Diversity Task Force

Carolyn has been in the banking industry for more than 15 years and is currently the assistant branch manager in our Marietta, Ga. location. She has a passion for putting people first and approaches everyone with an equal amount of compassion, empathy and understanding for their individual needs. Carolyn has a big heart and serves her community as a life coach through the Freewoman program and is launching a post-abuse/trauma healing program that provides spiritual-based life coaching, therapy and financial support for those fleeing spousal abuse. Carolyn grew up and lived in the Destin/Fort Walton Beach area for 27 years before moving to Georgia in 2011. She is a dog mom and a member of an all-women’s sporting clays team.

Bobby Cabral is with Learning and Development as the Commercial Team Lead. He has been with the bank for nearly 6years. He has been in banking for 24years. Bobby is the son of a Cuban immigrant who has lived the American Dream and taught Bobby and his family the value of hard work and dedication brings happiness and success. Bobby has been happily married for 26 years and has 5 wonderful children.

Christina is the end user services manager for our IT Department, and her team of technicians support all teammates with their IT needs to ensure they can perform their role to the best of their ability. Her 13-year career with the bank includes many different roles, and she has supported the bank through various acquisitions. Christina began her career in retail, starting as a teller in the original Decatur branch, and then moved into the world of IT with the company almost six years ago. She has a passion for helping people and providing answers and solutions. Christina is adventurous and loves to travel in her free time. 

Shea is the corporate recruiter for Ameris Bank and has been in the recruiting field for 20+ years, filling roles ranging from entry level to C-suite executives. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management information systems from Auburn University and holds two certifications in recruitment and staffing. She is the co-chair for the Indispensables ERG and a member of the Women in Banking and Veterans ERGs. Shea is the proud mother of a zoo that includes four sons, two dogs, one cat and two grand kitties. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, knitting and spending time with her husband, Greg.

Darren serves as the Commercial Banking Assistant for the Albany, Georgia market. Darren has been with Ameris since 2018, spending his first year as a Teller and Universal Banker. In 2019, Darren was selected to be a member of the Ameris Ambassador program. Darren frequently partners with L&D and Salesforce enhancement initiatives. 

Darren graduated from Valdosta State University in 2016, with BBAs in Finance and Economics. Darren is a father of two beautiful girls. In Darren’s “spare” time, Darren cares for his Marine Corps veteran mother, work out, tinker with electronics, challenge friends & family to board and video games, and volunteer with local organizations. Darren also has a guilty pleasure of foreign media. At 29 years of age, Darren has discovered and developed a passion for community and collective improvement. Darren lives life in optimism of a bright future. tion and management oversight of the agency and staff which supported the most vulnerable in the community. 

Elizabeth has been in the financial services business for more than 38 years working with financial institutions around the country. Elizabeth joined Ameris in February 2023 as the managing director of business banking, establishing our new business banking line of business and working with cross-functional teams to collaborate and grow this segment. Her experience ranges from back-office operations to retail banking, wealth management, SBA and business banking. She is a forward-thinking and results-driven leader with an entrepreneurial attitude and a passion for excellence in customer service. Elizabeth enjoys sharing her experiences and lessons learned and helping others to grow in their career.

Eric Jones joined Ameris Bank in January 2023 and is a treasury management sales associate, providing sales support coverage for both the regional and specialty treasury management sales teams. Eric is a 14-year banking veteran, having served in various retail and commercial banking/treasury management roles throughout his career. Eric graduated from Vincennes University in 2017 and holds the Certified Treasury Professional credential. Prior to joining Ameris Bank, Eric served as regional chair of Fifth Third Bank’s African American Business Resource Group and currently serves as co-chair of Ameris Bank’s The Place (BIPOC) Employee Resource Group. Additionally, Eric serves as board vice chair of the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Young Professional Leaders. Eric is a proud supporter of the United Way of Greater Atlanta, Grove Park Foundation and Community Sustainability Enterprise.

Farah is a Talent Strategy Manager and HR Business Partner for the Mortgage division of Ameris. Farah has over 10 years of experience in human resources and is motivated through her passion of helping people and her community. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University and also holds her SHRM-CP accreditation. In her free time, Farah enjoys being active and spending time with her two kids, Noah and Myah.

Geni is a dynamic and reliable banking professional with over twenty years of wealth management, investment, and retail management experience. Geni currently serves as the VP, Branch Market Manager in the Henry County Market in Georgia. In the community, Geni serves as an Ambassador for the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Leadership Henry, Member of the Kiwanis Club of Henry County, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of New Leaf Henry, Inc, and Advisor for the Financial Literacy Council for Henry County Schools. Geni is excited about expanding her leadership horizons by being chosen as a mentee for the 2022 Ameris Bank Mentorship Program, member of the Ameris Bank Voice of a Lion Toastmasters chapter, and completing her Leading Self phase of the Ameris Bank Leadership Development Program. During Geni’s downtime, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and three children.

