Alabama Banker Elected ICBA Chairman

Bolton of Red Bay to serve the nation’s community banks

San Antonio (March 3, 2022) — Brad M. Bolton, president, CEO and senior lender of Community Spirit Bank in Red Bay, Ala., was elected chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America® (ICBA) for 2022-23. His term begins March 3 at the conclusion of the ICBA LIVE national convention in San Antonio.

“I’m honored to serve as ICBA chairman and to represent the nation’s community banks and defend their unmatched role in our financial services system for the benefit of all Americans," said Bolton. "Community banks have always been a source of financial support for their customers and I’m proud to do my part to ensure that legacy lives on so they can continue fostering communities of prosperity nationwide.”

Bolton serves in many leadership roles at ICBA. He is chairman of the ICBA Executive Committee and the board of directors. He is a member of ICBA’s Federal Delegate Board and its Policy Development and Nominating committees. He serves on the ICBA ThinkTECH Selection Committee and is Executive Committee liaison to the Bank Services Committee.

A second-generation community banker, Bolton served as past chairman of the Alabama Young Bankers known as Leadership Community Bankers. He serves on the Legislative Committee of the Mississippi Bankers Association. He is an elected member of the Red Bay, Ala., City Council and is an appointed member of the Franklin County Community Development Commission. He previously served on the Atlanta Federal Reserve Board’s Community Depository Institution Advisory Council.

“Brad is a devoted and passionate advocate for his community and a lifelong community banker committed to improving the state of our industry,” said ICBA Immediate Past Chairman Robert Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga State Bank in Spencer, N.Y. “His dedication and adherence to the ideals of community banking make him well suited to head our organization, working alongside ICBA’s Executive Committee, to preserve relationship banking for future generations.”

ICBA is the only national advocacy organization dedicated exclusively to promoting the interests of locally operated community banks and savings institutions. With the high-tech, high-touch banking services that consumers expect, community banks offer the best financial-services options for millions of consumers, small businesses, and agricultural enterprises.

For more information, including a biography for Bolton, visit ICBA’s website.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is the nation’s voice for community banks with its mission to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. We are dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and innovative products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute roughly 99 percent of all banks, employ nearly 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding nearly $5.9 trillion in assets, over $4.9 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.5 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers’ dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA’s website at www.icba.org.

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