Meet the Financial Marketing Solutions Team

Tim Pannell
President

Tim Pannell founded Financial Marketing Solutions (FMS) as a creative agency that focuses solely on meeting the marketing needs of financial institutions – from strategic brand building to integrative communications. For almost two decades, Tim has been serving financial institutions through a wide range of media, including print, radio, television, and interactive, web-driven projects.

Tim has a proven track record of inspiring clients to take their banks to the next level, setting industry precedents for effective bank marketing that achieves results. Building long-term relationships with his clients, Tim’s energy and enthusiasm for his profession translates into memorable brands and promotional concepts that impact customers and enhance the bank’s bottom line. Together with his team at FMS, he has completed a wide range of projects – from brand and collateral development to special promotions; retail merchandising; and preparing, presenting and implementing hundreds of marketing campaigns for financial institutions across the nation.

Prior to founding his own company, Tim Pannell served as vice-president and executive director of the Financial Services Division of a Nashville-based marketing communications agency, creating and defining the department into the precursor of FMS. A graduate of the School of Bank Marketing, Tim is experienced in all aspects of advertising in the financial arena, including complete rebranding of organizations, smoothing merger transitions, opening de novos and new branches, introducing products, training staff, increasing revenue and promoting community service efforts, to name a few. Under his leadership, projects have consistently received recognition in the industry and praise from long-term clients.

Beyond his endeavors with FMS, Tim Pannell is a sought-after speaker, advising financial institutions on the development of corporate strategies and marketing as it relates to the changing landscape of the banking industry.

"I believe it is critical for bank marketing to be strategically based, creatively distinctive, and seamlessly integrative. Anything less is not true bank marketing."

Julie Hamilton
Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Julie brings a wealth of financial marketing experience to FMS along with many years in the agency business. Since studying communications and marketing at Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, Julie has worked with agencies in Alabama and Tennessee in both full-time and consulting roles including four years focusing on bank marketing.

Julie’s extensive experience in all aspects of agency life from business development, client service, building workflow processes, media research and buying, event planning and management to strategic planning and marketing plans make her a natural fit for overseeing the operations of FMS.

Sean Hockenbery
Account Executive

An account executive serving the marketing needs of clients throughout the Georgia territory, Sean Hockenbery brings a strong background in both the financial and retail banking industry to his position at Financial Marketing Solutions. Overseeing the development of branding and promotions for his clients, Hockenbery offers expertise and insider knowledge.

A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in marketing, Hockenbery served for three years as a Client Service Coordinator for American Express Financial Advisors, which provided him with extensive experience in customer relations and management. He later worked with Union Planters, which became Regions Bank, serving as a financial services representative. His experience in the bank has helped him thoroughly understand the ever-changing retail environment of banks.

"At FMS, we offer a unique approach to marketing. I take pride in customizing advertising to meet the specific needs of my clients. In has been my experience that customization is crucial to getting real results."

Nick Long
Creative Director

Nick blends the vision of an artist in drawing and painting with his thirty-four year career in design and advertising. He’s won awards in both advertising and fine arts with shows in galleries and museums across the mid-South, including recent shows at The Parthenon in Nashville, the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts in Huntsville, the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga, and drawings in the prestigious Red Clay Survey show of Southern art at the Huntsville Museum of Art.

Nick holds a BFA degree from the University of Tennessee and has taught art and design. His practical experience in music, publishing, real estate and banking gives him a feel for the everyday challenges of our clients.

Nick is featured in the June, 2006, issue of The Artist’s Magazine and has had work published in a book on acrylic painting techniques and in How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint Still-life and Florals Volume 2. He placed first in the still-life category of Watercolor Magic Magazine’s most recent international competition.

"I'm convinced the work we do makes a difference in our lives. I want to do good work -- creative, quality work. Creativity is a way of life, a way of seeing the world. Working in a creative environment contributes to my drawing and painting. My fine art work opens imaginative doors for design.

This benefits our clients and the FMS team, and the satisfaction of doing good work makes a difference in the way I feel when I go home at the end of the day."

Gina Kelley
Director of Production and Client Services

Gina brings nearly ten years of experience in project management, design, copywriting, and product development. Prior to joining FMS, Gina served as Creative Manager for a creative shop in Nashville.

Gina’s extensive background includes event planning, print, broadcast, and managing multimedia projects for clients. She brings with her a multitude of skills, including: creative process management; scheduling, budgeting, and procurement; contract negotiation; traffic management; and most importantly, relationship-building skills. Whether she is working with internal staff, external vendors, or clients, Gina’s experience enables her to transition smoothly from one detail to the next to keep projects moving forward. This unique blend of “big-picture” perspective and meticulous attention to detail ensures the kind of focus that takes an initial concept to effective completion.

