From baseball to banking. A rising star in Jackson banking, Adam Milligan – Vice President – Loan Officer Commercial Bank & Trust Company – visited with Grace Media Group – NEWS/TALK 101.5 FM & 93.1 FM – for a question and answer session.
Question: First, would you give us a little background information – where are you originally from, education and family?
Answer: I was born and raised in Savannah, Tennessee and attended Hardin County High School. After high school, I attended Walters State Community College in East Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. I was fortunate to then get drafted by the Atlanta Braves and played professionally for five years. I went back and completed my undergraduate and MBA at Union University after my baseball career ended in 2013.
My wife and I have now set roots in Jackson, and we have been blessed with two little ones – a three-year-old son and a five-month- old daughter. So, the past couple of years my hobbies have been put on hold and my coffee consumption has increased!
Question: At Hardin County High School, you were what would be considered an all-purpose athlete – baseball, football and basketball. You would sign a baseball contract with the Atlanta Braves, and reached Double-A, but injuries derailed your career.
What was the experience like – the Draft (three times by the Braves), and the stops you made before you left the game?
Answer: My goal in high school was to play college football, and up until my senior year that was the path I thought I was going take. I had never considered the possibility of playing baseball past high school. Fortunately, I had coaches who helped me realize the potential in baseball and challenged me to maximize that potential.
Like I said before, I considered myself very fortunate to get drafted by the Braves. I grew up a big Braves fan, so to be drafted by them was a surreal experience. I was drafted out of high school and again after my freshmen year of college, however we could not agree to terms at that time.
After my sophomore year of college, we were able to agree on terms of a contract and I was able to begin my professional career. The career would take me from Rookie ball in Danville, Virginia to Double A in Jackson, Mississippi with many stops in between.
The minor leagues can be a grind, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing. I enjoyed getting to compete everyday with and against some of the best in the world.
After my third knee surgery, my baseball career ended in 2013. It was a fun ride, and I learned many valuable lessons while playing that have helped in my new career. Now, I just live vicariously through many of my former teammates and enjoy keeping up with them.
Question: What was it like to see people you played Minor League Baseball with win the 2021 World Series?
Answer: The crazy thing is the only player that I came up through the system with on the World Series team was Freddie Freeman. There are many new faces on the team.
I was really happy to see Freddie win the World Series, just knowing how good of person he is outside of baseball and how much he has given to the organization. Also, I can’t say enough good things about the Braves organization, so I was happy for the organization as a whole. It was a long 26 years!
Question: Now you’re in banking – Commercial Bank & Trust – what motivated you to decide on a career in banking?
Answer: I knew I wanted to work in a finance related field where I could help people, but I was not sure exactly what path to take. A friend at Hardin County Bank called about a portfolio manager job opening, and I decided to give it a try.
I really enjoyed banking and saw the benefits of a banking career in the aspects of not only helping individuals with personal banking needs, but also helping business owners with their banking needs to meet their company growth goals.
After moving to Jackson in 2015, I started working at First South Bank, which was acquired by Simmons Bank in 2017. I began working at Commercial Bank in August of 2020.
I have been very blessed in my banking career to have great mentors through the years to help my career progress.
Question: Why Commercial Bank & Trust and what is your role?
Answer: Commercial Bank & Trust is based out of Paris, Tennessee and opened its first location in Jackson in 2006. Monte (Jones, president, Commercial Bank & Trust) and the team here at Commercial Bank have done a tremendous job of growing market share by being truly customer focused.
After meeting with Commercial Bank, I knew it would be a good fit and joined the team in August of 2020. I hope to help them to continue to build on their customer focused mission and growth here in Jackson.
My role at Commercial Bank & Trust as a Loan Officer is to meet the banking needs of current and prospective customers.
Question: Since becoming a resident of Jackson, how is Adam Milligan – and Commercial Bank & Trust – involved in the community?
Answer: I am currently on a few nonprofit boards, the Jackson Young Professional Advisory Board, and a member of the Jackson Exchange Club.
Commercial Bank & Trust is involved with many local public and private organizations. There are many employees of the bank who hold leadership roles on nonprofit boards and serve the community through numerous boards and committees.
Question: Building a new location – Oil Well Road – it appears Commercial Bank & Trust continues growing in Jackson.
What is the target date for completion and opening; are there plans for additional branches in Jackson and are there plans to expand outside Jackson?
Answer: The new location will be at the corner of Oil Well Rd and Pleasant Plains Rd. The progress is coming along as planned. The bank is excited about the future in Jackson, and we hope to better serve our customers with this new convenient location.
Commercial Bank & Trust will continue to evaluate how to best service our customers of Jackson and Madison County as we continue to grow. We currently have locations in Jackson, Union City, Paris, and Memphis.
(PHOTO: Adam Milligan)
