Coleman Movers & Shakers – SouthState Bank and Ethan Worthy
July 27, 2023
Delaney Sexton
Contributing Editor
Coleman Movers & Shakers – SouthState Bank and Ethan Worthy
SouthState Bank Forms a Small Business Banking Team
“Offering our small business customers a line of products that fits their needs, accompanied by well-rounded, knowledgeable bankers and a library of small business resources, are enhancements we know business owners across the Southeast will benefit from,” says Richard Murray, SouthState president. “Small business owners make local economies thrive, and SouthState is committed to supporting both.”
Matt Vegter was promoted to director of small business banking to grow and serve SouthState’s small business sector. A banker for 15 years, Vegter helped to develop a small business loan program, Business Lending Express, which streamlined and simplified the underwriting process for small business loans. This program created efficiencies for both the bank and small business clients by decreasing loan origination costs and reducing the time to decision.
Vegter has built a team of experienced small business bankers, pulling from capable bankers at SouthState and other financial institutions. Members of the team include the following:
Jack Baker brings 16 years of banking experience to the small business banking team. Most recently, he served as a SouthState branch manager in Jacksonville, Florida. He’s also held the roles of assistant branch manager, mortgage loan officer and teller during his career.
Holton Bell joins SouthState after several years working in client relations, most recently at Addicus LLC in Alabama. He brings experience as a private banker at BBVA Compass Bank and as a financial advisor at Raymond James.
Krystle Mall moves into the small business banking role after 10 years as a SouthState branch manager, most recently in Gastonia, North Carolina after relocating from the Myrtle Beach/Conway area of South Carolina, where she began her banking career with SouthState in 2004.
Ross Marley continues to serve Charleston, South Carolina, most recently as a business banker before joining the small business team. A member of SouthState since 2015, he’s also worked as a financial services representative and lead credit analyst.
Mike Marshall comes to SouthState from Intercoastal Financial Group in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he served as a finance broker since 2018, cultivating relationships with dealers, brokers and lenders. Other past career roles include director of retail sales, market sales manager and general manager at Drivetime LLC.
Ray Merritt joined SouthState as a financial services representative in 2011, holding roles of increasing responsibility ever since. Most recently, Merritt served as the branch manager in Conway, where his branch led the Grand Strand market in goals for two consecutive years.
Brian Moon also moves from the branch manager role in Tucker, Georgia, to the small business banking team. He has almost 20 years of banking experience and knowledge from working at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, SunTrust and SouthState.
Adam Odom joins the small business team after seven years as a branch manager for SouthState in Columbia, South Carolina. He began his career in banking in 2001, previously working at Wells Fargo, SunTrust and BB&T.
Lauren Thompson spent the last eight years serving SouthState’s Richmond market as a branch manager before moving to small business banking. She gained additional experience as a personal banker for First Enterprise Bank and retail banker with Woodforest National Bank.
Ethan Worthy Starts as 5Point Credit Union’s New VP of Business Lending for the Houston Market
His previous financial industry work experience includes roles as a Credit Analyst and Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending. Worthy will office out of 5Point Credit Union’s newest branch located in Magnolia, scheduled to open in early 2024.
He is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness in 2017 and a Master of Financial Management in 2018. While attending TAMU, he was the Class VI President for the Texas A&M Commercial Banking Program (CBP) and continues to be involved with the program’s current students. Worthy serves on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Committee and is the Breeding Beef Committee Chairman of the TVE Fair and Rodeo located in his hometown of Liberty. He is passionate about supporting the involvement and education of agriculture in today’s youth. His hobbies include traveling, livestock shows and rodeos, hunting, fishing, golf, scuba diving, and team roping.