Perry Gibbs White
Vice President / Commercial Lender
Community Bank of Georgia, Baxley, GA
Member, GBA Agriculture Committee
Published April 12, 2023
Q: What led you to a career in banking?
A: My focus in college was always related to agriculture, so becoming an ag lender allowed me to further expand my knowledge in agriculture while exploring the financial aspects of it. All my life I have been involved in agriculture in some aspect.
Q: What was the most useful piece of advice you received from a mentor (or in the early/formative years of your career)?
A: Relationships are one of the most important aspects of this business. Having good relationships with customers and coworkers will allow a more open line of communication to help improve workflow. Also, a mentor told me when I first started: “The competition will make you do crazy things.”
Q: Tell us about one experience you’ve had that exemplifies being a banker or your role at the bank.
A: The best part of my role at the bank is being able to sit down with the same customers year after year and develop goals for their operation, then watching them achieve some of those goals with the help of our bank. One story that comes to mind is when we denied a loan for a long-time customer. Of course, the customer was upset about the decision, but six months later, he came in my office and thanked me for denying him. He stated that with the downturn in the farming economy, he didn’t think his operation could sustain that purchase, and through our foresight in the agriculture industry, some of those negative factors were brought to his attention.
Q: What would someone be surprised to learn about you?
A: My wife and I are both transplants to Baxley (I grew up in Pearson and my wife is from Sylvania), and we are also first-generation blueberry and pecan farmers. We met at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
Q: First tap/click of the day?
A: Outlook and The Weather Channel App
Q: Most used app?
A: Text messaging. I use it as much as anything else for day-to-day work.
Q: TV show or series you love?
A: The Office is a show I can watch over and over without getting tired of it.