by: Kate Sanchez

Dannah Brown has been employed by The JP Stone Community Bank for over 52 years. She’s a woman who has been influential in multiple changes within the bank, and in the lives of those she’s encountered along the way. But an era is ending, and Brown will retire from the bank on December 31. A lifetime of service and dedication to those around her is changing gears toward a much-deserved retirement.  Dannah’s farwell reception was held on Thursday at the main branch of The James Polk Stone Bank.  The day was filled with great food and even better company as customers and past co-workers dropping to wish Dannah well throughout the day.   

Brown started her career in 1966 under Doug Stone Sr. and Mr. Gayle Ferguson as a bookkeeper, proof operator, teller, and head bookkeeper. Between then and now, she’s held as many jobs at the bank as you could think of. In 1973 she was named Assistant Cashier, in 1985 she was named Assistant Vice President, in 2007 became Vice President, and in 2011 was named Senior Vice President of the bank. Among other things, Brown has worked on new accounts, loans, payroll, and loan documentation and compliance over her time there. She has also worked for two generations of bank Presidents and worked for or with four generations of the Stone family. “Much of my success was due to Doug Stone Sr. and Mr. Gayle Ferguson,” Brown says, “Both were wonderful to me and led me by example.”

In her time at the bank, Brown has seen some tremendous changes take place. While everything used to be done by hand, it’s now all on computer. Account numbers didn’t even exist when she began, credit checks weren’t required, and counter checks were available at all facilities. Doug Stone Jr. says Brown has been called “Miss Picky” at times, in a positive way, because of her excellent attention to detail in every facet of her job. And as growth within the establishment grew, so did Brown and her wealth of knowledge. She was responsible in having a hand in the groundwork in changing the way the bank did things on several occasions, especially in 1977. It was in that year that she and Mr. Ferguson went to see customers, worked on assigning account numbers, picked up the counter checks, and began requiring people to buy checks with their accounts. Fellow co-workers have witnessed first-hand the influence Brown has had in the advancement of technologies. Richard Bradfute says that when they first began document imaging, Brown basically re-invented herself to become an expert at it. “It was such a successful transition due in large part to Dannah,” he says, “Quite an accomplishment for a non-IT person at the time.”


Although Brown has been a fixture at the bank for such a long time, she never really considered it work. For her, it was the work itself, as well as the people, that were her most favorite things. “I’ve enjoyed my work, or else I wouldn’t have stayed,” she shares. She’s played a part in the lives of many young people that she’s been in contact with and has felt the reciprocation of the family atmosphere within her time at the bank. Brown says if she had to pick her absolute favorite part of the bank, it would be the family atmosphere. While several small, family-owned banks are going out of business, Brown says this one is different, and she sees a future in the next generation keeping it together. Similarly, the bank was always considerate of her family’s needs and allowed her to go to her kid’s events, as it was important to the people at the bank for employees to have their family time together. “Dannah has been an instrumental part of this bank for so many years, she has helped us achieve excellence in the area of compliance and is so good at keeping us abreast of all the latest rules and regulations”, Robin Stone Willingham says, “We will feel her absence for years to come.” Linda Davis, friend and colleague to Brown shares the same sentiments, “Dannah is a dear friend whom I have has the joy to work with for 40 years,” she says, “I have learned so much from her, not only about banking, but about life. I will miss her dearly.”

And as for her retirement, Brown says that although she gave them a “heads up” that it was coming, nearly 5 years ago, it’s going to be a change of pace for her. Someone who has been employed or in school since her high school years, Brown says she’s looking forward to watching her grandkids in their various events and spending more time with her mom who is almost 96 years old. “It’s going to be a good change,” she says, “…it will be strange not seeing the people every day.” But no matter what the future holds, Brown says she knows God has a plan for her. Admitting she never thought she’d be with the bank for 52 years, it was His plan, and became her mission with time, not just a job. And what she’ll leave the customers, co-workers, and establishment; those may be the things that go unseen yet have paved the way for years to come. Brown says, to quote Bob Hope, “Thanks for the memories!”