Dear Bank of the Bluegrass Family,
After 38 years at Bank of the Bluegrass, more than 20 of which as the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, my retirement is approaching. My last day is October 29, with JJ Deans taking over as CFO on November 1. I will continue my service to the bank through my position on the Board of Directors.
Though it’s bittersweet to take a step back from a place that has been a part of my life for such a long time, I am looking forward to the ideas our new leadership team (Bill, Tom and JJ) will bring to the table. I have been working with JJ for nearly two years to help him prepare for this transition, and I know the bank will be in good hands with this group.
When I started my career here, I was a management trainee and recent graduate of Western Kentucky University with only my college bank teller job as real experience. I continue to be grateful for the numerous opportunities the Jett family gave me throughout my career here, including eventually the chance to be the first female CFO.
The world has changed a lot since I started. I purchased the first PC for the bank, taking us from typewriters into the digital world. Before others really started talking about it, our team confronted the Y2K phenomenon after a customer purchased a 10-year CD that took his account into the year 2000. The way the program was storing the date caused a million-dollar glitch, though none of us knew at the time what the problem was. I went through the microfiche line by line until I found the error. It was fixed in two days, which gave me great comfort over the years while others worried about the threat of Y2K!
Though Y2K is a thing of the past, JJ Deans is certain to confront other mysteries in time and technology while CFO. After 11 years at Bank of the Bluegrass, he knows the ropes and is ready for this new experience. JJ received his Master of Accountancy from UK, and has experienced bank operations in various facets, including lending and accounting. Not only is he equipped to be CFO, but he’s also a team player who’s always willing to step in and help wherever the bank needs him. I’ve seen that collaborative spirit in action a lot over the past 18 months as he has jumped in to help with our COVID response and participation in COVID loan opportunities.
It’s precisely that kind of “all for one, one for all” mentality that JJ and so many others on staff share that has made working at Bank of the Bluegrass such a pleasure. I will miss my daily interactions with the colleagues who have become more like family.
I am also eager for the time I will now be able to spend with my children and grandchildren. I hope to spend more time doing things I love as well, like snow skiing, crafting and hiking. Maybe one day, I’ll even learn to love to cook!
Thank you, Bank of the Bluegrass, for a career like I never could have imagined—and congratulations, JJ, on your new role!
Sincerely,
Jane Fraebel
