COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 29, 2007) — Stephen L. Rains, president and CEO of Progressive Savings Bank and the Rains Agency, will address more than 700 December graduates at Tennessee Tech University’s commencement at 10 a.m. on Dec. 15 in Hooper Eblen Center.

Rains graduated magna cum laude in English from TTU in 1985. During his years as a TTU student, he served as the student government association president and received the university’s most prestigious student award — the Derryberry Award — which is given annually to a graduating senior who has shown scholastic ability, participation in campus activities, citizenship, leadership and excellence in sports.

After graduating from TTU, he earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1988 before returning to his hometown of Jamestown to practice law and support the family businesses at the Rains Agency.

His father, Lyndon Rains, and other visionary business leaders created the bank in 1980. It provides a unique service by offering financial, insurance and wealth management services under one roof in its Jamestown home office. The bank also operates branches in Cumberland, Morgan and Putnam counties, and a branch of the Rains Agency also operates in Putnam County.

Rains is a member of the TTU Foundation Board of Trustees and the TTU President’s Club 1915 Society.

About 708 students are expected to graduate from TTU this fall. They hail from 45 states including Tennessee, 67 Tennessee counties and 63 foreign countries. They represent 39 undergraduate fields of study and 18 graduate fields.

Following fall commencement, TTU will have granted more than 61,000 degrees.

--Tracey Hackett
This information posted 3 December 2007