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First Community Corporation, the holding company of First Community Bank, revealed that J. Thomas "Tommy" Johnson will retire from the company's board of directors on May 19, 2021, after 17 years of service. With Johnson's retirement, Chimin J. "Jimmy" Chao will assume the role of chairman of the board and W. James "Jim" Kitchens, Jr. will serve as vice chairman of the board, according to a press release.
Johnson served on the board since 2004 through the acquisition of Newberry Federal Savings Bank (Dutchfork BancShares), where he served as chair and chief executive officer. He took on the role of First Community chairman after serving as vice-chair for 16 years. Johnson's banking career spanned more than 53 years.
"It has been a pleasure to work with Tommy for the past 17 years," said president and CEO Mike Crapps. "He has been a valuable member of our board and has set a wonderful example for future board members and chairpersons."
With decades of experience, Chao and Kitchens bring a wealth of knowledge of their specific industries and unique perspectives to the board leadership positions.
Chao, who will assume the role of chairman upon his reelection to the board and the retirement of Johnson, joined the board during the bank's formation in 1994 and has been president of the engineering firm Chao and Associates, Inc. since 1987. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Kitchens, who will assume the role of vice-chair, has served as a director of First Community Corporation since its formation in 1994. Kitchens is a certified public accountant and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is president of The Kitchens Firm, LLC, a certified public accounting firm in Columbia, South Carolina.
