[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 8, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S1891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO RONALD H. FRANCIS OF COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA

   Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor in the 
Record of the Senate my friend Ron Francis, who is a great Georgian, a 
great American, and a great citizen of Cobb County. I honor Ron upon 
his retirement from the Bank of North Georgia after 37 remarkable years 
in the banking industry and for his many contributions to the quality 
of life in Cobb County, Georgia.
  Ron received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Eckerd 
College and an MBA in finance from Georgia State University. He entered 
the field of banking in 1969 with Trust Company bank of Atlanta, now 
SunTrust. Following 5 years at SunTrust, he joined the former First 
Bank & Trust Co. as executive vice president, where he served for 9 
years. In 1983, Ron was an organizing director, president and CEO of 
The Chattahoochee Bank, serving there for 6 years. In 1989, he joined 
Charter Bank & Trust Co. during its inaugural year and served as its 
president and CEO for 15 years. Charter Bank, along with Mountain 
National Bank, joined Bank of North Georgia in July 2004, where Ron now 
serves as vice chairman.
  In addition to his impressive career in community banking, Ron has a 
long history of community involvement in my hometown of Marietta, GA, 
where he is a well-respected and dedicated leader. He currently serves 
on the board of directors of the Marietta Redevelopment Corporation and 
the Marietta Country Club. He is a trustee of the Kennesaw State 
University Foundation and an executive committee member of the Georgia 
Council on Economic Education. Ron is also a member of the Chairman's 
Club of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the Governor's Board of 
Leadership Cobb.
  In 2004, Ron was named ``Marietta Citizen of the Year'' by the Cobb 
Chamber of Commerce, and in 1997-1998 he served his professional peers 
and industry as chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association. As a 
businessman, Ron Francis personifies the values of honesty and hard 
work.
  Retirement may not be the appropriate announcement because Ron has 
not ``retired'' from his commitment to his community, and he hopefully 
never will. He also will continue to serve the Bank of North Georgia as 
a consultant.
  It gives me a great deal of pleasure and it is a privilege to 
recognize on the floor of the U.S. Senate the contributions of Ronald 
H. Francis to the city of Marietta, Cobb County, and the State of 
Georgia.

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