Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Tim E. Bentsen is a former audit partner and practice leader of KPMG LLP, a U.S. based global audit, tax and advisory services firm, a position he retired from in 2012. Over his 37 years with KPMG, he served as an audit partner for numerous banks and other financial services companies and served in a variety of leadership roles, including Southeast Area Managing Partner and Atlanta office Managing Partner. Mr. Bentsen also served on national leadership teams for the financial services and audit practice as well as on the firm’s national Operations Committee. In addition, he served as an account executive for many of the largest audit and non-audit clients in the Southeast where he had extensive involvement with audit committees and served as the lead partner for tax and advisory services including risk, regulatory, internal audit and operational services for a Top 10 U.S. bank. Mr. Bentsen has been a frequent speaker on corporate governance matters across the country and served in a leadership role for KPMG’s Audit Committee Institute and as an organizer and faculty member for the University of Georgia’s Directors’ College for over ten years. He has also served as a member of the board of trustees and audit committee of Ridgeworth Funds, a mutual fund complex, and on the board of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., a company specializing in sweet treats and complementary products, prior to that company going private. Mr. Bentsen is a faculty member at the J.M. Tull School of Accounting at the University of Georgia and a member of the board of directors of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors, or NACD. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Tech University. Mr. Bentsen is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute and Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants. His extensive audit and accounting experience in the financial services industry coupled with his corporate governance, risk management and financial acumen enhances the Board’s knowledge in these areas.
F. Dixon Brooke, Jr. is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a privately owned company based in Birmingham, Alabama with a diverse range of business, including information services, publishing and digital media, outdoor products, real estate, manufacturing and general services, with operations in 23 countries and with approximately $2.7 billion in annual revenues. Mr. Brooke served as President and CEO of EBSCO for over eight years and served in various other leadership capacities during his 40 years of service with the company. Mr. Brooke currently serves as Chairman of the Board of our Birmingham market advisory board, having served on that board since its inception over 30 years ago. Mr. Brooke also serves as a director of EBSCO and McWane, Inc., a member of the compensation committee of EBSCO, and as a director of such non-profit boards as the Alabama Wildlife Federation, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and the Boy Scouts of America, Central Alabama Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Auburn University. Mr. Brooke’s extensive business acumen, executive leadership and his long-term experience and understanding of our banking organization provide the Board with a valuable resource related to corporate strategy and risk management.
Stephen T. Butler is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of W.C. Bradley Co., a private consumer products and real estate company based in Columbus, Georgia. He retired as Chairman of the Board in April 2018, having held that position since 2008. Prior to that time and for 21 years, Mr. Butler served as Chief Executive Officer of W.C. Bradley Co. where he was responsible for the oversight and development of the company’s mass market home and leisure product businesses through acquisitions and new product introductions and the development of various real estate projects throughout Columbus, Georgia. In addition to his current service as a director on the W.C. Bradley board, Mr. Butler currently serves as Chairman of the Board of our Columbus market advisory board, on the compensation committee of W.C. Bradley Co. and on the boards of various civic and non-profit companies, including St. Francis Hospital, Inc., The Bradley-Turner Foundation and Brookstone School. He attended Vanderbilt University and Columbus State University and completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program. Mr. Butler’s extensive leadership experience with a diversified company enhances the Board’s understanding of corporate strategy, compensation practices and risk management, among other things.
Elizabeth W. Camp is President and Chief Executive Officer of DF Management, Inc., a private investment and commercial real estate management company, a position she has held since 2000. Previously and for 16 years, Ms. Camp served in various capacities, including President and Chief Executive Officer, of Camp Oil Company. Before its sale in 2000, Camp Oil developed and operated convenience stores, truck stops and restaurants in nine states. Ms. Camp’s background also includes experience as a tax accountant with a major accounting firm and an attorney in law firms in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Ms. Camp holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a law degree from the University of Georgia, as well as a master’s degree in taxation from Georgetown Law Center. Ms. Camp is a current director or trustee on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Woodruff Arts Foundation, University of Georgia Foundation, the Atlanta chapter of the NACD, and the Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Area Council. She has received the designation of a Board Leadership Fellow by the NACD and is an independent member of the board of directors of Genuine Parts Company, a public company engaged in the distribution of automotive replacement parts, industrial replacement parts, office products and electrical/electronic materials, where she serves on its audit committee. Previously, Ms. Camp served as a director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia from 1992 to 2001. She is our Lead Director and the Chairman of our Compensation Committee. Ms. Camp’s background as an executive officer and her expertise in accounting, tax and legal matters provides expertise in management and auditing as well as leadership skills to our Board.
