Kim Neely Promoted To Mortgage Loan Officer

Peoples Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Ammann today announced that Kim Neely has been promoted to Mortgage Loan Officer at the Jackson Avenue Branch in Mendenhall. Ms. Neely has been in the banking industry for the past 13 years.
Prior to being named a Mortgage Loan Officer, Ms. Neely served as a Loan Assistant. She is a graduate of Magee High School and attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College and William Carey University, where she majored in Banking and Finance.
Ms. Neely resides in Braxton with her husband, Lance, who is a Vice President at Environment Masters in Jackson. The Neelys have two children: their daughter Regan is a sophomore at Copiah-Lincoln Community College while their son, Peyton, is a junior at Simpson Academy. They are members of Calvary Baptist Church where she serves on various committees. In addition, Ms. Neely is a member of Peoples Bank’s Relay For Life team and serves as Treasurer of the Simpson Academy Booster Club.
“Kim has been an outstanding Loan Assistant for many years, and I am pleased to announce her promotion to Mortgage Loan Officer,” Ammann said. “Our loan customers who have experienced her dedication to efficient, professional practices will now be able to rely on her as their lender. I am entirely confident she will continue to excel in her new role at Peoples Bank.”

Dennis Ammann elected to Mississippi Bankers Association Board of Directors

Dennis Ammann of Mendenhall has been elected to a 3-year term on the Mississippi Bankers Association Board of Directors.

      Ammann fills an at-large position on the Board, which governs the 125-year-old association. MBA’s membership includes commercial banks and savings institutions operating in Mississippi.  The association's members hold 95 percent of the bank deposits in the state.

Ammann serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Peoples Bank in Mendenhall.  He has been with the bank for 15 years.

He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi.  He is also a graduate the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and the Academy of Professional Banking.  His involvement in the MBA has included serving on the Legislative Committee and Nominating Committee.

Active in his community, Ammann serves on the board of Simpson County Economic Development District, the board of Simpson County Community Foundation and the board of the Mendenhall Sports Club.  He also serves as the Director of the Simpson County Development Foundation.

Ammann and his wife, Sharon, have two sons, Steven and Seth.  They are members of First Baptist Church of Mendenhall, where Ammann serves as a Deacon.

Peoples Bank Certified as a Community Development Financial Institution

         In documents released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Peoples Bank was named one of 434 banks across America that have been certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The certification is provided to financial institutions “that distinguish themselves by continuously working to transform the lives of America’s most underserved populations.”

The federal agency noted that nearly one quarter of American households does not have a checking account, relying instead on “costly payday lenders and check-cashing outlets”. The presence of a CDFI-certified bank indicates that a community has access to affordable financial products and services as “a staple of economically sound communities”.  The CDFI program invests in and builds the capacity of CDFI institutions to, in part, contribute to the revitalization of their communities, including financial and technical assistance that leads to lending capital and developing services. In 2011, as a result of the program, financing was made available to more than 5,200 businesses, creating more than 25,000 jobs while leveraging $1.5 billion in private investment. It also financed nearly 18,000 affordable housing units and provided financial literacy training to more than 177,000 individuals.

The U.S. Treasury Department defined CDFIs as institutions that have a “primary mission of serving low-income individuals and communities, providing loan funds for non-profit organizations as well as financing and technical assistance to businesses, microenterprises, affordable housing developers and community service organizations. It noted, too, that many certified CDFIs offer loans featuring more favorable terms than traditional banks while also providing services including business planning, credit counseling and homebuyer classes to help their borrowers use credit effectively.

                “This designation is recognition of Peoples Bank’s primary mission to make sure that our communities grow and prosper.” Ammann said. “The initiatives of the CDFI program are in line with our own with respect to providing affordable financial services and responsive loan solutions that help our communities, friends and neighbors to grow, prosper and enjoy an enhanced quality of life.”