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Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) is a financial holding company operating primarily through its subsidiary, Ameris Bank. The company provides a wide range of banking and financial services to retail and commercial customers across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Its offerings include commercial and consumer loans, deposit accounts, residential mortgage loans, and specialized lending services.
- Banking Division - Offers comprehensive financial services, including commercial loans, consumer loans, and deposit accounts, focusing on personalized customer relationships.
- Retail Mortgage Division - Originates, sells, and services one-to-four family residential mortgage loans, retaining mortgage servicing rights and earning servicing fees.
- Warehouse Lending Division - Provides warehouse lines of credit to businesses, secured by underlying one-to-four family residential mortgage loans.
- Premium Finance Division - Specializes in the origination and servicing of commercial insurance premium finance loans.
- SBA Division - Focuses on the origination, sales, and servicing of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.
| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Douglas D. Strange Executive | Chief Credit Officer | Chief Credit Officer of Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since April 1, 2024. Previously served as Managing Director of Credit Administration. | ||
H. Palmer Proctor Executive | Chief Executive Officer | Director of Brown and Brown, Inc.; Advisory Board Member of Allied Financial; Director of Choate Construction Company | H. Palmer Proctor has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) since July 2019. He has extensive financial leadership experience, also serving as Vice Chairman of the Board since July 2022. | View Report → |
James A. LaHaise Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer | James A. LaHaise is the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at ABCB since October 2018. He previously served in various executive roles at ABCB, including as Executive Vice President and Corporate Banking Executive from February 2017 to September 2018. | ||
Jody L. Spencer Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer | Jody L. Spencer has been the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) since July 2019. Previously, she worked as an attorney at Rogers & Hardin LLP from March 2001 to July 2019, serving as a partner from January 2008 to July 2019. | ||
Lawton E. Bassett Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer, and Bank President | Lawton E. Bassett, III has served as Corporate Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer, and Bank President at ABCB since February 2017. He previously served as Corporate Executive Vice President from February 2016 and held other key leadership roles from 2003 onward. | ||
Michael T. Pierson Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Governance Officer | Michael T. Pierson has served as the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Governance Officer at ABCB since March 2020, and as Corporate Secretary since January 2022. Previously, he held roles including Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at ABCB, and spent 21 years in various leadership positions at Fidelity Bank. | ||
Nicole S. Stokes Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | Nicole S. Stokes is the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ameris Bancorp and serves as the principal accounting and financial officer of the company. No additional details on her career history or previous roles are available in the documents. | ||
Ross L. Creasy Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer | Ross L. Creasy has been the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Ameris Bancorp since July 2019. Previously, he served as Chief Information Officer at Fidelity Bank starting in July 2018. | ||
William D. McKendry Executive | Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer | William D. McKendry has served as the Corporate Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) since September 2017. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Bank of North Carolina from December 2011 to September 2017 and Deputy General Auditor at First Citizens Bancshares from June 2004 to October 2011. | ||
Claire E. McLean Board | Director | Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Preferred Capital Securities, LLC; President of Preferred Shareholder Services | Claire E. McLean was appointed as a director at Ameris Bancorp effective February 7, 2024, bringing extensive expertise from her roles as COO and EVP at Preferred Capital Securities, LLC and as Managing Director at Ernst & Young LLP. | |
Daniel B. Jeter Board | Director | Chairman and Co-owner at Standard Discount Corporation; Co-owner of Classic Insurance Company; President of Cavalier Insurance Company; Director and Officer at Georgia Industrial Loan Corporation; Director at Allied Business Systems; Partner in a real estate partnership | Daniel B. Jeter has served as a Director at Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) since April 1997. He has held key leadership roles such as Chairman of the Board (from May 2007 to December 2017) and Lead Independent Director (from January 2018 to September 2018 and July 2019 to September 2019), demonstrating his extensive expertise in financial services and governance. | |
Elizabeth A. McCague Board | Director | Chief Financial Officer for Jacksonville Port Authority ; Founder, McCague & Company, LLC | Elizabeth A. McCague has been serving as a Director at Ameris Bancorp since August 2016. She serves on key board committees including the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, Executive Committee, and is Chair of the Enterprise Risk Committee while also currently acting as the Chief Financial Officer for the Jacksonville Port Authority. | |
Gloria A. ONeal Board | Director of Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank | Treasurer of a Preschool in Dahlonega, Georgia ; Non-Profit Board Member (Rotary, Court Appointed Special Advocate for Dekalb County) ; Food Ministry Director and Member of Women of Jeremiah’s Place | Gloria A. O'Neal has served as a director at ABCB since July 2019. Previously, she held executive roles at Fidelity Bank, including Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer until her retirement in 2014. | |
James B. Miller Board | Director | Director of American Software, Inc. | James B. Miller, Jr. has held leadership roles at ABCB, serving as Chairman from July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2022, and continues as a Director since July 1, 2019; he also led Fidelity Southern Corporation as Chairman and CEO from its inception in 1979. | |
