom joined the Putnam County community in 2016, where we continue our legacy as an independent, community-focused, full service bank. Learn more about our two Putnam County offices by clicking the buttons below.

Cookeville Office

Algood Office

First Freedom Donates to Algood Library Program

Written by Sarah Poss on May 17, 2024. 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 staff stand and smile at the camera.

First Freedom Supports Cookeville Chamber

Written by Sarah Poss on February 9, 2024. 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.

First Freedom Sponsors Cookeville Chamber Event

Written by Sarah Poss on January 3, 2024. Posted in Bank News, Sponsorships/Community.

First Freedom Bank was a sponsor of the Cookeville Chamber’s annual Christmas Business After Hours. Held at the Leslie Town Center, this event promotes networking among local businesses.

Pictured from left to right is Abby McCann, Cookeville FSR Manager, Bryan Sweet, Cookeville Personal Banker, Ladell Medley, Vice President and Cookeville Office Manager, and Kaitlyn Kovalchick, Accounting Officer.

First Freedom Ranked Top Performing Bank in Tennessee

Written by Sarah Poss on February 8, 2023. Posted in Bank News, Press Releases.

First Freedom Bank was recently acknowledged as the top performing bank in Tennessee for 2022 by independent firm Financial Management Consulting Group (FMC). FMC utilizes public call report data submitted to the FDIC which is designed to collect financial data in the form of a balance sheet, income statement and supporting schedules. The Report of Condition schedules provide details on assets, liabilities, and capital accounts while the Report of Income schedules provide details on income and expenses. The state of Tennessee had 125 banks in the analysis.

FMC has been analyzing bank performance for 25 years and computes the rankings on a quarterly basis for 42 states. W. Timothy Finn, Principal of FMC, explains his firm utilizes eight key measurements in their analysis and stack ranks all banks in each of the categories. They then average the category rankings to stack rank the banks for overall performance. “It’s quite a task to get the top spot in overall performance,” said Finn, “First Freedom is to be commended for this significant accomplishment.”

John Lancaster, Chairman and CEO of First Freedom, stated, “We are honored to be recognized by FMC in this way. We have followed their analytical work for years and appreciate the transparency in their approach. These results are a testament to our thriving communities, our focused board, and our dedicated employees.”

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 approximately 1,000 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.