A Franklin Legacy, 1920 to Today
The roots of Oak Hill Risk Advisors stretch back more than a century—long before the name existed—beginning with a small Main Street insurance office in 1920 and growing into the advisory-driven agency we are today. While our brand has evolved, our commitment to personal relationships, trust, and doing things the right way has never changed.
1920–1943: Foundations on Main Street
1920
A Family Business Begins
In August 1920, Franklin native John M. Green entered the insurance business with his father-in-law, Roberts, and brother-in-law, McGavock, forming Roberts, McGavock & Green. The firm operated on Main Street and handled real estate, insurance, and lending—deeply rooted in the families who shaped early Franklin.
1921
New Partnerships
John transitioned into a partnership with Newton Cannon Jr. and Hugh Channell, creating Cannon, Channell & Green, also located on Main Street. The firm reflected the long-standing tradition of multi-generational Franklin business leadership.
1927
Channell & Green Insurance
After Cannon’s departure, the business became Channell & Green Insurance Company, continuing to serve Franklin families through strong personal relationships and local expertise.
1943–1960: The Birth of the Green Insurance Legacy
1943
John M. Green Insurance Company
When Hugh Channell sold his share to John, the firm officially became the John M. Green Insurance Company, headquartered at 408 Main Street for the next 17 years.
1950
Second Generation Joins the Firm
In August 1950, John M. “Johnny” Green Jr. joined his father in the agency, marking the start of the second generation. The family also opened the John M. Green Real Estate Company, expanding into dual business lines.
1959–1960
A New Home for the Business
After the passing of founder John M. Green in 1959, Johnny purchased 118 4th Avenue North and relocated both the insurance and real estate companies there. The firms would operate from this iconic Franklin address for the next 60 years.
1985–2019: Multi-Generational Stewardship
1985
Louise Green Joins the Team
Johnny’s wife, Louise Green, joined the real estate business, strengthening the family operation.
1994
Third Generation Steps In
Johnny’s son, John M. Green III, joined the insurance side of the business, continuing the family’s long-standing leadership in the Franklin insurance community.
2018
Leonora Joins & A New Future Begins
In January 2018, Johnny’s daughter, Leonora Green Clifford, joined her dad and brother.
In May 2018, Ryan McKinney joined the firm with a vision to modernize systems, elevate the client experience, and lead the agency into the next era.
2019
The Passing of a Leader
In October 2019, John M. “Johnny” Green Jr. passed away, marking the end of nearly 70 years of second-generation leadership and community service.
2020: A New Chapter for a 100-Year-Old Agency. Splitting the Firms, Preserving the Legacy
2020
The company formally separated the real estate.
John M. Green III continued the real estate business under the family name.
2020
The company formally separated insurance divisions:
Ryan McKinney assumed ownership of the insurance company, renaming it McKinney-Green Insurance LLC and preserving the 100-year heritage built by the Green family.
August 2020
A Centennial Milestone
In August 2020, the agency celebrated 100 years of continuous Green family involvement in the insurance industry—three generations serving Franklin with integrity and personal attention.
2020–2024: Modernization & Expansion
Under Ryan’s leadership, the agency entered its most transformative period in decades:
Modernized technology and client service
Expanded high-net-worth personal lines expertise
Developed niche divisions for equine, liquor stores, law firms, and commercial risks
Shifted from “insurance agent” to true risk advisor
While the name evolved, the heart of the firm—personal relationships and expert guidance—remained unchanged.
November 2025: Becoming Oak Hill Risk Advisors
In November 2025, the agency begins a major rebrand to Oak Hill Risk Advisors. The new name honors where we’ve come from, while clearly reflecting who we are today:
A modern, independent risk advisory firm
Serving clients across Tennessee and beyond
Built on a century of Franklin heritage
Grounded in strategy, education, and long-term client relationships
Oak Hill Risk Advisors represents both the legacy we inherited and the future we are building.
A Century of History. A Future of Confidence.
What began on Main Street in 1920 has grown into a multi-state advisory firm serving successful families, farms, equine operations, and specialized commercial industries.
Our history shapes how we advise, how we advocate, and how we protect the people who trust us.
And we’re just getting started.
Key Figures in our history
Walter A. Roberts
Builder of Downtown Franklin, Civic Influencer, and Patriarch Connecting the Roberts, McGavock, Berry, and Green Families
Walter A. Roberts was one of the most influential figures in the early development of Franklin, Tennessee. A respected businessman, landowner, and civic leader, he is widely credited with building or developing much of downtown Franklin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—including commercial structures, residential properties, and key parcels that later shaped the city’s historic district.
His business ventures helped transform Franklin from a small post-Civil War town into a thriving commercial center. Whether through direct construction, financing, or family partnerships, Roberts played a central role in establishing the architectural and economic foundation of downtown Franklin as we know it today. Many of the properties his family built, owned, or influenced remain cornerstones of Franklin’s historic charm.
