On behalf of the American Financial Services Association team, I am saddened to report the passing of AFSA Member and friend to everyone he met, Tim Harrelson.

Tim’s career in the financial services industry spanned more than four decades, at just about every level. His engagement with AFSA was also wide and deep, from serving as a member representative to auctioneer at AFSAPAC events.

Tim’s roots were in South Carolina, growing up in the town of Hemingway which, he would remind you, is the South Carolina capital of both BBQ and honeybees.

His career in our industry began in 1978 as the assistant manager for Landmark Finance Company in Georgetown, SC., quickly earning a promotion to run the firm’s Elkins, West Virginia office. Between 1978 and 1981 Tim would relocate six different times to serve Landmark and its customers. In that time Tim also rightly earned the reputation as a leader, taking on Landmark’s most challenging branches and turning them around, moving from manager to district supervisor to regional manager of Landmark’s centralized sales finance group.

In 1990 Tim joined Union Mortgage Company as a regional manager and was promoted in 1991 to vice president of compliance. He joined Greentree Financial Services in 1992, and in 1994 was a part of the team that started First Consumer Credit. In 1996 Tim joined Penn Hill Associates as a senior associate.

Tim was promoted to president of Penn Hill in 1998 and became their full-time representative to AFSA.  He purchased all of Penn Hill Associates’ stock in 2002.

As a Premier Associate Member of AFSA and a Diamond Marketing Partner, Tim’s participation in AFSA not only helped his company, but contributed to the success of our Association and our industry.  He happily and successful served as one of our best recruiters for AFSA Members and Business Partners. He was a key resource in our search for a new CEO that brought Chris Stinebert on board.

Tim also served as a member of the Associate Member Advisory Board, the Mortgage Lending Advisory Board, and the AFSA Education Foundation Board of Directors.

Beyond his relationship with AFSA Tim was a graduate of Francis Marion Academy and received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, where his love of boating and the beach probably started. He was active in his church as a deacon and in civic activities, such as Habitat for Humanity.

In a time when we will be gathering, albeit virtually, for both our Annual and Independents conferences, our thoughts will be of Tim, his wife, Elaine, and his son, Andrew. We will share additional information regarding services or memorials for Tim when we receive them.