Twenty-five Alabama banking professionals were honored as Business Alabama’s Rising Stars of Banking 2026 at a luncheon in Birmingham.
Anoop Mishra, regional executive and senior officer in the Birmingham office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, spoke at the gathering at B&A Warehouse.
The honorees were chosen by an internal Business Alabama committee after public nominations.
Here are the Rising Stars of Banking 2026:
Luisa Bearden, First Metro Bank
Bearden is digital and data solutions supervisor at First Metro Bank. Throughout her career with First Metro, she has held several roles, beginning as a teller and later serving as head teller of First Metro Live, the bank’s interactive teller machine service. A 2010 graduate of Muscle Shoals High School, Bearden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Alabama in 2014. She was a member of the inaugural First Metro Bank Certified Banker graduating class in 2022. Bearden is involved with St. Joseph Regional Catholic School, serving as an advisory council member and participating in the school’s PTO. Bearden, her husband and their four children live in Tuscumbia.
Florence Crocker, Regions Bank
Crocker is senior vice president and third-party risk manager at Regions Bank. Crocker joined Regions in July 2014, bringing more than 25 years of experience focused on compliance, risk management and vendor management. She has held leadership roles in third-party risk management, operational risk, compliance, governance and internal audit at Regions, First Horizon, Wells Fargo, Wachovia and SouthTrust. Crocker holds Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and Certified Bank Auditor (CBA) designations and earned a bachelor’s in business from the University of Alabama. Crocker, her husband and their four children live in Birmingham.
Jordan Crow, Merit Bank
Crow, a founding member of Merit Bank, is senior vice president and senior lender at the bank, where he develops and manages the bank’s largest loan portfolio. A 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama, Crow serves on the board of visitors for the Culverhouse College of Business, where he chairs the career success committee. He also serves on the B2L board for the Alabama Bankers Association and on the Calhoun Community College Foundation board’s finance committee. Crow and his wife, Heather, have one son and will welcome another son this year. They live in Athens.
Michael Cummings, First Metro Bank
Cummings is assistant vice president, branch manager and lender at First Metro Bank in Russellville. He joined the bank as a part-time teller in 2012. A 2015 graduate of the University of North Alabama, Cummings completed the Alabama Bankers Association’s Alabama Banking School in 2024. He is actively involved in the community, serving as president of the Russellville Kiwanis Club, and as a member of both the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce board of directors and the Russellville High School student advisory board.
Shannon L. Fenison, River Bank & Trust
Fenison is the vice president and treasury management sales officer for River Bank & Trust’s River Region market. A Montgomery native, Fenison has dedicated 22 years to the banking industry, including 14 years with River Bank & Trust. She holds a Bachelor of Science in resource management and a master’s in human resource management from Troy University. Fenison graduated from Alabama Banking School and Leadership Montgomery Torchbearers, and she is currently preparing for the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) exam. Fenison serves on the boards of Leadership Montgomery and Abortion Recovery America. She lives in Montgomery with her husband, Jerome, and their family.
Amanda Hicks, Bank Independent
Hicks is vice president-sales officer at the downtown Huntsville office for Bank Independent. Hicks, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the banking industry, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Athens State University and currently is pursuing her MBA at the University of North Alabama to further strengthen her foundation in business strategy, leadership and financial management. She also is a graduate of Alabama Banking School and the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending. Hicks lives in Madison with her son and their goldendoodle. She enjoys elaborate DIY projects and is passionate about improving her sporting clays and golf skills.
Emily Jernigan, SmartBank
Jenigan is senior vice president of private banking at SmartBank, where she has led the private banking division across the Dothan, Auburn, Florida Panhandle and Columbus, Georgia, markets since 2021. She has more than 20 years of banking experience. A native of Dothan, Jernigan is a graduate of the University of Alabama and has held a variety of leadership roles throughout her banking career. She serves on the boards of the Southeast Health Foundation, the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce and Girls Inc. She also is a graduate of Leadership Dothan. Jernigan and her husband, who live in Dothan, have two children.
Kim Long, The Exchange Bank of Alabama
Long is vice president and lending officer at The Exchange Bank of Alabama. She began her career in banking as a part-time teller and has since held numerous roles throughout the industry. Long contributes to key strategic decisions by serving on the bank’s executive committee and personnel committee. She is a graduate of both the Alabama Banking School and Leadership Etowah. Long is a board member for the James M. Barrie Center for Children and the Kiwanis Club of Gadsden. Long and her husband have two sons and live in the Gadsden area.
Stephen Madrid, Valley Bank
Madrid is the vice president and market manager for Valley Bank’s downtown Birmingham branch. A graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Madrid played football and served as team captain during his senior year, developing the leadership, discipline and teamwork skills that continue to guide his professional career. He serves as growth development chair for Junior Achievement of Alabama’s junior board and is actively involved with his Business Network International chapter and the Birmingham Business Alliance. Madrid and his wife live in Kimberly, where they are raising their three children.
Melissa Mann, Oakworth Capital Bank
Mann serves as director of loan operations at Oakworth Capital Bank in Birmingham, where she has worked for 11 of her 16 years in banking. A graduate of Auburn University, Mann earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in business and Spanish. She is a graduate of Momentum’s 2020 Upward Early Career Program and the 2026 Executive Program. Mann has volunteered as a United Way loaned executive, participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters Beyond School Walls as a big sister, and supported organizations including Wine Women and Shoes and Better Basics. Mann and her husband, Mac, have two children.
