1. What was your first job and what did it teach you?

My first job was stuffing envelopes for a family-owned business. It wasn't a consistent job, and the hours varied from week to week. It taught me to be more proactive in my communication as I had to let the employer know I was interested in the job and could work when they needed me.

2. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in college?

College reinforced the importance of discipline for me. I had to make sure that every day I worked on my assignments, whether it was due two weeks from then or the next day. It was necessary to create that margin when things went wrong.

3. What made you interested in a career in finance?

Growing up, I loved money and numbers. I also had an uncle who was in banking. As I got into high school and college, I would talk to him about what I should study and what kinds of summer jobs I should be looking for. Having an uncle who was in that space and had similar interests helped me realize I wanted a career in finance. I also learned in college that I did not have the skill set to be an accountant. Finance was an area that appealed to me and I could use my natural strengths in that area. Throughout college, I had a voice consistently pointing me toward banking, and after I graduated, I got a job in that field.

4. How would you describe your leadership style?

I pride myself on being collaborative. I believe when multiple people come together, better ideas result. I maintain an open door, focusing on how we can work together to take advantage of opportunities and overcome challenges. That said, I am still learning to make time for people to fully articulate their ideas. As a naturally task oriented person, I have come to realize that I need to be more patient to allow for the best outcomes.

5. What do you enjoy most about your job as senior vice president of Pinnacle Financial Partners?

One of my favorite parts is that every day is different. I have a diverse client base; one day I could be talking to a small machine shop and the next day, I could be in front of a large corporation talking about their capital needs. My role also gives me the opportunity for a lot of community engagement, so being able to invest time and energy into making our whole region economically viable is important to me.

6. What made you interested in joining the GOVA Region 2 council?

I’ve been involved with the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance for several years, and through that, I have seen the value of regional partnership. It’s also made me realize the value of what the state is doing through its own economic development. It’s important for Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Blacksburg to partner together to express the unique needs of the collective region. The GO Virginia program provides our region with a voice, helping us to get the attention of the state and attracting more jobs and investment to the area.

7. What skills are important to have as a GOVA Region 2 council member?

Having respect and care for the region as a whole. It’s important to have a broad understanding of how a community may be impacted when an investment is made and that there aren’t any negative unintended consequences. Also, a resource that we don't have access to may just take minimal investment to have a maximum impact. In my experience on the Region 2 board, the council has been community first and focused on what’s best for the broader region.

8. Do you have a favorite memory from being on the GOVA Region 2 council?

The Central Virginia Training Center in Lynchburg was a state-run healthcare facility that was shut down. To make it a great space, it needs the opportunity to be redeveloped. The future impact can be very meaningful as the center is located right on the water, across from the downtown city of Lynchburg. Though it’s an ideal space, there is a lot of complexity involved in redeveloping it. GO Virginia had partially funded a grant to help with a planning study focused on the future of this space. However, there was a funding gap between what GO Virginia gave and what the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance was able to fundraise. It stalled for several months before William Fralin spoke up and advocated for the project. His support helped GO Virginia find a creative solution and also encouraged some additional investment from the Lynchburg region to help bridge the gap. Ultimately, we were able to rally together to get the project fully funded, and it was a fantastic collaboration between members of GO Virginia and the local community. Hearing an influential member of the GO Virginia Region 2 board weigh in was a powerful experience for me.

9. What would you like to see GOVA Region 2 do more of in the future?

There is already some collaboration between Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Blacksburg, but I would like the velocity of that collaboration to be increased and see more cross-pollination of business, resources, and universities from each of those regions. The sub-regions coming together and sharing their experiences, knowledge, and resources, will help drive Region 2 forward.

10. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I would love to go to Italy. My wife and I were going to go for our anniversary in 2020 but the pandemic shut it down before we could get there. We’ll definitely keep it on the list and look forward to the opportunity to go when the time arises.