Leo J. Hill Board | Director | Founder and Owner of Advisor Network Solutions, LLC; Lead Independent Director of Transamerica Mutual Funds | Leo J. Hill has served as a director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since January 2013 and leads as Chair of the Compensation Committee while also serving on the Corporate Governance and Nominating and Executive Committees. He has held the title of Board's Lead Independent Director since September 2019 and is active externally as the Founder and Owner of Advisor Network Solutions, LLC and Lead Independent Director of Transamerica Mutual Funds. | |
R. Dale Ezzell Board | Ameris Bancorp Director | Founder and Owner of Wisecards Printing and Mailing | R. Dale Ezzell has served as a director at Ameris Bancorp since May 2010, also serving on the Audit Committee and as Chair of the Trust Committee. Previously, he held leadership roles at Southland Bank from 1983 until its merger in 2006, including serving as chairman from 1995. | |
Robert P. Lynch Board | Director | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lynch Management Company | Robert P. Lynch has been a director at Ameris Bancorp since February 2000 and at Ameris Bank since February 2006, where he also serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Credit Risk Committee. He brings over 30 years of experience in financial management and serves externally as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Lynch Management Company. | |
Rodney D. Bullard Board | Director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank | CEO of The Same House | Rodney D. Bullard has served as a director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since July 2019 while also serving on the Compensation and Trust Committees, and he began his directorship at Fidelity and Fidelity Bank in 2018. | |
William H. Stern Board | Ameris Bancorp Director | President and Chief Executive Officer of Stern Development ; Chairman of the Board of the South Carolina State Ports Authority ; Member of the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development | William H. Stern has served as a director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since November 2013, holding key positions on board committees such as the Compensation Committee, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (as Chair), and the Executive Committee. He is also the President and CEO of Stern Development since 1980 and holds leadership roles in state economic development, including being the Chairman of the Board of the South Carolina State Ports Authority and a member of the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development. | |
William I. Bowen Board | Director | Partner and President of Bowen Donaldson Home for Funerals; Managing Partner of Bowen Farming Enterprises, LLC; Managing Partner of Bowen Land and Timber, LLC; Managing Partner of Bowen Family Partnership; Managing Partner of Fulwood Family Partnership; Vice Chairman of Tift Regional Medical Center; Chairman of Southwell Ambulatory; Chairman of the Georgia Board of Funeral Service | William I. Bowen, Jr. has served as a director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since November 2014, contributing to the Credit Risk and Trust Committees and chairing the community board for the Tifton, Georgia market since 2012. | |
Wm. Millard Choate Board | Director | Chairman of Choate Construction Company | Wm. Millard Choate has been a director at Ameris Bancorp and Ameris Bank since July 2019, serving on the Audit and Credit Risk Committees and acting as Chairman of the Credit Risk Committee. Previously, he was a director at Fidelity and Fidelity Bank since 2010. |
- Regarding fee income, can you detail how you plan to achieve a 5-7% increase in fee income while managing the different growth trajectories between mortgage and non-mortgage segments?
- With mortgage banking gains currently guided between 2.25% and 2.40%, what risks do you foresee if market conditions shift, and how will you adjust if margins begin to compress?
- As you maintain a 30% noninterest-bearing deposit mix, what specific strategies are in place to offset potential increases in funding costs if public fund deposits roll out and broker deposits resume at higher rates?
- On the capital deployment front, how do you intend to balance organic growth with selective M&A and buybacks, especially when prioritizing core funding and shareholder returns?
- Given that deposit rates are being repriced more quickly than loans, what measures are you taking to mitigate the negative impact on your net interest margin if there is an unexpected change in the rate environment?
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
Balboa Capital Corporation | 2021 | Ameris Bancorp, through its subsidiary Ameris Bank, completed an all-cash acquisition of Balboa Capital on December 13, 2021, to boost its small business and commercial & industrial lending initiatives. Key assets acquired include Balboa Capital’s proprietary technology platform and its expertise in online business lending, enhancing Ameris Bank’s footprint in the $350 billion equipment finance and $320 billion SMB working capital markets, with expectations of significant earnings accretion over a four-year earn-back period. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for ABCB.
- Robust Q4 2024 earnings: Reported net income of $94.4 million and adjusted net income of $95.1 million, delivering EPS of $1.37 and $1.38 per diluted share with a 26% increase in adjusted EPS over last year
- Key operational highlights include net interest margin expansion to 3.64%, an improved efficiency ratio of approximately 51.82%, solid deposit growth, and strategic balance sheet management
- Tangible book value strengthened, with a Q4 increase of $1.08 per share and full-year growth from $33.64 to $38.59 (a 14.7% rise), reflecting disciplined capital management
- Maintained a strong capital base by increasing the quarterly dividend to $0.20 per share
- Full-year performance also featured an adjusted ROA of 1.33%, underscoring solid overall financial results
- The company posted Q4 2024 net income of $94.4 million (or $1.37 per diluted share) with adjusted net income of $95.1 million and achieved 9.8% annualized revenue growth, including a net interest income increase of $7.7 million to $222.8 million.
- For the full year 2024, Ameris reported net income of $358.7 million (or $5.19 per diluted share) with tangible book value per share rising by $4.95 (14.7% increase) and raised its dividend by 33.3% to $0.20 per share.
- The results were supported by improved operational efficiency, with an adjusted efficiency ratio of 51.82% and strong capital metrics evidenced by a TCE ratio of 10.59%.