22 honored as Rising Stars of Banking 2024

Group honored at luncheon in Birmingham

Business Alabama magazine Thursday honored 22 men and women as Rising Stars of Banking 2024 at a luncheon in Birmingham at the Harbert Center. The 22 were chosen from nominations and received recognition at the event.

Here are the 22 Rising Stars of Banking 2024:

CHRIS ALLEN

Chris Allen is Huntsville market president at Southern States Bank. A graduate of Athens State University, he began his banking career as a teller and has had banking roles at Synovus, BBVA and Regions Bank. Allen serves on the Huntsville Hospital Foundation Development Council and is past president for Friends Inc. Allen is a member of the Committee of 100, the Huntsville Rotary Club and the Huntsville Hardwood Club, a nonprofit aimed at growing basketball in the community. He and his wife have three children and live in Huntsville, where Allen enjoys playing golf, attending concerts and volunteering with his children’s sports teams.

 

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DALTON ANDERSON

Dalton Anderson is an assistant branch manager/team lead for Regions Bank at the Bradford Creek branch in Madison. A Huntsville native, he graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in finance with a specialization in banking and financial services. At Alabama, he was vice president and head of recruitment for his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. He began working at Regions when he graduated, and he loves working with customers to help make their ideal financial picture more attainable. Outside of work, Anderson enjoys spending time with family and friends and watching Alabama football.

 

EASON BALCH

Eason Balch is a first vice president of commercial banking for Valley National Bank in Birmingham.  He began his banking career in 2000 after earning a financial management degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Balch serves on the board of Fellowship House Inc., volunteers on the usher team at Church of the Highlands and volunteers as a youth coach for baseball and basketball. He and his wife, Elizabeth, and three children live in Birmingham. Balch enjoys spending time with his family, attending college football games, traveling and playing golf.

 

BRUNER BINION

Bruner Binion is the Regions Bank market executive and senior vice president, commercial banking leader for South Alabama. He joined Regions in 2008 after graduating from the University of Mississippi, working in commercial banking throughout his 16-year career. He holds a Certified Treasury Professional designation from the Association for Financial Professionals. Binion is on the boards of the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Magnolia Cemetery and is a campaign co-chair for the United Way of Southwest Alabama. He is a graduate of Leadership Mobile and the Alabama Leadership Initiative. He and his wife have two children.

 

KEN BROWN

Ken Brown is South Alabama market president for First Horizon Bank. A  Mobile native, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama with more than 25 years of banking experience.  Since joining what was then Iberiabank in 2011, Ken has led efforts to grow the retail, private banking, wealth management, business and commercial banking segments of the bank.  He is a recipient of Mobile Bay magazine’s 40 Under 40 awards and served in Leadership Alabama. He was a founding member of the Young Leaders Society of United Way of Southwest Alabama and served on the board of directors. Brown currently serves on the governing board for Goodwill and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Alabama.  Brown and his wife have four children (two sets of twins).

 

JASON DAVIS

Jason Davis serves as the chief financial officer of River Bank & Trust, the largest community bank headquartered in Alabama. Before joining the bank in 2017, he gained extensive experience during his 15-year tenure at Jackson Thornton, where he focused on financial institution audits and consulting. Davis, a certified public accountant, earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from Auburn University. He also graduated from the Alabama Banking School in 2014 as valedictorian. Davis serves as the treasurer of Habitat for Humanity of Autauga & Chilton Counties and as a board member of the Autauga Education Foundation. He lives in Prattville with his wife, Brianna, and their four children. 

 

HAVEN DUFF

Haven Duff is a senior vice president and corporate relationship manager for SmartBank in Auburn.  She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance from Auburn University.  She began her banking career in 2007, serving in various credit roles prior to becoming a commercial lender.  Duff has recently been selected for the role of market president for SmartBank Auburn. She serves on the board of The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County and enjoys volunteering with the Auburn Housing Authority.  She and her husband, Seth, reside in Auburn and have two daughters.

