T
The Southeastern School
of Commercial LendingSM
he Tennessee Bankers Association conducted the 2009 session
of The Southeastern School of
Commercial LendingSM (TSSCL) this
summer with 35 bankers completing
requirements for graduation from the
program.
The annual week-long school was
held May 17–22 at the Owen Graduate
School of Management on the Vanderbilt University campus in Nashville. Established in 1984, the TBA sponsors the
school in cooperation with the Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi
bankers associations.
This year, the graduates hailed from
five states in addition to Tennessee, in-
cluding Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, and Mississippi.
The intensive, one-week school exposes students to the major issues commercial loan officers face on a daily basis. It
focuses on how the economy and business
structure affect lending decisions.
Students ranking in the top 10 percent
of the class based on mid-term and final
examination scores and evaluations by
the faculty and board of trustees are
recognized through the school’s honors
program.
This year’s honor graduates were:
• Trevor Dyer, American Bank & Trust
of the Cumberlands, Cookeville, TN
• Randal Harrell, Homeland Com-
munity Bank, McMinnville, TN
• J. B. Owens, First Freedom Bank,
Lebanon, TN
• Dexter Thornton, The Commercial
Bank, Meridian, MS
A list of the 2009 graduates, arranged
alphabetically by city, accompanies this
article.
Curriculum
The TSSCL curriculum incorporates
over 45 hours of classroom instruction
into 10 modules The External Environment, Understanding the Borrower’s
Business, Understanding the Borrower’s
Competitive Position, Evaluating
continued on page 39
The Southeastern School
of Commercial LendingSM
2009 Graduates
Ashland City, TN..........Community Bank & Trust.............................................................Jason Laws
2009 TSSCL Student
Profile
Ashland City, TN..........Pinnacle National Bank............................................................ Larry Roberts
General Profile Data
Batesville, MS..............Covenant Bank............................................................................. Julie Coyle
Brentwood, TN.............BancorpSouth Bank.............................................................Matthew Hodges
Brentwood, TN.............First Tennessee Bank National Association............................. Herman Hicks
Brunswick, GA.............Atlantic National Bank.................................................................. Creg Miller
Clarksville, TN.............Legends Bank........................................................................... Jessica Clark
Columbia, TN...............First Farmers and Merchants Bank.........................................Archie Morrow
*Cookeville, TN..........American Bank & Trust of the Cumberlands.........................Trevor Dyer
Corinth, MS..................SOUTHBank................................................................................. A. Brawner
Frankewing, TN...........Bank of Frankewing................................................................... Ben Jackson
Frankewing, TN...........Bank of Frankewing................................................................ Jeffrey Pardon
Hamilton, AL................First National Bank............................................................... Dale McCreless
Hendersonville.............American Security Bank & Trust..............................................Wesley Payne
Hernando, MS.............Guaranty Bank and Trust Company........................................ Scott Crockett
Jackson, TN.................First Tennessee Bank National Association................................. Scott Beard
Knoxville, TN...............Clayton Bank and Trust.................................................................. Brent Ball
Kosciusko, MS.............Merchants and Farmers Bank................................................. Justin Develin
Lebanon, TN................First Freedom Bank.....................................................................Paul Howell
*Lebanon, TN.............First Freedom Bank................................................................. J. B. Owens
Mandeville, LA.............Business First..........................................................................Blaine Dayries
*McMinnville, TN........Homeland Community Bank............................................... Randal Harrell
Memphis, TN...............First Tennessee Bank National Association........................... Knox Campbell
Memphis, TN...............First Tennessee Bank National Association.............................Kate Gutierrez
Memphis, TN...............First Tennessee Bank National Association........................... Kristen Toombs
Memphis, TN...............First Tennessee Bank National Association........................... Witt Wittenberg
*Meridian, MS.............The Commercial Bank......................................................Dexter Thornton
Middlesboro, KY..........Home Federal Bank................................................................... Angie Poteet
Middlesboro, KY..........Home Federal Bank.............................................................. Brad Thompson
New Orleans, LA..........Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank.......................................Sheila Dickerson
New Orleans, LA..........Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank........................................... Pamela Eiffert
Ruleville, MS................Planters Bank & Trust Company...................................Christopher Williams
Savannah, TN..............The Hardin County Bank...........................................................Larry Higgins
Sharon, TN..................First State Bank....................................................................... Dustin Frazier
Union City, TN.............Reelfoot Bank..........................................................................William Gurley
*Denotes Honor Graduate
Tennessee....................................................22
Alabama.........................................................1
Georgia...........................................................1
Kentucky.........................................................2
Louisiana........................................................3
Mississippi......................................................6
Female............................................................7
Male..............................................................28
Education
(Highest Level Achieved)
High School....................................................1
Some College.................................................0
Associate Degree...........................................0
Bachelor Degree...........................................25
Graduate Degree............................................9
Years of Bank Experience
Less than 1 year.............................................3
1 – 5 years....................................................15
6 – 10 years....................................................9
11 – 20 years..................................................3
20+ years........................................................5
Lending Experience
Less than 1 year.............................................2
1 – 5 years....................................................24
6 – 10 years....................................................4
11 – 20 years..................................................3
20+ years........................................................2
Size of Bank (Assets)
Under 50 million............................................12
51 – 100 million..............................................2
101 – 500 million..........................................14
501 million – 1 billion......................................6
Over 1 billion...................................................1
Size of Bank’s Loan Portfolio
Under 1 million................................................6
1 – 5 million....................................................0
6 – 10 million..................................................0
11 – 50 million.................................................6
51 – 100 million..............................................4
Over 100 million............................................19
The Southeastern School of Commercial Lending continued
Management, Assessing Borrower
Financial Performance, Projecting
Future Performance, Loan Structure
and Support, Effective Relationship
Management, Identifying and Managing Problem Loans, and Establishing
Credit Discipline. These modules address topics such as how problem loans
develop and the appropriate techniques
for managing them, understanding the
role of a company’s management and
how to analyze and evaluate management, how businesses operate and the
ways their financing needs arise, and
meeting the multiple financial needs of
customers through effective relationship banking.
