CHERAW –Teresa Ward was recently promoted as branch officer at First Bank located on Market Street.

Ward has nearly 20 years of experience in banking and will continue to work in customer service and business relationship management as branch officer.

“Teresa has a wide range of experience in banking and a great appreciation for our customers, both of which will serve her well as branch officer,” said First Bank Regional Executive and Senior Vice President John Long. “She has long been a valuable member of our team and we’re glad to reward her hard work with this promotion.”

“I am honored to receive this promotion and will continue to do my best in serving our customers,” said Ward.

Originally from Wallace, Ward graduated from Wallace High School and has completed a number of professional training programs in banking. In 2001, she joined Sentry Bank, which was acquired by First Bank in 2007. Throughout her career, she has worked in loans, teller supervision, and customer service and business relationship management. She is also a Notary Public of South Carolina.

Ward lives in Wallace and is a member of Cheraw Family Worship Center, where she is involved with the church’s youth group and women’s ministry.

First Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Troy, North Carolina with total assets of approximately $3.6 billion. Its principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Bank, a state-chartered community bank that operates 91 branches, with 77 branches operating in the central piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina, nine branches in South Carolina (Cheraw, Dillon, Florence, Latta, Jefferson, and Little River) and five branches in Virginia (Abingdon, Dublin, Fort Chiswell, Radford, and Wytheville), where First Bank does business as First Bank of Virginia. First Bank also has a loan production office in Blacksburg, Virginia. First Bancorp’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FBNC.”