Agriculture and Commercial Lender Mark Goley Retires after Four Decades in Community Banking

He is a longtime resident of Madison area and a lifetime farmer

12/7/22 – Madison, IN – Friendship State Bank Agriculture and Commercial Lender, Mark Goley, is hanging up his banker hat after four decades serving Jefferson County. Goley joined the Friendship lending team in 2016, wanting to remain a part of community bank when his former employer was purchased by a larger regional bank.

Finance was not the direction Goley was headed after high school. He intended to study horticulture. He recalled taking a class where they learned about ornamental trees. Goley grew up on an apple orchard and he could not wrap his head around growing trees that did not produce or generate income. So, he switched to economics and the rest is history. Goley never lost his love for farming, but he developed a new passion for lending.

Goley’s positive reputation and relationship with the farming community is undeniable. Not only was Goley their banker, but he was also a fellow farmer. The Friendship State Bank has a long legacy of farming and banking. Wilke and James W. Lemon, the bank’s first and second bank presidents, were also full-time farmers and bankers.

“Mark’s wealth of knowledge and lasting relationships with Jefferson County farmers is beyond compare,” said Friendship CEO Chris Meyer. “He would defend his loan decisions for his customers passionately. This made him the perfect community banker, his commitment to the customer.”

“In the last year, I’ve learned that Mark really cares about his customers and the community he lives in,” said fellow lender, Joe Davies. “He’s been in banking for over 40 years and has been a lifetime farmer. He cares a lot about the impact he’s made in both industries. In farming he implements a lot of soil conservation methods to better preserve the land for future use.”

Davies is looking forward to growing his relationships with those Goley has served as well as serving others in Jefferson County. Davies has 10 years of experience and has spent the past five years training and working beside some of the best lenders Friendship has ever had according to Meyer.

“I’ve enjoyed working alongside Joe Edmondson (Chief Commercial Lender) and Mark over the last year,” said Davies. “I’ve gathered much knowledge from them both and look forward to future growth.”

“Davies is a vital part of our new generation of local lenders,” said Meyer. “He grew up in southeastern Indiana and is firmly rooted in the community. He has an extensive knowledge of the area and a knack for understanding where folks are coming from and how he can best help.”

Friendship wishes Goley the best as he embarks on new adventure. And the bank’s employees look forward to continuing to serve Jefferson County for generations to come. 

Friendship State Bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. NMLS#454283