SouthState Onboards New Hires in Five States, Promotes Clarke to Jacksonville Market President

WINTER HAVEN, Fla., Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SouthState Bank continues to be an employer of choice in the Southeast, welcoming 14 new hires with expertise in the banking industry, as well as relationship building.

"These talented group of bankers will undoubtedly elevate their team's collective performance," says Richard Murray, SouthState president. "We look forward to the valuable contributions we can make together for our customers."

In Jacksonville, Florida, SouthState has named Chad Clarke to market president. A member of the Jacksonville banking community for 23 years, Clarke has been a commercial banking team lead with SouthState for the past seven years. Clarke will focus on serving the community in his new role, while continuing to build SouthState's presence in Jacksonville.

SouthState has added the following talent to its roster:

Georgia

William Barlow, portfolio manager, Atlanta – brings a strong track record of assisting clients and fellow bankers during his 25-year career in finance. He comes to SouthState after several years at Wells Fargo as a senior client investment manager. Barlow is a Certified Investment Management Analyst from the Wharton School of Business and Certified Private Wealth Advisor from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

William Buchly – director middle market sponsor coverage, Atlanta – brings 18 years of commercial, middle market and corporate banking experience to his role, having worked previously for Synovus, Truist and, most recently, Georgia Banking Company. He holds a master's degree from Georgia State University and a bachelor's degree from University of Georgia. Buchly co-founded an athletic fundraising event, the Trinity Combine, and previously served as chair of the Trinity Community Ministries board.

Shannon Innis, strategic initiatives associate, Atlanta – worked most recently as a senior financial manager at Truist. She mentored junior team members, optimized her team's performance with new tools and maintained a high level of recordkeeping for leadership.

Matt Roberts, payments and technology relationship manager, Atlanta – is a 21-year veteran of finance with experience in relationship banking and credit risk management. Most recently, Roberts oversaw a nationwide specialty finance business unit at Truist. In this role, he was responsible for developing and overseeing tailored banking programs for large corporate clients. Prior roles included commercial portfolio management, as well as relationship management of clients, ranging from small business to large commercial. He holds a master's from Colorado State University and a bachelor's from Kennesaw State University.

Payton Wadley, premier private banker, Atlanta – worked as a senior banking advisor at Northern Trust before coming to SouthState. Additional roles include commercial relationship manager with First Horizon and strategic relationship development officer at Wells Fargo. Wadley serves on the Georgia Sports Innovation Coalition as vice chairman and on the loan committee for Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs.

Virginia

James Garcia – commercial relationship manager, Richmond – joins SouthState with seven years' experience as a commercial relationship manager at PNC and Truist. He helped businesses of all sizes with complex banking needs, including lending, capital markets and treasury. Other roles in the financial sector include branch manager, business development officer and district manager, totaling nearly two decades of experience.

Rich Johnson – middle market relationship manager, Virginia Beach – has worked in commercial and middle marketing banking since 2008 with Truist and Wells Fargo. His specialty is working with companies with revenues ranging from $50MM to $4B+. Locally, Johnson has served on the boards of the Together We Can Foundation and Volunteer Hampton Roads.

Marcus Boggs – business development officer, Virginia Beach – most recently worked with middle market and mid-corporate clients at Wells Fargo. Boggs retired from the Marines as a lieutenant colonel following an active duty and reserve career of 22 years. He also served in the government contracting space during Operation Enduring Freedom leading finance, operations and business development for Linxx Global Solutions.

Alabama

Butch Motley – commercial relationship manager, Auburn – comes to SouthState from SouthPoint Bank in Birmingham, where he worked in commercial lending, sales and operations for 36 years. He is a graduate of Samford University and the Alabama Banking School.

Florida

Vanessa Bartoszewicz – commercial relationship manager, Vero Beach – is a 10-year veteran of the banking industry. A recent graduate of the Florida School of Banking, she previously worked as a portfolio specialist for Marine Bank and cultivated connections to many small businesses in the Indian River area.

Tom Fevola, credit administrator - Corporate Billing, Orlando – joins SouthState after holding the same role at LSQ Funding in Orlando. Previous positions include manager of operations for Vertex Financial, underwriter at LSQ Funding, and portfolio manager and senior underwriter for Greystone Commercial.

South Carolina

Tim Webb, commercial relationship manager, Greenville – brings his commercial banking experience to SouthState from Truist, where he also held the roles of branch team leader and market leader earlier in his career. Webb successfully built the bank's loan and deposit portfolio and managed existing business relationships.

SouthState Corporation (NYSE:SSB) is a financial services company headquartered in Winter Haven, Florida. SouthState Bank, N.A., the company's nationally chartered bank subsidiary, provides consumer, commercial, mortgage and wealth management solutions to more than one million customers throughout Florida, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. The bank also serves clients coast to coast through its correspondent banking division. Additional information is available at SouthStateBank.com.

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SOURCE SouthState Bank N.A.