John Allison, former commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, served the state from 1972 until his retirement in 2011. Over the span of his career, he held various positions within the department, including deputy commissioner and acting commissioner. His three-term appointment as commissioner spanned the final 12 years of his tenure.

In addition to his work for Mississippi, Allison was an active member of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the association that oversees and regulates the nation’s 6,000 state-chartered commercial and savings banks and 400 state-licensed foreign banking offices. He held numerous leadership roles, chairing the organization in 2005.

From 2002 to 2006, Allison was a member of the State Liaison Committee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), serving as chairman during his last two years with the organization. While part of the FFIEC, which sets standards for the federal examination of financial institutions and makes recommendations to improve their supervision, Allison participated in an emergency preparedness task force. That group developed a plan to help institutions prepare for a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Katrina.

In September 2007, Allison was appointed to the six-member board of managers of the CSBS States Regulatory Registry LLC, which was charged with developing and now overseeing the national licensing system for mortgage professionals.

A native of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Allison graduated from Olive Branch High School in 1965. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, majoring in banking and finance. Following his undergraduate work, he served for two years in the U.S. Army, earning the Bronze Star Medal during a tour of duty in Vietnam.

Allison is also a graduate of the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and he has participated in a number of federal regulatory courses and seminars. He is married to the former Jan Garner of Kosciusko, Mississippi, and they have two grown children.

Board Members