COLUMBIA, Tenn. (March 8, 2022)—First Farmers and Merchants Bank—a community bank with 22 locations in seven Middle Tennessee counties—has added Ashley Y. Ladd as Chief Compliance Officer. Ladd brings nearly ten years of legal experience to the bank’s leadership team, including six years in banking compliance and as an in-house banking attorney.
“First Farmers is devoted to hiring professionals who are passionate about their field,” said Brian K. Williams, First Farmers’ Chairman and CEO. “Ashley’s expertise and experience will add to the strong compliance culture that we have built.”
Gaining extensive banking compliance experience, Ladd served as a bank Vice President and Counsel before joining First Farmers. In this position, she supported online and mobile banking, Zelle®, consumer financial marketing, and the merchant installment and home mortgage business lines.
Ladd assumes the position previously held by Autumn J. Osborne, who retired at the end of 2021. As Chief Compliance Officer, Ladd will be responsible for ensuring First Farmers’s compliance with laws and regulatory requirements.
Ladd attended Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis on political science. After graduating from MTSU, she completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree at Nashville School of Law.
About First Farmers and Merchants Corporation and First Farmers and Merchants Bank
First Farmers and Merchants Corporation is the holding company for First Farmers and Merchants Bank, a community bank serving the Middle Tennessee area through 22 offices in seven Middle Tennessee counties. As of December 31, 2021, First Farmers reported total assets of approximately $2.0 billion, total shareholders’ equity of approximately $159 million, and administered trust assets of $6.3 billion. For more information about First Farmers, visit us on the Web at www.myfirstfarmers.com under “Investor Relations.”
