Ameris for ISSUU

OUR LEGACY IS NOW

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW—THE STORY

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OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971 Copyright 2026 © Ameris Bank All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Ameris Bank.

3490 Piedmont Road Northeast Atlanta GA 30305 AmerisBank.com Author Teresa K. Weaver

BOOK DEVELOPMENT Editorial Director Rob Levin Cover and Book Design Rick Korab New Photography Caroline Joe Index Shoshana Hurwitz Project Management Stacy Moser Production Management Renée Peyton

Covington, Georgia www.bookhouse.net IV

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INTRODUCTION

Mission, Vision, Values 1 CHAPTER 1

A Bank for the Future 3 CHAPTER 2

Building Trust—and Keeping It 21 CHAPTER 3

‘We’re All Ameris Now’ 43 CHAPTER 4

‘Wall-to-Wall Food’—Community Service at Ameris 61 CHAPTER 5

‘Focused on the Right Things’— The Way Forward 73 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 89 INDEX 90

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FOREWORD

When I think back on the origins of Ameris Bank, it’s

Through decades of expansion, both organically and

remarkable to consider how far we’ve come.

through partnerships, Ameris has become a bank privileged to serve customers across many markets

One founder. One location. One million dollars in

and industries.

capital.

Along the way, we’ve helped farmers grow their It would have been hard for anyone at that time to

operations, helped families put down roots, and

imagine the impact Eugene M. Vereen and his small

helped entrepreneurs and companies turn ideas

team would one day have on families, businesses,

into thriving businesses. We’ve stood beside our

and communities across the country.

communities through both prosperous times and challenging seasons, through cycles of growth,

But Gene and those early teammates did have

economic downturns, and even hurricanes. For those

something powerful—a clear vision. They believed

who have placed their trust in us as shareholders,

in building a bank that removed barriers and truly

we’ve worked to deliver long-term value through

served its customers. That mindset of listening first,

disciplined, responsible stewardship.

understanding needs, and delivering solutions for the customer took root early, and it continues to guide us

At Ameris, we often say we are “One Bank, One

today.

Team.” That spirit of unity, service, and shared purpose has defined us from the beginning and will

That original vision still sits at the heart of Ameris.

continue to define our future.

Today, it may be symbolized by the bold lion in our brand, but it is lived out every day by thousands of

It is with deep gratitude and great pride that we share

teammates committed to serving others across retail

our story with you.

banking, mortgage, and commercial services.

As our customers and communities grew, we felt both an obligation and an opportunity to grow with them.

—H. Palmer Proctor Jr., CEO Ameris Bank

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(Left to right) Developer Lyndy Jones, Moultrie Mayor Bill McIntosh, Colquitt County Board Commissioner Joe Clark, Ameris Chair and Director Willard Lasseter, and Ameris President Brooks Sheldon wielded shovels in this groundbreaking for a new branch in Moultrie on Quitman Highway, which opened on August 10, 1992.

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INTRODUCTION

Mission, Vision, Values On October 1, 1971, Ameris Bank opened its doors as American Banking Company in Moultrie, a hamlet of family farms and small businesses in South Georgia. With only $1 million in capital, the founders—a small group of forwardthinking business leaders—created an organization that would eventually become a publicly traded $27 billion company with more than 164 full-time locations in five Southeastern states.

Ledger sheets only begin to tell the story of Ameris.

The bank’s evolution over five and a half decades is about people—team members, customers, clients, investors, and entire communities. “When you walk into one of our branches, people stand up, greet you, look you in the eye, and deal with you as a person, not a number,” says CEO Palmer Proctor. That customer-centric approach, embedded early in the culture of Ameris, has survived boom times and downturns, complex mergers and acquisitions, a national pandemic, and a new millennium. The company’s purpose remains the same: “To bring financial peace of mind to our communities, one person at a time.”

“No one really cares where the bank charter hangs,” says Josh Lovett, market president of Ameris in Moultrie, where he was born and raised. “It’s how people feel when they walk in the bank. That’s what makes it a community bank.”

When Lovett was a teenager, he opened his first checking account at the branch he now manages. And he got his first loan there: $7,000 for a Ford Explorer. Banking relationships forged in those monumental life moments—first cars, first homes, graduations, weddings, business startups—tend to make people lifelong customers. “When you help a small business thrive or you help someone be the first in their

family to go to college, they don’t forget it,” says Lawton Bassett, president of Ameris.

“They’re with you for life. Maintaining our culture is very intentional, and it is not for the faint of heart. Driving those relationships and making them more personal is how we build that culture, serving one person at a time, even at the size we are today.”

In the fifty-five years since the launch of American Banking Company, many of the visionaries and dedicated team members involved in the bank’s creation have passed.

Founder Gene Vereen, affectionately known as “Big Daddy,” died in 2008 at the age of eighty-seven. Jack Hunnicutt, the bank’s first full-time president, died in 2020 at age eightythree. The foundational stories of extraordinary grit and determination survive intact, burnished by time and nostalgia but still deeply ingrained in the culture and character of Ameris.

Retired pharmacist Charles Arwood, a founding member of the bank’s board of directors, still has a home in Moultrie. At age ninety-four, he sees a direct through-line from those first days to today. “I think our legacy is now,” he says.

Gene Vereen

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Gene Vereen (left) and Jack Hunnicutt, pictured in Georgia Trend magazine in 1988, built the foundation for Ameris Bank’s enduring success.

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A Bank for the Future I

n the spring of 1971, Eugene M. “Gene” Vereen Jr., a successful insurance agent, first expressed an interest in opening a bank near his mother’s house in Moultrie,

Georgia. She would be able to access her money easily, he theorized, and the extra security around a bank would make her house the safest place in town. Vereen, the son of a banker, convened a dozen fellow pillars of the community—a doctor, a dentist, a pharmacist, owners of a tractor company and a furniture store, and others—and raised $1 million in capital to create American Banking Company. n Vereen envisioned “a bank for the future” that would challenge tired banking norms and encourage innovation and creative solutions, with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers. On October 1, 1971, American Banking Company (ABC) officially opened its doors in downtown Moultrie, in a cramped building that previously housed a drivein Citizens & Southern (C&S) bank. A headline in The Atlanta Journal read simply, “3rd Bank Opens Door in Moultrie.” Kenneth “Jack” Hunnicutt, formerly of C&S, was tapped to be 3

OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

“If you get up in the morning and don’t feel like coming to work, take a shower. If you still don’t feel good, take another shower. Then come on in. If you don’t feel good by lunchtime, you can go home.”

Jack Hunnicutt

executive vice president and the first full-time president of ABC Bank. The son of sharecroppers, Hunnicutt was a towering figure—literally and figuratively—in the small town of Moultrie and in the history of Ameris. When ABC Bank opened, Hunnicutt had a vice president and seven employees, several of whom would spend decades working there.

“Jack Hunnicutt instilled a work ethic in people,” says Susan Glass, who recently retired after more than

good by lunchtime, you can go home.’” In those early days,

forty-eight years with the bank. Glass started working

everybody had a critical role to play—they needed to show

afternoons at the bank as part of a high school leadership

up, and they needed to perform at a high level.

program and rose through the ranks to take on a primary

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(Top) Telegram dated September 30, 1971, confirms FDIC insurance for the new bank.

(Bottom) Newspaper ads invite the community to celebrate.

“I’ve always felt like I have the work ethic that I have

support role for agri-business customers. “Jack would

because of Jack Hunnicutt,” says Jackie Mise, who started

tell you, ‘If you get up in the morning and don’t feel like

as a switchboard operator in Moultrie in 1986 and worked

coming to work, take a shower. If you still don’t feel good,

her way up to become a leading mortgage banker. “When

take another shower. Then come on in. If you don’t feel

you can help someone achieve their dream of owning

CHAPTER ONE A BANK FOR THE FUTURE

Bank employees, dressed and coiffed in their finest 1971 fashions, join city dignitaries for the official ribbon-cutting of ABC Bank.

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

a home, they never forget you,” she says. “My husband always says I know everybody in town, because I can’t go anywhere without being recognized.”

‘We Want to Be Important’ Despite limited assets and stiff competition from two well-established banks in Moultrie, ABC thrived under Hunnicutt’s guidance, more than quadrupling its assets in the first ninety days. In January 1972, Vereen and Board Chair Robert B. Wright issued the bank’s first official statement of condition. “With less than twenty days having transpired in 1972 and your new bank now having well over $4,000,000 in total assets, you will be most interested to learn that we are substantially ahead of our projections for growth,” the statement read. “With your help and support, as well as that of your friends and neighbors, we From the archives: Heavy aluminum trays held rolled coins.

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(Top) Jack Hunnicutt looms large in the history of Ameris Bank. (Bottom) Moultrie business leader Robert B. Wright served as the first board chair.

CHAPTER ONE A BANK FOR THE FUTURE

Weighing the Risks and Reaping the Rewards Twenty-five years ago, Tim DeMott, owner and operator of DeMott Farms Produce, was growing traditional row crops—

“I was determined that he wasn’t going to be wrong.”

The cabbage enterprise was a success, but in 2013

cotton, corn, and peanuts—in Moultrie, Georgia. Finding

some of the worst tornado outbreaks in US history

it increasingly hard to make a profit, Tim found a critical

destroyed DeMott Farms and many others throughout

partner in Frank Cox, a renowned agricultural specialist at

the Southeast. Ameris Bank stood beside Tim through

Ameris. “He wasn’t just my banker,” Tim recalls. “He was my

a difficult rebuilding process. Since then, DeMott Farms

financial adviser. More importantly, he was a good friend.

Produce has expanded twice, making it one of the largest

People bank with people.” In consultation with Frank, Tim

cabbage cold-storage shipping facilities in the Southeast,

hatched a bold plan to build a cabbage-packing shed and

supplying major companies including Dole and Kentucky

cooling, storage, and shipping facility, aiming to supply

Fried Chicken. “I would not be here today if it wasn’t for

produce to major companies and restaurants to make

Ameris Bank,” Tim says. “Frank took me on, knowing my

coleslaw. Tim had debt and “zero collateral,” but he secured

challenges. He told me, ‘You be honest with me, and I’ll be

a loan from Ameris. “Frank had confidence in me,” he says.

honest with you. If I can help, I’ll do it. If I can’t, I’ll tell you.’”

With sound advice from his banker, Tim DeMott created a thriving cabbage-production enterprise.

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A Proud Legacy of Farming Three generations of the Bustle family have farmed in the

Frank’s retirement in 2019—after thirty-five years—banker

South Georgia town of Coolidge and banked with Ameris.

Allen McCorvey helps the Bustles navigate today’s farming

Beginning with patriarch Renley Bustle, who passed away

challenges. And after earning a degree in agricultural

in 2023 at the age of eighty-five, the family has relied

business from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College,

on the agricultural expertise of Ameris bankers to grow

Bryan’s son Tyler has joined the ranks of farmers in the

their farming enterprises. Renley’s sons, Tab and Bryan,

family. “I bought my first piece of land three years ago,” Tyler

remember learning to drive a tractor as soon as their feet

says. Hoping to follow the example of his father and uncle,

could reach the pedals. Both sons spent a few years away,

he planned to sell timber to recoup the property costs. But

in college or trade school, but soon returned to Bustle

the sale is on hold due to environmental protections put

Farms and the life they loved, farming peanuts and cotton.

in place for a rare breed of bat that lives among the trees.

With a loan from Ameris, their dad bought land in a

“That’s how times have changed,” says Tyler’s dad, Bryan.

courthouse auction and put it in his sons’ names. “We

Every generation faces new challenges, but trusted partners

wound up selling the trees off the property and didn’t

like Ameris help farmers weather any storm.

lack but about $600 paying off the debt,” Tab recalls. “That was a good start for all of us.” The brothers farmed together and separately over the next ten or twelve years, slowly acquiring new land and expanding their acreage.

“We built up a little bit every year,” Bryan says. “Sometimes out on a limb, the bank took a chance on us.” In total, the Bustles now farm about 3,300 acres.

For many years, Ameris banker Frank Cox advised Renley and both Bustle sons, usually showing up at the farm dressed smartly in slacks and a nice shirt. Since

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Ameris banker Allen McCorvey (far left) talks farm business with brothers Bryan (second from left), Tab (far right), and Bryan’s son Tyler (second from right). The tractor was owned by the farm’s late patriarch Renley Bustle.

CHAPTER ONE A BANK FOR THE FUTURE

would like to challenge you to help us make your bank grow with each passing week.”

