The Liberty Bell: Director’s Spotlight

John Hunter, Shelby County

Winter 2026 Edition

Construction for Independence Bank’s newest signature location in Shelbyville has officially started. The location groundbreaking, held in early November 2025, celebrated the partnership beginning with Louisville-based contractor, Buffalo Construction, and brought together more than 250 community guests. The event marked the starting point of Independence Bank’s ninth signature location.

Shelby County Community Board Member, John Hunter, leads the Buffalo Construction team as Chief Executive Officer. He began working with the company in 2006 as CFO, shaping a strong financial foundation before serving as COO to continue investing in the operations of the comapny and its people. While new to the CEO role, his impact to improving the company has been long-standing.

In late 2025, Hunter was recognized as one of the Most Admired CEOs by Louisville Business First, along with 24 other owners, founders, executive officers, and presidents in the local area.

Having held an executive position with Buffalo Construction for the past 20 years, Hunter admits his most valuable lessons were given to him from his father as a child, the first was “if something is worth doing, do it right.” His father also said, “Show up, be on time, be kind (to everyone, yes, everyone!), show respect, pay attention, and work hard.” These lessons not only apply to work, but to everything in life, and Hunter considers these his guiding principles.

Hunter has been a resident of Shelby County since 1978.  He and his wife, Traci, raised two children, John Jr. (34) and Jacqueline (32). Traci is a realtor associated with Coldwell Banker Roger Realty in Shelbyville, and both of their children attended and graduated from local schools within the community.

When asked about his involvement with Independence Bank and why he got involved, John said, “Independence Bank reflects the principles valued by residents of Shelby County and has built a dedicated local team that consistently upholds these standards. Having a team that understands the community, its needs, and its culture, while treating customers with respect, is vital.”

Hunter, along with his team of more than 150 members, continuously follow the company’s four core values to ensure they are putting their best effort for their national and local customers: Celebration, Commitment, Compassion, and Continuous Improvement.

“I measure my success by the success of the team. We are not profit-driven; instead, we focus on our behaviors and continuing to do the right thing and sticking to our values. When we do that, the right outcome always seems to follow.”

Independence Bank’s future Shelbyville location is just one of many developments for Buffalo Construction this year. Hunter is optimistic for the opportunity to expand with the bank. “We have been finding the right people to build our team and laying the foundation over the past few years. It is now time to grow vertically on the foundation we have built, and we are expecting great things from our team!”

Congratulations to John on his recognition as Most Admired CEO and to his team for their support in the expansion of Independence Bank located on the hill at the corner of Freedom/s Way and Shelbyville Road.

The newest signature location in Shelbyville is expected to open in late 2026.

Independence Bank looks forward to celebrating the completion of the signature location alongside Buffalo Construction as a symbol of its commitment to the community.