First National Announces Midlands Region Senior Leadership Team
09 Avril 2008 - 10:25PM
PR Newswire (US)
COLUMBIA, S.C., April 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First National
Bank of the South announced today its Midlands Region senior
leadership team. Steven G. Waddell, Senior Vice President and
Midlands Market Executive, joins Senior Vice Presidents Mary Ellis
Gabriel and Brook Moore in their leadership roles for First
National's consumer and commercial banking activities,
respectively, in the Midlands region. Rick Manley, Midlands Region
Executive Officer, stated, "Brook and Mary Ellis have excelled as
part of the former Carolina National leadership team. We are
pleased to add Steve to the Midlands Region team as we continue
Carolina National's tradition of outstanding customer service in
the Columbia market." The Midlands senior leadership team will work
closely together as they oversee First National's community,
commercial and consumer banking activities in the region. They will
also guide and direct team members in the region's four
full-service Columbia branches and the new Lexington office
scheduled to open in the summer of 2008. First National's President
and CEO, Jerry Calvert, said, "We are very pleased with the senior
leadership in our newly-formed Midlands region. We look forward to
building on Carolina National Bank's existing presence in the
Columbia market as we add their employees and customers to the
First National family following the recent combination of our two
great companies." Steve Waddell, Midlands Market Executive, most
recently served as a City/Area Executive with BB&T where he was
recognized as a "Sterling Performer" for thirteen consecutive
quarters, signifying the top City/Area Executive in a ten-city
region. He brings with him over 20 years of industry experience. He
was most recently based in Rock Hill, South Carolina where he was
responsible for the oversight of a three-county area for BB&T.
Waddell attended the University of South Carolina Upstate in
Spartanburg and the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Additionally, he graduated from a two-year executive development
program for banking and consumer finance at Marquette University in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mary Ellis Gabriel, Midlands Consumer Banking
Executive, is a Columbia native and has over 14 years of banking
experience. She was part of Carolina National Bank's group of
original employees when it opened in Columbia in 2002. Prior to
joining Carolina National, Gabriel worked for Bank of America
(formerly Nations Bank) in various capacities. She holds a
bachelor's degree in marketing from Clemson University and an
M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina. She currently serves
on boards of directors for the American Red Cross of Central South
Carolina and for Capital Rotary. Brook Moore, Midlands Commercial
Banking Executive, brings with him over 12 years of banking
experience. He began his banking career at Carolina First Bank
before joining Carolina National Bank's original team in 2002. He
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clemson University and is a
2000 graduate of the South Carolina Bankers School. Moore is active
in the Columbia community where he is a member of Columbia East
Rotary, Clemson University Second Century Society, a youth soccer
coach with the YMCA and a 2007 graduate of Leadership Columbia,
where he was voted "Most Likely to Take Charge." Steve, Mary Ellis
and Brook can be reached at First National's downtown Columbia
office located at the corner of Main and Washington Streets at
(803) 779-0411. COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS First National Bancshares, Inc.
is an $805-million asset bank holding company based in Spartanburg,
South Carolina. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global
Market under the symbol FNSC. It was incorporated in 1999 to
conduct general banking business through its wholly-owned bank
subsidiary, First National Bank of the South. As of January 31,
2008, it acquired 100% of the outstanding stock of Carolina
National Bank and Trust Company in a merger with Carolina National
Corporation. First National Bank of the South provides a wide range
of financial services to consumer and commercial customers. The
banking division operates 11 full-service branches, three in
Spartanburg County operating as First National Bank of Spartanburg,
and eight operating as First National Bank of the South in
Columbia, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Greenville and Greer. The
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") has approved the
opening of a twelfth full-service branch, which is currently under
construction in Lexington, South Carolina. First National has also
received approval from the OCC to open its thirteenth full-service
branch and York County market headquarters in the Fort Mill/Tega
Cay community. First National currently operates loan production
offices in Rock Hill, South Carolina and Indian Trail, North
Carolina. First National Bank's wholesale mortgage lending division
provides services to community banks and mortgage brokers across
the Southeast from its office in Greenville. Additional information
about First National is available online in the Investor Relations
section of http://www.firstnational-online.com/. FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS Certain statements in this press release contain
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements
concerning our future growth, plans, objectives, expectations,
performance, events and the like, as well as any other statements,
including those regarding the merger, that are not historical facts
and are thus prospective. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including, but
not limited to changes in worldwide and U.S. economic conditions, a
downturn in economy or real estate market, construction delays and
greater than expected non-interest expenses or excessive loan
losses, uncertainties resulting from the acquisition of Carolina
National Corporation, the continued integration of operations and
the cost of combining the banks, whether the transaction will be
accretive to First National's shareholders, business disruption
following the merger including adverse effects on employees, the
quality of Carolina National's assets that First National has
acquired, the ability of First National to retain customers of
Carolina National following the merger, acceptance of First
National's products and services in the Columbia market, changes in
worldwide and U.S. economic conditions, a downturn in the economy
or real estate market, construction delays and greater than
expected non- interest expenses or excessive loan losses and other
factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from
future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. For a more detailed description of factors that could
cause or contribute to such differences, please see First
National's and Carolina National's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Although we believe that the assumptions
underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of
the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. These projections and
statements are based on management's estimates and assumptions with
respect to future events and financial performance and are believed
to be reasonable though they are inherently uncertain and difficult
to predict. Therefore, we can give no assurance that the results
contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized.
The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be
construed as a representation that the future events, plans, or
expectations contemplated by either company will be achieved. First
National does not intend to and assumes no responsibility for
updating or revising any forward-looking statement contained in
this press release, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise. DATASOURCE: First National Bank of the South
CONTACT: Jerry L. Calvert of First National Bank of the South,
+1-864-594-5690 Web site: http://www.firstnational-online.com/
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