SUE ANN GUTHMAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Branch Manager
- Retail Branch Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer
- Business Development Officer for BankSouth
Andrew Patten serves as the Business Development Officer for BankSouth in the Lake Oconee area. Originally from Lakeland, Georgia, Andrew attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a BBA in Economics.
Andrew joined BankSouth in 2019 and has served in several roles including banker and teller roles. As Business Development Officer, he works to develop new banking relationships and enhance existing business relationships in the Greene County and Lake Oconee area. Andrew is very involved in the community and regularly attends events in support of BankSouth's local business and non-profit community.
Andrew enjoys meeting customers, learning about their lives and businesses, and creating a plan of action to help them succeed financially and add value to their businesses.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys playing golf, hunting, and skiing.
"Andrew Patten provided exceptional customer service, great communication from him and other staff."
Contact Andrew to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of BankSouth 's Board of Directors
Bobby serves as Vice Chair of BankSouth's Board of Directors. He began his banking career in 1961 with Citizens and Southern Bank in Atlanta. He retired in 2005 after 38 years of employment with BankSouth. He is experienced in all phases of commercial banking and various leadership positions, having previously served as President and CEO of BankSouth. He has served on BankSouth's Board of Directors since 1967 and is the former Chairman of the BankSouth Foundation.
Job Titles:
- VP, Commercial Relationship Manager
Chan Layson is a commercial lender at BankSouth's Lake Oconee office. A native of Putnam County, Chan has been in the banking industry for almost 10 years. With an initial career start in SBA lending, Chan has more than 8 years of commercial lending experience. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia Banking School and will graduate from Louisiana State University's Graduate School of Banking in 2021.
Chan prides himself on a customer centric approach to lending with a focus on the Golden Rule. Chan is very active in the Lake Oconee community, serving as a Past President of the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties, where he currently serves as Treasurer, and a board member for 2nd Harvest. Chan resides in Greene County with his wife and two kids. In his spare time, he enjoys running and playing golf.
David Holmes has been a mainstay in the mortgage industry for more than 30 years, each of which has been driven by a commitment to helping create the reality of home ownership for thousands of people, which remains a pillar of the American Dream. An integral part of the Atlanta mortgage banking industry, David has held senior level management and executive positions in risk management, secondary marketing, operations, project management, and production. His career arc allows him to better understand the entire industry, which benefits BankSouth Mortgage's internal team as much as our clients. As BankSouth Mortgage's Chief Operating Officer, David is tasked with leading our strategic efforts and our endeavors within capital markets. Like each executive team member at BankSouth Mortgage, he seeks to continue to lead and participate in an innovative lending company that is adapting to the new digital world, all while maintaining a positive environment for employees where each one has the ability to thrive. David is an Atlanta native, and outside of work, he can be found spending time with his wife Sara - the smartest, prettiest person he's ever met - their two daughters, and his grandson, C.J. When David isn't working, he enjoys spending his time with his grandson, reading, traveling, and watching sports, most notably the Georgia Bulldogs and the Atlanta Braves. David lives in Marietta and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Georgia State University.
Dedia Vinson began her career as a mortgage lending professional in 1985 while living along Georgia's coast and has spent the majority of her career working for local community banks holding past positions of Loan Officer, Production Manager and Assistant Vice President. After serving as a lender in the middle Georgia area for 10 years, Dedia joined BankSouth in 2001 as a mortgage loan officer. She currently holds the position of Vice President, Relationship Manager at BankSouth's Lake Oconee office, where she originates consumer real estate loans.
Dedia's background working for community banks throughout her career allowed her to gain a wealth of knowledge of all aspects of the loan process from origination, processing, underwriting, closing, post-closing, compliance and more. This overall experience in consumer lending allows Dedia to share her knowledge with her customers and co-workers to help guide them through the loan approval process, striving to ensure a smooth transaction from application to closing for all involved. Her relationships with her customers demonstrate her commitment to providing an excellent overall banking experience by introducing her customers to other BankSouth services to fulfill their banking and lending needs.
Dedia's expertise in mortgage lending has earned her recognition as the recipient of Platinum and Gold Awards for excellence in mortgage banking production, continuing education and professional ethics by the Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia.
Contact Dedia to learn more about how she can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Eric Fletcher serves as Market President in the Watkinsville and Athens area. Serving in the banking industry for more than 23 years, Eric has a great perspective his customers tend to rely on for advice on best practices as their financial needs change over the years.
