Independent Banker - March 2019 - 55

industries that dominate the area, he was able
to help people build homes, and start or expand
businesses of all kinds.
" It was very gratifying to know that you had a
part in helping so many people, " he says. " They
do all the work, but you know you helped people
improve their lives. "
Giving people the encouragement to take a
good idea and run with it is a specialty of his,
Kennedy says. He's skilled at identifying talented
people and giving them the tools to let them
do what they do best. Kennedy describes this
hands-off approach to leadership as a blend of
collaboration and independence.
" Once you have people in position that
are capable, my philosophy is to let them do
their jobs, " he says. " It's incumbent on the
organization to educate employees and give folks
the resources they need to do the job you expect
them to do. Once you've got those people and
they have the tools to do their job, I get out of
the way and let them do it. "
That's exactly what Kennedy has done over
the past two years as he's slowly given control
of Bank of Zachary to Mark Marionneaux,
his successor as president and CEO. The pair
worked closely to round out Marionneaux's
knowledge in the years leading up to the
transition, following a defi ned succession
timeline. Kennedy relinquished the role of
bank president in early 2017 and the role
of CEO in May 2018. He remains president
emeritus, as well as president and CEO of
Zachary Bancshares.
" I'm here to help Mark through the early
years as president and CEO, " says Kennedy, who
identifi ed his successor early on and made a
succession plan clear. " Day to day, he's in charge.
I'm here as an advisor. ... At some point, I'll step
back and let him be the fi nal word. "
The key to this simpatico working
arrangement is open-door communication and
frequent discussions, Kennedy says. He learned
well at his former father-in-law's bank in nearby
Norwood, La., where Kennedy became president
and CEO in 1994. By the time he left, Kennedy
says, it was a healthy and very profi table
community bank. Joining Bank of Zachary
Quick-fi re Q&A: Preston Kennedy
Q: Who is your personal hero?
A: My former and late father-in-law J.J. Johnson was a selfeducated,
self-made man in the lumber business who hadn't
known anything about owning a bank except that he wanted
to be part of a local community bank. He leveraged all his
assets to buy a bank on the brink of failure in 1977. He had
enough confidence in the transaction and the community to
make it work. He was just a very astute business person and
never forgot where he came from.
Q: Where can you be found on weekends?
A: I spend a lot of time in antique shops. My wife, Charel,
started a business selling antique and vintage jewelry. She
had this idea that ladies would like older jewelry pieces, but
not fine jewelry, and she was right. She's doubled her sales
four years in a row. It's a typical small-business success story.
I also spend a lot of time with my grandchildren. I have
six kids, including a stepson and stepdaughter. Between
them, I have 12 grandchildren. Everyone is coming to
Nashville, Tenn., for ICBA LIVE 2019 except maybe three of
the littlest ones.
Q: What gets you excited?
A: I'm a big fan of my alma mater, Louisiana State University,
and the LSU Tigers. I live close enough to campus where I
can hear the noise from the stadium.
independentbanker.org Q 55
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Independent Banker - March 2019

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