WHEREAS, for 125 years, Bank of Botetourt has provided top-notch customer and community service to improve the quality of life for the residents of its service area; and

WHEREAS, originally named Bank of Buchanan, the bank was chartered in 1899 by the General Assembly and located on Main Street in downtown Buchanan; the bank changed its name to Bank of Botetourt in 1995; and

WHEREAS, today, Bank of Botetourt is a community bank with $800 million in assets; it has 133 employees with 13 locations covering 2,500 square miles in the Counties of Botetourt, Franklin, Roanoke, and Rockbridge and the City of Salem; the bank is currently expanding and building an office in the Town of Rocky Mount, along with a location in Goodwill's Melrose Plaza in the City of Roanoke; and

WHEREAS, Bank of Botetourt prioritizes focusing on the communities it serves and seeks to find ways to further the overall economic development of the region; and

WHEREAS, as a community partner, Bank of Botetourt makes charitable contributions to support education, culture and the arts, social service and community action agencies, community and economic development, and other programs that serve the needs of the area residents; and

WHEREAS, Bank of Botetourt encourages its employees to be active in the community through mentoring, volunteering, donating, and identifying opportunities for civic service, and employees give back more than 850 hours annually through volunteerism; and

WHEREAS, Bank of Botetourt offers $3,000 in annual scholarships for eligible students and offers $500 grants to graduating high school seniors of bank employees; the bank annually participates in the Virginia Bankers Association Bank Day, which allows high school seniors to spend the day with bankers to learn about banking, financial services, and the vital role banks play in their communities; and

WHEREAS, over its extensive history, Bank of Botetourt has been led by seven bank presidents, who have worked tirelessly to secure the prosperity and well-being of the region; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Bank of Botetourt hereby be commended on 125 years of outstanding, efficient, and courteous service to the citizens of its service footprint; and be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to G. Lyn Hayth III and Michelle R. Austin, chief executive officer and president, respectively, of Bank of Botetourt, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the bank's distinguished history and best wishes in the future.