Bachman, Brooks,

Jaynes and Leonard

Leave Bank's Board

By DOUGLAS WATSON

Managing Editor

The retirement was announced this week of four veteran directors of Green Bankshares, Inc., the Greeneville-based holding company that owns GreenBank.

Stan Puckett, the bank's chairman and CEO, paid tribute at Tuesday's annual meeting of the bank's shareholders to the four retiring directors -- Phil Bachman, Charles Brooks, Jerald Jaynes and Terry Leonard.

Puckett noted that, among them, the four local businessmen have served 107 years as directors of the bank.

He spoke appreciatively about the personal qualities and contributions to the bank of the four, each of whom this year has reached or will reach the 70-year age limit for bank directors.

Puckett said Phil Bachman has set a record in having served as a bank director for 40 years. He spoke of "the intensely personal relationship that Phil has had with the bank."

Bachman is a co-owner of the local Bachman-Bernard auto dealership and is the bank's largest shareholder. His wife, Martha Bachman, continues as a bank director.

Puckett next praised Charles Brooks, a partner in the McInturff, Milligan & Brooks insurance agency, saying Brooks hadn't missed a directors meeting in 18 years and was especially helpful in providing advice as GreenBank evolved from a local bank to the third-largest bank in Tennessee with its headquarters within this state.

GreenBank's chairman next spoke of Jerald Jaynes, who joined the bank's board in 1992 and in recent years headed the board's audit committee, which Puckett said has one of the board of directors' most important oversight roles. He praised Jaynes' integrity as being the highest.

Puckett then spoke of Terry Leonard, who succeeded as a director the late Robert C. Austin, as a natural leader of the bank's board. Puckett also praised the late Mr. Austin, who died in 1990, as "a once-in-a generation great man."

Puckett stated, "For the last 17 to 18 years, Terry has taken on the mantle of leadership" on the bank's board that was previously held by Austin, not in terms of titles but in terms of natural leadership.

He praised Leonard for "working so hard outside the boardroom in doing his homework" before directors' meetings.

Puckett also said he has never known Leonard "to make a vote or statement that was the least bit self-serving," but that he always worked for the bank's best interests in general.

Bob Leonard, Terry Leonard's oldest son, continues as a bank director.