Dublin, GA (August 2022) – With 50 years of experience in the Laurens County banking community, Bank of Dudley Senior Vice President and Lender Clift Crews will retire effective December 31, 2022. A native of Dudley, Laurens County, and a graduate of Dudley High School, Crews began his banking career on October 23, 1972, at Bank of Dudley. Through the years, Crews diligently worked his way through various positions in the bank as a teller, member of the loan department, and collecting past dues. He has served as Senior Vice President for the past 20 years. “Bank of Dudley is my heart and soul. I love it,” said Crews. “Life is about relationships: first with God, then your fellow man. What I try to teach young bankers is to build relationship with your customers and community."
During his career, Crews remained dedicated to bettering the community he served. A lifelong resident of Dudley, he served on the Laurens County Rural Fire Defense Board for over 30 years and was a volunteer firefighter for over 35. “Back in the day, they would call Bank of Dudley for a fire! We had a two-way radio in the bank and could dispatch the Dudley fire department from the bank,” recalled Crews. He also served as a Dudley City Councilman as well as an interim Laurens County Commissioner.
Crews has held various leadership and membership positions in several civic organizations throughout Laurens County during the last 50 years. He was an inaugural member of the Leadership Dublin Laurens charter class in 1989. A staple on the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee in the 1990s, he worked as Past Chair and Treasurer for a number of years, eventually earning him the Man of the Year award. He was past president of the West Laurens High School Athletic Booster Club from 1994-1999.
In more recent years, Crews has served on the Boys and Girls Club of Laurens and Johnson Counties board of directors and is currently the board chair. He was inducted into the Georgia Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in 2016. He is a long-time Rotary Club member and Paul Harris and Will Watt fellow. Formerly, he also volunteered with the Dublin Lions Club, Downtown Dublin Development Authority, and the local Salvation Army. His community service culminated in receiving the prestigious 2021 Professional Man of the Year award from the Dublin-Laurens Chamber of Commerce.
When not volunteering on behalf of the bank, Crews can be found spending time with the love of his life, Karen, who he married in 1974. They enjoy spending time with their two children, Justin and Josh, and their four grandchildren. He also spends time weekly at Dudley Baptist Church, which he has attended his entire life. There, he serves as a deacon, an AWANA and Sunday School teacher, and previously as a member of the finance committee, chairman of the building committee, and church treasurer for over 20 years.
To his customers, he offers a word of advice. “Communicate with your banker. When there are issues, don’t be afraid to talk to them. I’m going to miss the Federal Holidays the most, but right behind that is the people, the customers. I’ve got the best customers in the world. They are smart, I learn a lot from them. Ultimately, they’ve made me a better banker.”
To his coworkers: “Every customer is important. Listen to them. Do what you can to help them. Good common-sense banking, good customer service. Taking care of whatever, no matter how small their need is, we listen, understand, and do what we can. If it’s important to them, it better be important to you.”
To the community: “A community bank is the lifeblood of a community. Look around, you know who serves on what {organization}…the bankers. They’re the members of the civic clubs and organizations. I’ve served with the fellow bankers of this community and they’re the best of the best. It’s a different mindset than other industries. Growing up in a small community, everything is like family. When there’s a need, you respond. I learned that from my parents. You try to help people out no matter what. Sometimes all they need is your time and your ear.”
As for his retirement, he says there will be a lot of gardening and playing with the grand girls. “It’s been fun, I’ve enjoyed it,” Crews reminisced. To celebrate his 50 years of service with Bank of Dudley, as well as the bank’s 117th birthday, the community and his friends are invited to attend “Clift Crews Day” on Friday, October 14 at the Downtown Dublin branch. This celebratory event will feature snacks and socializing from 3:30-6:00 p.m., with Crews addressing the crowd at 5:30 p.m. A formal retirement reception will be held on Thursday, December 1 at the Downtown Dublin branch from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for Crews’ customers, family, friends, and co-workers.
About Bank of Dudley
Since 1905, Bank of Dudley has remained a stronghold in the Dublin-Laurens County and the surrounding community. Expanding to six full-service branches to include Dudley, Dublin, East Dublin, Forsyth, and Jeffersonville, Georgia, Bank of Dudley offers the latest in banking services, including internet and mobile banking, while building on a tradition of personal customer service. To learn more about the bank and its products, visit: www.bankofdudley.com. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.
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