Blanton Joins Peoples Bank as V.P. in Richland

    MAGEE – Dennis Ammann, President and Chief Executive Officer at Peoples Bank, today announced that John Blanton has accepted an offer to join the bank in its Richland Office, where he will serve as Vice President and Lending Officer.

    Blanton earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama in 1997, where he was distinguished as both a Dean’s List and Presidental Scholar recipient. In 1998, he received a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Mississippi State University, also earning Business Honorary status.

    He began his banking career in 1998 with AmSouth Bank in Jackson. In 2001 he joined First Commercial Bank in Jackson, where he served as a Credit Analyst. Most recently, he has served as Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer for First Commercial Bank.

    The Florence resident has been active in the community, serving as a coach and past Board President of Florence Youth Baseball, and as past President of the Mid-Mississippi Risk Management Association.

    Blanton and his wife, Alison, have two children, Zach and Avery. They are members of First Baptist Church in Florence.

    “John brings to Peoples Bank an impressive history of achievement in the banking industry” said Ammann. “We are pleased that he has joined our bank and I know that both commercial and individual customers who utilize our Richland Office will benefit from his knowledge and his commitment to improving Rankin County.

Dunn Named Senior V.P. At Peoples Bank

Dennis Ammann, President and Chief Executive Officer at Peoples Bank, today announced that Christopher Dunn has been promoted to Senior Vice President. In his new role, Dunn will assume positions on both the Loan and Management Committees.

Dunn attended Co-Lin Community College where he earned an Associates of Arts degree in Business Administration and then attended the University of Southern Mississippi to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Economics. He is a 2005 graduate of the Mississippi School of Banking, conducted at the University of Mississippi. In 2012, Dunn earned a Master of Business Administration degree from William Carey University. He also completed studies at the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending, held at Vanderbilt University; and the Graduate School of Banking, conducted at Louisiana State University. In 2013, he completed the National Commercial Lending School at Southern Methodist University.

In 2009, Dunn was named to the Top 40 Under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal and in 2012 was an inductee to the Co-Lin Sports Hall of Fame.  He has also been active as a member of the Magee Chamber of Commerce, as Co-Chairman of the Future Leaders of Simpson County, the Co-Lin Board of Trustees and as President of the Simpson County Academy School Board.

Chris and his wife, Morgan, reside in Magee with their three children; Sawyer, Ava and Wyn.

“Chris goes to great lengths to help his customers and co-workers,” Ammann said. “His experience building relationships and helping customers grow their businesses join Peoples Bank’s goal of becoming the most impactful community bank in our area."

Employees' Kids 2015 Christmas Coloring Contest Winners

Peoples Bank employees’ children participated in their very own Christmas Coloring Contest designed just for them.  A reception was held Wednesday, December 2nd, at the Magee branch to honor each winner.

This overall winner and recipient of a $100 Savings Account is Gabrielle Magee. Gabrielle is the 11 year old daughter of Ronney and Genise Magee. She attends 5th grade at Mendenhall Junior High. Congratulations to Gabrielle and all the winners.

2015 PB Kids Coloring Contest Winners

Overall

1. Gabrielle Magee        11
2. Jamie Lee            8
3. Reagane Magee            8

11-12 Year Olds

1. Sawyer Dunn            11

8-10 Year Olds

1. Will Smith            9
2. Elliot Rankin            10
3. Weston Frye            10

5-7 Year Olds

1. Jaylee Evans            6
2. Thomas Jones            6
3. Murray Rankin            7

4 and Under

1. Bella Russell             4   
2. Sam Wallace            4
3. Will Rankin            4

Category Winners:

Best Use of Color                 Colton Wester            4

Best Christmas Spirit           Emma Grace Wallace        8

Best Choice of Subject        Ethan Durr            7

Best Design                         Wynn Dunn            5

Best Rising Artist                Damien Harvey        3

Most Artistic                        Ava Dunn            9

Most Unique                        Carter Russell            8

Most Expressive                  Kasey Lee            5

2015 Christmas Card Contest Winners

Peoples Bank is proud to announce the winners to our 2015 Christmas Card Contest.  We had hundreds of entries from Simpson, Smith, Rankin, and Covington counties participating this year. A reception was held on December 2nd to honor the winners and their families.

