LANSING, Mich., — Michael Tierney the President and CEO of the Community Bankers of Michigan will retire at the end of 2024. He has been at the helm of the organization representing the interests of Michigan banks for over eight years. His banking career spanned 47 years. He led the outstanding team at the CBM through an extended period of exceptional growth and development as more and more Michigan banks looked to the CBM to assist them in their efforts to make their bank and their communities as successful as possible. The CBM had its revenues more than double over the past eight years and support for the CBM PAC tripled during his tenure≠. The CBM has greatly expanded its programs and offerings with over two thousand bankers and associate members attending events and training sessions each year. CBM Board Chairman and the President and CEO of Commercial Bank, Kevin Collison commented, “We thank Mike for his years of dedicated service to Michigan banks. His passion and commitment to the industry and his extensive banking experience helped him become an outstanding advocate and a trusted voice for our industry. Mike wanted to be sure the CBM would continue to be a great asset to the Michigan banking industry, so he gave us a year’s notice of his intentions to retire and worked with the board to find our next dynamic leader, in fact, Mike recruited our next CEO.”
Kevin Collison announced “James R. North is joining the CBM October 1, 2024, and will succeed President and CEO Michael Tierney. We are very pleased and excited to welcome Jim as the new President and CEO of our state banking association. He has the unanimous support of the CBM Board. His familiarity with bankers throughout the state, combined with his deep understanding of the issues facing the community banking industry, make him an exceptional leader for our organization. Jim brings decades of banking experience to the position having retired from First National Bank of St. Ignace (FNBSI) in 2023 after 25 years as the President and CEO of the bank. Jim North brings extensive leadership capabilities in business and legislative matters, relationships with regulators, political officials, and bank CEOs and associate members of the CBM. In addition to his executive role at FNBSI, Jim was a leader in the St. Ignace Downtown Development Authority, a board member of the local hospital, served on UP-wide community foundation boards, and had a long tenure with the CBM Board of Directors, where he served as Chairman in 2019/2020. He graduated with honors from Western Michigan University and began his career in 1987 with Ernst & Whinney CPAs where he was licensed as a Certified Public Accountant and audited banks.”
Jim North commented “I have devoted my entire career to Michigan banking, and I am thrilled to take on the challenge of leading the CBM. Mike and I worked together to deal with the COVID pandemic, and the PPP program and we developed a close bond and mutual respect working through a very difficult time for our state and our country. Community banks face unique regulatory and business issues, and I believe my experience, background, and personal relationships, position me to be an effective leader and spokesperson for Michigan banks. I look forward to working with the ICBA to build on the tremendous progress achieved for community banking in regulatory relief and legislative matters.”
Mike Tierney shared, “Jim is the right leader for the future of the CBM and I am thrilled he accepted this critical responsibility to represent the banks in Michigan. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the industry I love for the past eight years, and I know Jim shares the same passion, commitment, and experience to successfully lead the CBM to an even better future.”
Jim North will begin his role as President and CEO of the CBM October 1, 2024, to ensure a smooth transition process before Mike Tierney retires at the end of the year.