James e. burton, iv

Chairman of the Board

Donald W. Merricks 

Vice-Chairman of the Board

Elton W. Blackstock, jr.

Mr. Blackstock, who is a Pittsylvania County native, retired as Administrator of the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority in 2012, where he was employed for 15 years. He has over 30 years’ experience with the military, law enforcement, and corrections, which includes the United States Navy, Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Department and Virginia Department of Corrections. Mr. Blackstock previously served on the Western Region Jail Association Board; the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors as the Staunton River District Representative and as its Finance Committee Chairman; the Pittsylvania County School Board; the Pittsylvania County and Danville Regional Industrial Facility Authority Board; and as chairman of the Staunton River Regional Industrial Authority Board and the Pittsylvania County Service Authority Board. Mr. Blackstock received his Associate degree from Danville Community College. Through his professional background and public service, Mr. Blackstock has acquired skills in budget development, personnel and operational policies, issue resolution, and preparation of legal defense matters, all of which are of value to our Board.

Vivian S. Brown

Ms. Brown retired from Pinnacle and First National Bank in May 2023. She served as Vice President of Pinnacle and Executive Vice President and Chief Retail Officer of First National Bank, where she had been employed since 2005 in various roles in branch and retail management. Ms. Brown currently serves on the Central Virginia Community College Foundation board and is a past Chair of the Central Virginia Community College board. She has also served on the boards of the Greater Lynchburg Boys and Girls Club and the Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity. Ms. Brown earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Averett University and is a graduate of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management. Ms. Brown brings 35 years of banking experience to Pinnacle’s board of directors.

Connie C. Burnette

Ms. Burnette is Vice President and Manager of Human Resources for Wiley/Wilson, an architectural and engineering firm, where she has been employed since 2007. Prior to Wiley/Wilson, she worked as the Human Resources Director for Consolidated Shoe Company, Inc. She has her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP) certifications. Additionally, she is an active member of The ESOP Association and is currently serving a two-year term as an At-Large Corporate member of the board of directors. She has served on the Executive Committee of the State and Regional Chapter Council and is currently Vice President of Programming of the Mid-Atlantic/Carolinas Chapter. Ms. Burnette graduated from Rustburg High School and attended Central Virginia Community College. She provides valuable input to Pinnacle’s board of directors regarding the oversight of employee compensation and benefits programs as well as advocacy of First National Bank within the markets it serves.

Mr. Dalton is employed by English Construction, a third-generation family-owned business based out of Lynchburg, Virginia providing a wide array of construction services throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. He currently serves as a Project Manager, Estimator, and Home Office Manager for English, and is a member of English’s founding family. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Randolph Macon College. Mr. Dalton has strong knowledge of the Central Virginia market, and his experience in the construction industry provides our Board with valuable insight regarding this important sector of the economy.

Robert L. Finch, Jr.

Mr. Finch retired as Chief Executive Officer in 2023 from Finch & Finch, Inc. Funeral & Cremation Service located in Altavista and Gladys, Virginia but continues serving the firm as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Finch & Finch is a family-owned and managed business, established in 1905, with Mr. Finch representing the fourth generation of the Finch family. He attended Lynchburg College, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 from Elon University, received an Associate degree from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Atlanta, Georgia in 1992, and was licensed as a Funeral Service Licensee that same year. Mr. Finch currently serves on the board of directors of the Powell Foundation and the Endowment Committee for the Altavista Area YMCA. He is a Past President of the Virginia Funeral Directors Association (VFDA). Mr. Finch is dedicated to community activities and is Treasurer of the Citizens for Altavista Baseball. He is a former member and a past President of the Lions Club of Altavista and a past board member of The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, Altavista Area YMCA, Altavista Chamber of Commerce, and Altavista Vocational Advisory Council. Mr. Finch brings to our Board extensive management acumen and valuable knowledge of the Altavista market.

Aubrey H. "Todd" Hall, III

Mr. Hall is President and Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Bankshares Corporation and First National Bank, a position he has held since 2011. He joined First National Bank in 2003 and has nearly 33 years of banking experience. Mr. Hall serves as the Chairman of the Board for Bearing Insurance (formerly Bankers Insurance, LLC) and serves on the boards of the Powell Foundation, the Virginia Bankers Association (“VBA”), and VBA Management Services, Inc. He is a past Chairman of the board of directors of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and VBA Management Services, Inc. Mr. Hall earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Lynchburg College (now the University of Lynchburg) in 1992. He is a graduate of the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, where he is a prior member of the board of trustees. Mr. Hall has a diverse background in the banking industry and a strong knowledge of the banking business. He provides keen insight into the markets served by First National Bank and carries with him the respect of the other members of management and the board of directors.

Robert Hurt

dr. Robert L. Johnson, II

Dr. Johnson served as Superintendent of Campbell County, Virginia Public Schools from 2009 until his retirement in June of 2023. He received his Doctor of Education in 2004 from the University of Virginia, where he also received his Bachelor and Master of Education degrees. He received the William H. Seawell Memorial Award in 2003 and is currently a past member of the American Association of School Administrators and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Johnson has served as a member of the Central Virginia Workforce Development Board and the UVA K12 Advisory Council. He is the past Chairman of Virginia’s Region V Superintendents and served as Region V's legislative representative for 6 years. Dr. Johnson has an extensive background in education and administration and provides our Board with leadership and consensus-building skills on a variety of matters, including corporate governance and succession planning.

Michael E. Watson

James O. Watts IV, esq.

Mr. Watts is Vice President of Scott Insurance, one of the largest independent insurance agencies in the Southeast, where he focuses on Commercial Property & Casualty Insurance. He has been employed with Scott since 1999. He practiced law at Edmunds & Williams in Lynchburg from 1991 to 1999, where he became a partner. Mr. Watts received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1988 and his law degree from Washington & Lee University in 1991. He currently serves on the board of YMCA of Central Virginia and as president of the board of Lynchburg Area Development Corporation. Mr. Watts provides our Board with valuable input based on his legal and business expertise as well as strong advocacy as the Bank continues to enhance its presence in the Lynchburg market.

Ramsey w. yeatts

Mr. Yeatts is a Pittsylvania County native and President and Principal Broker of Ramsey Yeatts & Associates, Realtors, a real estate brokerage firm located in Danville, Virginia, which serves the City of Danville and the counties of Pittsylvania, Halifax, Henry, and Campbell in Virginia, as well as Caswell County in North Carolina. His previous employment experience includes a successful 17-year banking career with Central Fidelity Bank and First Citizens Bank. Mr. Yeatts previously served as President of the Dan River Region Association of Realtors and currently serves on its Budget Committee. He also serves as assistant basketball coach at Tunstall High School where he is President of the Friends of Tunstall Basketball. He previously served on the board of the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, where he is a past Treasurer. Mr. Yeatts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bridgewater College in 1988 and is a member of Bridgewater’s Athletic Hall of Fame and the Pittsylvania County Sports Hall of Fame. He brings to our Board over 35 years of experience in real estate and banking within the markets our Company serves.