Lesa Downey
Lesa Downey, president and chief executive officer of North Georgia National Bank, has been elected to the Georgia Bankers Association board of directors. North Georgia National Bank is locally owned with offices in Calhoun and Dalton. The 23-member GBA board of directors is the policy-setting body for the association. Ms. Downey will be one of three bankers representing the North Group.
“We are delighted to welcome Lesa to the GBA board of directors, and we look forward to benefiting from her wealth of experience and insight for the betterment of the industry and, most importantly, the communities, families and businesses that Georgia's banks serve,” said Brad E.
Barber, GBA chairman and president and CEO of First National Bank in Bainbridge.
Ms. Downey is a 40-year veteran community banker. Prior to her existing role, she was executive vice president and chief credit officer at North Georgia. She attended Dalton State College and is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking. In addition to serving as a member of the GBA Community Bankers committee, Ms. Downey is an active member of the Rotary Club of Calhoun, is on the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce board of directors, serves as co-treasurer of the Whitfield Education Foundation, and is the chairperson of the Business Advisory Council for the Wright School of Business at Dalton State College. She is also on staff at New Heights Baptist Church in Ringgold.
“I feel incredibly honored to have been elected to the GBA board to represent my fellow bankers from the North Group,” Ms. Downey said. “Banking has changed tremendously throughout my career, and no one represents and advocates better than the Georgia Bankers Association. I look forward to working with them in this role.”