The bank quickly became an indelible part of the

Head bookkeeper Lorena Barhite, a member of the bank’s original staff, worked there for twenty-seven years before retiring in 1998.

community fabric. “It was a fun time,” says Lorena Barhite, one of the bank’s original seven employees. After starting as head bookkeeper (and teller on Saturdays), Barhite worked for twenty-seven years before retiring in 1998. Now ninety-four, she says, “I really liked taking care of people.”

As the unchallenged “life of the party” at the bank, Barhite was equally well known for working hard, dressing up in full Dolly Parton regalia for special events, and collecting the most money at the bank’s countless community fundraisers. “Jack always called me ‘Red’ unless there was a serious problem,” she recalls. “Then it was LORENA!” In 1972, to better serve customers and their growing needs, ABC Bank moved into larger, more modern quarters—a renovated Colonial supermarket only a few blocks from the Colquitt County Courthouse. “The whole

From the archives: Before computers, bankers relied on rate booklets like this one.

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An early example of the use of technology to expedite clerical tasks at the bank.

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CHAPTER ONE A BANK FOR THE FUTURE

idea was that we were doing something that was important to the community,” says Brooks Sheldon, a director emeritus on the Moultrie community board who served as president of the bank for years before retiring.

“We talked about it all the time: ‘We want to be helpful in this community. We want to be important to the community. What do we need to do in addition to what we’re doing now?’ It was part of our mindset. And we made some mistakes.” In one board meeting, Sheldon encouraged the members to think big and act boldly.

“We can’t be too prissy,” he told them. “We can’t say:

Brooks Sheldon, a director emeritus on the Moultrie community board, served as president of the bank for years before retiring.

‘Oh, we can’t do that.’ Damn, we can try!”

Moultrie and surrounding Colquitt County were (and are) among the top-producing farming areas in Georgia, and so agricultural banking was a major component of ABC Bank’s portfolio. “I think the best thing that Gene Vereen did was hire Jack Hunnicutt to come over from C&S Bank,” Sheldon says. “Jack had a following—especially an agriculture following. People would line up outside his office to work with him on credit. It gave us immediate respect in the county for Jack to be sitting in that main office. And he was ‘by the book.’ The loan committee would meet at 7:00 every morning and go over all the loans made the day before. We learned from each other and we taught each other, with Jack leading.”

Stepping Up for Farmers Tommy Rowell, who runs a family-owned auction and real estate business in Moultrie, is one of several second-generation board members. His father, Lonny,

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served on the bank’s original board of directors until he

There from the Beginning

retired, opening up a seat for his son. “I was a youngster— twenty-seven years old,” Rowell says. “I remember going

Robert “Plenn” Hunnicutt was a young child when his

to my first board meeting and Dad said, ‘You sit there and

father, Jack, was rewriting loans and inspiring employees

listen. It may be months before you get to contribute.’ I

with his unrelenting work ethic. “It was a different banking

said, ‘Yes, sir.’ It was really and truly a wonderful education

culture back then,” recalls Plenn, a crop insurance agent,

and a great chance to contribute to my community.

a farmer, and a longtime member of the Ameris corporate

“I served about twenty years on a loan committee,

and community boards in

sitting between Mr. Jack and Mr. Gene in our morning

Moultrie. “My father was

meetings,” Rowell adds. “Without a doubt, that was my

very straightforward and

PhD in business. The knowledge that I gained about

straitlaced. I heard him say

banking from those two was crucial to my career success.”

many times, ‘Most credits

American Banking Company started in good economic

are possible as long as

times, but an agricultural downturn in the late 1970s

you manage them.’ And he

had a devastating impact on many of the bank’s farming

would manage them. His

customers. “This bank stepped up to the needs of the

philosophy was to show up. I

farmers while many other lenders were turning them out,”

remember one business that

Rowell remembers. “I don’t know how many times I saw

had teetering credit, and my

Jack Hunnicutt in a loan committee meeting look at a loan

father went early one day to

that was six or eight sheets of paper, and he would flip

make sure they were opening on time. When he saw that

that over and whip out a

Robert “Plenn” Hunnicutt has remained a part of the bank his father helped establish.

they weren’t, he called and said, ‘We need to talk.’”

pencil. You knew something creative was about to happen. He would start scratching on that paper and, the next thing you knew, he would have that agricultural credit rewritten in a fashion that would work.”

Second-generation board member Tommy Rowell.

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From the archives: A vault key was shipped via certified mail to Jack Hunnicutt in March 1972.

CHAPTER ONE A BANK FOR THE FUTURE

‘Personal Relationships Have Been the Key’ Lyndy Jones, owner of JCI Contractors in Moultrie,

including ten as chair. When Lyndy graduated from Auburn

Georgia, remembers a very early lesson in fiscal

University, his dad backed him to start JCI Contractors,

responsibility learned from Jack Hunnicutt, the first

which specializes in large-scale building projects such

president of Ameris Bank. “When I was eight or nine, my

as K-12 schools throughout South Georgia. “Ameris was

dad took me to the bank to talk to Mr. Hunnicutt about

important to Daddy,” says Lyndy, who has served on

opening a checking account and taking out a loan to buy

the Moultrie community board for more than twenty-five

a show steer,” Lyndy recalls. “I think the loan was $300

years. “He had a heartfelt desire for the bank to do well.

at most. After I raised the steer (named Carl the Cow),

Even though a lot of the familiar faces are gone now,

showed him, and eventually sold him, I went back to meet

we still bank with Ameris—and always will. The personal

with Mr. Hunnicutt and pay off my debt. It taught me a

relationships have been the key to their success.” Lyndy’s

valuable lesson.”

mother, Barbara, was one of the bank’s first customers and

Lyndy’s dad, Lynn Jones (who died in 2021), ran a

remains one of its most loyal. “I’ll always be with Ameris,”

successful pool-construction business and served on

she says. “I like to see that they’ve gotten as big as they

the board of American Banking Company for years,

have everywhere. It makes me so proud.”

Builder Lyndy Jones and his mother, Barbara—one of the first customers of American Banking Co.—take pride in their own success and that of the bank.

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(From left) Robert (Bob) Wright, Kenneth (Jack) Hunnicutt, and Eugene (Gene) M. Vereen Jr. pose for the camera on the bank’s opening day.

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Jack Hunnicutt’s companion on many such reconnaissance missions was Billy Fallin, the attorney for the bank’s formation and trusted counsel for decades, nearly until his death in 2024 at the age of ninety-two.

Billy Fallin (seated here with his wife, Barbara) served as the attorney for the formation of American Banking Co. in 1971 and remained its trusted counsel for decades.

His widow, Barbara, maintains his office just a few blocks from the bank in a former Carnegie Library building the couple saved from ruin. “I cannot think of the bank without feeling warm, even during some of the tough times,” she says. “Jack Hunnicutt would call Billy and say, ‘Counselor. . . .’ That’s what he always called him, even when we were away together on vacation. He would say, ‘Counselor, meet me on the corner. We have to go to Tifton and handle a personnel matter.’ Or, ‘We have to go to Valdosta and collect some cars.’ So, Billy would meet him out front and they would go take care of business.

“Billy loved the bank,” Barbara Fallin adds. “He was so committed to it.

One of his favorite things to do was to leave his office a little early every Friday and go to the bank to visit. He knew everyone by name, and he knew all their families.

He was so proud to be part of that history, and he loved the success that it is now. He never thought, ‘I wish it was like it used to be.’ No, he continued on page 18

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Billy Fallin (second from left) leads the swearingin ceremony at the initial shareholder meeting of American Banking Co., flanked by Jack Hunnicutt (far left), Gene Vereen, and Robert Wright (far right).

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fellow citizens. Gene inherited this drive to serve others

believed in progress and was glad to move forward. But

through his business acumen, leadership, and tenacious

what an honor to be there at the beginning. It was like the

involvement in the betterment of Moultrie and Colquitt

bank was one of his children, because he saw it from the

counties. He was a man of faith, and he was fiercely

beginning, from its birth.”

devoted to his family and wide spectrum of friends, always

William M. McIntosh, mayor of Moultrie since 1983, was Billy Fallin’s law partner and a witness to much of the bank’s early history. “Gene Vereen was a one-of-a-

willing to share his knowledge and experience with those who sought his wise counsel.”

McIntosh has a distinct memory of the first ABC Bank

kind individual,” McIntosh says. “He was a true Southern

Christmas party attended by all employees. “To Gene’s

gentleman, always treating others, no matter their station,

dismay, the band failed to appear,” the mayor recalls. “Not

with utmost respect and consideration. Gene came from a

wanting to disappoint the crowd, Gene commandeered an

family of forward-thinking, civic-minded men and women.

employee’s pickup truck, went to his home, loaded up his

His grandfather settled in Moultrie and was a model of

eight-foot entertainment center, gathered his Guy Lombardo-

community-mindedness who wholeheartedly strived to

era record collection, and returned to the party to provide

be a leader in creating jobs and opportunities for his

dancing music for the festivities. Vintage Gene Vereen.”

A gathering of the bank’s founding directors in 1971.

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The original location of American Banking Company in downtown Moultrie.

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After rebranding of the bank’s name in 2005, the Moultrie main office’s sign was removed to make way for the new Ameris logo. The task was handled by longtime Ameris employee Maintenance Manager Donnie Merritt, who also was known as the bank’s master BBQ chef—cooking for merger-and-acquisition activities and conversion events, among others.

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BUILDING TRUST— AND KEEPING IT I

n 1979, eight years after opening its doors, ABC Bank purchased Toney Brothers Bank in Doerun, a small town thirteen miles northwest of Moultrie. That first

acquisition put the bank on a path of strategic buyouts and mergers that would stretch across forty years, expanding both the company and the concept of community banking. The bank leaders realized they needed to form a holding company, a crucial step in managing all the opportunities and risks ahead. And so, ABC Holding Co. (later ABC Bancorp and then Ameris Bancorp) was created in 1980, with Gene Vereen as president. Growth began regionally, as ABC acquired the Bank of Quitman in neighboring Brooks County in 1985, followed quickly by Farmers and Merchants Bank in Thomas County and Citizens Bank of Tifton. In 1987, when ABC Bancorp made its first public stock offering, the pace of growth kicked into another gear

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with the acquisition of three banks in South Georgia— Cairo Banking Company, Central Bank & Trust in Cordele,

“There was a guy who was trying to withdraw five dollars from his account, but the ATM only distributed tenand twenty-dollar bills. He said, ‘I’ve got five dollars in this bank, and it won’t let me have it.’ And so, I handed him five dollars from my pocket and he went on home.”

Brooks Sheldon Bank officer and board member

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and Merchants & Farmers Bank in Donalsonville—and Southland Bank in Alabama.

Other firsts are worth noting. ABC Bank was the first in Moultrie to offer Saturday hours. And in September 1981, the bank unveiled one of Moultrie’s first automated teller machines with great fanfare. “Chief Engineer Jack Hunnicutt invites you to take a trial spin on the new Georgia Express, American Banking Company’s statewide 24-hour bank,” the newspaper advertisement heralded.

Everyone who signed up for the Georgia Express card received an “authentic, old-fashioned engineer’s cap.” Staff In 1981, an Ameris Bank branch touts its new services, ushering in the era of twenty-fourhour banking.

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

Members of the Moultrie community celebrate the grand opening of the ATM, showing off their Georgia Express bank cards on a day filled with railroad-themed events.

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In 1988, the office of ABC Bancorp was under construction at 314 First Street in Moultrie, Georgia.

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CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

‘A Tiny Bank’ Blossoms In 1987, sixteen years after its founding, ABC Bancorp became a publicly traded company and, in 1994, began trading on the Nasdaq. The bank’s success had begun attracting attention. In July 1988, Georgia Trend magazine highlighted ABC’s acquisition of Citizens Bank in Tift County in a cover story titled “Takeover in Tifton.” The article detailed how Gene Vereen and Jack Hunnicutt had managed to outmaneuver BankSouth. “ A tiny bank holding company from Moultrie would prevail over a huge bank from Atlanta,” the article read. Soon, ABC began making its first moves out of state, acquiring banks in Alabama in 1996, followed by Florida in 2001, and South Carolina in 2006. Meanwhile, ABC Bancorp was rebranded to Ameris From the archives: Branded notepads, matchbooks, and plastic clips were early gifts for customers.

continued on page 29

members dressed in blue-and-white striped overalls and conductor hats to demonstrate the revolutionary ATM to customers queued up outside the bank, as a bluegrass band and cloggers kept everyone entertained.

