Garrett Nichols Member Spotlight - March

Name: Garrett Nichols

Where do you work?: First Financial Bank

What’s your job title/what do you do?: Credit Analyst

Where are you from? I was born in Abilene, but raised in San Angelo where my family moved when I was two years old. After high school I went to college at Texas Tech in Lubbock.

If you’re not from Abilene, how long have you lived in the area and what brought you here? I moved to Abilene in June of 2016 after being offered the opportunity to work at First Financial Bank.

What is your favorite thing about living in the Big Country? The easy answer is the people; you will be hard pressed to find more generous and down-to-earth people anywhere in the world. More than that, though, I love where the Big Country is located. I have easy access to many places. I’m only 45 minutes away from my friend’s ranch where I hunt, an hour and a half from my parents, approximately two hours from Lubbock and the best school in the world, and two and half hours away from the DFW area where I have friends and family.

What do you do in your free time? I love to do anything outdoors, especially hunt, but will use any excuse to spend time outside. Sports are also a huge passion of mine whether I am attending a game, watching on TV or playing. I play basketball any chance I can, and am also on soccer and football teams through Primetime with coworkers.

What does being an Abilene Young Professional mean to you? Being an Abilene Young Professional means being connected in the community. It also gives me the opportunity to meet the current and future leaders of Abilene. More than that, it has been a great way to meet and make new friends who share common interests and goals especially since I have not been an Abilene resident for long.

What organizations (non-profit) in town do you choose to support and why? Within Abilene, I am involved in any initiative that First Financial supports as well as United Way's Abilene Young Leaders Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). In the fall I became a big brother in the BBBS community match program, and have really enjoyed getting to know my little, Mareon. The program provides me the opportunity to mentor someone while also having a great time doing it. A few weeks ago we won the BBBS Pinewood Derby after building our own car. I learned about the program through my father who was matched when he was my age and still keeps up with his little brother almost 40 years later. I have seen the impact one person can have on another and had a calling to do the same.

Do you serve on any boards in the community or participate in any other groups? If so, what do you enjoy about your participation? I do not currently serve on any boards, but look forward to it as the opportunity presents itself. As previously mentioned, I am involved in initiatives with First Financial and the United Way Young Leaders Society. Both of these organizations are involved in many community events, which has given me the opportunity to make a large impact in a way that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Abilene? Even prior to moving to Abilene, my favorite restaurant was Perini Ranch and it still continues to be today.