In 1920, Roberts partnered with his nephew Winder McGavock and his son-in-law John M. Green Sr. to create Roberts, McGavock & Green, a family-operated real estate, insurance, and lending firm on Main Street. This business marked the beginning of the Green family's entry into insurance—an enterprise that would continue unbroken for more than a century and eventually become Oak Hill Risk Advisors.
Walter and his wife, Sarah “Sallie” McGavock Roberts, had three daughters, each of whom married into prominent Franklin families and inherited significant properties that continue to shape Franklin’s landscape:
• Susie Lee Roberts Briggs
Married George Isaac Briggs Jr.
She inherited Roberts Haven, a country estate on Murfreesboro Road near Ralston Lane. This property became an important homestead for the Briggs family and remains part of Franklin’s agricultural and architectural heritage.
• Ewing Coleman Roberts Green
Married John Merritt Green Sr., founder of the Green family’s insurance lineage.
She inherited Ewingcrest, the historic family home on 3rd Avenue South. Her marriage to John Green brought together the Roberts, McGavock, and Green families, forming the direct line that built Franklin’s longest-running insurance legacy.
• Sara McGavock Roberts Berry
Married Tyler Berry Jr.
She inherited the Rural Plains farm on Lewisburg Pike—land that later evolved into Berry Farms, one of the most notable master-planned developments in modern Williamson County.
Through his construction projects, real estate developments, and strategic business partnerships, Walter A. Roberts helped build the physical and economic heart of downtown Franklin. Through his daughters’ marriages, he became a central connector among the Roberts, McGavock, Berry, and Green families—each of which played a major role in Franklin’s growth over the last century.
His influence created the conditions that allowed the Green family’s insurance business to flourish from 1920 through 2020, and his legacy continues today in the form of Oak Hill Risk Advisors—a modern agency built on the foundations he helped establish.
Winder McGavock
Business Partner, Member of One of Franklin’s Founding Families, and Early Contributor to the Green Insurance Legacy
Winder McGavock was a key early figure in the business lineage that ultimately evolved into Oak Hill Risk Advisors. As a member of the historic McGavock family, whose name is synonymous with Franklin’s earliest settlers, plantation history, civic leadership, and land development, Winder played a meaningful role in shaping both the commercial and cultural identity of the community.
Born into one of Franklin’s most influential families, Winder was the nephew of Walter A. Roberts, who through marriage was closely tied to the McGavocks and the Ewings—two families who helped shape the early legal, political, and economic environment of Williamson County. This interconnected lineage placed Winder at the center of the social and business networks that drove Franklin’s growth in the early 20th century.
A Founding Partner in Franklin’s Early Real Estate & Insurance Enterprise
In 1920, Winder partnered with his uncle Walter Roberts and his cousin-in-law John M. Green Sr. to form Roberts, McGavock & Green, a family-operated real estate, insurance, and lending firm on Main Street. This firm served as the entry point for the Green family into the insurance business—marking the very beginning of the 100-year legacy that continues today.
The partnership brought together three powerful influences:
- The Roberts family’s construction, banking, and real estate vision
- The McGavock family’s longstanding civic leadership and land holdings
- The emerging Green family’s business acumen, which would eventually define Franklin’s insurance market for decades
Winder’s presence in the partnership reinforced the values of trust, family leadership, and community service that characterized Franklin’s professional landscape at the time.
A Member of One of Franklin’s Oldest and Most Influential Families
The McGavock family played a defining role in Franklin’s early settlement and development—most famously associated with:
- Carnton, one of the region’s most storied homes and Civil War landmarks
- Agricultural leadership and major landholdings throughout Williamson County
- Long-standing public influence in politics, commerce, and civic affairs
Winder’s participation in the business that became the foundation of your agency is significant not only economically, but genealogically. Through him, the Green insurance lineage became intertwined with one of Franklin’s most historically important families.
A Legacy of Community Connectivity and Foundations for Future Growth
Although Winder’s time in the insurance partnership was early and foundational, it played a crucial role in launching what would become the John M. Green Insurance Company in 1943 and, ultimately, Oak Hill Risk Advisors more than a century later.
Through Winder, the earliest generation of the modern agency inherited:
- A connection to Franklin’s oldest landholding families
- A tradition of civic involvement and stewardship
- The values of personal reputation, long-term relationships, and local trust
These principles continue to shape the agency today.
John M. Green Sr. (1896–1959)
Founder, Community Leader, and Architect of the 100-Year Insurance Legacy
John Merritt Green Sr., born in Franklin in 1896, is the foundational figure behind the insurance legacy that has continued for more than a century. After serving in World War I and teaching high school briefly, Green entered the insurance business in 1920, joining the Roberts and McGavock family partnership on Main Street.
In 1921, he partnered with Newton Cannon Jr. and Hugh Channell to form Cannon, Channell & Green, and in 1927, the firm became Channell & Green Insurance Company. His leadership guided the agency through the early decades of growth, economic change, and community development.