Cherry began his career with Southern Company in 1997 at Southern Energy Inc., where he served as chief financial officer for South America and the Caribbean Region, vice president of international finance, and vice president of planning and performance management. In 2006, he was appointed finance manager for Southern Generation/Southern Power and then served as assistant to the chief financial officer of Southern Company. He was named Metro West region manager for Georgia Power in 2010 and vice president of community and economic development in 2012. In 2017, Cherry was named executive vice president of customer service and operations for Georgia Power, with responsibility for operating and maintaining an electric system serving 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. He assumed his current position on August 1, 2020.
Cherry serves on the boards of Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Tourism Foundation, Boys and Girls Club – Southeast Region, Clark Atlanta University, and Leadership Atlanta. He is a member of the CFA Institute, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, and Auburn University’s Alumni Engineering Advisory Council. He is also a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Georgia, and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute.
Cherry earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Auburn University.
Diana M. Murphy is the Managing Director of Rocksolid Holdings, LLC, a private equity firm focused on small businesses and real estate in the Southeast. She served seven years on the Executive Committee of the United States Golf Association, or USGA, and is the immediate past president of the USGA, having previously served as Treasurer and Vice President of the organization. From 2012 to 2015, Ms. Murphy was Managing Director of the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Fund, a private equity firm invested in early-stage technology and life science companies created out of the state’s research universities. She also served eleven years as the Managing Director of Chartwell Capital Management Company, a private equity firm located in Jacksonville, Florida, and fifteen years as the Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of The Baltimore Sun Company. Ms. Murphy currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of the Board of Landstar System, Inc., a public company that provides integrated transportation management solutions worldwide, chairs its nominating and corporate governance committee and serves on its audit committee, compensation committee, safety and risk committee and strategic planning committee. She served as the Lead Independent Director of Landstar from 2012 to 2015. Ms. Murphy also serves as a director of CTS Corporation, a public company that designs, manufactures and sells a broad line of sensors, electronic components and actuators globally, chairing its nominating and governance committee and serving on its compensation committee. Ms. Murphy serves on a number of other boards, both private and charitable, including the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia and the advisory board of Synovus’ Sea Island market. Ms. Murphy’s extensive experience and leadership of the boards of publicly-traded companies, along with her business acumen and management experience, well qualify her to serve on our Board.
Harris Pastides served as President of the University of South Carolina from August 2008 to July 2019. From 2003 to 2008, Dr. Pastides served as vice president for research and health sciences and dean of the Arnold School of Public Health and as executive director of the South Carolina Research Foundation. He joined the University of South Carolina in 1998 as Dean of the School of Public Health and as a professor of epidemiology. Dr. Pastides played a key role in the establishment of Health Sciences South Carolina, a consortium of the state’s research universities and leading hospital systems, and an integral part in the development of Innovista, the university’s 500-acre innovation and research district. Prior to joining the University of South Carolina, Dr. Pastides held various positions at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for over 13 years, including professor of epidemiology and chairman of the department of biostatistics and epidemiology. In addition to serving on our local advisory board in South Carolina, he has served on a number of professional organizations and civic boards, including the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities, S.C. River Alliance, the Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education and EngenuitySC. He received a master’s in public health, a master’s of philosophy degree in epidemiology and his doctorate degree from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Albany, State University of New York. Dr. Pastides is a former Fulbright senior research fellow and has received numerous other professional awards and recognitions for his research work and leadership, including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Richard Allen award from Allen University. His experience in management and complex organizations and his background in research, innovation and education provides our Board with leadership and consensus-building skills on a variety of matters, including corporate governance and risk management.
Joseph J. Prochaska, Jr. is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of MetLife, Inc., a public insurance and financial services company, a position he held from 2005 until his retirement in 2009. From 2003 to 2005, he served as MetLife’s Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. From 1992 to 2003, Mr. Prochaska served in various executive leadership positions at Aon Corporation, including Senior Vice President and Controller, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Aon Group, Inc. and President of Aon’s Financial Services Group. From 1975 to 1992, he served in various executive leadership positions at Shand, Morahan & Co., Inc. and Evanston Insurance Company, including Chief Financial Officer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Prochaska’s background includes experience with a major accounting firm in Chicago, Illinois as a certified public accountant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Prochaska currently serves on the board of several private companies and is a member of the audit committee for one of these companies. He has also received the designation of a Governance Fellow by the NACD and in 2018, was named to the NACD Directorship 100. Mr. Prochaska’s extensive accounting experience in the financial services industry, his integral involvement in the day-to-day accounting and risk management practices of large global public companies and his compensation and insurance expertise provide our Board with a valuable resource.
