Rodney D. Bullard
Ameris BancorpAbout Rodney D. Bullard
Independent director of Ameris Bancorp (ABCB); age 50; director since July 2019. CEO of The Same House (public benefit corp) since Jan 2023; previously led Global Social Responsibility and served as VP, Corporate Social Responsibility at Chick-fil-A and Executive Director of Chick-fil-A Foundation (2011–2022). Legal and policy background as Assistant U.S. Attorney (2009–2011) and Legislative Liaison/Counsel in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (2006–2009). Education: Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program; MBA (University of Georgia, Terry College); JD (Duke Law) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick-fil-A, Inc. | VP Corporate Social Responsibility; Executive Director, Chick-fil-A Foundation | 2011–2022 | Led global social responsibility and philanthropic initiatives |
| U.S. Dept. of Justice (Northern District of Georgia) | Assistant U.S. Attorney | 2009–2011 | Prosecutorial experience; legal expertise |
| U.S. Air Force (Pentagon) | Legislative Liaison/Counsel | 2006–2009 | Federal policy, legislative affairs |
| Fidelity southern entities | Director (Fidelity and Fidelity Bank) | 2018–2019 (pre-ABCB acquisition) | Banking board experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Same House (public benefit corporation) | Chief Executive Officer | Jan 2023–present | Focus on economic mobility and bridging social division |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined all members other than Chairman James B. Miller Jr. and CEO H. Palmer Proctor Jr. are independent under NYSE and SEC standards; Rodney D. Bullard is independent .
- Committee memberships: Compensation Committee member; Credit Risk Committee member (Bank-level) .
- Committee leadership: Compensation Committee chaired by Leo J. Hill; Credit Risk Committee chaired by Wm. Millard Choate; Bullard is not a chair .
- Meeting cadence and attendance: 2024 meetings – Board (6), Compensation (5), Credit Risk (4). All directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; independent directors held 6 executive sessions in 2024 .
- Lead Independent Director: Leo J. Hill has served as Lead Independent Director since Sept 2019 .
- Director education & compliance: All directors completed compliance training in 2024 (privacy, cybersecurity, BSA/AML, fair lending, Regulation O, etc.) .
- Policies supporting governance quality: mandatory clawback policy for executive officer incentive compensation; insider trading policy prohibits hedging and short sales; stock ownership requirements for named executive officers and directors .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component | 2024 Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 | Standard non-employee director retainer |
| Equity retainer (time-based restricted stock) | $85,031 | 1,786 shares valued at $47.61 per share (granted June 6, 2024; vests earlier of June 6, 2025 or next annual meeting) |
| Other (dividends on restricted stock upon vesting) | $1,521 | Dividends paid on restricted stock upon vesting |
| Total | $146,552 | Sum of components above |
Program context (2024): Non-employee directors receive $60,000 cash retainer and ~ $85,000 time-based restricted stock; additional cash for chair roles (Audit $30k; Compensation $20k; Corporate Governance & Nominating $20k; Enterprise Risk $30k; Executive $10k; Credit Risk $10k). Lead Independent Director +$45k; non-executive Chair +$80k .
Performance Compensation
No performance-based director compensation disclosed; director equity awards are time-based restricted stock (not PSU-based) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Capacity | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Southern Corporation and Fidelity Bank (prior to ABCB acquisition) | Director | Historical service; no current interlock disclosed |
| The Same House | CEO | Not disclosed as a related-party transaction with ABCB |
Related-party and conflicts framework: ABCB maintains a policy governing related party transactions; board committees (Audit/Corporate Governance) oversee policies, and bank-related lending to insiders must comply with Regulation O (ordinary course, non-preferential terms). No pledging or related party transactions are indicated for Mr. Bullard in the proxy’s stock ownership footnotes .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Corporate social responsibility and philanthropy leadership (Chick-fil-A Foundation); legal expertise (JD, Assistant U.S. Attorney); federal legislative liaison experience; advanced executive education (Harvard AMP); financial literacy and business acumen highlighted by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee in board composition review .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | 14,184 shares of ABCB common stock (less than 1% of shares outstanding) |
| Restricted (unvested) shares | 1,786 shares (voting, not investment power) |
| Shares outstanding (record date) | 68,910,924 shares |
| Ownership as % of outstanding | ~0.02% (14,184 / 68,910,924) |
| Pledging status | No pledging indicated for Mr. Bullard; pledges disclosed for certain other directors (e.g., Miller, LaHaise) in footnotes, but not for Bullard |
Stock ownership environment: ABCB enforces stock ownership requirements for directors, and insider trading policy prohibits hedging and short sales .
Governance Assessment
- Committee work and independence: Bullard serves on Compensation and Credit Risk Committees; both committees are comprised of independent directors, with Compensation using an independent consultant (FW Cook) for benchmarking and pay design, reinforcing governance quality .
- Attendance and engagement: Board and committee participation standards met (≥75%); independent directors convened executive sessions six times in 2024; directors complete annual compliance training – positive engagement signals .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay mix is balanced (cash retainer plus time-based equity), aligning interests with shareholders; Bullard’s 2024 director pay totaled $146,552, with $85,031 equity retainer .
- Ownership alignment: Bullard beneficially owns 14,184 shares, including 1,786 unvested restricted shares; no pledging indicated – alignment with anti-hedging policy and stock ownership guidelines .
- Potential conflicts: No specific related-party transactions involving Bullard disclosed; bank-level lending to insiders subject to Regulation O; pledging disclosures for other directors highlight ABCB’s transparent reporting – no red flag attributable to Bullard .
- Shareholder confidence context: 2024 say‑on‑pay support was ~92%, and ABCB continues annual advisory votes – constructive shareholder feedback environment .
Overall, governance signals for Rodney D. Bullard are favorable: independent status, active committee membership (compensation and credit risk), compliant ownership posture (no pledging), and alignment through equity retainer, within a board framework emphasizing independent leadership, clawbacks, and anti-hedging .