Daniel B. Jeter
Ameris BancorpAbout Daniel B. Jeter
Daniel B. Jeter, age 73, has served on the Ameris Bancorp board since April 1997 and on the Ameris Bank board since April 2002; he previously served as Chairman of both boards from May 2007 through December 2017 and as Lead Independent Director in January–September 2018 and again July–September 2019 . He is an independent director and currently sits on the Compensation Committee and the Enterprise Risk Committee; his background is in consumer finance and insurance, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Georgia .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameris Bancorp | Director | Since Apr 1997 | Independent; current Compensation Committee member |
| Ameris Bank | Director | Since Apr 2002 | Independent; current Enterprise Risk Committee member |
| Ameris Bancorp/Bank | Chairman of the Board | May 2007–Dec 2017 | Led board, strategic oversight |
| Ameris Bancorp | Lead Independent Director | Jan–Sep 2018; Jul–Sep 2019 | Board leadership; continuity through CEO/Chair separation |
| Ameris Bank (Moultrie, GA) | Community bank board member | Current | Local market oversight |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Discount Corporation (family-owned consumer finance) | Chairman & Co-Owner | Joined 1979 | Officer/director across affiliates (Colquitt Loan Co., Globe Loan Cos., Peach Finance Co., Personal Finance Service, Globe Financial Services) |
| Classic Insurance Company | Co-Owner | Not disclosed | Reinsurance activities |
| Cavalier Insurance Company | President | Not disclosed | Reinsurance activities |
| Real estate partnership (owner-occupied commercial properties) | Partner | Not disclosed | Development of office/professional properties |
| Georgia Industrial Loan Corporation | Director & Officer | Not disclosed | Industry association governance |
| Allied Business Systems | Director | Not disclosed | Industry systems oversight |
Board Governance
- Independence: The board determined all directors other than the Chairman and CEO are independent; Jeter is independent .
- Committee assignments:
- Compensation Committee (member; committee is entirely independent) .
- Enterprise Risk Committee (member; committee is entirely independent) .
- Attendance and engagement:
- 2024 meetings held: Board (6), Compensation (5), Enterprise Risk (3) .
- Each director attended at least 75% of meetings of the board and committees on which they served in 2024; independent directors held six executive sessions in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Jeter previously served as Lead Independent Director in 2018 and in 2019 for part of the year .
Fixed Compensation
| Component (2024) | Amount (USD) | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | Standard non-employee director annual cash retainer |
| Community board fees | $4,800 | $400/month for service on Bank community board (Moultrie, GA) |
| Total cash fees earned | $64,800 | As reported in Director Compensation Table |
Performance Compensation
| Equity Award (2024) | Shares Granted | Grant Date Value | Fair Value/Share | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time-based restricted stock | 1,786 | $85,031 | $47.61 | Vests on earlier of June 6, 2025 or date of 2025 Annual Meeting, if director continues to serve | Annual equity retainer; voting rights; dividends paid upon vesting |
All other compensation (dividends on restricted stock upon vesting): $1,521 in 2024 .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed in proxy biography beyond Ameris |
| Private/company/industry boards | As listed in External Roles (consumer finance affiliates, insurance entities, Georgia Industrial Loan Corporation, Allied Business Systems) |
| Potential interlocks/conflicts | Affiliations in consumer finance and insurance could represent related-party exposure if the Bank transacts with these entities; Company policy requires ordinary-course terms and related party review |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial services and lending domain expertise from decades leading a consumer finance firm and affiliates, with emphasis on lending activities aligned to bank operations .
- Prior Ameris board leadership roles (Chairman and Lead Independent Director), evidencing governance experience and familiarity with Ameris’ risk and strategy .
- Education: bachelor’s degree in business administration, University of Georgia .
Equity Ownership
| Metric (as of Record Date Mar 27, 2025) | Amount | Breakdown/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (shares) | 50,267 | Includes 1,786 restricted shares (voting, not investment power); 5,395 shares via family trust; 511 shares held jointly with brother |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | <1% | Based on 68,910,924 shares outstanding |
| Vested vs unvested | Unvested: 1,786 restricted shares | Each non-employee director held 1,786 restricted shares as of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed for Jeter | Pledging disclosed for other individuals; no pledge noted for Jeter in ownership footnotes |
| Hedging policy | Hedging/short sales prohibited for directors and employees under Insider Trading Policy | |
| Ownership guidelines | Non-employee directors must own 5× annual cash retainer; all directors met conditions in 2024 review |
Governance Assessment
- Committee roles align with governance priorities: service on Compensation Committee (pay oversight) and Enterprise Risk Committee (risk governance), with both committees entirely independent .
- Attendance acceptable: board reports each director attended at least 75% of meetings; independent directors held six executive sessions, supporting board effectiveness .
- Ownership alignment: meaningful shareholding (50,267 shares) and annual equity retainers; compliance with stringent director ownership guidelines; hedging prohibited; no pledging disclosed for Jeter .
- Compensation mix: modest fixed cash retainer plus equity retainer via time-based restricted stock; additional community board fee explains Jeter’s $64,800 cash vs $85,031 stock award; total director compensation $151,352 indicates balanced cash/equity structure .
- Potential conflicts: extensive roles in consumer finance and insurance suggest monitoring for related-party exposure; however, 2025 proxy discloses only related-party transactions involving the Chairman and a vendor related to the CEO’s family, not Jeter or his entities; company policy mandates review/approval and ordinary-course terms for any related-party transactions .
- Shareholder signals: strong say-on-pay support (≈92% approval in 2024), indicating overall investor confidence in compensation governance framework overseen by the Compensation Committee (of which Jeter is a member) .
RED FLAGS: None specifically disclosed regarding Jeter (no low attendance, no pledging, no related-party transactions named). Ongoing monitoring recommended due to his affiliations with consumer finance and insurance entities that could interact with the Bank; the company’s related-party policy provides structural mitigation .