Kiara is a Vice President, Learning Specialist II on the Learning and Development team. Kiara has a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry where she has served in numerous roles including branch manager, personal banker, consumer lender, and universal banker. Kiara’s passion is interacting with colleagues and helping them realize their full potential through the learning resources that we have here at Ameris Bank. Kiara has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a Master of Science degree in leadership, and an MBA. She is a member of the Diversity Task Force here at Ameris where she serves as the co-chair for the GenUnited employee resource group and is a member of the Women in Banking ERG, The Place ERG, and Minds Matter ERG. She is also currently serving as the secretary for the Voice of a Lion Toastmasters Club here at the bank.

Lesa is a vice president and branch manager for the Jacksonville Beach Ameris Bank branch. With 10 years of banking experience, Lesa is a seasoned banker and leader. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Jones College, and proudly served in the US Navy for six and a half years.

Mike is a proud veteran of the US Air Force and Air Force Reserve where he worked on various aircraft avionics systems. He attended Columbia College in Columbia, MO, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude while earning a Bachelor of Science – Business Administration degree in Financial Services Management. Additionally, Mike has 12 years in the mortgage industry with a variety of experience ranging from Operations to Product Strategy and Development. He currently utilizes his skills and experience to serve as a System Administrator in IT for Ameris Bank’s Mortgage Division. In his free time, Mike enjoys spending time with his two daughters and grandson. He is passionate about helping others through giving his time and resources to his community and church.

Military Brat raised around the world, Married to a Veteran, 4 Children and 10 Grandchildren, a Great Grandchild on the way. 

  

Finance professional with 40 years of experience serving in the Health Care industry, Private Business, Commercial and Retail Banking in the Chicago, Dallas, Raleigh and Savannah areas and now home in South Carolina.  As the Director for Coastal Bank I joined the Ameris Bank family when we were purchased and moved to the role of RAM for SC, Corporate Experience Strategist to create our first Culture Surveys and elevate the Ambassadors, and then back to my first love of Treasury in 2020 after supporting the PPP project. 

  Hobbies include staying physically fit to keep up with my Grandchildren, gardening, painting, woodworking (to reimagine things nature leaves behind) and being the voice for those that stood and served our Country and because of their sacrifice now deal with PTSD. 

Shermeia Sherman is the DEI Program Coordinator at Ameris Bank, where she encourages employees to lift their voices, promote employee engagement, and build meaningful and strong relationships within the community. Shermeia has been in the Financial Services Industry for 24 years, where she has held key leadership positions and lead teams to exceed their goals.
Shermeia is a graduate of the University of West Georgia, with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Gerontology. Shermeia furthered her education by graduating from Strayer University, with a master’s degree in Human Resource Management. 
Because Shermeia is passionate about helping others and the less fortunate, she takes great pride in volunteering at several nonprofit organizations including Hosea Helps. 
Shermeia is also a proud mother of 1!

Yolanda Wallace is the CTR/MIL/WLM Manager and an Assistant Vice President at Ameris Bank. She is a graduate from Georgia Southern University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and a minor in French. In addition to her thirty-plus years of banking experience, she is also a published author.

Jen is a commercial banker in Orlando and is involved in the Central Florida community. She has held several roles with the Joe R. Lee Boys and Girls Club of Eatonville, from general volunteer to various positions on the board, since 2018. Her involvement aims to help bridge the gap between what grants and government funding provide and what it takes to develop responsible corporate citizens and next generation taxpayers and deliver back to our community.

Elizabeth is a human resources generalist for Ameris Bank, following more than 13 years on the retail banking side of Ameris and other financial institutions. She loves working with people and building strong relationships, whether with customers or teammates. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, walking the Atlanta Beltline, and raising money and awareness for rare cancer research.

James Gordineer is a commercial loan closing specialist based out of Atlanta and has been with Ameris since 2021. He has more than 13 years of finance experience, starting as a small business bookkeeper and branching into consumer loan operations while living in Portland, Oregon in 2015. His educational background is in economics and mathematics. Outside of his studies, he served as the treasurer for the Clayton State University Gay-Straight Alliance in 2012 and was a member of the Portland State Aerospace Society for two years learning rocketry and helping with finances. He enjoys a variety of hobbies from video games to woodworking and gardening, though his current passion is bothering his dog Grand Duchess Wiggles of Stockbridge-shire, Protectress of the Realm.