Jim McLemore

Oconee State Bank is a locally owned and operated Community Bank in Oconee County, offering a competitive line of products and services. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender In the early 1900s, there were banks in all the small towns of Oconee County…Bishop, Bogart, Eastville, Farmington and Watkinsville. When the Depression came along in 1929, all the banks went broke and Oconee County was without a bank for the next 30 years. In 1958, a group of community leaders recognized the need for a bank in Oconee County and started a process of getting the necessary approval for a state chartered community bank. In 1959, they announced that the FDIC had approved a community bank and Oconee State Bank opened its doors for business on February 1, 1960 with 3 employees and a small corner office on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville. Because the local people had lost money in banks that went broke, it was important for the founders to promote the bank as a “locally-owned bank” that would be owned by local citizens who purchased original shares of stock. Thus, it would be a true community bank. One of the strengths of the bank was that it knew its customers and focused on serving the community as well as taking care of its employees and customers. Today, Oconee State Bank has 3 full-service branches located in Oconee County, GA as well as a website which serves as an “Internet Branch.” In December 2004, the H. Mell Wells Operations Center and Rosella E. Hansford Learning Center were dedicated. This facility houses the offices of bank wide support staff including Human Resources, Education Department, Marketing, Retail Administration, IT and Operations, Loan Operations, Finance and the Personal Banking Center. The vision of the founders continues today. We are proud to provide an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, value-added products, and a deep sense of responsibility to the communities we serve.