First Northern Bank announced the appointment of Brett Hamilton as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. Retiring Chief Credit Officer, Joe Danelson, will serve as Executive Vice President to ensure a smooth transition and continuity of operations.

With more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, Hamilton brings a vast background and expertise in credit risk strategies, portfolio management, and regulatory relations. As the Chief Credit Officer, he will oversee the quality and diversity of the credit portfolio, and have responsibility for ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and optimizing risk management practices at the Bank.

“Brett’s leadership and financial acumen should be instrumental in guiding our credit culture and supporting our Strategic Plan and helping us achieve our annual performance metrics,” said Jeremiah Smith, President and CEO of First Northern Bank. “His extensive experience combined with the Bank’s already established sound lending practices should position Brett as a key driver of the Bank’s continued growth throughout the region and surrounding communities we proudly serve.”

Hamilton most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Administrator at Tri-Counties Bank where he led a team of credit analysts, commercial underwriters, and regional credit administrators. Previously, he worked for more than 16 years on a variety of credit and risk teams at Rabobank. He attended California State University, Fresno.