Tom Lawrence Joins Roster at Landmark Community Bank's Franklin Branch
For more than 40 years, Tom Lawrence has been a lead voice in Williamson County, as a radio personality and general manager at WAKM-AM 950. Now in semi-retirement, he’s translating his warm spirit and local knowledge to a role as a community liaison with Landmark Community Bank in downtown Franklin.
“I wanted to find a need that I could fill on a part-time basis and make a difference. I’ve worked with Landmark for a few years now through the radio show and I watch people closely,” Lawrence says. “I think a lot of the Landmark team, and they’ve done a great job getting involved in the community. When they asked if I was interested in helping continue that work, it sounded a lot like what I’ve been doing for the last 40 years.”
Lawrence says his new role has opened his eyes to how many people he really does know in Williamson County, particularly among seniors who are often looking for a better banking experience. They want the kind of personal service, common sense and flexibility that only a true community bank can offer.
“I’m no salesman – I’m just interested in people and relationships. Just like radio advertising, people want their banking matters handled by someone with their best interests at heart,” he says. “People remember opening their first checking account, or closing on their first car loan or mortgage. But a lot of people don’t know their banker, and that’s a shame. “Frankly, in this day of online banking, I’ve been surprised by the amount of traffic in the branch, but Landmark has filled a niche by providing exceptional service, and people appreciate that.”
Lawrence remembers his first banking experience as a child on the Franklin Square, when the president of the bank came to greet him walking in with a silver dollar to open a savings account, with the understanding that he could always get it back plus a little bit interest. “That was my first impression, Williamson County Bank President Joe Pinkerton coming out to help me open my account, and that’s what I expected from a banker,” he says. “That’s what I see in the Landmark experience, where relationships are built, not bought.”
Landmark Community Bank is a state chartered, non-member bank headquartered in Collierville, Tennessee, with seven branch locations: Germantown Road North and Germantown Road South in Germantown; Ridgeway Loop in east Memphis; West Poplar Avenue in Collierville; 16 th Avenue South on Music Row in Nashville; East Main Street in downtown Franklin; and Seaboard Lane at Cool Springs in Brentwood. The Company’s common stock is not publicly traded. Landmark Community Bank specializes in loans to small businesses and real estate mortgage products. For more information, visit www.landmarkbanktn.com.