Jason Brisendine
EVP, Chief Credit Officer
First Bank of Pike, Molena, GA
Member, GBA Credit Committee
At Large Member, Leadership GBA Board of Directors
Published Oct. 25, 2024
Q: What was your first job, and was there a lesson you learned there that you still use today?
A: My first real job was at a local golf course when I was about 16 or 17. I worked there during the summers and throughout the year doing a bit of everything—landscaping, cutting grass, trimming tee boxes, and weed eating. That job taught me the importance of working well with others and being dependable, which are essential qualities in banking. Just like making the golf course presentable for players, banking is about making sure everything looks good and meets expectations. I think that job may have made me a bit OCD about my own yard—my family calls me a perfectionist because I always want it to look just right!
Q: What led you to a career in banking?
A: I actually got into banking after being hired out of college by the FDIC. I started on the federal examination side as an auditor. After traveling a lot with the FDIC, I was ready for a change. I had applied to several banks, and around that time, John Barker, the CEO of the bank where I work now, who was one of my best friends from high school, called me. He told me his dad was retiring as president, and he was moving up to that role, so he asked if I’d be interested in joining them. That was in 2007, right as the banking industry was starting to struggle. We went through some tough years with foreclosures and other challenges, but we made it through, and I feel blessed to say that we’re still here.
Q: Tell us about one experience you’ve had that exemplifies being a banker or your role at the bank.
A: One experience stands out from a few months ago. We had to foreclose on a property, and there were tenants living in the house. They thought they had a deal with the owner to buy the home through an owner financing arrangement, but the paperwork wasn’t solid. When we foreclosed, they were devastated, worried they’d be kicked out. I knew this wasn’t a typical situation, and at the courthouse steps, I connected them with another banker to see if they could get a loan to buy the house. We decided to sell the property to them for what we had in it, even though it was worth much more. It wasn’t about making money—it was about doing the right thing. That’s the first time I’ve been in a situation like that, and I’m proud that we were able to help them keep their home.
Q: What would someone be surprised to learn about you?
A: I sang in a state-winning quartet in high school! Incidentally, one of the other members of that quartet was John Barker.
Q: Book that you love/has made an impact?
A: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Q: Pet peeve?
A: People venting on Facebook about things that could be resolved with a simple phone call to the business.
Q: Favorite TV show?
A: I’m a sports person, so I watch a lot of ESPN, but The Office is hilarious.