Bill Hopper was born in Waynesboro, GA. He has lived in Athens since 1978, when he moved to attend the University of Georgia. Bill received his bachelor’s in Finance at the Terry College of Business. After working for Suntrust Bank for 20 years, he moved to an Athens community bank. When that bank sold to a large, out of market bank, Bill and others chartered Classic City Bank in 2020, where Bill serves as the Chair of the Board and CEO. Classic City Bank is an Athens community bank whose primary slogan is “banking the way it should be.” Bill is very involved in his church, First Baptist Athens downtown, and has been involved with various civic and nonprofit organizations over the years. He lives in Five Points with his wife, Donna. They have two grown children: Bevan, who owns a CPA firm here in Athens called WBH Consulting, and McGee, a pediatrician in Gainesville, GA.
What do you love most about the work you do?
Helping people. I’m a people person. There’s a lot of documentation and regulation and paperwork that goes with being a banker but the reason I do it is because I love helping people.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Athens?
I like being outside in the woods. I like playing golf. I used to like playing other sports but now I’m just a spectator of other sports. And I like all the restaurants in Athens.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
There are a lot of places that I have not been to, and in the last few years Donna and I have been trying to plan an extended trip per year, although Covid slowed that pursuit. We’ve done Maine, we’ve done the California coast. But, Alaska is a place I want to visit.
Do you have a favorite book or a book you reference often?
I typically read mystery novels, John Grisham and stuff like that. I don’t really have a favorite.
What’s your favorite movie, or the first movie you saw in a theater?
There’s a movie called, For the Love of the Game. I’m a baseball fan and my dad was a huge baseball fan. This movie has it all: it’s got a little bit of romance, it’s got a guy at the end of his career. But, I just love the baseball piece of it. I also like the Rocky movies. I love when the underdog wins.
If you could see any band anywhere at any time, who would it be and why?
Best concert I’ve ever seen was The Eagles. I have pretty eclectic music taste, which you wouldn’t think a starched white shirt banker would. I would see The Eagles again. I saw Garth Brooks recently and I thought it was going to be cheesy but he was the best entertainer I’ve ever seen. I saw Boz Scaggs in Greenville a couple weeks ago at The Peace Center. He’s 78-years-old and he’s still pretty cool. But if I had to pick one concert it would be The Eagles. Maybe at Red Rocks.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
“Enjoy the journey.”
If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and where?
My dad. It’d be at some barbecue place, some off the wall barbecue place, or a hot dog at a Braves game.
What phrase would you put on a billboard?
I’ve always had this Bible verse that I love which is, “Be still and know that I’m God.” I think it applies in so many ways. There’s so much chaos out there, and our minds get to racing. I just think it’s a great Bible verse and it’s also a very practical quote.
What three phrases do you think of when you think of the word Home?
Family, safe, connection.
