Inside this issue: 2007 State Holidays 2 DBF Outreach and 2 Upcoming Speaking Engagements Action on 3 Applications for the Month of November DBF's Customer 10 Service Stars for the Month of November News and topics of interest to financial institutions regulated by the Department of Banking and Finance Monthly Bulletin #11 November 2006 Holiday Gift Card Tips Before you buy a gift card this holiday season, there are some things you should be aware of. Different gift cards have different terms and conditions. Whether you are a gift card purchaser or a recipient, here are some questions you may want to ask the seller of the card: What is the redemption policy? Can the gift card or certificate be redeemed for cash, a combination of merchandise and cash, or merchandise only? Is there a local store where it can be redeemed? Can it be redeemed on the Internet, or is it only redeemable on the Internet? Will a new certificate be issued for any balance remaining after the original certificate is redeemed? Can the recipient add value to or "reload" the gift card? Are there any service or inactivity fees? Will the card be honored if it is lost or stolen? To help protect those who buy or receive gift certificates, store gift cards or general use gift cards, there is a Georgia law designed to protect consumers. The Gift Card Integrity Act of 2005 requires the purveyors of all such gift cards or certificates sold in Georgia to: Include the terms of the card in the accompanying packaging, make these available upon request, and honor the card in exchange for merchandise or services in accordance with those terms; Conspicuously print the expiration date, if any, on the card; and Conspicuously print the amount of any dormancy or nonuse fees on the card or a sticker affixed to it. Failure to comply with the law's provisions is considered an unfair or deceptive practice and should be reported to the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs. For more information, go to the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs website. Wishing You and Your Family a Wonderful Holiday Season! New Online Name Permission Request Form The Department recently developed an online form where users can request permission to use the words "bank", "trust", and/or similar word(s) in a name (pursuant to Section 7-1-243 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated). Previously, such requests had to be submitted via fax or mail to the Department's Supervisory Division. To access the primary online request page, users may go to: https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/permission.html. The link to the online request system is also available from the bank-related forms and applications page on our website (www.gadbf.org). Users of the online request system will be taken through various steps to complete their request and also pay their fee online if they choose. "Safeguarding Georgia's Financial Services" Page 2 2007 State Holidays In accordance with O.C.G.A. 1-4-1, Governor Sonny Perdue proclaimed the following dates as public and legal holidays for the year 2007. Financial Institutions may observe both the official observance day as well as alternative observances indicated. In addition to these designated dates, financial institutions may close on Sunday and one discretionary day each week. If the discretionary day observed is changed permanently or temporarily, customer notice must be posted at least 30 days in advance. Holiday: New Year's Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Robert E. Lee's Birthday Washington's Birthday Confederate Memorial Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Observed: Monday, January 1 Monday, January 15 Friday, January 19 - will be observed on Friday, November 23 Monday, February 19 - will be observed on Monday, December 24 Monday, April 23 Monday, May 28 Wednesday, July 4 Monday, September 3 Monday, October 8 Sunday, November 11 - will be observed on Monday, November 12 Thursday, November 22 Tuesday, December 25 EMERGENCY CLOSINGS As the winter months approach, all financial institutions are reminded that current regulations provide for management to exercise its own discretion, with notification to the Department, in closing any institution for one business day (renewal for successive days) upon its determination that the safety of customers, employees or assets would be in jeopardy due to civil disorder, fire, acts of God, or utility failure or similar circumstances which render the institution unable to conduct business in a safe and sound manner. Such closings should be communicated to the Department by telephone, e-mail (dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us) or fax as soon as transmission is feasible. DBF OUTREACH AND UPCOMING SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Senior Deputy Commissioner George Reynolds will be at the Community Bankers Association of Georgia's (CBA) De Novo Bank Conference to be held on January 29 30, 2007 at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, FL. To find out more about the conference, go to the CBA website. Page 3 Action on Applications for the Month of November: The following is a summary of official action taken on applications by State Financial Institutions under Chapter 7-1 of the Code of Georgia and petitions for Certificate of Incorporation of Financial Institutions and other matters of interest during the month of November 2006. APPLICATIONS FOR NEW FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Primary Bank 3880 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342 Fulton County CAPITALIZATION $ 15,000,000 APPROVAL Pending Brookhaven Bank 2987 Clairmont Road, NE Suite 130 Atlanta, GA 30329 DeKalb County $ 20,500,000 Pending RockBridge Commercial Bank 5607 Glenridge Drive, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30342 Fulton County $ 27,000,000 04-17-2006 Atlantic Capital Bank 3280 Peachtree Road, Suite 1600 Atlanta, GA 30326 Fulton County $ 80,000,000 Pending First Choice Community Bank 110 Evans Mill Drive, Suite 605 Dallas, GA 30157 Paulding County $ 18,000,000 Pending Vinings Bank 4135 Atlanta Road Smyrna, GA 30080 Cobb County $ 12,000,000 Pending Republic Bank of Georgia 1400 Northbrook Parkway, Suite 300 Suwanee, GA 30024 Gwinnett County $ 24,000,000 07-28-2006 BEGIN BUSINESS 11-13-2006 11-06-2006 APPLICATIONS TO ESTABLISH A BRANCH OFFICE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Northside Bank Adairsville BRANCH OFFICE Calhoun Branch Office SR 53 and Lovers Lane Calhoun, GA 30701 Gordon County APPROVAL 11-02-2006 BEGIN BUSINESS Page 4 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Northside Bank Adairsville Brookhaven Bank (IO) Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta BRANCH OFFICE Cartersville Branch Office 325 Cherokee Place Cartersville, GA 30121 Bartow County APPROVAL BEGIN BUSINESS 10-03-2005 11-14-2005 Johnson Ferry Branch Office 2163 Johnson Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30319 DeKalb County Pending Hampden Hall Branch Office 929 West 36th Street Baltimore, MD 21211 County 11-13-2006 Fairwood Green Safeway Branch Office 12410 Fairwood Parkway Bowie, MD 20720 Prince Georges County 11-27-2006 Kent Towne Safeway Branch Office 24 Kent Towne Market Chester, MD 21619 Queen Annes County 11-27-2006 El Mercado Branch Office 2400 West 60th Street Hialeah, FL 33014 Miami-Dade County 11-03-2006 Oasis Plaza Branch Office 2952 N.E. 8th Street Homestead, FL 33030 Miami-Dade County 11-03-2006 11-14-2006 St. Johns Town Center Branch Office 100 Town Center Parkway Jacksonville, FL 32246 Duval County 05-26-2006 11-06-2006 Lamar Crossing Branch Office 2926 Lamar Avenue, Suite 106 Memphis, TN 38114 Shelby County 09-11-2006 11-06-2006 Branan Field Wal-Mart Branch Office 1508 Branan Field Road Middleburg, FL 32068 Clay County 10-30-2006 11-08-2006 Navarre Wal-Mart Branch Office 9360 Navarre Parkway Navarre, FL 32566 Santa Rosa County 11-30-2006 Page 5 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta United Community Bank Blairsville United Community Bank Blairsville McIntosh Commercial Bank Carrollton Community Bank & Trust Cornelia First Citizens Bank of Georgia (IO) Dawsonville First Intercontinental Bank Doraville Community Bank & Trust - West Georgia LaGrange Atlantic Southern Bank Macon BRANCH OFFICE Avalon Park Branch Office 3502 Avalon Park West Boulevard Orlando, FL 32826 Orange County APPROVAL BEGIN BUSINESS 11-30-2006 Palm City Branch Office 2846 SW Town Center Way Palm City, FL 34990 Martin County 08-21-2006 11-27-2006 The Villages Wal-Mart Branch Office 3968 Wedgewood Lane The Villages, FL 32162 Sumter County 11-30-2006 Cleveland TN Main Branch Office 2525 Keith Street Cleveland, TN 37312 Bradley County Pending Lula Branch Office 6091 Lula Road Lula, GA 30554 Hall County 11-15-2006 West Point Branch Office 200 East 10th Street West Point, GA 31833 Troup County 08-28-2006 11-01-2006 Bethlehem Branch Office 12 Angel Street Bethlehem, GA 30620 Barrow County 11-27-2006 Forsyth Branch Office State Highway 306 and State Highway Cumming, GA 30040 Forsyth County Pending Duluth Branch Office 2230 Pleasant Hill Road Duluth, GA 30096 Gwinnett County 02-20-2006 11-08-2006 Columbus Branch Office 5420 Veteran's Parkway Columbus, GA 31904 Muscogee County 02-14-2006 11-06-2006 Bonaire Branch Office 135 Highway 96 Bonaire, GA 31326 Houston County 11-17-2006 Page 6 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Atlantic Southern Bank Macon First Bank of Henry County McDonough American Banking Company Moultrie American