The curriculum for The Southeastern School of Commercial Lending
was developed in cooperation with the
American Bankers Association, industry experts across the country, and the
school’s board of trustees. Through
lectures and interactive case studies,
instructors cover basic and advanced
analytical techniques, along with ways
to apply those techniques when pricing
and structuring loans.
Board of Trustees
Chairman: Greg Wingo, Executive Vice President/Senior
Lender, First Capital Bank, Germantown, TN
Vice Chairman: Bruce Reed, Executive Vice President/Chief
Credit Officer, Commercial Bank & Trust Co, Paris, TN
Past Chairman: Donna Stone, President/CEO, First Community Bank of Bedford County, Shelbyville, TN
Trustees:
Greg Wingo
James R. Rushing, Senior Vice President, First Tennessee Bank
National Association, Knoxville, TN
Thomas Bates, Jr, Executive Vice President, Legends Bank, Clarksville, TN
Elizabeth C. Brasher, Manager, Continuing Credit Education, Lender Support
and Development, First Horizon National Corporation, Memphis, TN
David D. Gross, Senior Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer, First Alliance
Bank, Cordova, TN
Hank Stuart, Executive Vice President, Cedarstone Bank, Lebanon, TN
W. O. Jones, Senior Vice President/Director of Human Resources, BancorpSouth, Tupelo, MS
Application Requirements
and Continuing Education
Bankers accepted into the TSSCL
must have a minimum of one year’s
experience in commercial lending or
credit administration or five years of
general banking experience in addition
to certain prerequisite courses acquired
through AIB or college classes. Enrollment is limited to TBA members,
associate members, and nonmembers
from an eligible membership category or
members of one of the other sponsoring
state associations.
Graduates qualify for 45 hours of
intermediate-level CPE credit in the
area of specialized knowledge and applications and may qualify for 45 hours
of Certified Lender Business Banker
(CLBB) credit from the Institute of Certified Bankers.
Attend the 2009 Session
The 2010 session of The Southeastern
School of Commercial Lending will be
held May 16–21. Brochures containing complete program information
and application forms will be mailed
in February of 2010 and also will be
posted on the TBA website, www.TNBankers.org.
If you have questions about TSSCL
or any of The Southeastern Schools,
please contact Susan Taylor, CMP, in
the TBA office at 615-244-4871 or 800964-5525 or via E-mail to srtaylor@
TNBankers.org. ■
The Southeastern School
of Commercial Lending Photos
The Southeastern School of Commercial Lending
2009 Faculty & Classes
1. John Barrickmam, president, New Horizons Financial Group, East Point, GA
The External Environment, Understanding the Borrower’s Business, Assessing the Borrower’sCompetitive
Position, Evaluating Management, Assessing Borrower Financial Performance, Qualitative Issues,
Commercial Real Estate Lending, Analyzing Personal Financial Statements & Tax Returns, Projecting
Future Performance, Loan Structure & Support, Select Distributors Case Presentation, Effective Relationship Management, Identifying and Managing Problem Loans, Establishing Credit Discipline
2. Jerry W. Crigger, DA, president, J. Crigger & Associates, Brentwood, TN
The External Environment, Understanding the Borrower’s Business, Assessing the Borrower’s Competitive Position, Evaluating Management, Assessing Borrower Financial Performance, Commercial
Real Estate Lending, Analyzing Personal Financial Statements & Tax Returns, Projecting Future
Performance
Ann E. Kovich, senior vice president/Southwest Community Region, M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank,
Madison, WI (not pictured)
Loan Structure & Support, Select Distributors Case Presentation, Effective Relationship Management,
Identifying and Managing Problem Loans, Establishing Credit Discipline