Bank employees spend holiday training

By Staff
John Hicks FCT Staff Writer
More than 250 Citizens Bank employees and executives gathered in Sheffield on President's Day to participate in this year's Annual Bank-Wide Training Day.
Well-known motivational speaker Mamie McCullough, author of &#8220I'm Not Waving … I'm Drowning” and &#8220I Can. You Can Too!”, shared her energetic, &#8220do-it-right” philosophy with the assembled workers and executives.
In a morning session, Citizens Bank President and CEO Dennis Upchurch commended 20 employees for their achievements over the last year. Upchurch also introduced McCullough, a Georgia native whose life story captivated the crowd.
McCullough told the audience how she'd overcome poverty, abuse, depression, shyness, divorce and cancer to become an author and sought-after public speaker.
The energetic author gave her age as &#8220$59.95 plus tax” before delivering two rapid-fire speeches that mingled humorous insights into parenting and work with plain-spoken testimony about surviving hardship and loss.
McCullough's message for Citizens Bank staffers centered on developing an &#8220I can” attitude. McCullough used Southwest Airlines, one of the few success stories in the airline industry in recent years, as an example of a company whose executives &#8220hire for attitude, and train for skill.”
Other topics McCullough explored ranged from taking personal responsibility for one's actions to the importance of education in improving lives. She also led the audience in stress-reduction and affirmation exercises.
McCullough started her business career as a secretary before moving up the corporate ladder. She worked with Zig Ziglar for 10 years as a speaker and author before forming Mamie McCullough &Associates in 1989.
Citizens Bank employees from the Franklin County area receiving recognition on this year's Training Day were Lori Beasley, Carol Colvin, Ginger Guinn, Kristy Hutcheson, Sandy Montgomery, Dana Peeden, Michele Plagman, Jennifer Swinney, Cindy Wells, Rhonda Barnwell and Fredia Fowler.
Each employee received an autographed copy of McCullough's book I Can. You Can Too! Each book was also inscribed with a personal note from Upchurch.