NorthSide Bank's board of directors appointed former Atlanta Braves manager and Adairsville resident Bobby Cox to serve as chairman.

Officials say since he retired from the Braves, Cox has become more actively involved with the bank, which has been profitable for eight consecutive months and is the No. 1 community bank lender for SBA loans in Bartow and Gordon counties, according to the Small Business Administration.

“The staff has been working so hard and the board and I could not be more appreciative for what they’ve done,” Cox said in a press release. “We are a true Cinderella story, we were bent but not broken.”

Born in Tulsa, OK, Cox began his baseball career while attending junior college and in 1986 returned to the Atlanta Braves, where he was manager until his retirement at the end of the 2010 season.

He has won Manager of the Year in both the American and National leagues and led the Atlanta Braves to 13 consecutive National League Division titles, winning one World Series Championship in 1995.

Cox is one of the top five "winningest" managers of all time.

“Mr. Cox has clearly demonstrated his ability to lead a winning team,” said Mark Swanson, acting president and CEO of NorthSide Bank. “We believe he can help lead our team at NorthSide Bank to victory as well.”

NorthSide is a locally owned and managed community bank. The Adairsville-based bank has branches in Cartersville and Calhoun.