Pam Moore
Senior Art Director

Pam offers more than 10 years experience helping community banks build strong brands and market their products. Pam provides leadership at FMS through creative planning and expertise in overseeing the entire design process.

Having earned her Bachelor's degree in Advertising, Pam has directed and managed presentations and production for a variety of industries, giving her a diverse perspective. Pam brings expertise in designing logo and corporate image materials, print advertising, brochures, banners, web sites, trade show booths, billboards, CD covers, book jackets and catalogs. Her extensive design background also gives her an understanding of virtually every type of advertising, branding, marketing and integration concepts.

"Some agencies can provide art, but not innovation. Others can be creative, yet they don't understand business. With our FMS team, I feel our clients get highly versatile, exceptionally gifted talent ... a blend of business expertise, artistic creativity and technological innovation. At FMS, our creativity flows freely, never sacrificing the success of our clients for the purpose of artistic self-indulgence, but always keeping our clients' strategic goals in mind."

Bill Collier
Designer/Production

Bill has more than 20 years of experience in the ever-changing printing industry, including design, pre-press and printing. As technology has transformed the media marketplace, Bill has moved with it, using each new tool to create communication pieces that work.
                       
In addition to continuing industry courses, Bill is a graduate of  Harris School of Art & Design and has particular expertise in the processes of computer to plate and digital printing. He is also an accomplished songwriter.

Peggy O’Neal Peden
Copywriter

Peggy is an award-winning copywriter with extensive experience in financial marketing. She holds a BA from Lipscomb University and an MA from the University of Kentucky, both in English, and teaches college level English and creative writing. Her experience as  a small business owner helps her understand the challenges of marketing that works and is cost-effective.

Peggy also writes fiction and paints and is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, the Nashville Artist Guild, and the American Association of University Professors.

Stephanie Pannell
Production Manager

Stephanie brings an important blend of both managerial experience and interpersonal skills to Financial Marketing Solutions. Managing client relations for banks throughout all the regions we serve, her expertise includes creative development, media buying, production scheduling and oversight, coordination of industry partnerships and vendor relationships, special events and publicity.

Stephanie is also involved in the development of all presentation and production pieces, as well as supervising the creative team.

"I love working with the people at FMS" they are all so talented and are amazing in the work they do. It is a joy to work with them each day. I also enjoy being able to communicate with our clients, getting to know them, listening to their needs and helping to serve them in any way we can."

Karen Baucom
Art Director

Karen is an award-winning graphic designer specializing in creating customized advertising tools for numerous community banks. Her experience includes developing logos, ads, brochures, billboards, music CDs and cassettes, newsletters, invitations, postcards, posters, point-of-purchase displays, trade show booth, books and many other advertising tools.

Graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor's degree in art design and marketing, Karen's experience also includes owning her own design firm, and serving as marketing design manager and creative director at a local agency. Karen has served a variety of clients, from churches and publishing firms to financial institutions and medical companies, giving her a broad understanding of markets and how to reach a wide spectrum of customers.

"I really enjoy being a part of the team at FMS. While our skills sometimes overlap, we are each so talented at our particular job and all so focused in the same direction (that being the highest quality of marketing, design, and customer service) it makes working together interesting, fulfilling, and even fun!"

Perry Fletcher
Art Director/Production

Perry is a graphic designer with 13 years experience specializing in creating customized advertising tools for numerous community banks. His experience includes leading creative on print and web-based branding and advertising, logos, packaging, in-store merchandising, book cover designs, corporate collateral, marketing and corporate identity campaigns for varied industries such as music, health care, manufacturing, technology, publishing, automotive, fast-food, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Perry's experience also includes providing art direction for nationally distributed products. He has worked in a variety of capacities including: senior designer, art director, creative team leader, photographer and photographic art direction assistant. Perry is also an accomplished photographer, working with both digital and traditional photography.

"Never answer a question directly if there's a more baffling and entertaining way to respond!"

Jerry Atnip
Photographer

A veteran in the field of photography, Jerry Atnip brings a creative eye to FMS photo sessions. Atnip, founder of Creative Intelligence Agency, operates the spacious Lightsource Studio in downtown Nashville. With a knack for capturing the emotion behind the advertising concept, the attitude and purpose behind each shot, Atnip expertly communicates thoughts with striking images and compositions.

Formerly the creative director for an advertising agency off Music Row, Atnip oversaw print, photography and design production, creating work and winning awards for national and international clients.

Atnip has been a professional photographer for more than 28 years and his work has been published in 38 countries. He specializes in shooting for advertising, annual reports, celebrities, political figures, book, CD, video packaging, and magazines such as Veranda, Better Homes & Gardens, Lifestyles and House & Home.

"I’ve been shooting for years, but never tire of photography. I really enjoy what I do, capturing decisive moments and interacting with new people."