SmartBank continues to grow and invest in the Middle Tennessee market, recently expanding its Murfreesboro team by adding four key executives. The bank initially entered the market last year in both Tullahoma and Murfreesboro, and is currently evaluating future expansion.
The four new team members include Brad Byrd, Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager; Freda Morgan, Vice President, Relationship Manager; Bob Gerard, Vice President, Relationship Manager; and Richard Fluharty, Vice President, Relationship Manager.
“To properly invest in the Murfreesboro market, we knew we needed a team of professionals that not only had years of banking experience in the area, but also possessed strong leadership capabilities and a variety of specialized lending backgrounds,” said David Scott, Senior Vice President and Rutherford County Market Executive. “With their combined decades of experience in the industry and diverse specialties, we are confident this leadership team will drive our plans for continued growth in Middle Tennessee.”
Byrd joins SmartBank after serving two years as Vice President of Commercial Lending for F&M Bank in Murfreesboro. With a specialty in commercial and residential construction lending, including acquisition and development, Byrd has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry. He earned Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Middle Tennessee State University and attended the LSU School of Banking. Byrd is very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Rutherford County Home Builders’ Association, the Home Builders’ Association of Tennessee, and the National Association of Home Builders.
A Murfreesboro native, Morgan is a graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Commercial Lending School. She has more than 40 years of experience in banking operations and specializes in relationship building with her clients, assisting them in achieving their goals. Most recently, she was the Vice President and Branch Manager of First National Bank in Manchester. She is highly involved in the community and has served on the board of directors for the Beesley Animal Foundation, the American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society. She is also a Paul Harris Fellow with Rotary International.
Gerard has more than 14 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in assisting medical and business professionals with their personal and commercial banking needs. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. For the past three years, he has been a Private Client Relationship Manager for First Tennessee Bank. He is an active member of the community, serving as a board member with the Middle Tennessee State University Honors College, the Tennessee Christian Chamber of Commerce, the American Heart Association and as the Club President of Rotary International.
Fluharty is an experienced financial professional, who received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Charleston Southern University. He has worked in the financial services and sales industries and specializes in medical and small business development. Since moving to Murfreesboro in 2009, Fluharty has been a Branch Sales Manager and Assistant Vice President for Regions Bank. He has won several awards during his career, including SunTrust’s “Edge Leader” award, Regions Bank’s “Chairman’s Club” award, and Regions Bank’s “All In” award. He is currently a member of The Commonwealth Society.
“Following our entry last year into the Middle Tennessee market, we’re excited to continue to invest and grow our presence,” said Billy Carroll, SmartBank’s President and CEO. “We believe there’s a bright future for this team and SmartBank in Middle Tennessee. As one of our state’s largest Banks, we are positioned extremely well now to grow in this part of Tennessee – it’s a great natural extension for our company”