 

Special guest carolers featured the sweet voices of The Amason Girls from Mize. Each winner was presented a framed copy of their artwork and an award medal.

 

Congratulations to our overall winner, Alex Kemp.

Alex is the six-year-old son of Zack and Shelley Kemp of Magee. He is a first grader at Simpson Central School and attends Dry Creek Baptist Church.

In his free time, he enjoys playing baseball, riding his bike, drawing, hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family. Alex is a huge fan of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the New Orleans Saints.  Alex will receive a $100 savings account and his drawing will be featured on the cover of Peoples Bank’s annual Christmas Greeting Card.

Overall Winners

1st Place: (cover)        Alex Kemp            SCS        6

2nd Place:            Jessie Wallace        SCA        11

3rd Place:            Danni Cooper        SCA        8       

Honorable Mention:    Lauren Bell Turnage    Mize        10

Honorable Mention:    Triestan Valdez        Mize        10

11-12 Year Old Winners

1st Place:            Kimberly Prine        Mt. Olive    12

2nd Place:            Trinity Amason        Homeschool    11

3rd Place:            Logan McGuire        SCA        11

Honorable Mention:        Wesley Boyd            SCA        11

Honorable Mention:        Tykhedrick Bridges        Collins    11

9-10 Year Old Winners

1st Place:            Emma Overstreet        SCA        10

2nd Place:            Emily Grace Amason    Homeschool    9

3rd Place:            Aryanna Daniels        Mt.Olive    9       

Honorable Mention:        Grace Anglin            Mize        10

Honorable Mention:        McKenzie Butler        SCA        10

7-8 Year Old Winners

1st Place:              Jondestry Gunter        Magee        8

2nd Place:            Bethany Amason        Homeschool    7

3rd Place:            Corey Sims, Jr.        Magee        8

Honorable Mention:        Cara Kennedy        Puckett    8

Honorable Mention:        Ashlynn May            Magee        7

5-6 Year Old Winners

1st Place:            Jack Ashmore        SCS        6

2nd Place:            Cooper Freeman        Mize        6

3rd Place:            Layla Blackwell        Mize        6

Honorable Mention:        Garnet Gary            SCS        6

Honorable Mention:        Fuller Kemp            Magee        5

4 and Under Winners

1st Place:            Elle McNulty            SCA        4

2nd Place:            Paisley Magee        SCA        4

3rd Place:            Bella Miller            SCA        4

Honorable Mention:        Nathan Womack        SCA        4

Honorable Mention:        Kyle Fuller            SCA        4

Top 5 Holiday Scams To Warn Your Users About

The Top 5 Holiday Scams To Warn Your Users About CyberheistNews Vol #5 #49 Nov 17, 2015

This holiday season could be the most wonderful time of year for cyber criminals, according to digital identity company ThreatMetrix. In a new report, the firm reveals that it has detected a 25% jump in attacks. 1. Black Friday/Cyber Monday Specials This time of year, online scams use a variety of lures to get unsuspecting buyers to click on links or open attachments. Bad guys build complete copies of well-known sites, send emails promoting great deals, sell products and take credit card information – but never deliver the goods. Sites that seem to have incredible discounts should be a red flag. Remember that when a "special offer" is too good to be true, it usually is. For instance, never click on links in emails or popups with very deep discount offers for watches, phones or tablets. Go to the website yourself through your browser and check if that offer is legit. 2. Complimentary Vouchers or Gift Cards A popular holiday scam is big discounts on gift cards. Don't fall for offers from retailers or social media posts that offer phony vouchers or (Starbucks) gift cards paired with special promotions or contests. Some posts or emails even appear to be shared by a friend (who may have been hacked). Develop a healthy dose of skepticism and "Think Before You Click" on offers or attachments with any gift cards or vouchers! 3. Bogus Shipping Notices From UPS and FedEx You are going to see emails supposedly from UPS and FedEx in your inbox that claim your package has a problem and/or could not be delivered. Many of these are phishing attacks that try to make you click on a link or open an attachment. However, what happens when you do that is that your computer gets infected with a virus or even ransomware which holds all your files hostage until you pay 500 dollars in ransom. 4. Holiday Refund Scams These emails seem to come from retail chains or e-commerce companies such as Amazon or eBay claiming there's a "wrong transaction" and prompt you to click the refund link. However, when you do that and are asked to fill out a form, the personal information you give out will be sold to cyber criminals who use it against you. 5. Phishing on the Dark Side A new phishing email has begun circulating that tricks people into thinking they could win movie tickets for the highly-anticipated film, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," due out on Dec. 18. However, the email is a phishing attack. Leading up to the film’s release, and shortly after, you need to watch out for this social engineering attack and not fall for the scam. Stay safe online! BONUS TIP: Never use an insecure public Wi-Fi to shop with your credit card. Only shop with a secure connection at home