Brooks Sheldon, longtime bank officer and board member, lived about 500 yards away at the time and recalls a bit of a learning curve among customers. “If there was any issue with the ATM, I would get a phone call,” Sheldon says. “One time I went over and there was a guy who was trying to withdraw five dollars from his account, but the ATM only distributed ten- and twenty-dollar bills. He said, ‘I’ve got five dollars in this bank, and it won’t let me have it.’ And so, I handed him five dollars from my pocket and he went on home.”

Gene Vereen (left), Brooks Sheldon, and Sheldon’s mother, Jane Perry, display a framed resolution honoring Sheldon’s stepfather and former Bank Director C. Sam Perry.

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In 1981, American Banking TWO inBUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT Co.CHAPTER employees, dressed striped coveralls and conductor hats, demonstrate the wonders of Colquitt County’s first ATM—to a receptive crowd.

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All the Ingredients for Sweet Success Liz Earnest created The Chef’s Garden, a quality food-delivery business in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2002. When her daughter, Jennifer, graduated from college in 2005, she joined the company, which quickly grew from its original three employees.

Nurtured by the mother-daughter duo’s love of cooking and their goal of using food to bring communities together, the delivery service soon blossomed into a full-service catering and events company. “Our personal banking team guided us from the beginning to make sure we were prepared,” Liz says. “They are professional, kind, and attentive to detail, guiding us no matter what questions we had.”

The Chef’s Garden began to work with local cultural institutions, expanding services to accommodate a booming food scene in Jacksonville, eventually becoming the official in-house caterer at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. To grow their family-owned business, it was crucial to Liz and Jennifer that they find a bank that could offer a collaborative and educational approach to banking.

“You can tell that people cared about helping us get where we needed to be,” Jennifer says of Ameris.

“They defy what you think of as banking. We feel like we get that personalized interaction, with all the capabilities of a bigger bank.” Today, The Chef’s Garden Catering & Events employs more than 120 talented chefs, servers, creative designers, and planners, and offers an array of culinary services throughout Northeast Florida.

28

Mother-and-daughter duo Jennifer and Lizabeth Earnest—pictured with their Ameris banker, Janice Bounds (right)—own The Chef’s Garden, in-house caterer for the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida. The museum, also a proud commercial client of Ameris Bank, is home to one of the most significant art collections and historic gardens in the Southeast.

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

continued from page 25

in personal relationships,” Hortman said. “ Ameris is from

Bank in 2005 and within a year completed a multi-charter

the Latin word amicus, or ‘friend.’ So, in a single word,

collapse. Now there was one brand: Ameris.

we have captured the spirit of our style of community

In a press release, CEO Edwin W. Hortman Jr. revealed the thinking behind

banking.”

Especially in the early years, the breakneck pace

the new name.

of growth severely stretched staff capacity and bank

“Our new brand

resources. “When the acquisition boom started, we

signifies a renewed

really didn’t have a project manager for that,” says Susan

commitment to

Cosper, who has worked at the bank in Moultrie since

our unique style

1996. “But we would meet every Friday morning around

of community

a big table, where we basically created our own project

banking—one

plan to do acquisitions. Then, when the Federal Deposit

that is grounded

Insurance Corporation (FDIC) acquisitions started, those

Georgia Trend’s July 1988 issue featured a story on Ameris Bank’s “Takeover in Tifton.”

American Banking Company in 1987.

29

OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

were very exciting times. We always had to be prepared to get a call on Friday saying, ‘Hey, you’re going out of town this weekend; we got an acquisition.’ There was lots of travel, lots of projects, lots of hubbub and excitement.

Where normally a conversion might take nine months or a year, we had to do that in ninety days. It was very accelerated but very exciting. And we survived. Everybody was in it together. And, with every acquisition, we would learn something new that might be better or more efficient.

Jack Hunnicutt and Ed Hortman in 2007.

Marc DeMott, Cindi Lewis, Tommy Wyatt, and Grady Osborne in 1995.

30

We would try to take the best of what they had and incorporate it into our fold. A lot of what we have today came from some of the acquisitions we’ve made.”

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

‘It Is All About the People’ Cindi Lewis started working at ABC Bank in 1976 as a general ledger processor (and backup teller) and retired in 2021 as chief administrative officer. In her forty-five years of service, Lewis saw the bank graduate from typewriters, purple carbon paper, and bulky calculators to state-ofthe-art technology and virtual networking. “My favorite memories always center around our people,” Lewis says.

CEO Ed Hortman appeared next to an Ameris slogan in an annual report.

“We have great talent in our organization. It is all about the

required a delicate balance of professionalism and

people.” Lewis had a role in thirty-six of the bank’s thirty-

compassion.

seven mergers and acquisitions between 1979 and 2019.

“Being in that room and seeing the emotion on the

Since many of the employees in the acquired banks were

employees’ faces, I realized that they probably loved their

just learning about the transaction when the conversion

bank as much as I love Ameris,” Lewis recalls. “They would

team showed up late on a Friday afternoon, each situation

do their official part and remove the charter off the wall.

Then our CEO, Ed Hortman, would say, ‘Let me tell you about who we are and why we were interested in bidding on your bank to become part of our family.’ And then I would have an opportunity to say, ‘OK, let’s all just take a moment and a deep breath. We are a company about people. Always have been, always will be, and you are going to become part of a great organization.’”

Every merger and acquisition was a bonding experience not only between new and existing team members, but also between staff from various departments and branches who were thrown into an all-hands-on-deck moment. Conversion weekends typically meant long hours and a lot of missed meals. Donnie Merritt, a maintenance assistant at the bank, personified the collaborative spirit of Ameris. Whenever and wherever the conversion crew was

From the archives: A flying disc with a message.

working, “Mr. Donnie” would show up with his barbecue grill to help feed hungry staff members.

continued on page 35

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

All aboard the Georgia Express: Community members were quick to sign up for their first ATM cards.

32

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

33

OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

‘Ameris Is Always There’ Patrick Mobley, owner of Mobley Greenhouses in Moultrie,

produced pine seedling transplants in nurseries throughout

Georgia, comes from a family of agricultural entrepreneurs.

the Southeast.

“My dad was a smart, smart businessman,” Patrick says.

When cotton started coming back in the early 1980s,

dealing much of that time with agricultural banker Susan

John Mobley bought a gin, which Patrick’s brother, Mark,

Glass, who retired in December 2024 after more than

runs now. The third brother, Mike, farms cotton, peanuts,

forty-eight years on the job. “Susan knew our business,

and other crops. “That’s a lot of ag-related business in

knew all our accounts, our payables, and vendors almost

Colquitt County,” Patrick says. “And Ameris is always there.”

as well as our management team knew them,” Patrick

Patrick’s father (who died in 1998) established Mobley

says. “There was almost a daily conversation with Susan

Greenhouses in 1982, and Patrick joined the company

about something.” In 2016, Patrick’s son Preston graduated

two years later. Now, the company has more than 180

from the University of Georgia and returned to put his

greenhouses in Georgia and Florida, covering seventy-

agricultural business degree to work in the family business.

eight acres. With 120 employees, they grow vegetable

Now, at the end of every workday, Preston gets in about

transplants for farmers up and down the eastern United

22,000 steps, walking through every greenhouse on the

States. The Mobleys also recently sold a business that

Moultrie property for a quality check.

Patrick Mobley (left) and his son, Preston, carry on a long family tradition of agriculture and adaptation.

34

The family has banked with Ameris since the 1990s,

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

continued from page 31

Lea Harvin, retail manager in Tifton, was part of the

Tommy Wyatt, head of treasury services operations,

conversion crew on eighteen acquisitions. “Some of the

was instrumental in

best experiences were when we were able to go in advance

overseeing the merger-and-

and meet the team and kind of settle their nerves,” she

acquisition boom times.

says. “We could let them know, ‘Hey, we’re going to get

“As we’ve grown and the

through this together.’ The FDIC conversions were a bit

acquisitions have gotten

more challenging. But we have gotten better with every

bigger, obviously the number

conversion as far as being more organized and deliberate

of people involved has gotten

about how we do our training and welcoming their teams

bigger,” Wyatt says. “But in

aboard. And we have added some phenomenal teammates

the beginning days, we had

to our group as a result of acquisitions.”

ten or twelve people working

Tommy Wyatt

The Ameris Bank board of directors gathers in 1995.

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

2008 and wasn’t in the rearview mirror until 2013. “There were a lot of bank problems in the Southeast,” says

“We’re highly relationshiporiented. We focus on diversification—not putting all our eggs in one basket—and on checks and balances.”

Edwards, who retired recently after twenty-five years on the

Jon Edwards 1990s as chief credit officer

did what we said we would do, and we never hid anything

job. “We avoided being one of those problems, but it was not easy. I remember sitting in one board meeting when the company decided to turn left instead of turning right. Had we turned right, we might not be here today. A lot of banks that were our size or bigger did not survive. But we never got into any trouble, even during the financial crisis. We from anybody. And so we had a great reputation with the regulators. It takes a while to build up that kind of trust.”

Between 2009 and 2012, in transactions organized by

on these conversions, and we were doing about three a year.

the FDIC, Ameris acquired ten failed banks in Georgia

You know, merging data is one thing, but merging people

and Florida. Dan Jeter, owner of a consumer finance

is a whole different story. I think that’s one of my proudest

company and longtime member of the Ameris board,

moments—every time we were able to successfully bring in

recalls the 2008 meeting where the directors made the

a new group of people and a new group of customers. We’ve

critical decision to participate in FDIC-assisted buyouts.

come out of each of these acquisitions and conversions with

The board gathered for a strategic planning meeting at the

an even better and stronger team. That’s because of the people. Culture change is not something you can force on people. There’s an art to it.”

Building Up Trust When Jon Edwards joined Ameris in the late 1990s as chief credit officer, he was tasked with building out Jack Hunnicutt’s pragmatic but creative philosophy of lending.

“We’re highly relationship-oriented,” Edwards says. “We focus on diversification—not putting all our eggs in one basket—and on checks and balances.” The approach kept Ameris sound during the Great Recession that began in

36

From the archives: Counter checks from 1982.

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

(Front row, left to right): Andy Cheney, Ed Hortman. (Back row, left to right): Jon Edwards, Steve Melton, Dennis Zember, Cindi Lewis in 2009.

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

‘Surround Yourself with the Right Partners’ For Alejandra Cardenas, director of Talpa Supermarkets, growing a few local grocery stores into a thriving chain of more than a dozen locations across Georgia and the Southeast has taken vision, hard work, and strategic partnerships. And their relationship with Ameris Bank has been at the heart of that growth. “Ameris Bank has been absolutely key in Talpa’s growth journey,” Alejandra says.

“Our bankers at Ameris have been right there, helping us finance new store openings and acquire commercial real estate. Their local decision-making and understanding of our company needs have been invaluable.”

What sets Ameris apart, she says, is its approach to client relationships. And the bank’s commitment to supporting diverse businesses resonated deeply with the Talpa team. “Ameris doesn’t feel like some big, impersonal corporation,” Alejandra says. “They act like a true business partner. Their leadership team made it clear that they support minority-owned businesses and value the economic contributions of Hispanic entrepreneurs.”

Looking ahead, Talpa Supermarkets aims to become the leading Hispanic grocery brand in the Southeast, while remaining a vital cultural institution within their communities. For Alejandra, being a business owner is about more than profit. “It means responsibility and giving back to our employees, vendors, and neighborhoods.”

Alejandra’s advice for new entrepreneurs emphasizes the importance of purpose and strategic alliances: “Surround yourself with the right partners. Banks like Ameris, who care and are invested in your success, can make all the difference.”

38

Louis and Alejandra Cardenas (center and right), owners of Talpa Supermarkets, lead Scott Cleveland, their Ameris banker, on a tour of their Brookhaven location.

