6/26/07
Fritts Graduates from LSU Graduate School of Banking

Jeff Fritts, a Highlands Union Bank vice president and commercial loan officer, graduated June 1 from the prestigious Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Fritts was one of 224 bankers to receive a diploma from the school, considered one of the largest and most respected providers of advanced financial education in the country. Sponsored by 15 southern state bankers associations and LSU’s division of continuing education, the three-year program is often viewed as a prerequisite to professional advancement at many banks.

Fritts began the banking curriculum in 2005 and was required to attend 200 hours of classroom instruction at the LSU campus each year. He also completed 11 bank study projects during the first two years of the program.

A 28-year veteran of the banking industry, Fritts joined Highlands Union in 2006 and works at the bank’s headquarters located at 340 West Main St. in Abingdon, Va.

"We are extremely proud of Jeff’s accomplishment," says Highlands Union Bank CEO Sam Neese. "Acquiring this advanced financial degree shows his keen desire to be as prepared as possible to meet the demands of the industry and our customers."

A native of Laurel Bloomery, Tenn., Fritts holds a bachelor’s in business management and accounting from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va. He resides in Laurel Bloomery with his wife, Pam, and the couple’s two daughters.

Highlands Union Bank has assets in excess of $620 million. The bank serves the region through its main office in Abingdon and 12 other branches: two each in Abingdon and Bristol, Va.; one each in Glade Spring and Marion, Va.; one each in Sevierville, Rogersville and Blountville, Tenn.; and three locations in North Carolina – bank branches in Boone and Banner Elk and a loan office in West Jefferson. A full-service branch in Knoxville, Tenn., is currently under construction and is expected to open later this summer.