About Us

Rabun County Bank

Board of Directors | Executive Management | Our History | Careers

Our story began when a group of local businessmen met in a basement to charter a locally owned and operated bank in Rabun County. Those men, Sherrell Jackson, Claude Kelly, George [Jerry] Krivsky, and Dr. Richard Turner created Rabun County Bank. The bank opened the doors in October of 1975. Johnny Irvin was named President and CEO in 1980 and has remained at the helm ever since. He was joined by Greg Funkhouser in 1991. Executive management remained in place over the next thirty plus years through significant advancements including new branch locations, conversion from paper ledgers to computerized systems, and implementation of ATM, phone, and internet banking. Through all this time, Rabun County Bank remained focused on being the bank of choice in all the communities we serve while remaining locally owned and operated.

With your trust, we are building a brighter future for our communities and generations to come.

Community │ Family │ Tradition │ Trust

Board Members

George G Krivsky founding board member 1974
Jerry has been the owner of Rabun Products, Inc since 1962. He is a board member of the Rabun Water and Sewer Authority. He holds a B.B.A. from the University of Georgia.

Johnny M Irvin 1980
Johnny began his banking career in Atlanta. While at NBG, he was offered a board seat and the position of Rabun County Bank President in 1980. Johhny brought much needed stability to the Bank and has been at the helm the last forty five years.

Greg W Funkhouser 1991
Greg joined the bank in 1979 and rose to President in 1991. Under Greg’s stewardship, the Bank became the deposit market share leader in Rabun County Bank in 2007 and has maintained that position since that time. He retired in 2022 to spend more time with his wife Cathee and his grandchildren while adding to his long history of community service.

Wanda Y Hutchison 1994
Wanda owned and operated the Clayton Dairy Queen for twenty five years. In retirement, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.

Claude H Rickman 2005
Claude has owned Claude Rickman Construction since 1977. Claude is a graduate of Rabun Gap Nacoochee School and attended Berry College in Rome, GA.

Sameul R Beck 2012
Sam has owned and operated Beck Funeral Home since 2000. He has also served as the Rabun County coroner since 2009. His public service extends to serving on the board of the Rabun County Water and Sewer Authority.

Dr. Stephen M Arbitter 2014
Stephen has operated successful veterinary practices in Rabun County since 2001. He holds a D.V.M. from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. He is active in his service to the community as he serves on the Executive Committee of Forward/Rabun and is COO of Rabun County Animal Control & Paws4 Life.

Melanie I Silvestri 2015
Melanie built her career in banking as a credit officer in Atlanta over the last twenty years. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. She joined Rabun County Bank in August 2022 as Co Chief Executive Officer.

Robert E Tritt 2016
Bob is a partner at Dentons. He received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1975 and his LL.M., Taxation from Emory University in 1981. Bob has served as outside general counsel to REACH Health, Inc and to Corautus Genetics, Inc and its predecessor Vascular Genetics, Inc. Bob is a member of Dentons’ Government sector team. He has been recognized by The Legal 500.

Claude E Dillard 2024
Claude joined the bank in the management trainee program in 1990 upon graduating from the University of Georgia. Claude furthered his banking education as a graduate of Banking School at the University of Georgia, the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia, and the Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma. Claude was named President of Rabun County Bank in 2022. Claude is a passionate civil servant and currently serves as the mayor of the City of Dillard and is a member of the Executive Committee of Forward/Rabun.

Executive Management

Johnny M Irvin
Johnny began his banking career in Atlanta. While at The National Bank of Georgia, he was offered a board seat and the position of Rabun County Bank President in 1980. Johhny brought much needed stability to the Bank and has been at the helm the last forty five years.

Claude Dillard
Claude joined the bank in the management trainee program in 1990 upon graduating from the University of Georgia. Claude furthered his banking education as a graduate of Banking School at the University of Georgia, the Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at the University of Virginia, and the Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma. Claude was named President of Rabun County Bank in 2022. Claude is a passionate civil servant and currently serves as the mayor of the City of Dillard and is a member of the Executive Committee of Forward/Rabun.

Melanie Silvestri
Melanie is a second generation banker. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she built a career as a credit officer in Atlanta over the last twenty years. In August 2022, Melanie gladly returned home to accept the position of Co Chief Executive Officer with Rabun County Bank │ Traditions Bank. She feels blessed to be returning home to her roots, not just physically, but to community banking.

Yong Kim
Yong has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank since 2007. He began his career in banking with First National Bank in St Mary’s, Georgia, in 1999 as a management associate, where he served in lending and branch operations and attained the position of Chief Financial Officer in 2002. Yong joined The Coastal Bank in Savannah, Georgia, in 2006 and served as the bank’s Controller. He holds a B.S. with a major in finance from the University of Central Florida and an M.B.A. from Georgia State University. He is a graduate of the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking.

Our Mission Statement

We are your locally owned hometown bank. We are committed to exceeding your expectations with personalized service and local expertise. With your trust, we are building a brighter future for our communities and generations to come.