FEATURE
Distinguished Son of South Carolina Dennis Hennett
w ritten by SHERIL BE NNE T T TURNER
I
t is not every day that the South Carolina Senate and the South Carolina House of Representatives “pause in their deliberations” to officially congratulate a “distinguished son of South Carolina on the occasion of his retirement.” But pause they did, for R. Dennis Hennett, who on January 31, 2008, stepped down from his position as president and chief executive officer after 20 years of service to Greer State Bank. Honored by the City of Greer, which proclaimed January 11, 2008, as Dennis Hennett Day, Mr. Hennett is admired not only for his 38 total years dedicated to the banking industry, but for his unwavering service, leadership, and devotion to education, community development, and the people of the community of Greer.
The World of Banking
As a 1965 graduate of Furman University with a major in English as well as Health and Physical Education, Dennis planned to teach and coach. “I did for four years,” he says, “and I even went back to Furman and received my master’s degree in 1967. I really enjoyed teaching, but the economics of it were disappointing. I had a master’s degree, four years’ experience, and was even an assistant principal, and the pay was not sufficient to raise a family as the main breadwinner.” In 1969, a fellow Furman University graduate and friend told Dennis about an opening in the management program of Greenville’s Southern Bank and Trust. “The benefit of the management training program,” Dennis says, “was that you got to spend time in every aspect of banking. I was very fortunate to have that opportunity, as well as the experience of working there, because it gave me a pretty broad understanding of the banking world, and certainly that became valuable when I came to this area to start Greer State Bank. In August of 1988, Dennis along with 12 local
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photo g raphed by KRIS DECKER
businessmen received a charter by the state of South Carolina to open Greer State Bank. They chose 1111 West Poinsett Street, the prior location of the old Bank of Greer, as their first location. “The old Bank of Greer was really an icon in the community,” Dennis explains. “It operated here from June of 1933 until October of 1986, when it was acquired by United Carolina Bank.” Realizing that Greer had always been a town that valued community banking, Greer State Bank opened its doors in 1989, dedicated to serving the people of Greer as an independent, community bank. “We wanted to create an organization with a heart and a soul that values people as people, not as commodities to be exploited,” Dennis says. “Our philosophy of doing business has always been - we can not be a good place to bank if we are not a good place to work. How we treat our employees is how our employees treat our customers, so we’ve tried to create not only an employee-friendly environment, but also a family-friendly environment. I think it has served us well. That’s a reflection of the Greater Greer community as well. I think the thing that makes Greer distinctive is its sense of family and its sense of caring. We still have a little bit of Mayberry left in us, and I think that’s a good thing.” Dennis also dedicated 15 years of service and leadership to industry organizations such as the American Bankers Association’s Community Bankers Advisory Council, the Independent Banks of South Carolina, the South Carolina Bankers Association, and the South Carolina Community Bankers Council.
Paying It Forward
“I like to tell people I was a missionary before I became a mercenary,” Dennis laughs. But even though he jokes about his career switch from teacher to banker, Dennis knows
FEATURE
firsthand the importance of education and has long been an advocate of educational programs in the community. “Education has made all the difference for me,” explains Dennis. “I grew up in a textile mill community in Woodruff where there weren’t too many options. In high school I had a mentor, Mr. Sam Brissie, the superintendent of the schools there. He saw some potential in me, believed in me, and encouraged me to go on to college. He even took me to Furman and introduced me to the dean of students and the dean of academic affairs and said ‘this is a young man that deserves an opportunity to go to school at Furman.’ I was actually the first child on either side of my family to have the opportunity to go to college, so I feel something of a personal responsibility to Mr. Brissie to pay it forward.” Dennis became involved with the Business-Education Partnership for the Greenville County School District, a program designed to “create a climate of involvement and interaction between businesses and schools.” Greer State Bank employees were encouraged, and even given paid timeoff, to tutor elementary school children twice a week in math and English. Dennis along with others also mentored high school students, many of whom were from single-parent homes with no father in the home. “I think that’s one of the things that carried over from my teaching,” Dennis says. “Teachers generally like helping young people, and banking gave me an opportunity somewhat to continue helping people and hopefully making a difference in the quality of their lives.” Dennis was also active as an alumnus of Furman as president of the Furman University Paladin Club and as a member of the President’s Advisory Council for six years.
Greer, once a thriving textile and farming community, began to feel the economical impact in the 1990s as virtually all the textile mills began shutting down or decreasing their operations. The Greer Development Corporation was formed with the intent to revitalize the economy of Greer, and Dennis was asked to serve as chairman and director. “Economic development has always been one of Greer State Bank’s areas of interest. Think about it – when you name yourself Greer State Bank, you link your future and your success with that community.” In 1992, Dennis was asked to chair the Greer Strategic Planning Team when BMW decided to locate their first U.S.-based manufacturing plant in Greer. “We knew we
Before BMW/After BMW
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had a lot of work to do to try to prepare for the impact on the community,” Dennis explains, “but fortunately the local Commission of Public Works was well prepared, and our city government was pretty aggressive in working with everyone. BMW made such an economical impact to the city that we joke and say that we measure time in Greer “before BMW” and “after BMW.” Dennis has also served as director for the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, and he continues serving on the board of the Greer Development Corporation as well as the Greer Partnership for Tomorrow and the BMW Community Advisory Panel. “It has always been important to us to manage Greer’s growth while still retaining a small community feel. When a city grows as rapidly as Greer quadrupling in size as far as its footprint, as well as doubling in population - but still retains its sense of community as a small town, well, I think that’s one of our greatest accomplishments.” Looking Back at Yesterday…. “I remember my first day on the job at Greer State Bank,” says Dennis with a smile. “It was October 19, 1987, the day the stock market fell 508 points, which was about 22% of its value. We had just sent our prospectus to the printer, which meant that we had to sell 4.4 million dollars worth of stock in the aftermath of Black Monday. It took us seven very lonely months to sell, but sometimes adversity can be a positive thing. I think the positive aspect of that difficulty was that the organizing group became very close because it made us a stronger board and a stronger group of people really committed to the community. I think what success we have enjoyed here in the bank is due to the 12 people who started Greer State Bank with me. They have really been inspirational to me, supportive through good times and bad
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times. I am also thankful to a lot of local Greer people with relationships in the community because they’re the ones that helped build this bank.”
…and Forward to Tomorrow
“In the working world today the ability to stay and work with one company for 20 years, in a good environment, has truly been a blessing,” Dennis says. “My wife, Connie, and I feel fortunate that we’ve been able to put down roots and stay in one place, and that our children, Chad, Blair, Jeremy, and Ashley, have been able to be a part of this community. There was talk at one time that Greenville and Spartanburg would grow together and Greer would lose its identity. It’s really been a privilege to be here and be part of the community and see Greer evolve, see it change in such a positive way. Hopefully our bank has had some small influence in that process.” And although Dennis will continue to serve on the board for Greer State Bank, because, as he says, “you don’t spend 20 years of your life in an organization without continuing to have an interest,” he now hopes to have more time to spend with his family, including grandsons William (6) and Weston (4). Dennis and Connie also would like to travel throughout the United States, and eventually to Germany, where both their families originated. As the members of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina “extend to him their best wishes for good health and happiness in the years to come,” we at GreerNow Magazine also would like to honor and thank H. Dennis Hennett for his service and devotion to the people and community of Greer. d