When Ken Greer drove off Interstate 30 and into Mount Vernon for a job interview in the fall of 1976, he had no way of knowing that he was about to find his home.
As he headed into town, James Taylor’s “You’ve Got a Friend” played on the radio. Almost fifty years later, Greer still remembers that moment.
“Little did I know that my life was destined to forever change,” he recalled. “The people of Mount Vernon and Franklin County were overwhelmingly kind and caring, men, women, and children of goodwill and strong faith. Today, close to fifty years later, I thank Heaven for the blessing of Mount Vernon, Texas.”
Greer’s path to Mount Vernon started well before that drive. Banking ran in his family, with both sets of grandparents working in the industry. At 19, he began his own banking career while studying accounting at Southern Methodist University. Over the next 14 years, he worked in banks in Dallas and Houston before getting the chance to interview for president of First National Bank of Mount Vernon.
That move shaped not just his career, but also his sense of purpose.
Over the years, Greer got involved in many projects that helped strengthen the community he came to love. He always credits teamwork and is quick to praise others, but a few projects stand out in his memory.
One of those projects was helping to make the Franklin County Library a reality. Greer remembers how the Key Club first came up with the idea for a library, and how the bank later supported it by providing the old bank building that became the library’s home.
“The Key Club has always been instrumental in doing great things for the community,” Greer said. “We were proud to be a part of the team that made the library a reality.”
Another project close to his heart was helping preserve local history through the Franklin County Historical Association’s Fire Station Museum. Greer worked with community partners and association leaders to secure the building, which now lets future generations learn about Franklin County’s past.
He has also watched Mount Vernon change over the years. Growth around Lake Cypress Springs, the arrival of the Lowe’s Distribution Center, more educational opportunities through Northeast Texas Community College, and the ongoing success of Mount Vernon ISD are some of the changes he believes have made the county stronger while keeping its small-town feel.
But above all the projects and milestones, Greer’s greatest passion has always been the people.
That passion led him to become one of the first supporters of MVNow.
After the Optic-Herald closed, Greer joined other community members to talk about how Mount Vernon could keep getting quality local news. Those talks eventually led to the creation of MVNow.
“We wanted to help our community move forward with the distribution of quality information,” Greer said. “The concept was a newspaper that emphasized all the things that are special about Mount Vernon.”
Today, Greer is on MVNow’s board of directors and has attended every board meeting since the beginning. Although the nonprofit digital newspaper launched only a few months ago, its vision for the future goes far beyond just headlines and articles.
“In everyone’s heart, there’s a small town,” Greer said. “We’re so blessed that Mount Vernon is the small town of our heart.”
For Greer, MVNow is about more than just reporting news. It’s about keeping the values that make small-town life special.
He hopes readers will feel the kindness, faith, encouragement, and neighborliness that define Mount Vernon. He believes these qualities are often overlooked in today’s media, but they should be celebrated and shared.
When asked what success would look like for MVNow in 10 years, his answer was simple.
“A source of happiness and kindness,” he said. “A positive difference.”
Greer’s love for telling uplifting stories goes beyond MVNow. Photography has always been one of his passions. He started taking pictures as a boy after getting a Brownie Hawkeye camera. Later, church members saw his talent and bought him a Nikon camera.
One piece of advice from his pastor has stayed with him ever since.
“My calling was to take pictures of people and lift them up,” Greer recalled.
That philosophy has guided him throughout his years of service in Mount Vernon. Whether through banking, community projects, photography, historic preservation, or helping start MVNow, Greer has always focused on encouraging others and making his hometown stronger.
Looking back on almost five decades in Franklin County, he believes the most important things in life haven’t changed.
“Everything that’s important is based on faith and hope and love,” Greer said. “It’s just that simple.”
For the many people whose lives he has touched through his leadership, service, photos, and encouragement, Mount Vernon is a better place because he took Exit 141 all those years ago.