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

historic Jekyll Island Club, in the room where bankers and

‘We Have to Deliver’

politicians had met secretly in 1913 to discuss the creation of a central US banking system, which ultimately became

In April of 2011, Ameris Bank started a mortgage

the Federal Reserve. “Ed Hortman and Dennis Zember got

group. “The goal was to make it a separately profitable

the board together and said, ‘OK, here’s the opportunity,’”

enterprise,” says Robert Odom, president of Ameris

Jeter says. “‘We have a chance to participate in this, but

Mortgage Services from its inception. “It wasn’t a great

we have to get everybody’s approval and go into it 100

time for mortgage banking, but Ameris had grown to a

percent.’ That really was a critical, critical moment for the

size where it needed its own mortgage group. It was

bank. We went on the aggressive and acquired those

doing about $3 million a month in small brokered-out

banks, put capital into the bank, and became that much

loans and had a couple of loan officers. It was not a big

stronger as a result.”

business, and it was not a money-maker.” Confident about the potential for growth, Odom accepted a simple challenge: Make Ameris Mortgage Services profitable by one dollar by the end of the year. “We exceeded that,” Odom says, “and we’ve been profitable ever since—every year, never missing a beat.” Now, Ameris Mortgage Services has more than 550 team members and is licensed in forty-five states, though the focus remains the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. The secret to success, he says, is putting the right team in place and working together.

Bringing in the right people

Mortgage Services leadership (left to right) Tony Jones, Joe Hunter, Julie Humber, and Robert S. Odom.

and setting them up to succeed is an idea woven throughout the Ameris story. Debbie Dominey, a high-energy senior business

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

banker in Albany, Georgia, has been with Ameris since 1997. Her first assignment was to create a solid sales culture among the staff. She still sets the tone every

From the archives: This Ameris-branded pen was given to customers in honor of the US bicentennial.

weekday morning with a fifteen-minute staff huddle, where the whole team gathers to celebrate recent wins and raise any new concerns. “It’s everybody’s responsibility to take care of each other here in this branch,” Dominey says.

“When we’re taking care of each other, we can do a really good job of taking care of our customers.” The branch has grown tremendously, especially over the past ten years, as Dominey and her team have taken on more municipal clients, including cities, counties, school systems, and health boards, in addition to small businesses. “Whether we’re helping them make money or save money, or avoid fraud, it all ends up back in the community,” Dominey says.

Her self-styled full-service banking often includes delivering gigantic trays of cookies from Sam’s Club to her clients. “I love trying to do anything I can to brighten their day,” she says. “My role is to keep them informed—not just Ameris employees sort mail in 1998.

be their lender but help them from a holistic perspective so they can be efficient, they can be protected, and they can optimize what they earn. I feel like a lot of banks just want to sell you something, and that’s not who we are. We’re here to be partners. If someone is going to give us their business and trust us, then we have to deliver.”

As the U.S. economy rebounded, from 2013 to 2016 Ameris continued to grow its footprint and its brand, including mergers with Prosperity Bank, The Coastal Bank, M&S Bank, and The Jacksonville Bank, along with the purchase of eighteen Bank of America locations. In 2016, Ameris moved its executive team to Jacksonville, where they remained for three years before making the biggest, most impactful merger in the bank’s history—with Fidelity Southern Corp. in Atlanta.

From the archives: A pocket postal scale, distributed by Citizens Bank of Tifton, used a spring to calculate the weight of an envelope.

40

CHAPTER TWO BUILDING TRUST—AND KEEPING IT

Before moving to Atlanta, Ameris Bank headquarters was located in Jacksonville, Florida.

41

Now, the gleaming headquarters building is part of the skyline in Atlanta’s premier Buckhead district.

42

OUR LEGACY IS NOW—THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

C

H

A

P

T

E

R

T

H

R

E

E

‘We’re All Ameris Now’ A

fter nearly three dozen acquisitions, Ameris Bank’s 2019 deal with Fidelity was the first true merger of “equals,” with opportunities for utilizing the best people,

products, and practices from each bank. “Fidelity was the crown jewel of Atlanta,” says Brady Gailey, executive director of corporate development since 2023. Before joining the bank, he was a stock analyst who covered both Fidelity and Ameris for nearly fifteen years, giving him unique insights into each organization. n The merger was a marriage of two similar corporate cultures. “Both were fifty-year-old banks with an acute sense of focus on the customer,” says Palmer Proctor. Formerly the CEO at Fidelity, Proctor assumed the leadership role at Ameris after the merger was completed. “It took time to get everybody in the right places, going in the right direction, and realizing that we’re one team, doing it the best way, rather than your way or my way,” Proctor says. “Once you get there, it can be pretty powerful.”

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

communities already served. “Organic growth is a lot more fun than mergers and acquisitions,” says Lawton Bassett, president. “I love helping to build something that we can say: We did that. We didn’t just write a check for it. We built this, which is extremely rewarding.”

James B. Miller Jr. has served as chair of Ameris Bank since July 2019. Prior to Ameris Bank, Miller served as the chair and CEO of Fidelity Southern Corporation since its inception in 1979 where he championed the customer experience.

Michael T. Pierson, chief governance officer, worked for Fidelity for twenty-one years before the merger. “It took a little while to get past ‘us’ and ‘them,’” he says. “You know, ‘Are you Ameris or are you Fidelity?’ But now we’re all Ameris.

I think we’re a better bank, not just a bigger bank.” With the merger and the move to Atlanta, Ameris Bank’s era of organic growth really began to take shape. No longer making two or three acquisitions a year, the company has sharpened its strategy of growing market share in the 44

An Ameris Bank 2021 marketing piece celebrates the bank’s fifty-year milestone.

CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

Ameris Bankers ‘Make a Stressful Event for Me Not Stressful’ ServiceMaster of Camden, a cleaning and restoration

ever since. The process was easy, which is so important

company in South Carolina, was established with

when you’re just starting out.”

a clear and compelling vision. “Being able to gain

As ServiceMaster of Camden has expanded its services

financial independence and being able to never miss my

and geographic reach to include Charlton County, Ameris

children’s school and after-school functions—that’s what

Bank has provided all the financial tools needed to support

inspired us to start this business,” says co-founder Randi

the growth, including loans, lines of credit, and equipment

Kramer. This dual commitment to professional success

financing. “When I needed a line of credit, they were

and quality family time has been a driving force behind

there for me almost instantly,” Randi recalls. “They make

the business. “ Ameris gave me my Small Business

a stressful event for me not stressful. Their personalized

Administration loan back in 2005 to start my business,”

approach is what I appreciate most,” she adds. “I feel

Randi says. “ And it has been a wonderful relationship

like I have a relationship with the tellers and managers.

I feel like Norm on Cheers when I walk in or go through

Servicemaster of Camden owners Randi Kramer (second from right) and Scott Mentz (far right) and their Ameris bankers (far left to right) Meredith Wood, Tricia Willis, and Christen Landrum.

the drive-through! The relationships I have built there are irreplaceable.”

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

WE ARE LIONHEARTED The lion is a symbol of strength and courage—pride and fierce determination. It is a representation of taking bold steps and diverging from the pack. Being different requires courage. Seeing past decades of tired banking norms for a better way takes determination. This badge is one that we wear with pride, as it signifies our relentless pursuit to get things done for our customers, even if it means scrapping convention.

Ameris has always stood for strength and courage, but it wasn’t until we joined forces with Fidelity Bank in 2019 that the lion symbol became a central part of our brand. The lion is the perfect representation of who we have always been and who we will continue to be—a strong bank that isn’t afraid to be bold to best serve our customers and communities.

46

CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

Bonds That Stretch But Still Hold

well. I think technology is about solving problems.

As part of the merger, Ameris Bank went through a brand

It’s not about being first,

refresh, adopting Fidelity’s majestically maned lion image

necessarily. We’re all about

into its logo. Sue Cole, managing director of marketing,

solving problems.”

oversaw the rebranding. “When I first started at Fidelity

That spirit harkens

back in 2007, the culture was very much all about the

back to the birth of Ameris

people,” she says. “Today, at Ameris, it’s still all about

Bank in Moultrie, where

the people; it’s just bigger. You know how, when you get

team members often

married and start your own family, you also take on your

were tasked with creating

spouse’s family and it continues to grow? What matters

processes or systems to

is how people stay connected and maintain that bond.

meet an emerging need.

I’ve been impressed with how Ameris has kept that bond

Pattie Lee, who started as

strong—growing stronger while still growing together.”

an administrative assistant in 1996, took part in creating

Sue Cole

Shortly after the merger was completed, the

an information technology help desk and then became

unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 hit like a

its point person. While in that position, her supervisor

thunderbolt. Ameris originated more than $1.5 billion in

dropped a how-to book on her desk one day and asked

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to help 14,000

continued on page 51

businesses weather the pandemic. “I think that’s where I saw the biggest change in the culture coming together after the company merger,” Cole says. “We were working through all the operational struggles of trying to merge two banks into one, and then the PPP forced people across the entire company to really work together. There was no longer a jersey on either side. It just became one team, with the customer at the center.”

Ross Creasy, chief information officer, was surprised to find that Ameris Bank already had a platform for opening online accounts that was quite forward-thinking, “which not a lot of banks have in their DNA,” he says. “When COVID hit, it allowed us to open a lot of accounts when people weren’t coming into the branches. That positioned us very

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ameris team members followed strict protocols in order to serve customers safely.

47

OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

48

CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

“It took time to get everybody in the right places, going in the right direction, and realizing that we’re one team, doing it the best way, rather than your way or my way.

Once you get there, it can be pretty powerful.”

Palmer Proctor CEO

Ameris leadership (back row) Ross Creasy, Jody Spencer, (middle row) Andy Cheney, William McKendry, Palmer Proctor, Lawton Bassett, (bottom row) Michael Pierson, Jim LaHaise, Nicole Stokes.

49

OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

Mobile technology has made banking more streamlined and efficient, but always backed up with a personal touch.

50

CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

continued from page 47

the things on the plus side was getting us all equipped

if she could create a customer relationship management

with laptops and cameras. Now, even though I don’t see all

process. “I had never done anything like that,” she recalls.

of my managers in person but once a quarter, I’m talking

“But I took the book, studied it, and started working.”

to all of them on camera at least once a week. It allows us to stay more connected.” Prise, who has worked at Ameris

On the Other Side of COVID-19

for fifteen years, supports five locations in Georgia, four in Alabama, and Panama City and the Big Bend area of

On the frontlines during COVID, Ameris team members

Florida. Staying more connected allows her to set priorities

adapted and improvised. Some were able to conduct

and make decisions that impact each community.

business at home, but many continued to go into the office

“We had one client recently who was trying to help his

every day. “We still had to take care of our customers,”

son and daughter-in-law rebuild their credit before having

says consumer banker Mary Jane Alonzo, a familiar

a baby,” Prise says. “The credit score wasn’t where it

face at several branches in Moultrie in 1996. “In the

needed to be to fit our criteria, but we were able to look at

beginning, we would meet customers outside and take

other factors—like the fact that they had been customers

all the information we needed and then go inside to open accounts or make transactions. Everything was done outside. But we made sure our customers were taken care of.” As soon as it was safe, branches began to reopen, with the use of face masks, Plexiglas shields, and other safety protocols in place. And when the worst of the pandemic was over, business got back to mostly normal, with a few cultural shifts. Many team members were able to continue working remotely, or to do a combination of remote and in-office hours.

“COVID certainly had its challenges,” says Bridgette Prise, retail area manager in Albany. “But one of

Mary Jane Alonzo started working at Ameris in Moultrie in 1996, serving in a variety of customer-facing roles.

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

for five years and their account was in good standing—and get that loan done for them. Those experiences are the most rewarding for me, when we can help individuals overcome some type of financial obstacle and get them in a better place.

At previous institutions I worked for, it didn’t matter how long they had banked with you. If they didn’t check all the boxes, there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. It means a lot to me that we can make those decisions.”

Deep Agricultural Roots Ameris Bank’s organizational structure is intentionally marketcentric, with local leaders authorized to call the shots and set priorities according to the specific needs of their customers.

In Moultrie, the business of farming is just as important today as when the bank was founded. “ Agriculture is the prominent industry here,” says Josh Lovett, market president. “When it’s good, it’s really, really good. When it’s bad, it’s really, really bad. Ameris is going to be with their customers through the good and the bad. We’re never going to say that we’re not going to help farmers anymore, because that’s the roots of our company. Our ag team cares deeply about their farmers.”

Susan Glass, recently retired ag specialist at Ameris, grew up on a farm in Colquitt County. “I just had a heart for the farmers,” she says. “They work hard and sometimes lose their shirt. But they put everything they have into it, without a promise of anything in return. It was always good to be able to help them. But the saddest part was when we couldn’t help anymore. Sometimes all I could do was cry with farmers who had reached the end. But I’ve also helped young Agriculture has always played an integral part in the Ameris Bank history.

farmers with their operations and then seen their children and grandchildren take up farming.”

