County National Bank Announces Promotions and Recent Hires

John R. Waldron, President and CEO of County National Bank (CNB), is pleased to announce the addition of three new officers and the promotion of two current members of the CNB team.

Rachel Emery has joined CNB as AVP - Branch Administration.  Rachel brings a diverse background in banking with 25 years of experience, including from Teller, Client Service Manager, Staff Development Manager, Office Automation Manager, and Retail Bank Support Monitoring Analyst (Audit). Her most recent position prior to joining CNB was AVP – Financial Services Manager at First Federal Bank in Adrian. Rachel is a graduate of Spring Arbor University with a Master of Business Administration.

“Rachel Emery brings a valuable skillset to our CNB team through her advanced knowledge of operations along with her experience in front line sales and service, making her a perfect fit to successfully lead our community branch teams,” said Marcy Brown, VP of Retail Administration.

Rachel is active in her community, currently serving on the following boards: Sand Creek PTO, Adrian Area Chamber, Boys & Girls Club of Lenawee, and United Way of Monroe/Lenawee. As a Sand Creek alum, she is very committed to and involved with the school where her children are now students.

Roger Ferguson has been appointed to the position of 2 VP – Commercial Loans. He is working in Lenawee County and is based at the Adrian branch office. Roger brings over 20 years of experience in commercial lending, most recently at TLC Community Credit Union in Adrian and previously at Old National Bank/United Bank & Trust in Adrian/Tecumseh.  He graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism.

“Roger has a great reputation in the Lenawee market as a commercial lender,” said Chris Clarke, VP – Senior Lender. “His great repuation and deep passion for community banking will be a great addition to our already strong Lenawee team, and will not only be extremely beneficial for our organization, but also for our customers and for our community.”

Roger currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Kiwanis Club of Adrian. He has also volunteered his time with several other organizations, including the Lenawee United Way, the Lenawee Community Foundation, and the Adrian College Entrepreneur Boot Camp. Roger resides in the Adrian area with his family.

Stacey Clemens has been hired as VP – Chief Risk Officer. Stacey is a 19-year banker with experience in the areas of compliance and enterprise risk management, and outsourced internal audit. She previously served as Compliance and CRA Officer for CNB from January 2012 to April 2015. Her most recent position was Chief Risk Officer with First Federal Bank of the Midwest. 

Stacey is a graduate of the American Bankers Association (ABA) National Compliance School and ABA Graduate School of Compliance Risk Management. In 2010, Stacey earned the Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) designation. Stacey enjoys following her children’s many interests, history, traveling, vacation planning, and leading youth groups and mission trips.

"We are pleased to welcome Stacey back to the CNB team," said John Waldron. "Her skills and expertise will be a great asset to County National Bank, as the regulatory landscape is ever-changing and increasingly complex."

Karena Mills has been promoted to VP – Chief Operating Officer (COO). With continued growth in assets, ever changing regulatory complexity, and expanding footprint, CNB has restructured several operational departments under the new position of VP – Chief Operating Officer (COO).

"Karena has been a valuable asset to County National Bank since joining us in 2016. She has shown great dedication to CNB, and has been instrumental to our continued growth and success. We are confident that she has the knowledge and experience to fulfill this new role with energy and integrity," said Waldron.

Karena has spent more than 25 years of banking in the areas of Management, Operations, Finance, Accounting, and HR.  She joined CNB in 2016 as VP – Lending Officer and is well suited for this role. Since 1992, her banking career includes many roles: executive trainee, senior accountant, vice president – human resources, vice president - finance, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.   

Karena received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Adrian College, later completing the Graduate School of Banking and Financial Managers School at the University of Wisconsin and most recently the American Bankers Association National and Graduate Commercial Lending School at Southern Methodist University of Texas.

Karena currently serves as the treasurer for the Jackson School of the Arts and also donates her time teaching tap dance at the school. She and her family reside in the Brooklyn area.

Kati Sellers has been promoted to Trust Operations Officer. Kati joined the CNB team in March of 2012 as a Commercial Loan Assistant and after transitions to Credit Analyst and Credit Analyst Specialist, she joined the Wealth Management team in September of 2016 as Trust Operations Assistant. Kati then moved into the role of Trust Operations Manager in 2017. In 2019, Kati was awarded the Certified Securities Operations Professional (CSOP) certification from the American Bankers Association, awarded to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of securities operations.

“I am very proud of Kati and the quality of work she produces for the Wealth Management team and our clients. She is a valuable team member and we look forward to her ongoing contributions to the team,” said Christopher Phillips, VP - Sr. Trust Officer. 

Kati volunteers her time with the Hillsdale County Agricultural Council and takes part in several activities during the Hillsdale County Fair. She resides in the Hillsdale area with her family.