5 Minutes with the EBL Regional Directors

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Region 1 – Northern VA:
Darren Tully, Freedom Bank

Title: SVP, Market President – Fairfax

Brief Description of Your Position/Role at the Bank:
Commercial relationship manager leading a team of client-focused staff in our Fairfax Region

Number of Years on the Committee: 9

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
Friendships, business opportunities through client referrals and participations, leadership training and mentoring

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: Baby Shark
  • Favorite Podcast: Fareed Zakaria GPS
  • Favorite Book: Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
  • Favorite TV Show: Family Guy
  • Favorite Movie: Interstellar

Lightning Round Questions:

  • What is your secret weapon? I can name the capital or flag of any country in the world
  • I always start my day with…Water and coffee 
  • I would most like to have lunch with (dead or alive): Barack Obama
  • Favorite weekend activity: Playing with my 3 year old daughter
  • If I wasn’t a banker, I would be…Gym owner
  • If your life right now were a Netflix show, what would it be called? Modern Disasters
  • What do you consider your biggest accomplishment – career or otherwise? Deciding to get into banking, with no prior experience or connection to the industry
  • How would you spend one million dollars? Fully fund college funds and buy a forever home in Arlington
  • If you could host a talk show, who would be your first guest? Bruce Whitehurst
  • What’s the most-used app on your phone? Pokemon Go
  • What is the top thing still left on your bucket list? Travel to 100 countries
  • What TV show or movie character would it be the most fun to change places with for a week? James Bond

Region 2 – Capitol:
Jennifer Willner, C&F Bank

Title: VP, Treasury Solutions Consultant

Brief Description of Your Position/Role at the Bank:
My role as VP, Treasury Solutions Consultant at C&F Bank has allowed me to develop individualized strategic plans for our Retail Businesses while working closely with our Branch Managers, building relationships with current customers, and acquiring new customer acquisitions.

Number of Years on the Committee: 6

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
Being a part of the EBL has enhanced my leadership skills through their Leadership Conference and other events throughout the year. The EBL connects you with bankers across Virginia. The relationships that have been formed through the EBL have helped with my confidence. We are in the same line of business, but different roles. It has been a blessing to have others to lean on during my development. Engaging in programs such as Get Smart About Credit Day, Teach Child to Save Day, Bank Day Scholarship Program, Washington Summit, and state legislative events has allowed me to help educate my customers and teammates to build their confidence within their banking goals.

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: Good Riddance - Green Day
  • Favorite Book: I am a James Patterson and Dean Koontz fan.
  • Favorite TV Show: A Reality Show Junkie
  • Favorite Movie: The Green Book

Lightning Round Questions:

  • I always start my day with…I play the song “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban
  • I would most like to have lunch with (dead or alive): My dad. I would love just one more moment with him. I have so many questions.
  • Favorite weekend activity: I love to hike and ride my bike. I love to be by the water.
  • If I wasn’t a banker, I would be…Social worker/juvenile probation officer
  • What is the top thing still left on your bucket list? Going to Greece by myself

Region 3 – Hampton Roads/Eastern Shore:
Dale Schuurman, Blue Ridge Bank

Title: Managing Director of Middle Market Banking, Hampton Roads

Number of Years on the Committee: 5; Member of the EBL since 2010

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
As much as bankers compete for business in a geographic region, we cooperate even more. EBL gives me a chance to meet, get to know and coordinate with leaders from nearly every bank in the state of Virginia. We work together to staff not for profit boards, coordinate credit syndication and frequently come together to support acute charitable needs in our geographies. Additionally, EBL allows us a chance to reach future Virginia bank leaders in a coordinated way.

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: I Play the Road - Zac Brown
  • Favorite Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience
  • Favorite Book: All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
  • Favorite TV Show: 60 Minutes
  • Favorite Movie: The Greatest Showman

Lightning Round Questions:

  • What is your secret weapon? My wife
  • I always start my day with…English breakfast tea
  • Favorite weekend activity: Sleeping slightly later
  • If I wasn’t a banker, I would be…A college soccer coach
  • What would someone be surprised to learn about you? I’m a Virginia Class A contractor

Region 4 – Valley:
Jordan Dean, Pendleton Community Bank

Title: Vice President, Agribusiness & Commercial Banking Officer

Number of Years on the Committee: 2

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
Being a new member of the EBL, I look forward to learning from current committee members and regional directors as to how they accomplish their personal and bank established goals. I’m also looking forward to developing relationships with my fellow committee members and regional directors.

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leopard
  • Favorite Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
  • Favorite TV Show: Ozark
  • Favorite Movie: Good Will Hunting

Lightning Round Questions:

  • I always start my day with…By playing fetch with the dogs
  • Favorite weekend activity: Going to new breweries
  • If I wasn’t a banker, I would be…An appraiser
  • How would you spend one million dollars? Investing in real estate or securities
  • What is the top thing still left on your bucket list? Traveling to Europe

Region 5 – Central/Southside:
Mary Ann Miller, Bank of Botetourt

Title: FVP – Marketing Strategy & Business Development Officer

Brief Description of Your Position/Role at the Bank:
I facilitate the needs of customers and the community with bank employees, business bankers, treasury, merchant services and commercial lenders. I manage the bank’s advisory boards; facilitate the business development meetings, customer relations, event management, networking, fundraisers, and special projects with senior management and the board of directors; oversee the creative and marketing; and manage the bank’s social media platforms. As head of communications, I also draft and publish news releases and internal bank messages. 

Number of Years on the Committee: 6

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
Connecting with bankers throughout the Commonwealth and extending my network of peers.

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: Old Time Rock & Roll
  • Favorite Podcast: Anything from the Economist/WSJ
  • Favorite Book: Lean In
  • Favorite TV Show: Andy Griffith
  • Favorite Movie: Gladiator

Lightning Round Questions:

  • I always start my day with…Reading the morning briefing from the Economist.
  • Favorite weekend activity: Spending time with my husband and two sons.
  • What’s the most-used app on your phone? Messages
  • What is the top thing still left on your bucket list? Travel anywhere I haven’t already been.
  • What would someone be surprised to learn about you? I enjoy property management and development.

Region 6 – Southwest VA:
James Bowen, First Bank & Trust Company

Title: VP Credit Administration

Brief Description of Your Position/Role at the Bank:
My role at the bank is responsible for establishing internal loan controls and written policies ensuring the quality of the loan portfolio including interpreting risk rating definitions and providing training to lending personnel on risk ratings. I also report to the board the asset quality of the loan portfolio, including delinquencies, nonaccruals, OREO, loan concentrations and profitability analyses. My position at the bank also serves as chair for weekly Loan Committee meetings.

Number of Years on the Committee: 9

How have benefited from your participation in the EBL?
Participating in the EBL has helped me to create a network of bankers. Through attending events in Richmond and EBL conferences across the state, I’ve gained valuable friendships. Being able to email or call bankers in different roles has been very helpful as my roles in the bank have changed.

Your Media Mix:

  • Favorite Song: Garth Brooks – The Dance
  • Favorite TV Show: Chicago Fire
  • Favorite Movie: Happy Gilmore

Lightning Round Questions:

  • I always start my day with…A cup of coffee
  • I would most like to have lunch with (dead or alive): Arnold Palmer
  • Favorite weekend activity: Golfing
  • If I wasn’t a banker, I would be…Working for NASA on space shuttle launches
  • What is the top thing still left on your bucket list? Walking the Appalachian Trail, hoping to do that in my retirement