Eastland Joins Peoples Bank as Loan Officer

Dennis Ammann, President and Chief Executive Officer at Peoples Bank, today announced that Thomas Eastland has joined the bank and will serve as a Loan Officer in the bank’s new Richland Office.

Eastland brings to Peoples Bank five years of banking experience, having previously being affiliated with Renasant Bank in Madison, Southern Bancorp and M&F Bank. He began his post-college career as a Real Estate Appraiser for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

He is a graduate of Mississippi State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Real Estate and Mortgage Finance. He is also a member of the Class of 2015 at the Barret Graduate School of Banking, conducted at Christian Brothers University, Memphis.

Eastland is a Deacon at Redeemer Church in Jackson and a member of the Rotary Club of North Jackson.

“As we open our new Richland Office, it’s a pleasure to introduce Thomas Eastland to the community,” Ammann said. “Our customers, old and new, will benefit from his commitment to relationship-based banking.”

Becky Sullivan Named Bank Officer

Dennis Ammann, President and Chief Executive Officer at Peoples Bank, today said that Becky Sullivan has been promoted to Bank Officer and will continue her work in the Magee Office.

Ms. Sullivan is a graduate of Prentiss Christian High School and attended William Carey College, majoring in Religion and Psychology.

She is a resident of Pinola where she and her husband, Jason, have one son: Neland, a student at Harris Christian School in Mendenhall. Ms. Sullivan is an active member of Macedonia Baptist Church where she serves as Youth Director, serving on the Youth Council and Church Council Committees. She teaches several classes weekly at the church, continuing her 13-year work in youth ministry. She is also affiliated with the Simpson County Baptist Association Youth Planning Team, Relay For Life Leadership Committee and as Secretary to Peoples Bank’s Board of Directors. Additionally, she was a 2012 graduate of the Simpson County Leadership Development Institute.

“Becky has been an important part of Peoples Bank for many years and is very deserving of her new title.” Ammann said, “She works on a wide variety of projects for management and the Board of Directors, and always exceeds our expectations.  Her new title is more indicative of the important work she does.”

Angel Wings Donation

Peoples Bank’s Run for the Money does more than just generate a crowd for Mendenhall in May and promote physical activity. This year the race provided much needed funding for Angel Wings Outreach Center.

 

Angel Wings is a Simpson County domestic violence service providing help for women dealing with domestic abuse.

Race Sponsors include: J. Grant Menswear, Kimberly Blair Smith, DMD, PA, Simpson General Hospital, The Magee Courier/Simpson County News and Peoples Bank.

 

Pictured are: (L-R) Ashton Moody, J. Grant; Leslie Franklin, Peoples Bank; Pat Brown, Angel Wings Board Chairman; John Rankin, Peoples Bank; Wendy Seals, Angel Wings Director; Nancy Brown, Magee Courier/Simpson County News; Kim Smith, Kimberly Blair Smith, DMD, PA; Randall Neely, Simpson General Hospital.