Firm deepens commitment to Virginia with new hires and expanded services
Pinnacle Financial Partners (Nasdaq/NGS:PNFP) is expanding its presence in Virginia with a full-service team located in Richmond, marking a significant step in its statewide growth strategy. This development builds on Pinnacle's long-standing commitment to the Commonwealth with well-established teams in Roanoke, Lynchburg and the National Capital Region. Consistent with its previous market expansions, Pinnacle's investment in Central Virginia starts with the hiring of a veteran team of financial professionals, including area manager Chris Daniels; Suzanne Gardner, David Marino, and Wes Baskerville, who are joining as financial advisors; and Crystal Hedrick, who is joining as a financial advisor assistant.
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L-R: Chris Daniels, Suzanne Gardner, David Marino, Wes Baskerville, Crystal Hedrick
This new team will partner with Richmond-based financial advisors Frank Meade and Wendy Inge, who have served the Virginia market for several years. Meade will continue his work to grow Pinnacle's middle market banking across Virginia and West Virginia while Inge represents the firm's legal banking team that serves law firms and adjacent industries nationwide. Together, this group brings decades of experience and deep roots in the business community that will enable Pinnacle to better serve clients in Richmond and across Central and Eastern Virginia.
"Richmond presents a tremendous opportunity for Pinnacle," said Jonathan Richardson, Pinnacle's regional president for Western and Central Virginia. "We believe the region is hungry for our unique brand of financial services provided locally by tenured and empowered bankers. This team is made up of some of the region's most respected financial professionals who embody the kind of high-touch, advisory-focused service that sets Pinnacle apart."
Meet Pinnacle's Richmond Team:
- Chris Daniels brings more than 35 years of experience in commercial banking leadership and relationship management. Most recently, she served as commercial banking leader for Wells Fargo in Central Virginia where she led a team focused on middle market clients. She is widely respected across the region for her deep relationships, strategic insight and leadership in the financial industry and the Richmond community, including board positions with Venture Richmond, Chamber RVA and The Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education. She holds a bachelor's in commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and an MBA from The University of Richmond.
- Suzanne Gardner brings nearly 25 years of commercial banking experience to Pinnacle, having held roles in both relationship management and leadership throughout her career with Wells Fargo. She is deeply committed to building strong relationships with her clients, colleagues and in the Richmond community. At Wells Fargo, she spent the last 10 years as an executive director managing a portfolio of Central Virginia-based middle market and corporate clients. She also has held multiple leadership roles in both retail and business banking across the broader Virginia market. Gardner's commitment to the region runs deep, contributing through board service, volunteerism, mentorship and strong ties within Richmond's nonprofit and business networks. She currently serves on the boards of Sports Backers and CREW Richmond (Commercial Real Estate Women). Gardner holds a bachelor's from Virginia Tech.
- David Marino has 40 years of experience in financial services, including 35 in Richmond, and brings deep expertise in commercial and middle-market banking. He most recently served as a senior vice president and regional sales manager at Wells Fargo leading new business acquisition throughout Virginia. Prior experience included director positions in capital markets and institutional trading. Marino earned his MBA at The College of William & Mary where he maintains ties to the college and alumni community.
- Wes Baskerville brings more than two decades of experience in commercial banking. With previous roles in leadership overseeing a regional team of relationship managers, he most recently served as an executive director with Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking. Throughout his career, Wes has built a reputation for delivering tailored financial solutions to a wide range of clients from small businesses to large corporations and publicly traded companies. His depth of industry expertise and leadership experience make him a trusted partner for clients navigating complex financial decisions. Wes holds a bachelor's in finance and financial management services from Radford University.
- Frank Meade has 34 years of commercial banking and corporate finance experience and serves middle-market and corporate companies across Virginia and West Virginia. He joined Pinnacle in 2022 having previously retired from Wells Fargo where his leadership responsibilities included national sales execution and regional sales management for middle market banking. A native of Danville, Frank holds a bachelor's in economics from the University of Virginia. He lives in Midlothian and supports Habitat for Humanity.
- Wendy Inge brings 30 years of legal industry experience, including 10 years of direct financial services experience to her role as a financial advisor. Prior to joining Pinnacle in 2024, she served as senior vice president and legal specialty client advisor at Truist. Before banking, Inge worked in the professional liability insurance industry for 20 years, focusing on liability insurance and risk management for law firms. She earned her bachelor's from Virginia Tech and JD from the University of Richmond School of Law. She is fully securities and insurance licensed.
- Crystal Hedrick has 10 years of experience in client service across consumer, small business and middle market segments. She most recently served as a relationship associate with the Wells Fargo Middle Market Banking team and now moves into a vital role in client service and support for Pinnacle's growing client base in Richmond and surrounding parts of Virginia. Hedrick is a VCU graduate and active in the Richmond community.
The team will soon open a temporary space in Richmond before moving to a full-service office that's under development.
"Expanding into Richmond is a significant step toward completing our footprint in Virginia, allowing us to serve nearly the entire state with the same level of service and expertise that has made us a nationwide leader in financial services," said Terry Turner, Pinnacle's president and CEO. "We've successfully replicated our model in multiple Southeastern markets, and Richmond is a natural fit for it. Our client-centric approach earned Pinnacle 30 Coalition Greenwich Best Brand awards in 2025, more than any other bank in the nation, further solidifying our reputation for excellence in financial services."
Since entering Virginia in 2017, Pinnacle has made significant investments in the state, including a newly built main office in Roanoke and expansions into Lynchburg and the National Capital Region. As of March 31, 2025, Pinnacle's Virginia operations included 159 associates statewide with $815.3 million in loans, and $927 million in deposits in Roanoke and Lynchburg, as well as $2.1 billion in deposits and $818.4 million in loans in the National Capital Region.
With Richmond's strong economic growth, diverse industries and a highly skilled workforce, Pinnacle is well-positioned to compete against the same national and regional banks it has successfully taken market share from in other parts of the Southeast. The firm's high-touch, relationship-driven approach offers a compelling alternative to the impersonal service of larger institutions, giving clients access to local decision-making backed by the deep resources of a larger firm.
Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, trust, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for businesses and their owners and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. The firm is the No. 1 bank in the Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA, according to 2024 deposit data from the FDIC. Pinnacle is No. 11 on FORTUNE magazine's 2024 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For® in the U.S., its eighth consecutive appearance, and was recognized by American Banker as one of America's Best Banks to Work For 12 years in a row and No. 1 among banks with more than $10 billion in assets in 2024.
Pinnacle entered the Virginia market in 2017 when it acquired BNC Bancorp. Pinnacle continues BNC's practice of offering community bank service with the resources and sophistication of a larger firm. The firm was recognized as the No. 6 Best Place to Work in Virginia by Virginia Business magazine in 2020.
The firm began operations in a single location in downtown Nashville, TN in October 2000 and has since grown to approximately $52.6 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024. As the second-largest bank holding company in Tennessee, Pinnacle operates in several primarily urban markets across the Southeast.
Additional information concerning Pinnacle, which is included in the Nasdaq Financial-100 Index, can be accessed at www.pnfp.com.
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Joe Bass
(615) 743-8219
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Faith Seifuddin
(615) 743-8437
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