First National Bank in Tremont Wins
Excellence and Innovation FORVIS Award, Presented by CBAI
Community Bankers Association of Illinois & FORVIS co-sponsor award recognizing high-performing member banks

[October 11, 2022]  

Kraig Lounsberry, president of the Community Bankers Association of Illinois (CBAI), and Wes Johnson, director at FORVIS, announced that The First National Bank in Tremont won for its entry: “Downtown Revitalization Project.” The award was presented at the Recognition Luncheon at CBAI’s 48th Annual Convention & Expo on Saturday, October 1, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand in St. Louis, MO.

The First National Bank in Tremont and the village of New Holland worked together on a large project for the village of New Holland's downtown. The project consisted of a newly constructed bank building located on Route 10, relocating the current village offices, community center and historical society, and the donation of a building in between the old bank building and the new bank location. The bank donated their old bank building to the village of New Holland, along with a $20,000 grant they received from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, to help pay the remodeling costs of the project for the village. The donated building is the new home for the village offices, the New Holland Community Center, and the New Holland Historical Society. The village's previous location was too large a space for them and very costly to maintain. The former hardware store, located next to the former bank building, was also donated to the village by the New Holland Development Foundation for further downtown revitalization.

Co-sponsored by CBAI and FORVIS, the eighth largest CPA and advisory firm in the United States, the award, now in its 24th year, recognizes high-performing CBAI members that implement innovative ideas demonstrating a commitment to their employees, customers, shareholders and communities through exceptional programming.
 

Judges for the award included: Ray Altmix, First Southern Bank, Marion; Katie Ashworth, CNB Bank & Trust, N.A., Carlinville; Chuck Deters, Dieterich Bank, Effingham; Monica Dyson, Bank of Springfield; Marsha Johnston, Legence Bank, Eldorado; Jerry Runde, Teutopolis State Bank; Tim Schoon, Morton Community Bank; and Jon Spitz, Washington Savings Bank, Effingham.

About FORVIS
FORVIS is the top-tier U.S. CPA and advisory firm that delivers its experience and service with a deep understanding of your business, your needs and what it takes to improve your business performance. FORVIS has approximately 5,500 personnel, including approximately 530 partners, and serve clients in all 50 states and internationally. To learn more, visit www.forvis.com.

About CBAI
One of the largest state banking associations in the nation, CBAI is a professional trade association representing 300 Illinois commercial banks and thrifts, and their 880 Illinois bank branches. Its members have nearly $80 billion in assets and employ approximately 17,000 individuals. CBAI, headquartered in Springfield, was founded in 1974 to exclusively represent and serve the community-banking profession. For more information, visit www.cbai.com.

About The First National Bank in Tremont
The First National Bank in Tremont has total assets of $152 million with offices in Tremont, Hopedale, New Holland and Lincoln, offering a full range of financial products and services. The First National Bank in Tremont is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. More information about The First National Bank in Tremont is available at www.tremontbank.com.

[Valerie Johnston
Senior Vice President of Communications
Community Bankers Association of Illinois]