Banking Company Moultrie The Patterson Bank Patterson Greater Rome Bank Rome Carver State Bank Savannah CreekSide Bank Woodstock BRANCH OFFICE Savannah Branch Office 7939 Hodgson Memorial Drive Savannah, GA 31406 Chatham County Morrow Branch Office 6145 North Main Street Morrow, GA 30260 Clayton County Newberry Branch Office 25365 West Newberry Road Newberry, FL 32669 Alachua County Trenton Branch Office 530 East Wade Street Trenton, FL 32693 Gilchrist County Memorial Drive Branch Office 914 Memorial Drive Waycross, GA 31501 Ware County Shannon-East Floyd Branch Office 5740 New Highway 53 Rome, GA 30161 Floyd County Skidaway Branch Office 7110 Skidaway Road Savannah, GA 31405 Chatham County Acworth Branch Office 4356 North Cobb Parkway Acworth, GA 30101 Cobb County APPROVAL 11-17-2006 11-13-2006 09-19-2006 09-19-2006 11-14-2006 06-20-2006 Pending Pending BEGIN BUSINESS 11-20-2006 11-20-2006 11-15-2006 11-08-2006 APPLICATIONS TO CHANGE LOCATION FINANCIAL INSTITUTION CHANGE LOCATION OF SunTrust Bank Greer Branch Office Atlanta From: 713 W Wade Hampton Greer SC 29652 Greenville County To: 655 West Wade Hampton Boulevard Greer SC 29650 Greenville County APPROVAL 11-13-2006 EFFECTIVE Page 7 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta CHANGE LOCATION OF Friendly Center Harris Teeter Branch Office From: 3310 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro NC 27410 Guilford County To: 3330 West Friendly Avenue Greensboro NC 27410 Guilford County Citizens Bank & Trust Company Eastman Cochran Branch Office From: 120 Second Street Cochran GA 31014 Bleckley County To: 127 S. Sixth Street Cochran GA 31014 Bleckley County The Bank of Georgia Peachtree City Newnan Branch Office From: 2015 Highway 154 Newnan GA 30265 Coweta County To: Georgia Highway 154 and Fayetteville Road Newnan GA 30265 Coweta County APPROVAL EFFECTIVE 10-10-2006 11-08-2006 11-07-2006 11-08-2006 APPLICATIONS FOR RESERVATION OF A NAME PROPOSED NAME First Choice Community Bank 1874 COUNTY Coweta County APPLICANT Mr. Michael N. White Martin Snow, LLP Post Office Box 1606 Macon, GA 31202-1606 FirstBank Financial Services Henry County Ms. Beth Lanier Powell Goldstein LLP One Atlantic Center 14th Floor 1201 West Peachtree Street, N.W. Atlanta, GA 30309 The PrivateBank Fulton County Ms. Hope D. Schall Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, P.C. 222 North LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60601 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (SURVIVOR) United Community Bank Blairsville, GA First Charter Bank Charlotte, NC FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MERGERS MERGED INSTITUTION Southern National Bank Marietta, GA Gwinnett Banking Company Lawrenceville, GA APPROVAL 11-30-2006 EFFECTIVE Pending Page 8 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (SURVIVOR) Citizens State Bank Kingsland, GA Atlantic Southern Bank Macon, GA American Banking Company Moultrie, GA South Georgia Banking Company Omega, GA RBC Centura Bank Rocky Mount, NC Cadence Bank, N.A. Starkville, MS CB&T Bank of Middle Georgia Warner Robins, GA MERGED INSTITUTION Old Florida Bank Fort Myers, FL Sapelo National Bank Darien, GA Islands Community Bank, N.A. Beaufort, SC Community National Bank Ashburn, GA Flag Bank Atlanta, GA Seasons Bank Blairsville, GA The Citizens Bank Fort Valley, GA APPROVAL EFFECTIVE Pending Pending 11-08-2006 Pending Pending 11-13-2006 11-14-2006 11-29-2006 APPLICATIONS TO BECOME A BANK HOLDING COMPANY AND/OR TO ACQUIRE VOTING STOCK OF A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BANK HOLDING COMPANY TO ACQUIRE APPROVAL FORMATIONS Oglethorpe Bank Holding Company Brunswick, GA Oglethorpe Bank Brunswick, GA 11-08-2006 Highland Financial Services, Inc. Marietta, GA Highland Commercial Bank Marietta, GA Pending Signature Bancshares, Inc. Sandy Springs, GA Signature Bank of Georgia Dunwoody, GA Pending Embassy Bancshares, Inc. Snellville, GA Embassy National Bank (IO) Lawrenceville, GA Pending ACQUISITIONS Atlantic Southern Financial Group, Inc. Macon, GA Ameris Bancorp Moultrie, GA Sapelo National Bank Darien, GA Islands Community Bank. N.A. Beaufort, SC 11-17-2006 11-08-2006 CHECK CASHER LICENSES ISSUED CITY Columbus Glennville Hazlehurst Roswell Roopville Lithonia Fairburn Byron LaGrange Augusta Brunswick Covington Garden City Fort Valley Atlanta Social Circle Atlanta APPLICANT NAME * Akshat Beverage, Inc. Burkhalter Grocery, Inc. * CMN, Inc. Hwang's Enterprises, Inc. * Kaur, Inc. Kim, Byong C. * Miras, Inc. Nehal, Inc. * Reyes, R. N. S. T. Food Store, Inc. Shiv Ganesh, Inc. * Shree KS Group, Inc. Sule, Inc. V & V of Fort Valley, Inc. W.W.K. Enterprises, Inc. * Z's International, Inc. Zish Enterprises, LLC TRADE NAME Rooster's Package Burkhalter Galaxy Cotton Patch Quick Stop J's Beverage