First Volunteer Bank Named Extraordinary Bank Of The Year

First Volunteer Bank, a community bank in Tennessee and North Georgia, is the recipient of the 2014 Extraordinary Banking Award presented by the Institute for Extraordinary Banking.

First Volunteer was recognized with the Institute’s top honor after competing against two other top bank finalists. Each of the three finalists presented their achievements in front of hundreds of top-performing bankers from around the country."First Volunteer’s consistent strong performance in five areas of banking—philanthropy, customer service, thought leadership, workplace culture and financial literacy education—sealed their win," officials said.

To honor First Volunteer Bank, The Institute for Extraordinary Banking made a donation on behalf of the bank to the Unstoppable Foundation to fund the construction of a school in Africa and awarded First Volunteer with a new car to use in community service and promotional events.

“We are honored to be chosen as the Extraordinary Bank of the Year among a group of such high-performing financial institutions from around the country,” said Patti Steele, president and CEO of First Volunteer Bank.  “We take pride in our performance in each of the five areas of achievement and are deeply committed to safe, sound community banking practices in all the markets we serve.”  

"The Awards exist to highlight the vital, yet often overlooked, role that local, community banks play in our economy. Without a thriving local banking industry, our small businesses and families become nothing more than a number inside a 'too big to fail' institution," officials stated.

First Volunteer has assets of $880 million and operates 24 banking offices with 285 employees in eleven counties.