Community First Bank of Indiana Announces New Board of Directors Appointees

October 14, 2021 – Robb Blume, President and CEO of Community First Bank of Indiana, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew B. (Matt) Murphy III, Dr. Stacy V. Atkinson, and John C. (Jack) Hingst to the boards of directors of the bank and its holding company, Community First Financial Corporation.

“We are thrilled to welcome Matt, Stacy and Jack to our boards. Their unique and diverse experiences, skill sets and centers of influence will help the bank fulfill its mission of being a high performing, independent community bank that creates positive outcomes for our communities and delivers a superior customer experience,” said Blume.

Matt Murphy currently serves as the Founder and Chief Consultant at Emboss Partners, LLC in Indianapolis and has been a resident of Marion County for 40+ years. Murphy brings 10 years of banking experience and 25 years of senior leadership experience in providing strategic direction for corporate governance, social impact investing, strategic planning, and fiscal management. He is a graduate from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, where he currently serves on the advisory board for the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. For more than 20 years, Murphy has been a governor’s appointee to boards overseeing the Indiana Health Facility Financing Authority, Indiana State Teachers Retirement Fund, Public Employee Retirement Fund of Indiana, and INvestED. He also serves on boards of the Lynx Capital Corp., Monument Capital Partners, Heron Capital Venture Fund, Community Investment Fund of Indiana, Inc., and EmpowerED Families, as well as being an appointee by the Indianapolis Public Schools Board to serve as a member of the IPS Finance Committee. Murphy is a recipient of the Coalition of Minority Business Development and Indy Chamber’s William Henry Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, the Center for Leadership Development’s Minority Achievement Award in Finance, and has been named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list.

Dr. Stacy Atkinson currently serves as the Chancellor of Ivy Tech Hamilton County. Atkinson moved to a career in higher education after being honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps where she served as an Avionics Technician and worked on the F/A 18A fighter jet during both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Atkinson earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Arts in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University, and a PhD in Adult Learning and Development from Lesley University. She serves on the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Commission on Accreditation of Higher Education programs. As a native Spanish speaker and English language learner, her passion for children and their literacy is an important component of her work with AMIGOS Latino Centers, PHASE Foundation and Girls, Inc. Additional boards she currently serves on include the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and the Reid Health Community Benefit Council. She has also been named one of the Indiana Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40”.

Jack Hingst currently serves as President of Mid-America Beverage, with 10 years of experience in the beer distribution business. Hingst was born and raised in Kokomo, Indiana where he currently resides. He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Purdue University in 2010, before graduating with his J.D. from the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2018. Hingst also serves on the board of directors of Bona Vista Programs.

Community First Bank (CFB) was chartered in 2003 in Kokomo, Indiana where it currently has three branches in Kokomo, two branches in Westfield, and a branch and loan production office in Noblesville. CFB is also opening its newest branch at 93rd and Meridian in Indianapolis in the coming months. Additional information can be found at www.CFBIndiana.com. MEMBER FDIC, Equal Housing Lender