Diversity Task Force

As the Market President for Ameris Bank in Albany, GA, Chris provides oversight, strategic direction and leadership for the Commercial Banking team in the Albany area market.  With over 14 years of banking experience across multiple lines of business throughout his career, Chris works hard to develop deep client relationships and maintains a focus to deliver all that he does “through the lens” of his customer.

Chris earned his Bachelor’s degree from Mercer University.  He and his wife Birgit are the parents of three children, and  enjoy boating, water sports, and spending quality time with family and friends.

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.

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. 

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.

Greg is the market president for the Savannah area and has been with Ameris for more than 15 years. He received a bachelor’s degree from Wofford College and is a graduate of Speakeasy, Inc., a public speaking consulting association. With more than 27 years of experience, Greg’s valuable commercial banking and business management expertise allows Ameris to continue to expand our reach and banking relationships with customers. . He is very involved and active in his community in various organizations and recently joined the board for Habit for Humanity.

With over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, Kena currently serves as an branch manager with a passion for small businesses and their financial success. Kena serves on the Henry County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is the Chamber's Small Business Council Chair. She is also an Advisory Council Board Member for Communities In Schools.

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. 

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. 

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.

Shermeia Dixon 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!

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.

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.