Jim Ayers Torchbearer Award

The Jim Ayers Torchbearer Award honors Jim Ayers, our founder and the driving force of FirstBank. Jim transformed a small community bank into one of Tennessee’s and the South’s leading financial institutions, always guided by his values of integrity, resilience, and service. His belief in the power of education and opportunity led to the establishment of The Ayers Foundation Trust, through which thousands of students have pursued higher education and brighter futures.

Jim’s legacy is not only seen in the strength of the institution he built, but in the lives he impacted. By recognizing an Ayers Scholar alumni making significant contributions in the rural Tennessee town where they were raised, this award seeks to celebrate entrepreneurship, community engagement, and impactful achievements that reflect the Ayers Foundation’s mission of transforming rural communities one student at a time. In celebration of his legacy, this award is given to a distinguished Ayers Alumni that carries the torch forward to light the way for others from rural communities. This individual serves as an example of how education can lift the quality of life of rural communities and encourages others to follow their path.