Jennings, La.- The Board of Directors of JD Bancshares, Inc. announces that Bruce W. Elder, a 35-year commercial bank executive, has been selected President & CEO of JD Bank and JD Bancshares, Inc. Elder, a North Carolina resident, comes to JD Bank from CresCom Bank, headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. In this role, Elder will lead day-to-day operations and strategic direction of JD Bank. Dan L. Donald Jr., Interim President & CEO, will remain in his role as Chairman of the Board for JD Bank and JD Bancshares.
“Bruce is the right person to lead JD Bank into the future. With his vast community banking experience and leadership, he will be a vital asset to the JD Bank team,” said Dan L. Donald Jr., JD Bank Chairman of the Board. “He understands the unique needs and challenges of community banks and we are fortunate to find a leader with Bruce’s talent and experience.”
For the past two years, Elder has served as the Strategy Officer and the President of North Carolina Banking for CresCom Bank. He joined CresCom in November 2017 as a result of CresCom’s acquisition of First South Bank headquartered in Washington, NC. He served as the President and CEO of First South from September 2012 through October 2017 and helped guide the bank through a period of high growth and profitability.
“I have spent most of my professional career working for community banks and the opportunity to join the team at JD Bank is exciting and the possibilities numerous as the banking environment in Louisiana has been recently disrupted by two large bank mergers,” said Elder. “I look forward to helping Louisiana’s Community Bank to grow profitably and efficiently while continuing to honor the community bank values upon which JD Bank was founded.”
Prior to joining First South, Elder spent 13 years as the Chief Financial Officer for Crescent State Bank in Cary, NC. He helped form Crescent in 1998 and served on the executive management team as the bank grew from one location and $11 million in total assets to 15 locations and $1 billion prior to its acquisition by Piedmont Community Bank Holdings in November 2011.
He began his banking career in 1984 as an internal auditor working for two regional financial institutions. Elder also has two years of experience in external audit and tax preparation having worked in public accounting for bank and construction industry clients. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virgina.
Elder is a 1984 graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He enjoys watching college football and basketball games, playing golf and tennis, riding bicycles and participating in community-sponsored events. He and his wife of 30 years, Sherry, currently live in Raleigh, NC and have three grown children, two grandchildren and a dog. Elder serves as a Director for the Beaufort County, NC Committee of 100 (an economic development organization) and is a member of Church on Morgan (United Methodist Church) and 100 Men Who Give a Damn (a funding vehicle for deserving not-for-profit organizations in Wake County, NC) in Raleigh, NC.
About JD Bank
Founded in 1947, JD Bank, Louisiana’s Community Bank, offers
personal and business banking services across Southwest Louisiana and Acadiana,
and the latest in online and mobile banking. For more information, visit www.jdbank.com or
call 800-789-5159. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.