 

ALLEN DYE

Allen Dye serves as first vice president, commercial banking, for ServisFirst Bank in Birmingham. Dye began his decade-long tenure at ServisFirst in the residential mortgage department and has since worked within the commercial banking team.  Dye graduated from the University of Alabama, where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and currently serves as the University of Alabama’s A-Club President, an organization of former letterwinners. In his free time, Dye enjoys being the head coach for Full Count Ministries in Vestavia Hills, hunting, spending time with his family and playing golf. Dye lives in Birmingham with his wife, Paige, and their two children.

 

ANDREA FROST

Andrea Frost is a vice president and the compliance officer at First Citizens Bank in Luverne. She graduated from Troy University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration – finance. Frost has 17 years of banking experience, starting her career at Colonial Bank in the accounting department before getting a job at her hometown bank, where she has now been for more than 10 years. She is a 2018 graduate of the Alabama Banking School and is also a recent graduate of the Alabama Banker Association’s Executive Leadership Program. In addition to compliance, Frost oversees the audit function of the bank, chairs the Enterprise Risk Management Team and leads the loan operations group.

 

ALLEN HAMILTON

Allen Hamilton, with more than 20 years of lending experience, is Southwest Alabama market president for SmartBank, based in Thomasville. At SmartBank, Hamilton oversees and manages the bank’s presence and growth strategy in Washington and Clarke Counties. Hamilton graduated from the University of West Alabama.  Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with family and friends. Hamilton serves on the Industrial Development Board for the city of Thomasville and enjoys being involved in the community, which he believes contributes to his well-rounded perspective and creativity in commercial lending.

 

JASON ISBELL

Jason Isbell is a senior vice president and head of state government affairs and economic development at Regions Bank, overseeing the bank’s government affairs efforts in 16 state capitals. Isbell joined Regions in 2021 after working for the Alabama Legislature, the Alabama Bankers Association and the law firm of Maynard Cooper & Gale.  He graduated from Faulkner University and completed his MBA at Auburn University Montgomery and law degree at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law.  He also graduated from the Alabama Banking School, where he later served as class director.  Isbell lives in Pike Road with his wife, Kim, and their two sons.  Isbell is active in his church, serves as a volunteer or director for several nonprofit organizations, is an adjunct law professor, and is a member of the Faulkner University board of trustees.

 

CHRIS KING

Chris King is vice president – director of marketing for Bank Independent. In 2024, his team was selected as a finalist for the Top 100 Marketing Teams by OnCon. King, an Auburn University graduate, completed the American Bankers Association’s Bank Marketing School and earned his Certified Financial Marketing Professional credential. He has served on the ABA’s CFMP Exam Advisory Board Work Group since 2017.  King also completed executive education at Wharton Business School. He currently serves as the marketing instructor for Alabama Banking School. King and his family live in Tuscumbia, where he joined the city council in 2023. He is active on several nonprofit boards and organizations.

 

 

 

RACHEL NEW

Rachel New is vice president and treasury management officer at River Bank & Trust, serving the bank’s Coastal Region. With more than two decades of experience in the financial industry, New is an expert at helping local businesses navigate the complexities of managing their financial operations. New, a native of Saraland, earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Troy University. She is an avid volunteer for the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, furthering her commitment to economic development. She and her husband, Ryan, have three children.

 

DAVID NORVELL

David Norvell is a seasoned banking professional with more than 13 years of experience specializing in commercial relationships. As a vice president at PNC, a native of Florence and a graduate of the University of North Alabama, he provides tailored financial advice to clients across Alabama’s northern region with a keen understanding of the needs of North Alabama’s local businesses. He is actively involved in the community, serving on the board of the Limestone County Economic Development Association, and when he’s not busy serving clients and community, he enjoys spending time with family or pursuing passions like golf, fishing and sports.