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CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

On a Quest to Elevate Customer Service When Jinsong Yang first envisioned a state-of-the-art

“I firmly believe that, while any bank can offer financing

homebuilding company in 2016—aiming to “elevate the

and deposit services, what sets a great bank apart

experience of buying a home”—he looked to nature for

is exceptional customer service,” Karen adds. “When

inspiration in naming his venture. Recalling his many visits

customers feel valued and receive outstanding service,

to Alaska over the years, he settled quickly on McKinley

they share that experience with their business colleagues,

Homes, honoring North America’s highest peak, Mount

and that word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to

McKinley. Ameris Bank has been a trusted partner as

grow your customer base.”

Jinsong’s business has grown to include more than fifty residential subdivisions comprising 4,000 singlefamily homes and townhomes across the Southeast. “My relationship with Ameris is

With Ameris as his trusted banking partner, Jinsong Yang has built more than 4,000 homes across the Southeast.

stronger than ever,” says Jinsong, who has an MBA from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Karen Cross, senior vice president of commercial banking in metro Atlanta, began working with Jinsong when his company was much smaller. “Jinsong is a very driven, interesting person, with endless energy,” she says. “I’ve worked closely with him to ensure he had the capital and financial support needed to take each new step forward.

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OUR LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY OF AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971

Kenny Moss, commercial relationship manager for

start a farming operation from the ground up. When those

Ameris in Dothan, Alabama, since 2006, also grew up on

older farmers die off, I don’t know what we’re going to do.

a family farm. “There’s no finer section of the population

But I still enjoy what I do. A lot of these gray hairs on my

than farmers,” he says. Although the farm economy is

head are from trying to figure out ‘How are we going to

critical to towns like Dothan, Moss says, “We have a

make this happen?’ I’ve had more than one customer send

population that thinks all food originates in the grocery

somebody to me and say, ‘If Kenny can’t help you, nobody

store. We have fewer farmers than we did ten years ago

can.’ These are friends—almost like family in a lot of cases.

or twenty years ago, and it’s almost impossible now to

That weighs heavy when I’m having to make decisions.”

Agricultural banker Susan Glass, who started with the bank when she was sixteen, cleans windshields in the drive-through lanes during one of the bank’s Customer Appreciation Days.

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CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

$27 Billion in Horsepower— And Still a Community Bank

see our culture mature and solidify over these past five or six years. Now we have the horsepower of a $27 billion bank, but we can enjoy the profile of a community bank.”

The art of blending corporate cultures has always been

As a result of the organic growth strategy, Ameris has

essential to the success of Ameris, whether the bank

the breadth and capability of a super-regional bank and is

was buying a $200 million organization with thirty-five

an industry leader in almost every metric. “Our profitability

employees or merging with Fidelity and its hundreds of

is well above our peers now,” says former stock analyst

branches and staff members. “I came at a pretty turbulent

Gailey. “We are a very efficient company. We’ve gone from

time in the banking industry—at the tail end of the Great

having thin capital to having excess capital. We’ve grown

Recession,” says Michael Lee, Ameris regional president

our reserves, which protects us against loan losses. Our

for South Georgia and parts of Alabama and the Florida

tangible book value has doubled in the past five years. The

Panhandle. “From 2011 to 2019, it was almost a stated

past five years have really positioned Ameris very well.”

purpose to buy two banks a year. When you’re bringing

Other non-banking acquisitions along the way have

different cultures into the Ameris culture twice a year, it’s

strengthened the company’s successful growth and

a challenge to maintain your identity. But it’s been nice to

diversification strategy, including the purchase of U.S. Premium Finance (USPF), completed in 2018. As one of the country’s largest providers of credit on property and casualty insurance premiums, USPF had operations in all fifty states. In 2021, Ameris acquired California-based Balboa Capital and its proprietary technology, which allowed the bank to accelerate its digital lending initiatives and give small and medium-sized businesses more access to quick decisions and same-day funding.

‘Down-to-Earth, Good People’ The culture of Ameris has always centered on building long-term relationships rather than simply making transactions. Millard Choate, founder and chair of one of the largest construction companies in the Southeast, was a client before he became a member of the bank’s The Roswell Road Ameris Bank branch in Atlanta, Georgia.

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CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’ Teammates in Clay County, Florida, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, helping build stronger homes and communities.

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after initially deciding

board of directors in 2019. “I like Ameris because it’s a

against a career as a flight

big bank, but it’s not a BIG bank,” Choate says. “It has all

attendant. “I love building

the tools, the sophistication—especially technology—but

the relationships, getting to

they haven’t gotten too big for their britches. They are still

know what my clients like

down-to-earth, good people.” He singles out his banker,

and don’t like, what makes

Jeanie Blanc, for praise. “Jeanie takes care of everything

them happy and what

we need, for the construction company, for my personal

doesn’t make them happy,”

banking, and for my other company, Packard Capital,”

Blanc says. “When I say I’m

Choate says. “She is a good example of how an individual

there for them, I mean it.

can represent the bank and make such a great impression

And I think they know that.”

just with service.” Blanc, vice president and retail development officer, has spent thirty-two years in banking,

Heidi Roberts, seniorlevel branch manager

Millard Choate

in Jacksonville since 2016, is the daughter and granddaughter of bankers. The not-so-secret ingredient in Ameris Bank’s success as a community bank, she says, is authenticity. “You have to care,” she says. “It’s the one thing I preach to my team. When you truly care about your customers, everything else falls in line. But it has to be authentic. You can’t just pretend to care.”

Ameris team members routinely go above and beyond what’s expected in customer service. Lisa Banister, longtime senior commercial banking specialist in Dothan, Alabama, recently brought loan papers home for a customer to sign when he couldn’t get to the bank during office hours. “We trust our customers,” Banister says. “ And our customers trust us.” She cites other colleagues who have driven to a customer’s home to get a signature on a CD renewal or to notarize a document. “It’s just that personal service that the customers really appreciate,” Heidi Roberts joined Ameris Bank in 2016 and has managed several downtown branches in Jacksonville.

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says Tanya Skipper, special assets credit document coordinator in Dothan. “ And they don’t forget it either.”

CHAPTER THREE ‘WE’RE ALL AMERIS NOW’

In Cairo, Georgia,

Linda Bell

grandchild in for their first loan, I will ask if they mind if I

consumer lender Linda Bell

talk to them as if they were mine,” she says. “Then I tell

has spent fifty-three years

the child: ‘You are blessed to have a parent or grandparent

in banking, beginning as a

here that will help you, because I see so many that don’t

bookkeeper in May 1972.

have anybody. Please don’t let them down. You can either

When ABC Bank bought

make your credit or you can break it. And if you break it,

Cairo Banking Co. in 1992,

it’s hard to get back.’

she became part of the

“Now I have some of those children coming back in

Ameris family and holds

as parents with their own children,” Bell says. “They want

the distinction of being

me to tell their children what I told them when they were

the longest-serving team

young. I had one woman come in not long ago with her

member. “I enjoy talking

eighteen-year-old daughter. She hugged my neck and

with people and helping

said, ‘Ms. Linda, I want you to tell my daughter exactly

them,” she says. “I’m now third-generation lending—first

what you told me, because my credit today is because of

the grandparent, then the parent, and now their children.”

the talk you had with me.’”

Bell takes her responsibility seriously, often throwing in a little free advice. “When someone brings their child or

The annual Lion’s Pride Business Networking meeting with Chief Strategy Officer Jim LaHaise (light gray jacket) at the Marietta Old Piedmont branch in 2026.

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Participants at the 2024 InspiredU volunteer event.

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etired head bookkeeper Lorena Barhite, one of the original seven employees at ABC Bank in 1971, once won a pair of sneakers and a turkey from the American

Heart Association for collecting the most money in a fundraising walk. She doesn’t remember the exact amount raised, but the memories of volunteering and doing something good for her community are still vivid. “I was good at begging,” she jokes. “We were always raising money for causes that we cared about.” n From the beginning, Ameris has been more than simply a good corporate citizen. The bank has been a part of every community it serves, actively contributing to people’s health, security, and well-being. By investing millions in initiatives that address social and economic challenges, Ameris helps create long-term, sustainable impact while also building connections and trust with customers. Through partnerships with more than

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“Community involvement is a big part of our culture.

And it’s been that way since Day One. As we’ve grown, because it’s hard to support everything, we try to focus on initiatives where we can have a bigger impact.”

The Hinesville, Georgia, Ameris branch lobby is filled with donations for local community members in need.

Lawton Bassett President

165 organizations and philanthropic groups, Ameris supports worthy causes including financial education, public health, food security, and mental well-being. In addition, Ameris team members spent 7,500 volunteer hours at schools, hospitals, community centers, and local civic associations across all Ameris markets in the past year alone. The bank provides paid time for volunteering at local schools and animal Lawton Bassett

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shelters, as well as with

Ameris Bank Market President Shane Shook presents a $100,000 check to Dodge County Hospital CFO Jan Hamrick and Director of Georgia HEART Program Vickie Fordham in 2025.

CHAPTER FOUR ‘WALL-TO-WALL FOOD’—COMMUNITY SERVICE AT AMERIS

A Lifesaving Partnership Putting customers at the forefront of the care experience

that makes it great with Ameris,” he says. “We can sit

is a defining value of both Ameris and Colquitt Regional

down with them and work out any business case. Also,

Medical Center. Since 2018, Ameris has donated $14.6

doctors come out of medical school broke, owing around

million to seventeen rural hospitals through the Georgia

$400,000. We can call Ameris and ask for mortgage

HEART Hospital Program, which allows businesses and

assistance for our doctors.” Julie Bhavnani, vice president

taxpayers to redirect their state income taxes to local

and chief financial officer of Colquitt Regional, moved all

hospitals. Colquitt Regional used $3 million in funds

the hospital’s accounts to Ameris when she joined the

provided by Ameris to build a state-of-the-art training

hospital in 2013. “The best thing is, I know that when I pick

center that is not only enhancing the level of care in the

up the phone, I can reach somebody,” she says. “And they

community but also creating a pipeline for more medical

understand the hospital’s rhythms, not just numbers.”

students and residents throughout South Georgia.

The 39,000-squarefoot Ameris Bank Medical Education Center opened in November 2023. In addition to classrooms, computer labs, and offices, the center includes simulation rooms where students can practice their newly acquired skills in labor and delivery, surgery, intensive care, and trauma on highfidelity mannequins in real-life scenarios.

Jim Matney, CEO of Colquitt Regional since 2011, considers Ameris “a trusted partner” in his ambitious strategic vision for the hospital. “It’s the nimbleness

Jim Matney, CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, CFO Julie Bhavnani, and Josh Lovett (right), Ameris market president in Moultrie.

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‘An Entrepreneur’s Best Friend’ When Bretta Farina’s husband, Nic, joined the military

Melody Burr, Augusta branch manager, was able to

twelve years ago, she needed to find a flexible way to

provide fast and reliable options for Bretta when she

bolster the family income while also taking care of their

needed a line of credit. “Because of Bretta’s relationship

children. Using her passion for sewing, Bretta started

with Ameris, we understood her needs and were able

an online business called Puddle Jumper Pups, selling

to jump through some hoops to make things happen for

custom dog collars. After having some initial success, she

her,” Melody says. “We are a relationship bank with ‘big

decided to open a brick-and-mortar location in Augusta,

shoulders.’ We have all the bells and whistles of a big bank,

Georgia, where her husband was stationed. A line of credit

but with great customer service. We go above and beyond

with Ameris Bank made it possible for the Farinas to open

for our customers.”

a storefront, where they could increase their product lines and engage more directly with the community. One of their goals is to provide job opportunities to other women who need flexible hours while supporting their families.

With the support of Ameris, Bretta’s vision for Puddle Jumper Pups expanded, and Nic Farina joined the team full time after completing his military service.

Both Farinas credit Ameris with supporting their business at every crucial juncture: “As small-business owners, Ameris has been an integral part of our growth. They have not only been our bankers but have also become our friends.”

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Nic and Bretta Farina (left) owners of Puddle Jumper Pups, work with Ameris banker Melody Burr—as their Golden Retriever trainee lends a paw.

CHAPTER FOUR ‘WALL-TO-WALL FOOD’—COMMUNITY SERVICE AT AMERIS

organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Relay for Life, and United Way. “Community involvement is a big part of our culture,” says Lawton Bassett, president. “ And it’s been that way since Day One. As we’ve grown, because it’s hard to support everything, we try to focus on initiatives where we can have a bigger impact.”

Ameris is proud to partner with the United Way for the “Stuff the Bus” campaign to provide back-to-school supplies to students at Title I schools across the Ameris footprint.

