John Ramage elected First National Bank president and CEO

The First National Bank torch has been passed from father to son.

At the annual meeting of the shareholders of the First National Bank on Feb. 26, John R. Ramage was elected president and chief executive officer and Rhonda Peters was named chief financial officer.

Ramage succeeds his father, James T. (Jimmy) Ramage III in both capacities. Jimmy Ramage will continue as chairman of the board. The CFO position to which Peters was named is a new position within the bank.

Jimmy Ramage said that, as the bank moves forward into a new phase of its history and in light of the evolving nature of the banking industry, the Board believed it was the proper time to name John Ramage as president and CEO and Peters as CFO.

“I concur completely that the changing face of banking is such that these two individuals are an excellent fit for the future of The First National Bank and that, through their diligence over the years, they have certainly earned these promotions,” Jimmy Ramage said. “This is a new era and there have been many changes in the banking industry in the last three or four years. This was a good time to transfer the leadership because John has the knowledge, the experience and the technical attributes to lead First National Bank forward. He will serve the people well.”

Ramage said the transfer was the natural progression for the bank.

“My grandfather, James T. Ramage founded First National Bank of Brundidge in 1904 when he was only 29 years old,” Ramage said. “I’m proud to have John as president and CEO of the bank his great grandfather founded.”

John Ramage said he is both excited and humbled by the confidence that his dad and the board have placed in him.

“And what better way than to have the torch passed from your hero,” Ramage said. “My dad didn’t have that opportunity. His dad had passed away. I am honored by the opportunity that I have.

“But the title doesn’t put food on the table. It’s all about work, about responsibility. It’s about trust. The money doesn’t belong to the bank. It belongs to the people. What we do is all about working with people.”

Ramage didn’t hesitate in saying that his hope was to one day be the president and CEO of First National Bank.

“Certainly,” he said. “I always wanted to come back home. It was my goal and my wife, Missy’s goal, to come home and raise our family in a small town. We wanted our children to have the same kind of experiences that we had growing up.”

Ramage came home to Brundidge and banking in 1997.

He said he is right where he wants to be and happily doing what he wants to do.

Community involvement and community service are important to Ramage. His is actively involved in the Brundidge and Pike County communities.

He is chairman of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation and a board member of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce and the Troy-Pike Cultural Arts Center. He is a past president of the Brundidge Business Association and a member of the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association, the Pike County Young Professionals and the Troy Rotary Club.

Education is also a top priority for Ramage and he has served on the Pike Liberal Arts School Foundation Board of Trustees. He is currently the executive vice president of the University of Alabama National Alumni Board.

Ramage is involved in banking organizations as a past chair of the Leadership Community Bankers. He is a member of the Community Bankers Advisory Board and the Alabama Small Business Capital Loan Committee.

He is an active member of the Brundidge United Methodist Church.

Ramage, his wife, Missy and their daughters, Riley, Mary and Amy, make their home in Brundidge.

Peters joined The First National Bank in 1989. She left for a four-year span from 2004-08 while affiliated with National Security Group, Inc. She most recently served as a senior vice president and secretary to the board, positions she has held since 2008.

Peters is a graduate of Zion Chapel High School and Troy University. She earned the designation of a certified treasury professional (CTP) in 2007. She is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals.

Peters and her husband, Jimmy, have two sons, Luke and Landan, and a daughter-in-law, Torie and a grandchild, Addison Peters.

She is a member of St. John Baptist Church where she is the organist.