Rome’s Ryan Earnest Elected Vice Chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association
ATLANTA – Ryan P. Earnest, president and CEO, First National Community Bank, Rome, has been elected by his peers to serve as Vice Chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA).
“Ryan is a respected leader whose extensive experience and commitment to community banking make him an excellent choice for this role,” said Susan V. Moss, GBA chairman and president and CEO, Planters & Citizens Bank, Camilla. “His leadership, industry insight and dedication to service will help advance the association’s work and support the success of our member banks across Georgia.”
Earnest began his career in banking in 1996 and joined the organizing team of Heritage First Bank in 2002. He was named president of the bank in 2008 and CEO in 2017. Following the merger of Heritage First Bancshares, Inc. and First Chatsworth Bankshares, Inc. in 2021, Earnest assumed his current role as president and CEO of First National Community Bank and First Chatsworth Bankshares, Inc., where he continues to lead the combined organization with a
focus on strategic growth and community banking.
Earnest earned a Bachelor of Arts from West Georgia College and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. Active in the banking industry and GBA, Earnest serves on the boards of directors for GBA
Insurance Trust, Inc. and Paragon Benefits, Inc., in addition to the GBA Board of Directors. In October 2025, he was named president-elect of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, where he also serves on the executive committee of the board of trustees. In his community, Earnest serves as chairman of the Development Authority of Floyd County and is a board member and past chairman of the Rome/Floyd County YMCA board of trustees.
He also serves on the boards of the University of West Georgia Athletic Foundation and the Chieftains Museum. His previous community leadership includes service as chairman of the Floyd Healthcare Foundation and the South Rome Redevelopment Corporation, along with board service for the Rome-Floyd Chamber of Commerce, Seven Hills Rotary Club and the Rome/Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth.
About the Georgia Bankers Association: Founded in 1892, the Georgia Bankers Association promotes the general welfare and usefulness of banking and the preservation of a sound banking system. For 134 years, GBA has been the resource that empowers Georgia’s banks, providing effective government relations and public advocacy, a community of professional peers, top-quality education and professional development, and revenue-enhancing products and services.