This critical campaign ensures that students, teachers, and families have the resources they need to thrive throughout the school year.

Food and Financial Literacy In 2010, Ameris Bank launched a food drive called Helping Fight Hunger that ran every October for fifteen years. In total, Ameris teammates collected ten million pounds of food A Vidalia, Georgia, branch customer sent flowers to Branch Manager Lisa Strickland (left) and Assistant Branch Manager Tammy Crawford to show appreciation for their assistance.

and about $1 million in cash that directly benefited local continued on page 68

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CHAPTER FOUR ‘WALL-TO-WALL FOOD’—COMMUNITY SERVICE AT AMERIS Members of the Moultrie Downtown Development Authority and Moultrie Tomorrow join Ameris CEO Palmer Proctor (center) and other Ameris leaders to unveil the rendering of new park plans.

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Supporting financial literacy also has been a priority

food banks. “Everything stayed within the community where

for Ameris. Through a partnership with Everfi, a digital

it was collected,” says retired chief administrative officer

financial education program, the bank has supported more

Cindi Lewis. Competition among the branches was fierce,

than 1,200 Title I high school students in fourteen low- to

she notes, with creative lobby displays and special events

moderate-income communities. Students learn about

to attract attention and earn bragging rights for collecting

topics like financial aid, student loans, and budgeting for

the most cash and food for people in need. “You could walk

responsible loan repayment. The training has led to higher

in some branches and see wall-to-wall food,” Lewis recalls.

assessment scores, including a 36 percent improvement

“Everybody wanted to collect the most for their community.”

in understanding options to pay for college. One student in Gwinnett County, Georgia, explains, “I liked learning about things I’m going to have to deal with in the real world.” A student in DeKalb County states, “I liked that I learned about how to budget and pay for college.” Such training in practical knowledge and life skills sets up the next generation for a successful and productive adulthood.

Caring for Communities and Teammates In 2020, Ameris Bank created a foundation to provide direct support and access to resources addressing four primary areas of need: community and teammate support, financial wellness (especially to improve money skills for people in underserved communities), education, and mental health. “In Moultrie, we found out that a Title I elementary school was giving books to every student,” says Lewis, a founding board member of the Ameris Foundation. “Every Friday, each student got a brand-new book to take home and start their own library. The school had been raising funds locally and needed $3,400 to finish out the year, and so the foundation gave them the money.

It was incredible to see all those children gathered around An interactive coloring book helps kids learn about money, reinforcing the Ameris brand in a fun, memorable way.

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getting their books. It was just incredible.”

CHAPTER FOUR ‘WALL-TO-WALL FOOD’—COMMUNITY SERVICE AT AMERIS

Former Ameris Vice President of Commercial Lending Garrett Grimsley presides over a gathering of excited students during a school book-donation event.

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Caring for teammates is another critical part of the Ameris culture, which prompted the foundation to create the Courageous Fund in 2023, aiming to support teammates facing financial hardships related to such things as medical bills or natural disasters. In total, the Ameris Foundation has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to teammates and nonprofit organizations.

Throughout its history, Ameris has been more than a bank. Team members are neighbors and community advocates as well, building strong, meaningful relationships with customers and partners. In the fall of 2025, Ameris donated nearly two city blocks of land and several buildings for a downtown park in Moultrie, featuring walking paths, playgrounds, and space for recreation and

Palmer Proctor has served as CEO since the 2019 merger of Ameris and Fidelity.

relaxation. The city is considering a plan to redevelop the

at the unveiling of the plans. “We believe in giving back

buildings into hospitality, multi-family residential, or retail

to the communities we serve, and the donated park and

spaces. “ Ameris has been a proud member of the Moultrie

buildings will create a legacy that enhances the downtown

community for many years,” CEO Palmer Proctor said

area and the Moultrie community.”

On January 30, 2025, the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Ameris branch in Blountstown, Florida, included (left to right) Market President Ray Thompson, Branch Manager Brandi Howard, Managing Director of Retail Banking Geary Kinnett, Retail Area Manager Bridgette Prise, Bank President Lawton Bassett, and Courageous the Lion.

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‘We Want to Spend Our Money Wisely’ Since 1988, the community-based, nonprofit Center for Black Women’s Wellness has worked to improve the health

helped us do that.”

Specifically, Ameris has extended occasional credits

and well-being of women and families in metro Atlanta.

to cover operational costs and payroll while the center

“When you’re a smaller nonprofit, you rely heavily on good

was waiting for reimbursable grants. And when the center

relationships and partnerships in the community,” says

received an unexpected large donation in 2024, the Ameris

Jemea Dorsey, CEO of the center for the past twenty

team opened an insured cash sweep account to keep

years. “We serve around 3,100 individuals annually, and we

the funds safe but accessible. Ameris also supports the

are always raising funds to serve more. Because we are

center’s annual signature fundraising event, Wellness &

mindful and appreciative of every dollar that people invest

Pearls. “We have trusted Ameris with our funds, which we

in us, we want to spend our money wisely. Our banker,

take very seriously,” Jemea says. “We appreciate long-

Clay Cannon, and all of our bankers over the years have

standing, meaningful partnerships that are built on trust.”

Jemea Dorsey, CEO of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, relies on Ameris banker Clay Cannon for sound advice.

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This portrait of Gene Vereen hangs in a prominent spot in the Moultrie branch of Ameris Bank.

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mong all the milestone dates in the story of Ameris, longtime board member Dan Jeter singles out July 23, 2024, when the bank’s common stock transitioned from

Nasdaq and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Sitting in the boardroom of the Moultrie branch, where a portrait of founding father Gene Vereen keeps a steady gaze, Jeter reflects on the journey so far. “Looking at Gene’s portrait up there, and thinking about proud moments in Ameris history, I guarantee you, when he started the bank in 1971, he had no idea we would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange,” he says. “I know that had to be a moment when he looked down and said: ‘Wow. How did we get from Moultrie to the New York Stock Exchange?’” n In its fifty-five-year history, the bank has had only four chief executives, each of whom brought a distinctive skill set and temperament that propelled the company forward while

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keeping it sound. “Jack Hunnicutt was the best at seeing ways that credit could benefit the bank and the borrower;

“Organic growth has allowed us to focus on things that are important. That goes a long way in terms of building a culture of sustainability and having a long-term approach.”

Palmer Proctor CEO

In downtown Moultrie, a bronze statue of CEO Palmer Proctor’s grandfather pays tribute to all World War II veterans. The statue, dedicated in 2003, was the idea of Gene Vereen and Hinton Reeves, both decorated WWII veterans.

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he was really, really good at that,” Jeter says. “And then Ed Hortman Jr. had a good sense of structure—putting the pieces together that the bank could continue to build on.

Dennis Zember was this high-flying visionary and salesman who really ensured that the merger of Fidelity and Ameris worked. And then you follow that up with Palmer Proctor, who is a wonderful communicator and a wonderful leader, with the ability to recognize talent and hire really good people to carry the organization to another level.”

The evolution of Ameris Bank from a small-town enterprise in an agricultural community into a diversified

CHAPTER FIVE ‘FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT THINGS’—THE WAY FORWARD

Embracing the Challenge, Making an Impact The Hartness family has helped shape the business and real estate landscape of Greenville, South Carolina, and beyond for four generations. “My

Greenville, SC, developer Sean Hartness (left) and his Ameris banker, Dustin Morris.

granddad moved here in 1940 and had an opportunity as a twenty-seven-year-old kid to open a Pepsi-Cola bottling franchise,” says Sean Hartness, CEO of Hartness Development and Hartness Construction.

“Greenville has been a great town to us.” The family’s portfolio has expanded exponentially over the generations, with properties ranging from luxury hotels and restaurants in Charleston and Greenville to an adaptive reuse project that includes the bottling plant where everything began.

Since 2016, Hartness Development has been crafting an innovative mixed-use, “new urban” community on the east side of Greenville. The 500-acre site—once the estate of a single family—ultimately will include more than 1,000 homes, a boutique hotel, retail businesses, and a 180-acre nature preserve. “From the inception of the project, Ameris Bank has played an integral role,” Sean says.

Such pioneering, large-scale development projects are complex and multi-layered, with a lot of unknown factors, creating challenges that many banks choose to avoid. “But Ameris jumped in with us,” Sean says.

“They are incredibly gracious and accommodating to work with in the reality of the world. And I think Ameris recognizes projects that will be good for the community.

They are wise and understanding of projects that are impactful.”

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Teammates in HR welcome new teammates at the New Hire Welcome Breakfast. (Left to right) Managing Director of HR Stephanie Huckaby, Courageous, Senior HR Business Partner Ben Phelps, and Talent Strategy Manager Farah Mahaffey.

Ameris was voted Best Bank in the 2024 Orlando’s Best Awards. (Left to right) awards host Brodie Tyler, Lake Mary Branch Manager Layla Anderson, Winter Garden Branch Manager Loreta Ortiz Delgado, and Central Florida Market President Joe Losch.

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engine working so well that we don’t have to do mergers CFO Nicole Stokes began work for Ameris in 2010.

and acquisitions in order to grow. Really, that goes back to the roots of this company. It’s all about working hard, taking care of customers, and doing what’s right.”

Preserving the Culture Every conversation about strategy harkens back to that foundational concept of providing financial peace of mind “one person at a time.” Nicole Stokes, chief financial officer, acknowledges the importance of maintaining that focus as the size of the corporation grows. “I think our biggest challenge is protecting our culture,” she says. “We can grow this bank, we can manage the bank, we can make our margin, we can make our efficiency ratio, we can serve our customers. But if we mess up our culture, we mess up so much more. We can’t serve our customers the

$27 billion institution shows what is possible with the right vision and leadership. As they prepare for all the challenges ahead, including contending with more and more sophisticated fraud, unpredictable national policies, and fluctuations in regulatory oversight, Ameris leaders are mindful of maintaining the culture that has gotten them this far. “Since the pandemic, the business cycles are shorter and the swings are bigger,” says Lawton Bassett, president. “We just have to plan for whatever might be thrown at us. We can make sure we have a very diversified book of business that can weather any storm. We’ll continue to look for strategic opportunities that can help advance the company, but our desire is to have the organic

Ameris Bank was a proud sponsor of the fifty-fifth annual Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race in 2024, with twenty Ameris employees participating.

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Jim LaHaise, Michael Pierson, Nicole Stokes, Palmer Proctor, and Ross Creasy participate in an ice cream social in 2025 to celebrate being named a Top Workplace by the Atlanta JournalConstitution.

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same way if our culture changes. You don’t have the kind

was a time when probably eight out of ten community

of success we have had without energized, excited people

bank presidents in South Georgia went through the

who want to serve their customers.

two-year C&S bank training program. No bank has a

“The best compliment I ever got was from a tough

training program like that today.” Also, Lee says, self-

investor,” Stokes adds. “He’s been very successful, but he has a reputation for asking very tough questions at the end of every quarter. He told me recently: ‘You guys do what you say you’re going to do. You never over-promise and under-deliver. Sometimes, if anything, you under-promise and over-deliver.’ That kind of mindset starts at the top. We set expectations and then we meet them.”

Looking ahead, the ever-shifting US labor market will continue to be a challenge, as fewer qualified people enter the job force every year. “It’s extremely difficult to recruit good people today, from the teller line to the top of the house,” says Michael Lee, regional president. “There

Chief Credit Officer Jon Edwards surprised Ameris executives one Christmas with a set of bobbleheads in their likeness. Each time a new exec joined the team, a new bobblehead would magically appear at a meeting. (Top row, left to right) Bill McKendry, Ross Creasy, and Jim LaHaise. (Bottom row, left to right) Lawton Bassett, Palmer Proctor, Nicole Stokes, Michael Pierson, Jody Spenser, and Doug Strange.

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very intentional, collaborative culture where we foster partnerships and working together,” he says. “a lot of

“ Ameris has a very intentional, collaborative culture where we foster partnerships and working together. A lot of banks have adopted very siloed approaches, where an individual or division ‘owns’ a client. Here, we really take a team approach and provide kind of white-glove service.”

Geary Kinnett Managing Director of Retail

service technology has changed the nature of many bank functions. “But we still do our best work when it’s a relationship,” he says. “I think that will always be the case, no matter how big we get. I think it serves us well never to forget that.”

Competition for customers is increasingly fierce, which drives innovation and creativity at every level of banking.

