West Plains, Mo. (Sept. 9, 2021)—Community First Banking Company received an honorable mention in The Independent Community Bankers of America’s (ICBA) 2021 National Community Bank Service Awards, which celebrate the outstanding and creative volunteer efforts of the nation’s community banks. The $250 million-asset bank was recognized for its educational program, which supports women entrepreneurs and business professionals.
“The Business Women First program was an offshoot of an effort to diversify our board and quickly became a vehicle to support our area’s strong female entrepreneurial presence,” said Kelly Slayton, COO at Community First Banking Co. “We are appreciative of this recognition by ICBA as validation of our efforts as we continue to support small businesses, particularly women owned, which create nearly two out of three new jobs in the U.S each year.”
This innovative project was developed with the mission of empowering and supporting women business owners through educational seminars, leadership programs, and business training. Business Women First has since hosted several seminars and fosters networking among women from a three-county area, encouraging them to connect, learn from shared experiences, and become leaders in their field of business.
“ICBA is proud to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Community First Banking and its employees, which help enrich the vitality of local communities and the financial health of its citizens,” said ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey. “The conscientious and compassionate outreach demonstrated by the bank and its employees is a testament to the important role community banks serve and is to be commended.”
More than 100 community banks have been recognized by the ICBA National Community Bank Service Awards since the program’s inception in 2002. Bank technology services provider FIS, of Jacksonville, Fla., sponsored this year’s program. Learn more about this year’s exceptional award recipients in the September issue of ICBA Independent Banker®.
