Paragon Bank Promotes Two to Senior Vice President

For the first time since Paragon's opening, we have new headers for our largest divisions - Commercial Lending and Private Banking. Michael Leonard, CRP®, Senior Vice President - Manager of Private Banking, has been in banking and finance for 21 years, 14 of those at Paragon Bank. Chris Miller, Senior Vice President - Manager of Commercial Lending, has been in banking and finance for 34 years, nearly three of those at Paragon. Leonard takes over from Wayne Littleton, who remains at Paragon in a part-time role, while Miller took over from Gordin McMurtry, who retired at the end of June after a 34-year career, 21 years at Paragon. Both report to Andrew Taylor, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer.

Leonard, a graduate of Auburn University and The Graduate School of Banking at LSU, leads a team of private bankers with more than 170 years of combined experience who provide personalized banking and tailored lending solutions. The private banking division offers a concierge service paired with a suite of tailored deposit and loan products catered to the needs of the medical and professional communities.

"We're a local team, with local decision making," Leonard explained. "Our team has a library of knowledge and vast experience under one roof. Paragon's people puts the emphasis on the customer and the relationship, and you get to talk to a real person about your banking needs."

Miller agrees.

"Paragon's customer service and attention to detail is one of the many things that sets us apart from those around us," he said. "We're quick, efficient and we have a willingness to find the answers while doing the right thing."

Miller, a graduate of the University of Memphis, leads a team that specializes in commercial and industrial lending that has over 210 years of combined experience. A longtime Memphian, he joined Paragon because it's a local bank that still has the community bank feel. Paragon's commercial banking division prides itself on being just a call or text away from its business customers. They know and understand their customers' business very well and work to go the extra mile in crafting customized solutions to take care of these businesses. They believe great relationships build better solutions.

"Paragon has a culture of community in more ways than one," said Miller. "Paragon team members support people. We're customer service focused, and we're willing to go the extra mile to help a customer or another team member. That's just who we are."

Leonard concurred. "Our customers all have unique needs. We come up with individualized, custom solutions to complex situations and needs."

Robert Shaw, President and CEO of Paragon Bank is pleased about the direction of the Private Banking and Commercial Lending departments.

"We said twenty years ago, at the beginning of Paragon's banking journey, that we would find the best people, and they would take care of our customers. We've been incredibly successful with that model," said Shaw. "I know that ideal will continue to work for us, especially with this next generation of new leadership within our departments. Michael and Chris's proven track records, deep community relationships and exemplary customer service are our ideal, or paragon, of what we're doing in business."