Geary Kinnett, managing director of retail, oversees 165 Ameris branches as well as two call centers and some of the bank’s support systems. “ Ameris has a 80

banks have adopted very siloed approaches, where an individual or division ‘owns’ a client. Here, we really take a team approach and provide kind of white-glove service.”

Kinnett spends much of his time on the road, visiting branches and hearing directly from frontline teammates.

“That’s where we get our greatest insights,” he says. “What they’re hearing from our customers really helps us make sure that we’re focused on the right things.”

Regardless of any technology upgrades Ameris offers, one thing will remain a constant—customers still need to feel a personal connection to the bank. When they call or walk into an Ameris branch, they will always feel they’re with someone they can trust—a guide to help them find the correct solution for their particular situation. continued on page 84 The Ameris Bank branch in Savannah, Georgia.

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A customer visits the Savannah, Georgia, Ameris Bank branch.

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OURBank LEGACY IS NOW THE STORY AMERIS BANK SINCE 1971 The Ameris headquarters on Piedmonth Road NEOF in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Ameris was voted Best Bank in South Carolina’s “The State’s Best” awards in 2025.

continued from page 80

The cost of keeping up with technology will continue to be a challenge, says Vickie Gordon, manager of corporate retail operations in Jacksonville. “To be better, it costs

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“During COVID, there was a mass exodus from the West Coast and even the Northeast. Everybody moved to the Southeast, right into our markets.”

Richard Sturm, market president for North and South

money,” Gordon says. Geographically, Ameris Bank is well-

Carolina, joined Ameris in 2006, literally making the first

positioned for continued growth, according to former stock

loan and bringing in the first deposit in Columbia. “It was

analyst Brady Gailey, now executive director of corporate

obviously very hands-on,” he recalls. “I actually had to go

development. “We are in very good markets,” he says.

out and make it rain.” Now that Ameris is established in the

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major Carolina cities, Sturm sees unlimited possibilities for

“I look at Ameris as a co-op of community banks,” Steen

growth. His strategy? “Just buckle your shoes and hang

adds. “We’re leveraging the power of our size to bring

on,” he says. “We’re getting down to work and building it

better innovation and technologies that a lot of small banks

one client at a time.”

can’t do. But at the same time, each market president still

Julie Dargani was hired in 2024 to lead the middle-

runs their branch like a small community bank, because

market banking strategy in North Carolina and was

that’s still a key component of what makes us different.”

quickly promoted to Charlotte market president. “I’m a

Dawn McKendry, technology lead on Steen’s learning

builder at heart,” she says. “I have built businesses like

and development team, has been with Ameris since 2011.

this in the past, and I’m excited to do it here. The most

She is renowned for wearing fake beards, mustaches, or

important thing is to be nimble, so we’re not stuck in

funny hats—including one shaped like a full-size turkey—to

a box. We want to open the box up and explore new

keep teammates engaged and entertained during online

ideas and concepts. First, we need to build our name

training sessions. “One of the greatest things about Ameris

recognition and get our foot in the door. The secret to that

is that everyone has rights of empowerment,” she says. “If

is having a high-performing team that knows the Ameris

you have a good idea, just work on it and present it, and

brand and can go out and educate the community. And

someone will listen to you. That doesn’t happen everywhere.

that is what we’re doing.”

That sets Ameris apart. Every bank is competitive, but the thing that really needs to be different is still the people—

‘Someone Will Listen’

how they treat one another. There’s a loyalty that sits with a culture like that. That’s what anchors me the most.”

Wilson Steen, manager of learning and development (and a champion barbecue chef in his spare time), has been with

Salesforce training launched in phases with an Olympic-style torch relay symbolizing teamwork and leading the way to full bankwide adoption.

Ameris since the company purchased eighteen Bank of America locations in 2015. He had fifteen years of experience at BOA, including as a branch manager in High Springs, Florida, the small town where he grew up and continues to live. Since the acquisition, he has created Ameris Bank’s Leadership Development Program. “On my team, we don’t go out and sell loans, bring in deposits, or do the things that drive revenue, but we can be force multipliers. How do we empower the people who are doing that to be more efficient, to get even better at what they do? We have a whole backlog of ways that we want to explore to impact the company more.

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‘A Family Mindset and Long-Term Perspective’ Suhas Uppalapati, founder and managing partner of

“Ameris consistently goes above and beyond, across

Provest Equity in Atlanta, has a dynamic record of building,

its full range of service offerings, while proactively

scaling, and successfully exiting multiple businesses.

introducing new solutions as our needs evolve,” Suhas

“We view Ameris Bank as a true partner in our growth,”

says. “The Ameris team feels like an extension of my

Suhas says. The seasoned entrepreneur has banked

business family. We have open and candid discussions

with Ameris for nearly a decade, taking full advantage of

about business strengths, opportunities, and risks well

the commercial banking group’s comprehensive suite of

before launching new projects—ensuring strong alignment

treasury, investment, and financing services, from fraud

from the outset. Working with a bank that operates with a

prevention and remote deposits to lines of credit and

family mindset and long-term perspective enables us to

lockbox accounts.

confidently expand into new markets where we can make a meaningful impact.”

Atlanta entrepreneur Suhas Uppalapati considers his Ameris team “an extension of my business family.”

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In 2018, a state-of-the-art concert venue in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta was rebranded as Ameris Bank Amphitheatre.

CHAPTER FIVE ‘FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT THINGS’—THE WAY FORWARD

‘There Is Potential for Growth Here’

growth here. You get loyalty when you treat people right.”

Sometimes that loyalty is generational, as children and

Loyalty manifests in multiple ways throughout the Ameris

grandchildren of teammates and board members remain

universe. At every organizational level, there are team

affiliated with Ameris. Will Redding, a commercial real estate

members who have worked there for decades, often moving

portfolio manager, was the first official Ameris intern in 2017.

from entry-level jobs to top leadership roles. “We encourage

Then a rising sophomore at the University of Alabama,

employees to seek out new ways of doing things,” says

Redding was able to visit every division and learn from

Denise Inman, risk manager for human resources in St.

professionals on the job. “It was a tremendous experience,”

Augustine, Florida. “A lot of companies say that, but they

says Redding, who comes from solid banking stock. He is

don’t really mean it. But Ameris really values that kind of

the grandson of Billy Fallin, the original and longest-serving

creativity. I would say it’s even an expectation.”

counsel for Ameris. “I was wearing our bank’s T-shirt when

Lea Harvin, senior vice president and retail area manager

I was growing up,” he says. “My twin brother and I grew up

in Tifton, says that Ameris has always prioritized promoting

fishing with my dad, my grandfather, and Jack Hunnicutt.

from within. “I’m a product of promotion from within, and

That group of people—everybody surrounding my

a lot of my branch managers started as tellers,” she says.

grandfather—very much had a head-down work ethic. There

“That is significant to be able to share with someone who’s

was no gray area. You do what’s right, what’s expected of

coming on board to let them see that there is potential for

you, what you’re responsible for. End of story.”

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Ameris Bank leaders attended the grand opening of the bank’s new branch in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. (Left to right) President Lawton Bassett, Retail Area Manager Suzanne Haven, Managing Director of Retail Banking Geary Kinnett, CEO Palmer Proctor, and Jacksonville Market President Lou Noir-Jones (front with scissors).

88

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author and editorial advisors wish to thank everyone who shared their time and insights to help us tell the story of Ameris Bank. All of these contributors provided invaluable knowledge and context to this project.

Mary Jane Alonzo Charles Arwood Lisa Banister Lorena Barhite Lawton Bassett Linda Bell Heidi Bennett Julie Bhavnani Jeanie Blanc Janice Bounds Melody Burr Bryan Bustle Tab Bustle Tyler Bustle Clay Cannon Alejandra Cardenas Louis Cardenas Millard Choate Scott Cleveland Sue Cole Susan Cosper Ross Creasy Karen Cross Julie Dargani Tim DeMott

Debbie Dominey Jemea Dorsey Jennifer Earnest Liz Earnest Jon Edwards Barbara Fallin Bretta and Nic Farina Brady Gailey Susan Glass Vickie Gordon Allen Green Sean Hartness Lea Harvin Stephanie Huckaby Robert “Plenn” Hunnicutt Denise Inman Dan Jeter Barbara Jones Lyndy Jones Geary Kinnett Elna Klein-Kolarich Randi Kramer Christen Landrum Michael Lee Pattie Lee Cindi Lewis Katie Lopez Josh Lovett Jim Maddox James Matney Allen McCorvey Mayor William (Bill) M. McIntosh Dawn McKendry

Scott Mentz Bryan Merrill Chris Misamore Jackie Mise Patrick Mobley Preston Mobley Dustin Morris Kenny Moss Robert Odom Lea Pate Nila Patel Michael Pierson Bridgette Prise H. Palmer Proctor Jr. Vivian Rapoport Will Redding Heidi Roberts Tommy Rowell Brooks Sheldon Tanya Skipper Jolly Stearns Wilson Steen Nicole Stokes Richard Sturm Suhas Uppalapati Beth Weldon Tricia Willis Sydnee Wilson Meredith Wood Tommy Wyatt Jinsong Yang

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INDEX Page numbers in italics indicate photos

A ABC (American Banking Company).

See American Banking Company (ABC) ABC Bancorp, 21, 24, 25, 31 ABC Holding Co., 21 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, 8 Alabama, acquisitions in, 22, 25 Albany, Georgia, 40, 51 Alonzo, Mary Jane, 51, 51 Alpharetta, Georgia, 87 American Banking Company (ABC) acquisitions by, 21–22, 25, 59 Ameris Bank’s beginnings as, 1, 3–4, 6, 9 as a major agricultural banker, 11–12 at shareholder meeting swearing-in ceremony, 16–17 changing name on main office building, 20 Christmas party, 18 community service by, 61 Fallin as attorney and counsel for, 15 firsts at, 22, 27 flyers for, 1, 4 1987 building, 29 original building, 19 relationship with JCI Contractors, 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony for, 5 technology over the years at, 31 American Heart Association, 61 Ameris Bancorp, 21 Ameris Bank acquisitions by, 29–31, 35–36, 40, 43–44, 55, 85 as a community bank, 55

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as a major agricultural banker, 52, 52, 54 as Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top Workplace, 78 as Orlando’s Best Awards’ Best Bank, 76 as Peachtree Road Race sponsor, 77 as South Carolina’s “The State’s Best” Best Bank, 84 beginnings as ABC Bank, 1–2, 4, 6–8, 12 Blountstown, Florida, branch groundbreaking, 70 bobbleheads of executives at, 79 building relationships with their customers, 55, 58–59 changing name on main office building, 20 coloring book, 68 community service by, 61–63, 65, 68, 70 creating a mortgage group, 39 culture of, 40, 77, 80 current leadership of, 48–49 donations by, 62, 69 during COVID-19, 47, 47, 51 employees’ love of, 31 evolution of, 73–74 50th anniversary marketing piece, 44 future growth of, 84–85, 87 headquarters in Atlanta, 42, 82–83 headquarters in Jacksonville, 41 InspiredU event, 60 Jacksonville, Florida, branch opening, 88 lending philosophy of, 36 lion as symbol of, 46, 68 merger of Fidelity and, 40, 43–44, 70, 74 1995 board of directors, 35 Old Piedmont (Marietta, Georgia) branch, 59

park plans of, 66–67 partnership with United Way, 65 personalization at, 50 Quitman Highway (Moultrie, Georgia) branch groundbreaking, x–xi rebrand from ABC Bancorp to, 25, 29 relationship with the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, 71 relationship with The Chef’s Garden, 28 relationship with Hartness Development and Hartness Construction, 75 relationship with JCI Contractors, 13 relationship with McKinley Homes, 53 relationship with Mobley Greenhouses, 34 relationship with Provest Equity, 86 relationship with Puddle Jumper Pups, 64 relationship with ServiceMaster of Camden, 45 relationship with Talpa Supermarkets, 38 Roswell Road (Atlanta, Georgia) branch, 55 Savannah, Georgia, branch, 80, 81 sign, 22 Vereen portrait hanging at Moultrie branch of, 72 Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, 87 Ameris Bank Medical Education Center, 63 Ameris Foundation, 68, 70 Ameris Mortgage Services, 39 Anderson, Layla, 76 Arwood, Charles F., 1 Atlanta, Georgia, 25, 40–44, 53, 71, 82, 86–87 The Atlanta Journal [newspaper], 3 Atlanta Journal-Constitution [newspa-

