Bradford and Smith promoted at North Georgia National Bank
Published 8:30 am Tuesday, July 29, 2025
The Board of Directors of North Georgia National Bank (NGNB) has approved the promotions of Kacee Bradford and Michelle Smith to officer positions at its recent meeting. Bradford was named mortgage officer while Smith was promoted to BSA (Bank Secrecy Act) officer.
Bradford started her banking career in 2011 as a teller at NGNB. She has worked in several financial institutions over the last 13 years, seven of those years at North Georgia. She has experience as a loan processor, paralender and a mortgage loan originator.
A native of Calhoun, Bradford graduated from Gordon Central High School and attended Georgia Northwestern Technical College. She has participated in numerous banking courses during her career. Bradford currently serves on the Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center Board of Directors as the board treasurer and on the finance committee.
Trending
“It has been a joy to watch Kacee grow and develop her skills to become the best mortgage originator in the region,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Lesa Downey. “Kacee sets the standard high and works to exceed expectations. The mortgage process can be overwhelming, especially for first-time homebuyers, but Kacee does a great job of guiding all of her clients through the process with patience and expertise.”
Smith started her banking career in 1997 as a teller in LaFayette, where she still resides. Over the years she has also been a financial services representative and lender. She came to NGNB to work in loan operations before moving to the compliance department as the BSA analyst in January 2024.
Smith earned a bachelor of business administration in management degree from the University of West Georgia, and she recently graduated from the Georgia Bankers Association Compliance School at the University of Georgia. She is in the process of earning her certification as an AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and Fraud Professional (CAFP) from the American Bankers Association. Smith will continue to work as a part of the compliance team leading BSA/AML-related activities.
“With years of experience on the front line, Michelle’s well-earned promotion reflects the pivotal role she plays in upholding financial integrity and mitigating financial crime risks,” Downey said. “She has been instrumental in advancing the compliance mission of the bank. We appreciate her dedication and commitment to our team.”
