Business View Magazine | August 2020

125 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 OCONEE STATE BANK value for our shareholders than they can gain by selling the institution,” he states. “So, the plan is to add that type of value through strategic and profitable growth. Over time, we’d like to expand our geography. Our headquarters will always remain in Oconee, where we have three full service financial centers. We’ve also expanded into both Athens-Clarke and Gwinnett Counties with a Loan Production Office and full service financial center. We would like to continue to find opportunities to add to the local teams and, as time goes on, expand geographically into other strong markets.” “When I think about where to make investments in the future, it’s really in three areas,” he continues. “Number one is human capital. “We invest heavily in developing a strong culture through recruiting and retaining a team of talented bankers. Secondly: businesses are going to be a lot more reliant on technology than they are today. The Amazon effect has had a big impact on that; Covid has had a big impact, as well. As a result, we continue to invest in digital transformation. Finally, is to continue to invest in our brand. Branding is a big part of who we are; sharing that brand with the community so that, hopefully, we become a household name in many markets as time goes on.” Tom Wilson, EVP & Chief Credit Officer, agrees. “We pride ourselves as having a team all throughout our marketplace that’s well-ingrained and well- engaged in our communities and, hopefully, is well-known by the communities we serve.” Donahue adds, “We know and understand that the customer experience and the community experience is a direct result of the team member experience, which is why we are so very diligent and intentional in developing our culture. I think that is a differentiating factor for us – the emphasis we place on culture, because we know how that directly impacts our customers and community.” Donahue then discusses the need to stay technologically relevant: “One of our goals is to create a remarkable experience for our customers - not only one that’s remarkable, but one that’s frictionless. We understand the importance of meeting the customer where they’re at – the