Eric serves his customers and helps each one succeed financially by listening and helping them structure their finances in a way that will add value to their lives. He enjoys discussions with his clients that help them gain understanding of their specific needs and how BankSouth can help them accomplish their goals. He finds great joy in getting to know his clients and having the opportunity to play a part in their continued success.
Contact Eric to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Frances is a retired educator with more than 25 years in the education field. She has served as VP, Marketing Officer and Branch Manager for BankSouth and has served as a board of director for the past 25 years. Frances also serves on the board for the BankSouth Foundation.
Gene has more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry having served in multiple roles across retail banking, commercial banking, marketing and executive management. He is the founder of C.G. Kirby Partners, LLC Consulting Firm. Gene is the former chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association and former President of New Alliance Bank in New Haven, Connecticut.
Accomplished Executive Officer with 30 years of leadership in both bank owned and independent residential mortgage entities, George Phelps has a strong background of building both retail and wholesale sales forces with emphasis on technology, quality and teamwork. His strengths include corporate leadership, strategic planning, growing a company organically, team building and using technology to drive constant business process improvement.
Job Titles:
- Chairman and CEO of BankSouth
- Member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
With more than 30 years in the banking industry, Harold serves as Chairman and CEO of BankSouth. Harold is also a member of the Board of Regents of The University System of Georgia representing the 10th Congressional District and serves as Past Chairman of the State Board of Georgia Technical Colleges. He is also a member of Georgia Tech Young Engineers Hall of Fame.
Job Titles:
- Relationship Manager
- Vice President, Commercial and Consumer Relationship Manager of the Savannah Market for BankSouth
Dedicated to offering high-level service and expertise, Heather Peloquin is Vice President, Commercial and Consumer Relationship Manager of the Savannah Market for BankSouth.
With over twenty years in the financial services industry, Heather is experienced in offering core consumer and commercial banking solutions to match the financial goals of her clients. She is devoted to building solid relationships with internal lines of business partners to deliver exceptional results.
Heather meets with new clients to understand their needs and then creates customized product and service solutions to address those needs. She partners with BankSouth Mortgage to help provide the bank's varied financial opportunities to clients in the Savannah area.
Contact Heather to learn more about how she can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Jamie has served as a BankSouth Board of Director since 1981. With experience in real estate investment, banking and the timber industry, he was one of the developers of Reynolds Lake Oconee. He currently serves as a board member for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the Georgia Board of Industry, Trade and Tourism, and Past Chair of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Division for Georgia.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Chairman and CEO of Piedmont Water Company
Jerry is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Piedmont Water Company and the Past COO of Seyfarth Shaw, an international law firm with 2,000 employees based in Chicago. He has served in leadership positions with commercial and residential mortgage banking organizations and is a former member of the Advisory Board for the Federal National Mortgage Association.
Contact Jim to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
John Hunt, graduate of Samford University with a BA in Finance/Economics, is the principal of MarketNsight and president of ViaSearch. Since 1995, John has been analyzing the real estate market across the nation. He worked with the team that predicted the housing downturn as early as September 2005, when letters went out to clients stating that a "Housing Downturn is Imminent!" John is a regular speaker at the Georgia State Economic Forecasting Center's quarterly conference. When the NAHB projected 977,000 single-family starts nationally and 30,000 for Atlanta in 2016, John went against conventional thinking at the February quarterly conference and accurately predicted 780,000 and 23,000 starts respectively.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer
- Business Development Officer & Consumer Lender
Jordan Dorsey serves as a Business Development Officer & Consumer Lender in Savannah, GA. He is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
Jordan strives to help serve his customers in every way possible, through deposit accounts, cash management, business online banking and consumer lending services. He enjoys the banking industry because it allows him to work in the field of finance, while also helping individuals fulfill opportunities through different financial products and services. He believes banking is community-oriented and enjoys building new relationships with individuals and businesses in the area. Being born and raised in Savannah, GA, the historic town holds a special place in his life.
Before his role as Business Development Officer & Consumer Lender, Jordan worked as a Credit Analyst for BankSouth. The loan underwriting and analytic skills developed in his previous role gives him the edge to provide sound financial advice.
In his free time, Jordan enjoys being out on the boat with his wife, playing golf, and flying RC airplanes.
Contact Jordan to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Kay Ford - CEO, President
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- Chief Banking Officer
Formerly serving as Chief Banking Officer for BankSouth and President and CEO of SunTrust Bank in Savannah, Georgia, Kay has more than 40 years of experience in banking and wealth management. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the United Way, the Memorial Health Foundation, Memorial Health Medical Center, Savannah Fund for Excellence in Education, Big Brothers Big Sisters and St. Mary's Home. She is also the Chairman of the BankSouth Savannah Advisory Board.