INDEX per], 77–78 Auburn University, 13 Augusta, Georgia, 64

B Balboa Capital, 55 Banister, Lisa, 58 Bank of America (BOA), 40, 85 Bank of Quitman, 21 BankSouth, 25 Barhite, Lorena “Red,” 9, 9, 61 Bassett, Lawton as part of current leadership, 49 at Blountstown, Florida, branch groundbreaking, 70 at Jacksonville, Florida, branch opening, 88 bobblehead of, 79 headshot, 62 on ABC/Ameris as a community bank, 1 on Ameris community service, 65 on Ameris culture, 77 on organic growth, 44 Bell, Linda, 59, 59 Best Bank, Orlando’s Best Awards, 76 Best Bank, South Carolina “The State’s Best” awards, 84 Bhavnani, Julie, 63, 63 Big Bend, Florida, 51 Blanc, Jeanie, 58 Blountstown, Florida, 70 Blountstown, Florida, branch groundbreaking, 70 BOA (Bank of America), 40, 85 Board of Directors, ABC Bank, 18 Board of Directors, Ameris Bank, 35 bobbleheads, executive, 79 Bounds, Janice, 28 Brookhaven, Georgia, 38 Brooks County, Georgia, 21 Buckhead District (Atlanta, Georgia), 42

Burr, Melody, 64, 64 Bustle, Bryan, 8, 8 Bustle, Renley, 8 Bustle, Tab, 8, 8 Bustle, Tyler, 8, 8 Bustle Farms, 8

C C&S (Citizens & Southern) Bank, 3, 11, 79 Cairo, Georgia, 59 Cairo Banking Company, 22, 59 Cannon, Clay, 71, 71 Cardenas, Alejandra, 38, 38 Cardenas, Louis, 38 Carl the Cow, 13 Carnegie Library, 15 Center for Black Women’s Wellness, 71 Central Bank & Trust, 22 Charleston, South Carolina, 75 Charlotte, North Carolina, 85 Charlton County, Georgia, 45 checks, counter, 36 Cheers [TV show], 45 The Chef’s Garden (The Chef’s Garden Catering & Events), 28 Cheney, Andy, 37, 48 Choate, Millard, 55, 58, 58 Citizens & Southern (C&S) Bank, 3, 11, 79 Citizens Bank of Tifton, 21, 25, 40 Clark, Joe, x–xi Clay County, Florida, 57 clerical technology, 10 Cleveland, Scott, 38 The Coastal Bank, 40 coins, trays for rolled, 6 Cole, Sue, 47, 47 coloring book, Ameris, 68 Colquitt County Courthouse, 9 Colquitt County, Georgia, 11, 18, 27, 34, 52

Colquitt Regional Medical Center, 63 Columbia, South Carolina, 84 Coolidge, Georgia, 8 Cordele, Georgia, 22 Cosper, Susan, 29 Courageous Fund, 70 Courageous the Lion [character], 68, 70, 76 COVID-19, Ameris during, 47, 47, 51, 84 Cox, Frank, 7–8 Crawford, Tammy, 65 Creasy, Ross, 47, 48, 78, 79 Cross, Karen, 53 Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, 28 Customer Appreciation Day, 54

D Dargani, Julie, 85 DeKalb County, Georgia, 68 DeMott, Marc, 30 DeMott, Tim, 7, 7 DeMott Farms Produce, 7 Dodge County Hospital, 62 Doerun, Georgia, 21 Dole, 7 Dominey, Debbie, 39–40 Donalsonville, Georgia, 22 donations by Ameris, 62, 69 Dorsey, Jemea, 71, 71 Dothan, Alabama, 54, 58

E Earnest, Jennifer, 28, 28 Earnest, Lizabeth “Liz,” 28, 28 Edwards, Jon, 36, 37, 79 Everfi, 68

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INDEX F Fallin, Barbara, 15, 15 Fallin, Billy, 15, 15, 16, 18, 87 Farina, Bretta, 64, 64 Farina, Nic, 64, 64 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), 4, 29, 35–36 Federal Reserve, 39 Fidelity Southern Corporation (Fidelity Bank), 40, 43–44, 46–47, 55, 70, 74 50th anniversary marketing piece, 44 Florida, acquisitions in, 25, 36 Fordham, Vickie, 62

G Gailey, Brady, 43, 55, 84 Georgia, acquisitions in, 36 Georgia Express ATM, 22, 23, 26–27, 32–33 Georgia HEART Hospital Program, 62 Georgia Institute of Technology, 53 Georgia Trend [magazine], 2, 25, 29 gifts, customer, 25, 40 Glass, Susan, 4, 34, 52, 54 Gordon, Vickie, 84 Great Recession of 2008, 36, 55 Greenville, South Carolina, 75 Grimsley, Garrett, 69 Gwinnett County, Georgia, 68

H Habitat for Humanity, 57, 65 Hamrick, Jan, 62 Hartness, Sean, 75, 75 Hartness Construction, 75 Hartness Development, 75 Harvin, Lea, 35, 87 Haven, Suzanne, 88 Helping Fight Hunger, 65 High Springs, Florida, 85

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Hinesville, Georgia, 62 Hortman, Edwin W. “Ed” Jr. acquisitions by, 31, 39 annual report, photo of on, 31 as Ameris CEO, 74 on ABC/Ameris as a community bank, 31 on bank rebranding, 29 2007 photo, 30 2009 photo, 37 Howard, Brandi, 70 Huckaby, Stephanie, 76 Humber, Julie, 39 Hunnicutt, Kenneth “Jack” acquisitions by, 25 advertising 24-hour banking services, 22 as Ameris CEO, 74 as first president of ABC Bank, 3–4, 6, 11, 13 at ABC Bank’s opening day, 14 at shareholder meeting swearing-in ceremony, 16 Barhite on, 9 death of, 1 Georgia Trend magazine, photo for, 2 headshot, 6 lending philosophy of, 36 partnering with Billy Fallin as bank attorney and counsel, 15 teaching business to the next generation, 12–13, 87 2007 photo, 30 Hunnicutt, Robert “Plenn,” 12, 12 Hunter, Joe, 39

I Inman, Denise, 87 InspiredU event, 60

J Jacksonville, Florida, 28, 40–41, 58, 84, 88 The Jacksonville Bank, 40 JCI Contractors, 13 Jekyll Island Club, 39 Jeter, Dan, 36, 39, 73–74 Jones, Barbara, 13 Jones, Lyndy, x, 13 Jones, Lynn, 13 Jones, Tony, 39

K Kentucky Fried Chicken, 7 Kinnett, Geary, 70, 80, 88 Kramer, Randi, 45, 45

L LaHaise, Jim, 48, 59, 78, 79 Landrum, Christen, 45 Lasseter, Willard E., xi Lee, Michael, 55, 79 Lee, Pattie, 47 Lewis, Cindi, 30, 31, 37, 68 lion as symbol of Ameris, 46, 68 Lion’s Pride Business Networking, 59 logo, Ameris, 46 Lombardo, Guy, 18 Losch, Joe, 76 Lovett, Josh, 1, 52, 63

M M&S Bank, 40 Mahaffey, Farah, 76 mail distribution, 40 Matney, James “Jim,” 63, 63 McCorvey, Allen, 8, 8 McIntosh, William “Bill” M. (Mayor), x, 18 McKendry, Dawn, 85 McKendry, William “Bill,” 48, 79

INDEX McKinley Homes, 53 Melton, Steve, 37 Mentz, Scott, 45 Merchants & Farmers Bank, 21–22 Merritt, Donnie, 20, 31 Miller, James B. Jr., 44 Mise, Jackie, 4, 6 Mobley, John, 34 Mobley, Mark, 34 Mobley, Mike, 34 Mobley, Patrick, 34, 34 Mobley, Preston, 34, 34 Mobley Greenhouses, 34 Morris, Dustin, 75 Moss, Kenny, 54 Moultrie, Georgia ABC Bank/Ameris’s beginnings in, 1, 3–4, 6, 47 Ameris Bank Medical Education Center in, 63 Ameris during COVID-19, 51 as one of the top-producing farming areas in Georgia, 11–13, 52 bank firsts in, 22–23 changing name on main office building in, 20 community service in, 68, 70 DeMott Farms Produce in, 7 expanding ABC Bank beyond, 21, 25, 29 Georgia Express ATM grand opening in, 23 Mobley Greenhouses in, 34 original ABC building in, 19 Quitman Highway branch groundbreaking, x–xi Vereen portrait hanging at branch in, 72, 73 veteran tribute statue in, 74 Moultrie County, Georgia, 18 Moultrie Downtown Development Authority, 66–67 Moultrie Tomorrow, 66–67 Mount McKinley, 53

N Nasdaq, 25, 73 New Hire Welcome Breakfast, 76 New York Stock Exchange, 73 Noir-Jones, Lou, 88 Norm [Cheers character], 45

O Odom, Robert S., 39, 39 Old Piedmont (Marietta, Georgia) branch, 59 Olympics, 85 Orlando’s Best Awards, 76 Ortiz Delgado, Loreta, 76 Osborne, Grady, 30

P Packard Capital, 58 Panama City, Florida, 51 Parton, Dolly, 9 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), 47 Peachtree Road Race, 77 Pepsi-Cola, 75 Perry, C. Sam, 25 Perry, Jane, 25 personalization at Ameris, 50 Phelps, Ben, 76 Pierson, Michael T., 44, 48, 78, 79 PPP (Paycheck Protection Program), 47 Prise, Bridgette, 51, 70 Proctor, H. Palmer Jr. as Ameris CEO, 74 as part of current leadership, 48 as part of park plan committee, 67 at Jacksonville, Florida, branch opening, 88 at Top Workplace award celebration, 78 bobblehead of, 79

on ABC/Ameris as a community bank, 1 on Ameris community service, 70 on Ameris-Fidelity merger, 43 with Ameris logo, 70 with statue of his grandfather, 74 Prosperity Bank, 40 Provest Equity, 86 Puddle Jumper Pups, 64

Q Quitman Highway (Moultrie, Georgia) branch groundbreaking, x–xi

R rate booklet, 9 Redding, Will, 87 Reeves, Hinton, 74 Relay for Life, 65 ribbon-cutting ceremony for ABC Bank, 5 Roberts, Heidi, 58, 58 Roswell Road (Atlanta, Georgia) branch, 55 Rowell, Lonny G., 11–12 Rowell, Tommy, 11–12, 12

S Sam’s Club, 40 Savannah, Georgia, 80–81 ServiceMaster of Camden, 45 shareholder meeting swearing-in ceremony, 16–17 Sheldon, Brooks, xi, 11, 11, 25, 25 Shook, Shane, 62 sign, bank, 22 Skipper, Tanya, 58 Small Business Administration, 45 South Carolina, acquisitions in, 25 Southland Bank, 22 Spencer, Jody, 49, 79

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INDEX St. Augustine, Florida, 87 statement of condition, ABC Bank, 15 “The State’s Best” awards, South Carolina, 84 statue, veteran tribute, 74 Steen, Wilson, 85 Stokes, Nicole, 49, 77, 77, 78, 79, 79 Strange, Doug, 79 Strickland, Lisa, 65 “Stuff the Bus” campaign, 65 Sturm, Richard, 84–85

T “Takeover in Tifton” [Georgia Trend article], 25, 29 Talpa Supermarkets, 38, 38 Thomas County, Georgia, 21 Thompson, Ray, 70 Tift County, Georgia, 25 Tifton, Georgia, 15, 35, 87 Toney Brothers Bank, 21 Top Workplace, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 78 Tyler, Brodie, 76

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U United Way, 65 University of Alabama, 87 University of Georgia, 34 Uppalapati, Suhas, 86, 86 U.S. Premium Finance (USPF), 55

V Valdosta, Georgia, 15 vault key, 12 Vereen, Eugene M. “Gene” Jr. (“Big Daddy”) acquisitions by, 25 as president of ABC Holding Co., 21 at ABC Bank’s opening day, 14 at shareholder meeting swearing-in ceremony, 16 creating a bank for the future, 3, 6, 11 death of, 1 displaying resolution, 25 Georgia Trend magazine, photo for, 2 headshot, 1 kindness and leadership of, 18

paying tribute to WWII veterans, 74 portrait of, 72, 73 teaching business to the next generation, 12 Vidalia, Georgia, 65

W Wellness & Pearls, 71 Willis, Tricia, 45 Wood, Meredith, 45 World War II, 74 Wright, Robert “Bob” Jr., 6, 6, 14, 17 Wyatt, Tommy, 30, 35–36, 35

Y Yang, Jinsong, 53, 53

Z Zember, Dennis, 37, 39, 74