Few changes have happened at First Community Bank of Central Alabama since its inception in 2001. But there’s been one major change recently.
At the beginning of the year, Rana Futral, a 20-year employee and Elmore County native, took over the CEO reins as Michael Morgan retired. Just because she is new in the role of CEO doesn’t mean more changes are coming at First Community Bank. Most recently she was president and chief financial officer.
“We are staying true to being a community bank,” Futral said. “We are only in Elmore and Autauga because our leadership is only living and working in Elmore and Autauga counties.”
Over the last two decades the bank has grown to eight locations across the area with 102 employees, and it’s a place Futral knows well.
“I opened my first checking account in high school with First National Bank which is the preceding bank of First Community,” Futral said. “I knew those guys very well. My parents had their accounts there from when they were teenagers growing up in Wetumpka.”
Futral went to work for a multistate banking organization after graduating from Auburn University. She helped create insurance and real estate divisions. But the travel got in the way of raising a family.
“I started missing some things, some t-ball games and school events,” Futral said. “I said to myself, ‘I think it is time for me to settle down and come back home.’”
Since 2003, she’s called First Community Bank home.
“It was a good move,” Futral said. “It has been very beneficial for me to work and live in the community I grew up in, went to high school in. I came back home to my roots, to the people I grew up with.”
Futral said she got involved with the community while she raised two children who graduated from Elmore County High School.
The bank fits Futral’s community roots philosophy. Like most of the bank employees, she went to school with many of its customers. All of the leadership and many of the employees live in the communities the bank serves.
“We know our customers because we frequent those businesses as a customer,” Futral said. “We have a very good partnership with them. Those businesses are our customers and we are their customers. We know each other well.”
It’s those partnerships that allow the small community bank to tailor products to individuals and customers. According to Futral, being small also means there is no convincing leadership that might be miles away in another county or state to help customize a banking product.
“The larger you get, you have to have one business model and hope they fit into the business model,” Futral said. “When you are a community bank, you can create a business model for each and every customer.”
Other perks of a small community bank include having a real voice when a customer calls in. Futral said the bank still has a switchboard with someone answering it — even on a weekend when a debit card might not be working.
“It gives a personal feel,” Futral said. “When you are small you can do small things and continue to be there for the customer all the time.”
The banker with 33 years of experience doesn’t see the community mission changing under her leadership. It’s because the community bank feel and model have been successful for First Community.
“We are going to stay true to who we are,” Futral said. “We are one of the last-standing true community banks in the area. We put 100% of our focus on where we live, work and our kids go to school.”