Dynamic, dedicated, and driven, Kim Nelson's sales record speaks for itself. With more than 25 years' experience as an award-winning sales executive, Kim has demonstrated phenomenal success driving billion-dollar sales growth and is a veritable leader at improving sales team performance. Kim's work ethic is highly regarded, and she is known by clients and business partners for her loyalty, tenacity, and unstoppable drive to succeed. Kim has been named a "Phenomenon" by one of the nation's top speakers and sales trainers, 24-year industry veteran Doug Smith. After more than two decades of serving the mortgage industry and reaching annual production volume exceeding 2 billion, Kim's dream of owning her own business came to fruition in 2008 when she launched BankSouth Mortgage. Since inception, BankSouth Mortgage has achieved over 2 billion in annual production volume and has earned the #1 spot for purchase market share and new construction purchase market share in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country. In addition, the company has consistently been recognized as an Atlanta Business Chronicle's Best Places to Work. With twelve offices throughout Georgia and South Carolina, BankSouth Mortgage continues to grow and thrive. In 2016, Nelson was recently named a 2016 "Woman Who Means Business" by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for making a difference in her community, trail blazing for others, and leaving a mark on business in Atlanta. Kim continuously demonstrates unmatched vision, determination, and leadership and is a role model to the BankSouth family for her constant pursuit of excellence. Nelson and her husband have two children and reside in Buckhead.
Job Titles:
- Market President
- Savannah Market City President
With over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, Laura Moore currently serves as the Savannah Market City President for BankSouth. Laura assumed this position in 2015 when BankSouth reopened in Savannah. As Savannah's Market President, Laura leads her team of bankers and lenders in nurturing client relationships and providing financial services to serve the banking and lending needs of the families and small business community in Savannah.
Prior to joining BankSouth, Laura served as a commercial lender and business development officer for both national and local banks in the Savannah and Atlanta area. She attended the University of Georgia and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in International Business. During her career in the banking industry, Laura has graduated from management training programs, as well as Leadership Savannah and Leadership Georgia, where she acquired personal and professional development while exploring the needs and resources and in Savannah and the state of Georgia.
Laura enjoys being active in her local Savannah community serving on various boards that include Treasurer for Educate Chatham, Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Vice Chairman of the World Trade Center Board and Leadership Savannah's board.
Contact Laura to learn more about how she can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer
- Business Development Officer at BankSouth
Lorie Petersen serves as VP, Business Development Officer at BankSouth in the Watkinsville-Oconee and Athens area. Lorie grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia, then graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree.
After more than 13 years in the pharmaceutical sales industry in the Atlanta area, Lorie joined BankSouth in 2013 where she specializes in recruiting new business banking relationships and expanding business customers relationships primarily in the Oconee County and Athens area. Lorie's goal is to "be there" for her customers. She is known for her attention to details and providing exceptional service to her customers.
Lorie is highly involved in her local community, serving on a several boards and committees with the following organizations: Oconee County Chamber of Commerce, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, Extra Special People, United Way, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, North Oconee Rotary, University of North Georgia - Oconee Campus, Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership, Athens Area Association of Realtors, and Athens Area Home Builders Association. Being involved in the community and volunteering for these organizations is one of Lorie's greatest passions. Over the years, she has also been involved in the Oconee County School system as an active parent volunteer.
Lorie and her husband, Mark, have lived in Oconee County for over 18 years. They have two adult daughters, Allie and Eliza, along with a new son-in-law, Adam. They have a precious black pug named Pearl! They are members of Athens First United Methodist Church. In her free time, Lorie enjoys running and traveling - especially spending time at the beach and at their mountain home in Franklin, North Carolina. Contact Lorie today for your banking needs!
Contact Lorie to learn more about how she can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Luke is a Partner with APG Emerging Tech. Previously, he spent ten years with Truist Bank focusing on operational risk mitigation, third-party management oversight, and identifying and growing emerging technologies. Before that, Luke served as Director, Retail Payments at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Luke has held Board Member positions associated with Charles R. Drew Charter School and Duke University.
Marguerite worked for Chipman-Union, Inc. for 20 years with experience in manufacturing, engineering, systems and marketing and later served as a marketing and systems consultant. Marguerite has served on BankSouth's Board of Directors for more than 25 years.