John L. Stallworth is a partner of Genesis II, a family investment and philanthropic partnership, and the Chairman of the John Stallworth Foundation, a private foundation created in 1980 to provide college scholarships to students attending college in the state of Alabama. From 1986 to 2006, Mr. Stallworth was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Madison Research Corporation, or MRC, a private company engaged in engineering services and technology support for the defense industry. Prior to its sale in 2006, MRC employed 650 employees, had annual sales of $75 million and operated in seven states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Mr. Stallworth is also retired from professional football, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for fourteen seasons. In 2002, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Since 2009, Mr. Stallworth has been a partial owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to his work with the John Stallworth Foundation, Mr. Stallworth serves on a number of charitable and private boards, including the advisory board of Synovus’ Huntsville market. He has also been an instrumental leader in the development and revitalization efforts of Huntsville’s downtown. Mr.
Stallworth’s background and considerable business experience, along with his leadership, economic development, civic and educational involvement, enhances our Board’s knowledge in these areas.
Kessel D. Stelling is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Synovus. He has been Chairman since January 2012 and Chief Executive Officer since October 2010, after serving as Acting Chief Executive Officer from June to October 2010. Prior to that time and since February 2010, Mr. Stelling served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Synovus. From June 2008 until February 2010, Mr. Stelling served as the Regional Chief Executive Officer of Synovus’ Atlanta area market. Prior to that time, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of North Georgia, having been appointed to that position in December 2006. Mr. Stelling founded Riverside Bancshares, Inc. and Riverside Bank in 1996 and served as its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer until 2006 when Riverside was acquired by Synovus. Prior to that time, Mr. Stelling worked in various management capacities in banking in the Atlanta region, having begun this career in the industry in 1974. Mr. Stelling holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and is a graduate of Louisiana State University School of Banking of the South. He serves as a Class A director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and serves on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and on the board of Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, a public company and one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. Mr. Stelling also serves as the treasurer and as a member of the executive committee of the Bank Policy Institute and as a director of several civic and non-profit organizations, including the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Historical Society. In addition, he has been named as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine for nine consecutive years. Mr. Stelling’s extensive banking and leadership experience, along with his in-depth knowledge of our corporate strategy and day-to-day operations, provides our Board with an important resource in understanding our markets and industry and in effectively managing our risk.
Barry L. Storey is the Principal of BLS Holdings Group, LLC, an Augusta, Georgia-based company with the primary focus of managing a portfolio of retail real estate properties and various alternative assets. Prior to January 2015, he was the Founding Partner of Hull Storey Gibson Companies, LLC, a retail acquisition and development real estate company founded in 1992 that owned and operated over 13 million square feet of retail strip centers and enclosed mall properties in the Southeast. Prior to 1992, Mr. Storey worked as a project manager in the Mall Development Division for CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. and as a real estate leasing manager for NTS Development Corporation. Mr. Storey holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, is a trustee of the University of Georgia Foundation and the immediate past Chair of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. Mr. Storey serves on numerous civic and professional boards of directors, including as Chair of the Community Foundation of the Central River Savannah Area, as well as on the advisory board of our Augusta market. His extensive experience and expertise in real estate acquisition, development and management and his background in the markets in which we serve provides our Board with significant insight, particularly as we continue to refine and execute our growth and expense reduction strategies for the future.
Teresa White is President of Aflac U.S., which constitutes the operating U.S. insurance businesses for Aflac Incorporated, a publicly held company. She has served in that position since October 2014. As president, Ms. White’s responsibilities include marketing, sales and distribution, information technology, corporate communications, operations, US financial management and shared services. She oversees the company’s extensive distribution network of individual agents and brokers across the country, as well as 5,300 employees. Prior to becoming President, Ms. White served in various leadership positions with Aflac, including Chief Operating Officer from July 2013 to September 2014, Executive Vice President and Chief Services Officer from October 2012 to July 2013 and Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer from March 2008 to October 2012, among others. Ms. White is active in her community, having served on the boards of various non-profit and professional organizations, including the Georgia Chamber Board of Governors, Neighborworks Columbus and Americas Health Insurance Plans. She has been recognized for her leadership with a number of awards, including three consecutive years as Black Enterprise’s Most Powerful Women in Business, Bizwomen’s 2016 Women to Watch, Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Women Who Mean Business and numerous recognitions by American Business Awards. Ms. White holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree in management from Troy State University. Ms. White’s extensive operational and strategic background, coupled with her marketing, sales, talent and risk management experience at the executive level in the financial services industry, will guide the Company in its long-term strategic and operational planning and add a valuable resource to the Board.
