James L. Clayton has more than 40 years of general business, corporate, and lending experience. After founding Clayton Homes, Inc. in 1956, he served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer for 40 years. During his tenure, he was lauded by the New York Stock Exchange, Forbes, Barons, and the Wall Street Journal for producing 30 consecutive years of 25% earnings growth, until selling to Warren Buffet in 2003. In 1993, he founded, and was Chairman of, BankFirst, which consisted of a group of banks in eastern Tennessee. After taking BankFirst public in 1998 at $800 million, he sold it to BB&T in 2000. At BB&T in Winston Salem, N.C., Clayton was on the Board of Directors, chaired the Executive Committee, and acted as Chairman of the Tennessee BB&T board until December 2004. Clayton was inducted into the Horatio Alger Organization of Distinguished Americans in 1991, and has been listed in the Forbes 400 list of Wealthiest Americans 10 times beginning the same year. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer and sole shareholder of Clayton Bancorp, Inc. which owns Clayton Bank & Trust (100%), American City Bank (100%), and Bank of Camden (50%).

Board Governance

• Compensation Committee

Community Involvement

• Governor’s Commission on Economic Development
• Republican Eagle Club
• Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Tennessee Bankers Association
• President of Clayton Family Foundation
• Board of Directors, Chateau Communities, Inc., 1993–2003
• Chairman of Audit Committee, Chateau Communities, Inc., 1995–2005
• Board of Directors, Affordable Residential Communities, Inc., 2003–2005
• Board of Directors, Knoxville Promise, 2000–2004
• Board of Directors, Horatio Alger Association, 1992–Present
• Board of Directors, East Tennessee Foundation, 1990–2006
• University of Tennessee Chancellor’s Advisory Board, 1980–Present
• Board of Directors, Knoxville Symphony, 1980–Present
• President, Knoxville Symphony Society 1996–1998
• Board of Trustees, Knoxville Museum of Art, 1980–2006
• Executive Committee, Knoxville Museum of Art
• Board of Governors and Executive Committee, Manufactured Housing Institute
• Trustee, Tennessee Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, 1980–Present
• Lifetime Member, Advisory Council to the Dean, University of Tennessee College of Business
• Board of Directors, Sigma Phi Epsilon National Scholarship Foundation
• Board of Trustees, Webb School, 1986–1998
• Board of Directors, Dollar General Corporation Inc., 1988–2006
• Audit Committee, Dollar General Corp. Inc., 1988–2003
• Compensation Committee, Dollar General Corp., 2003–2006
• Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Bank of Camden, 2006–2007
• Chairman of Executive Committee, Board of Directors, BB&T Bank
• BB&T Tennessee Regional Advisory Board of Directors
• Chairman of Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Merchants and Planters Bank
• Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, American City Bank
• MIDC Compensation Committee, 2008–Present
• Board member, Evergreen, 2006–Present

Professional Licenses

• State of Tennessee, Bar Examination, 1964
• Airline Transport Pilot’s License (Fixed Wing)

Professional Certifications

• Airline Transport Pilot, 10,000 hours
• Helicopter (1979) and Airplane Glider (1980) ratings
• Medical and Flight Safety Certified Captain, Citation Jets
• Citation C550 Jet Co-pilot exemption, Single Pilot by Flight Safety and FAA

Recognition

• Inductee, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, 1991
• Volunteer of the Year Award, University of Tennessee, 1997
• Hall of Fame, Tennessee Junior Achievement
• Gold Award, the Wall Street Transcript, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
• Engineer of Distinction, Tennessee Technological University, 1986
• Outstanding Marketing Professional, American Marketing Association, 1985
• Entrepreneur of the Year, Knoxville Entrepreneurs Association, 1991
• Forbes Magazine, 400 Wealthiest in America, 1992–2002
• Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award, 1990–Present
• Leadership Knoxville, Member Class of 1998
• Salesman of the Year, Knoxville Sales and Marketing Club, 1986
• Inc Award for Longest Growth above 25% Annually, 1997
• Knoxville Beautiful Award for New Development, 1989
• Senator Frist Library of Congress
• Senator Alexander Library of Congress
• Clayton Center Entrepreneurial Law, University of Tennessee School of Law, 2000
• Hall of Fame, Manufactures Housing Institute
• Hall of Fame, Virginia Manufactured Housing Institute, 2005
• Fastest Growing Tennessee Company Award, Business TN Magazine, 2006

Education

• Bachelor of Science, University of Tennessee
• Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Tennessee