 

GABE PELUSO

Gabe Peluso III is a commercial relationship officer at Renasant Bank in Huntsville. A graduate of Trinity’s West Morgan High School and Mississippi State University (BA in business administration – finance), he was a part-time teller for Renasant Bank during college. He joined the bank full-time after graduation, working as an assistant relationship manager before moving to his current role in May 2023. Peluso enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and playing golf.

 

CAMERON RICKS

Cameron Ricks is first vice president of commercial banking at ServisFirst Bank. A graduate of the University of North Alabama, he holds a degree in political science, but he has a decade of experience in the banking industry. Ricks is treasurer for the Birmingham Sunrise Rotary Club and holds key positions in the American Legion Alabama Boys State and the Alabama Youth Sports Alliance. He’s on the board of the Alabama Sports Council and is a member of the 2024 freshman class of the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club. Ricks is active in his church, roots for Alabama football and likes to play golf and travel.

 

JONATHAN SHERRILL

Jonathan Sherrill has more than 15 years of experience in banking, with the last decade dedicated to CB&S Bank as a retail manager overseeing operations across four counties in North Alabama. His role extends to serving on various bank committees and currently contributing as a board member for Shoals Scholar Dollars. He is currently a third-year student at the Alabama Banking School.  Sherrill and his wife, Lacy, have three children.

 

REBECCA SPEAR

Rebecca Spear is vice president/retail manager/branch manager of CB&S Bank in Wetumpka. She has more than 21 years of banking experience and has served five of those years with CB&S Bank.  Spear is a graduate of Alabama Banking School. She has been a Kiwanis Club Member, a board member for a local children’s advocacy center and Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce ambassador.  She and her branch also volunteer to collect money for a charity event the local humane shelter hosts every year.  She currently sits on the Wetumpka Chamber board of directors.  Spear and her husband, Phillip, live in Eclectic with their three daughters.  

 

JEANNE THOMAS

Jeanne Thomas is lender and branch manager of First Metro Bank’s main office. She’s been at the bank for 15 years, starting as a part-time teller and working in positions such as customer service representative and assistant branch manager. Her goal is to equip people in her community with the tools they need to build their credit and achieve their financial goals. A native of Muscle Shoals, Thomas graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in business administration. In her free time, Thomas enjoys trying new restaurants, taking her dogs to the park, singing and axe throwing with friends.

 

JEREMY TUGGLE

Jeremy Tuggle is Birmingham city president for Bryant Bank, overseeing seven locations in the area. A banker with 22 years of experience, he participated in the Alabama Banker’s Association’s Bank Executive Leadership Certification Program and is enrolled in the LSU Graduate Banking Program. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a finance degree and is a graduate of the Alabama Banker’s School. Tuggle is treasurer for the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club and is a past president of the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce board. He is an education advocate in Trussville and has run the New York City Marathon. Tuggle and his wife, Lauren, and four children live in Trussville.

 

GEORGIA CLAIRE VARBLE

Georgia Claire Varble is director of market development for First Metro Bank, headquartered in Muscle Shoals.  A graduate of the University of North Alabama with a degree in communications, Varble has earned a certificate in bank marketing and is a Certified Financial Marketing Professional, both from the American Bankers Association. She’s a member of Leadership Shoals, serves as a volunteer alumna-advisor for the UNA chapter of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and volunteers for community organizations in her hometown in Tennessee and in the Shoals.

 

LISA WILLIAMS

Lisa Williams is a vice president in PNC’s Community Development Banking Group, providing financial resources for underserved communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Williams has been in banking for more than 10 years, including risk, compliance and retail positions. Williams graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in public relations and marketing and did graduate studies in business and project management. Williams is president of PNC’s African American Employee Business Resource Group and a member of Women’s Connect and the Corporate Responsibility Group’s D&I Council, where she is vice president. She’s active in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Williams lives in Birmingham.

 

This story originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Business Alabama magazine.

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