Meet Chuck Copeland

Alumni Spotlight
Chuck Copeland
President and CEO of First National Bank of Griffin
Chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association Board of Directors
Hometown: Griffin, GA.
Years Attended: 79’-81’
Why did you choose to attend Gordon? I grew up in Zebulon, and Gordon was nearby, it was an affordable and accessible option for me at the time. My long-term goal was to attend UGA where both of my parents attended, but I also knew coming out of a small town and a small high school setting that transitioning through an institution like Gordon was probably going to be in my best interest and it turned out so to very much be the case.
What was your favorite class? I had three that I could say were my favorites: I still have memories of English 101 with Dr. Mary Allice Money. What I remember about that was that was one of my first college experiences where I felt like I got a lot of encouragement from my teacher which solidified my feel that I was in the right place and motivating me to continue down that track. I had two rounds of speech classes with Ms. Baird at the time and what I recall from her classes were developing some confidence and some ability to structure my thought processes when it came time to do things like public speaking and improving my communication skills. Probably what led me down the path of pursuing an economics degree when I got to UGA was an economics class I had with Dr. Andress while I was at Gordon. He made the subject very interesting to me. His style of teaching is something that really stuck with me.
What is your favorite memory that you have had at Gordon? A quarter long project I had to do for Dr. Andress’ economic class. In class he was handing out grades and he singled out one paper and said he’s saving one for the end. At first he did not say whether this was good or bad. Sure enough he gets to the last paper and I haven’t heard my name yet, and when he calls me out he brings up the amount of work, thought and diligence that had gone into it. It made me feel good and encouraged me to pursue that economics track after that.
Were there any clubs, organizations or sports you participated in while a student here? “No, I was your typical commuter. Drove in every morning, left around noon and went to an afternoon job bagging groceries at a Kroger in Griffin.
Tell us about your immediate family: I have a wife and three children. I have two daughters, one who is married and a CPA accountant with a firm in Atlanta and one is a special education teacher in the Dekalb County School System. We also have a 13 year old son, who is still at home with us who attends St. George’s Episcopal School in Milner.
How do you like to spend your free time when you’re not at work? I like to ride my bicycle.