Richard Allen Basinger, Jr.
President and CEO
Northeast Georgia Bank
Lavonia, GA
At Large member, GBA Board of Directors
Q: What was your first job, and was there a lesson you learned there that you still use today?
A: I guess if we go way back, I used to get up early with my grandfather in Washington, GA, and ride in to his Amoco service station to help him. At that age I called it work, but I was probably more in the way! I used to get a dollar a day and I collected that money in a cigar box. I remember the gas station was a service business, local hangout and most people knew everybody else. What I took from there was the ability to greet people, give a solid handshake and communicate.
Q: What drew you to banking and what has kept you there?
A: I was drawn to banking after learning the value of respect and service to others. Upon graduation at the University of Georgia with a degree in business, I worked for a mortgage company and have been loaning money ever since.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your leadership on the GBA Board of Directors?
A: I am honored to serve on the GBA Board of Directors. I’m excited to share my experience with other highly knowledgeable and respected bankers around the state. I appreciate and respect the responsibility that comes with the position and the opportunity to enhance the organization.
Q: If you could thank someone for becoming a banker or person you are today, who would it be and why?
A: Without question, the person I am today is due to the influence that my wife and sons have had on me over the last 32 years. We’ve all grown together through thick and thin and continue to enjoy the best times together.
Q: What would someone be surprised to learn about you?
A: At 19 years old, I was in the U.S. Air Force as a weapons mechanic, loading conventional and nuclear weapons on fighter planes in Europe and the Philippines.