VOL. 131 | NO. 59 | Wednesday, March 23, 2016
NEWSMAKERS
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Shipmon Joins Lending Team at Paragon
By Kate Simone
Thomas “Tee” Shipmon has joined Paragon Bank as senior vice president, specialty lending. In this role, Shipmon is responsible for developing products for Paragon that solve customers’ challenges and that are profitable to the bank. Currently, specialty lending is providing short-term commercial construction loans to companies, often franchisees, that are expanding operations.
Prior to joining Paragon, Shipmon served as the president and co-founder of WingFinance, and served in a variety of positions at Bank of America and its predecessor banks.
Hometown: Memphis
Experience: 10 years with Bank of America; 12 years with WingFinance
Family: Married with two children
Favorite quotes: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Favorite movie: “The Way, Way Back”
The sports team(s) you root for: Memphis Grizzlies
What’s playing on your stereo right now? Barns Courtney, “Fire”
Activities you enjoy outside of work: Snow skiing, golfing, fly fishing
What talent do you wish you had? My undergraduate degree required a fine arts credit, so I took piano and enjoyed it so much I took two more semesters. I wish I had musical talent.
Who has had the greatest influence on you and why? Both my father and my best friend growing up, Gil Brandon, have influenced me the most. There is no substitute for the amount of quality time spent with someone.
What attracted you to your company? Paragon is one of the most entrepreneurial banks I have come across in a long time. The bank is nimble, and its executives are passionate about providing excellent service to its customers.
What are your goals in your new position? My goal is to foster the bank’s growth, as well as my teammates’ growth.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? I was fortunate to have met and married my wife, Tracy. We both share the same interests and values.
What do you most enjoy about your work? I love seeing entrepreneurs around the country take a risk to pursue the American dream, and I love to assist them and become a spectator in that journey.
If you could give one piece of advice to young people, what would it be? When making a decision, often it seems like the sheer number of options can be paralyzing. Don’t be afraid to try something.
Mark Nance his been appointed first vice president, treasury management, at Paragon Bank. Prior to joining Paragon, Nance worked in treasury management sales for 10 years; before that, he worked in retail banking as a branch manager and personal banker.
Taylor Sanborn has joined Group Benefits LLC as client services coordinator. Sanborn previously held a customer service role at Collins Thomas & Associates PC in Memphis. In his new role, he will help serve the needs of Group Benefits’ employee benefits clients.
Brooke Hyman has joined the Memphis City Council staff as legislative research analyst. Hyman previously worked as an attorney with the public defender’s office for four years, serving in the adult and juvenile courts.
Chad A. Cardwell has been certified as an Accredited Estate Planner designee by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. Cardwell is principal attorney with The Cardwell Firm PLLC, a Memphis-based boutique estate planning law firm.
Lauren Rower has joined the office of Crye-Leike luxury Realtor Joshua Spotts as director of client services, overseeing client communications, customer service and marketing. Rower brings more than eight years of experience in customer service and communications to the position.
David Zelman, vice president and 11-year employee of global architecture and design firm FRCH Design Worldwide, has relocated to Memphis to better serve clients in and near Memphis, Nashville and the southern region. Zelman has been tasked with supporting all areas of FRCH’s business for the retail mixed-use studio, including architecture, interior and graphic design, brand strategy and research.
Trezevant has named the following officers for the nonprofit’s board of directors: Bruce B. Hopkins, board chair; Merilyn G. Mangum, secretary; David L. (Casey) Bowlin, vice chairman; Scott J. Crosby, immediate past board chairman; and John D. Ivy, executive committee adviser. The organization also welcomed Frankie Wade and Beverly Williams as new members of the board.
Bob Bernstein, owner of Geriatric Consultants, has been presented the Senior Advocacy Award by The Professional Network on Aging.
Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP has been named by American Banker magazine as one of the top 20 legal advisers in the U.S., based on the number of domestic bank and thrift merger transactions in 2015.