Job Titles:
- Market President at BankSouth
Michael Leonard is the Market President at BankSouth in Atlanta, Georgia. As the Atlanta Market President, Michael works diligently to make sure each customer is provided with the best possible financial advice and customer service when being serviced both consumer and commercial banking and lending solutions by his team of bankers and lenders.
Michael also works very closely with BankSouth Mortgage partners to provide ancillary products customers may need during their homebuying experience such as Bridge Loans, HELOCs, Lot Loans and Construction Loans - as well as checking and saving products.
Michael began his career in the banking industry in 1983 working part-time while attending Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, FL. When working with Michael, customers appreciate his level of experience. Michael is a graduate of the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. During his career, he has held positions in most areas of banking including, but not limited to consumer, retail and small business and commercial lending, mortgage lending, new account opening, merchant services and retail branch management. Because of his diverse experience, his customers depend on him as a reliable and responsive resource - keeping them updated in a timely matter on any issues they may have or the progress of their loan or deposit transactions.
In his community, Michael has had the privilege of working with the Community Sustainability Enterprise and their Youth Trees Atlanta program to provide mentoring and Financial Education to high school students in the metro Atlanta area.
Contact Michael to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Mike is the former President and CEO of Georgia Power and Mississippi Power. He is the Past Chairman of the Georgia Department of Economic Development Board and former Chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board.
Job Titles:
- Branch Manager
- AVP, Retail Branch Manager
Job Titles:
- Business Development Officer
- Business Development Officer for BankSouth
Paul Kenney is a Business Development Officer for BankSouth in Atlanta, Georgia. A native of New York, Paul began his banking career in 1999, in which he has served as a business banker and branch manager, developing the skills and knowledge to help both personal and business customers with their banking needs.
Paul believes that every life event we face is usually accompanied by a related financial need or impact. He is most passionate about building relationships and helping his customers achieve their goals and dreams, while alleviating their uncertainty and anxiety. As Business Development Officer, Paul hopes to allow his customers to focus on what they do best - growing their business - while helping them address their business banking needs.
Paul is a graduate of the University of Essex in the United Kingdom and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at the University of North Alabama. In his Atlanta community, Paul is involved in the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit organization providing vision services and glasses for the underprivileged in Georgia. He has also served as a Rotarian for more than a decade. Paul is an avid soccer fan and loves to travel with his wife and 3 daughters in his free time.
Contact Paul to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Job Titles:
- BankSouth 's Consumer Relationship Manager
- Consumer Relationship Manager
Penny Davenport serves as BankSouth's Consumer Relationship Manager in the Greensboro and Lake Oconee area. With more than 35 years of banking experience, Penny has served in roles as a lender and branch manager since beginning her career with BankSouth in 2001.
As a consumer lender, Penny's primary focus is serving the lending needs of those interested in auto, boat and recreational vehicle loans, as well as home equity lines of credit and unsecured loans.
Penny is a lifelong resident of the Greensboro-Lake Oconee area and a graduate of Greene County High School. With her deep roots in the Greensboro community, her customers enjoy the service, expertise, and genuine interest they receive when working with Penny.
Contact Penny to learn more about how she can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Being a Savannah native, Sean Spellman certainly knows the Savannah market, where he serves as Relationship Manager producing customized lending solutions for consumer and business clients.
Previously, Sean worked as a business development officer for BankSouth developing new business and enhancing existing business relationships, in which he assisted clients with their cash management, product selection and account structuring needs.
Sean earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Georgia with a focus on finance and international business. Prior to joining the bank in 2019, Sean worked in financial positions as a staffing manager, commission analyst, and investment representative in both Georgia and Louisiana.
Contact Sean to learn more about how he can assist you with your banking and lending needs.
Job Titles:
- Commercial Relationship Manager at BankSouth
Travis Whiddon serves as a Commercial Relationship Manager at BankSouth in the metro Atlanta area. He draws on over 20 years of banking experience to build and foster banking relationships with his commercial clients. He is committed to providing and maintaining the exceptional level of service that all BankSouth customers are accustomed to.
Whether you are considering moving your business checking account, updating your commercial equipment, constructing a new building, or building a business from scratch, Travis is here to help Atlanta and the surrounding local community businesses thrive with the BankSouth portfolio of commercial banking products.
Travis is a native of Georgia who served in the Marine Corps Reserve and later obtained his BBA from Georgia College and State University. Travis and his wife, Natalie, live just north of Atlanta and he enjoys playing tennis and traveling.
Let Travis know more about how he can assist you with your business banking and lending needs.