In 1943, after acquiring Hugh Channell’s share, the business officially became the John M. Green Insurance Company, operating from 408 Main Street for the next 17 years. This moment marks the true birth of the Green family’s insurance enterprise.
Green was deeply active in civic life—president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, commander of the local American Legion post, and a charter member of the Kiwanis Club. His influence extended far beyond business, helping shape Franklin’s character in the mid-20th century.
His legacy lives on as the cornerstone of the agency’s 100-year history.
Hugh Goldsmith Channell (1888–1971)
Insurance Partner, Banking Executive, and Early Contributor to the Legacy Behind Gentry Farms
Hugh Goldsmith Channell was a central figure in the early development of Franklin’s insurance and financial sectors, serving as both a trusted insurance partner and a long-tenured banking executive. His influence helped shape the business environment in which today’s Oak Hill Risk Advisors ultimately took root.
Channell began his insurance career in the early 1900s and became a partner alongside John M. Green Sr. and Newton Cannon Jr. in Cannon, Channell & Green, one of Franklin’s earliest professional insurance firms. When Cannon departed in 1927, the business became Channell & Green Insurance Company, with Channell helping guide the firm through more than three decades of economic expansion and community development.
In 1943, Channell sold his share of the business to John M. Green Sr., clearing the way for the formation of the John M. Green Insurance Company—a key milestone in the 100-year evolution of what is now Oak Hill Risk Advisors.
Following his insurance career, Channell served 28 years with Harpeth National Bank, rising to the role of Senior Vice President. His work in lending, finance, and community leadership made him one of Franklin’s most respected financial figures of his era.
Connection to Gentry Farms
Channell’s legacy extends into one of Franklin’s most well-known families through his daughter, Rebecca Channell, who married Jimmy Gentry—the beloved author, historian, teacher, and founder of Gentry Farms, one of Franklin’s most iconic family properties.
Through this connection, Channell’s influence intersects not only with Franklin’s business and financial history, but also with one of its most celebrated agricultural and cultural landmarks.
The Channell–Gentry connection ties his legacy to a family synonymous with Franklin’s heritage, conservation efforts, and storytelling tradition. Gentry Farms today stands as a living testament to the intertwined histories of the Channell, Gentry, and Green families.
A Lasting Impact on Franklin
Channell’s combined careers in insurance and banking helped establish professional standards that shaped Franklin’s modern financial community. His civic involvement included serving as treasurer of the committee seeking to establish a permanent public library for Franklin—further evidence of his commitment to building the town’s civic infrastructure.
More than half a century after his passing, Hugh Channell’s legacy still touches Franklin—through the evolution of the Green family insurance lineage, through the financial institutions he strengthened, and through the ongoing heritage of Gentry Farms.
Newton Cannon Jr. (1879–1942)
Banker, Civic Leader, and Foundational Insurance Partner
Newton Cannon Jr., grandson of Tennessee Governor Newton Cannon, was a significant figure in early 20th-century Franklin. Beginning his banking career around 1906 as the first cashier of Harpeth National Bank, Cannon later became a respected financial leader and public official.
In the early 1920s, he partnered with John M. Green Sr. and Hugh Channell to form Cannon, Channell & Green. His presence in the partnership brought financial expertise, stability, and deep community connections. Cannon’s departure in 1927 led to the firm’s renaming as Channell & Green Insurance Company, which later evolved into the Green family’s century-long insurance legacy.
Beyond insurance, Cannon served as a member of Franklin’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen, president of First Bank & Trust Company, and later as head of the Inheritance Division for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Taxation.
His influence helped shape Franklin’s early economic growth and remains woven into the origins of Oak Hill Risk Advisors.
John M. “Johnny” Green Jr. (1927–2019)
Second-Generation Leader, Community Champion, and Steward of a 70-Year Insurance Legacy
John M. “Johnny” Green Jr., son of the founder, was born in 1927 and became the defining figure of the second generation of the Green family insurance tradition. After graduating from Battle Ground Academy in 1945 and serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he attended Vanderbilt University before joining the family insurance business in 1950.
That same year, he and his father expanded operations by forming the John M. Green Real Estate Company. After his father’s passing in 1959, Johnny purchased the historic property at 118 4th Avenue North and moved both the real estate and insurance divisions there, where they would operate for the next 60 years.
Johnny was not only an accomplished insurance professional—he was one of Franklin’s most recognized civic leaders. His contributions included founding Boy Scout Troop 137, serving as Scoutmaster for nearly 70 years, mentoring over 240 Eagle Scouts, and receiving numerous community awards. He was inducted into the National Boy Scouts Hall of Fame, the BGA Alumni Hall of Fame, and received multiple “Citizen of the Year” honors.
Kind, devoted, and service-minded, Johnny Green embodied the values that define the agency’s legacy. His leadership created continuity from 1920 through 2020 and laid the foundation for the agency’s next chapter under new stewardship.