Depot County Line One Stop Super Check Cash Package Depot Byron Citgo Tienda Latina S. T. Food Store Bunky's Sunoco Don's Superette El Don Juan #2 Sky Beverages Atlanta Best Check Cashier BP Food Mart Quick Cash 2 * = Exempt Registration (O.C.G.A. 7-1-709) MONEY TRANSMITTER Global Money Transfers, LLC Falls Church, VA MONEY TRANSMITTER LICENSES ISSUED APPROVAL DATE 11-29-2006 Page 9 Page 10 DBF's Customer Service Stars for the Month of November It is the Department's goal to provide excellent customer service, meeting and exceeding the expectations of our customers. Along those lines, we would like to recognize the following individuals or groups for going above and beyond in serving our customers: Tracy Whitesides, District Director; Heather Sartain, Senior Financial Examiner and her exam team (District 2): Supervisory Manager Lori Godfrey received a letter from a customer stating: Let me take this opportunity to recognize Ms. Sartain and her staff for the very professional way in which they went about their duties in performing our exam. I would also like to recognize Ms. Whitesides for her assistance and cooperation during the past year. She has been very helpful to us when we have had questions or needed assistance from her office." Wanda Williams, Receptionist (Main Office): Wanda received an e-mail from a customer stating: "I called into the office with several serious questions, Mrs. Wanda Williams took her time and answered all of my concerns. I was overwhelmed by her patience, her professionalism and her kind attitude. Employees like Mrs. Williams are what we need in this society and world. Mrs. Williams is a true and pure Customer Service Rep and she has her heart in it!" Janet Bryan, Senior Financial Examiner and her exam team (District 4): District Director Gary Ford received a letter from a customer stating: "We appreciate the professional manner Examiner-inCharge Bryan and her staff exhibited in examining our bank. The examination was conducted with minimal disruption of our daily routine. We feel the examination was both thorough and fair." Candice Jones, Senior Assistant Financial Examiner and her exam team (District 1): District Director Kevin Hagler received an e-mail from a customer stating: "On behalf of the Board of Directors, management team and staff of the bank I want to convey our appreciation for the work performed by Examiner-In-Charge Candice Jones and her team. We found them to be professional, thorough and fair in all of our interactions. They asked good questions and handled management responses appropriately. Candice presented her conclusions in a concise and accurate manner earlier today. Candice and her team are a credit to their profession." Rich Parker, Senior Financial Examiner and his exam team (District 1): District Director Hagler received a letter stating: "I would like to thank Rich Parker and his team for their professionalism and openness to our questions and concerns. Our staff found them to be informative and very easy to work with." Dawn Schlich, Accounting Manager (Main Office): Dawn received an e-mail from an employee with another state agency stating: "Thanks so much for your help and the positive way you and your team have handled this project!" CONGRATULATIONS AND GREAT JOB TO THIS MONTH'S CUSTOMER SERVICE STARS!! GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE 2990 Brandywine Road Suite 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30341-5565 Phone: (770) 986-1633 Fax: (770) 986-1654 or 1655 Email: dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us Page 11 The Department is the state agency that regulates and examines banks, credit unions, and trust companies chartered by the State. The Department also has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers, lenders, and processors, money service businesses, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia. Our Mission is promote safe, sound, competitive financial services in Georgia through innovative, responsive regulation and supervision. Our Vision is to be the best financial services industry regulator in the country Progressive. Proactive. Service-Oriented. We're on the Web! www.gadbf.org The Department will soon be launching its new website within the georgia.gov portal environment. We hope that you will like the structure and content of our new website! Sign-up to Receive this Publication: This publication is delivered to interested parties via e-mail and is also available from the Department's website at: http://www.gadbf.org under Publications, Bulletins. If you would like to be added to our distribution list, please send an e-mail to dbfpress@dbf.state.ga.us and indicate your name, the company you are with, and your phone number. "Safeguarding Georgia's Financial Services"