Allen Mayer, Regions Bank
Mayer is the assistant treasurer and balance sheet manager at Regions Bank, where he has spent most of his 19-year career specializing in interest rate risk management. Mayer earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business. He currently serves on the Culverhouse College of Business board of visitors and is a board member of the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Program. Mayer also is a Class V graduate of the Alabama Leadership Initiative and is actively involved with the North American Asset Liability Management Association and the Valleydale Church finance committee. He and his wife live in Vestavia Hills with their three children.
Nick McKinney, Merit Bank
McKinney serves as senior vice president and commercial relationship manager at Merit Bank, bringing more than 13 years of experience to his role. A graduate of the University of Alabama, McKinney specializes in the healthcare industry as well as government contractors and defense-related businesses. McKinney serves as board president of the Community Free Dental Clinic, supporting its mission of providing dental care to those in need. Outside of banking, he stays busy coaching his two sons’ sports teams, cheering on his daughter at dance recitals and traveling with his wife.
Felecia Minor, Regions Bank
Minor is an underwriter in the Commercial Credit Services Client Retention Group at Regions Bank. She supports clients and bankers by reviewing and underwriting business credit card, commercial real estate, business line of credit and nonprofit vehicle financing applications. A financial services veteran of nearly 30 years, Minor joined Regions in 2014. She is a graduate of Alabama State University. Minor is vice president of the Midfield City Schools Board of Education and is a member of the Midfield Zoning Board. She also is a youth teacher at her church. Minor and her husband live in Midfield. They have two daughters and a son.
Megan Mordecai, State Bank and Trust
Mordecai is vice president and loan officer at State Bank and Trust. A 2007 graduate of Marion County High School, she has been with State Bank and Trust since 2013. Mordecai began as a teller and worked her way up to a loan teller, loan secretary and loan officer. Mordecai attended the Alabama Banking School and graduated in 2023, when she became vice president at State Bank and Trust. Mordecai is active in her community. She, her husband and their three children live in Winfield.
Kacy Peacock, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Peacock is a vice president with Pinnacle Financial Partners. She attended Auburn University at Montgomery and has eight years of experience in banking and more than 20 years of experience with leading teams, building relationships and executing consistent operational excellence. Peacock specializes in delivering strategic financial solutions for business owners, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. She serves as an advisory board member for Small Magic and the Women’s Business and Leadership Council. She also is an ambassador with the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, president of EPIC Hoover and a graduate of Leadership Hoover, class of 2024. Peacock lives in Hoover with her husband and daughter.
John Platt, Bryant Bank
Platt is a senior vice president and commercial banker with Bryant Bank in Birmingham, where he works with businesses, entrepreneurs and investors throughout the Birmingham metropolitan area. He began his career in retail banking before moving into commercial lending. A graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, Platt holds an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He serves on the board of directors of the Shelby County Chamber and is treasurer of the board for Designs for Hope. Platt is involved with the Shades Valley High School Finance Academy. He also has been involved with workforce-development initiatives that help individuals prepare for employment and new opportunities and has volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse in disaster-relief efforts. Platt and his wife live in Birmingham.
Andrew Privett, BankFirst
Privett is a community president and lender at BankFirst, where he began his career 14 years ago. Privett lives and works in his hometown of Addison. Privett holds an associate in applied science in financial management from Wallace State Community College. He is a graduate of the Alabama Banking School at the University of South Alabama, as well as a graduate of the Bank Executive Leadership Program provided by the Alabama Bankers Association. Privett is on the board of directors for the Alabama Council on Economic Education and on the advisory board of the Winston Career Academy. Privett enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, operating a small cattle farm and enjoying Alabama’s outdoors.
Nick Rockhill, Bank Independent
Rockhill is vice president – sales officer at Bank Independent, where he has worked since 2023. The Huntsville native is a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville and has been in banking for more than 15 years. He graduated from Alabama Banking School at the University of South Alabama in 2020, serving as class president. Rockhill has served on the boards of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, Land Trust of North Alabama, Christian Job Corps, AshaKiran Foundation and Madison Baseball Association, as well as on the finance committee at The Brook Church. He is a graduate of Leadership Greater Huntsville. Rockhill and his wife, Sheena, have three children. He coaches baseball and enjoys golfing, yardwork and spending time with his family.
Allyson Sanders, SmarBank
Sanders is a senior vice president/private banker for SmartBank in their North Alabama area. A Huntsville native and graduate of Auburn University, Sanders joined SmartBank in 2024. Prior to SmartBank, she held other financial positions within the Huntsville community. Sanders serves on the Professional Advisors Council with HudsonAlpha Foundation and is a member of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild. She has been selected for the Leadership Greater Huntsville Flagship Program – Class 40. Her past community involvements include Junior League of Montgomery, Junior League of Huntsville, YMCA Childcare Board, PTA boards and church volunteer. She and her husband have a son and a daughter.
Kimm Sanford, First Community Bank of Central Alabama
Sanford serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer of First Community Bank of Central Alabama, where she has built a career spanning more than 15 years in community banking. Throughout her tenure, she has held a variety of leadership roles, including branch manager, relationship manager, mortgage originator and controller, giving her a broad understanding of both the financial and operational sides of banking. Sanford is a graduate of the Alabama Banking School, where she was valedictorian of her graduating class. Sanford and her husband have two daughters and live in Eclectic.
Carey Shirah, FirstBank
Shirah is a mortgage banker at FirstBank. He specializes in residential lending, with a particular focus on helping self-employed and high-net-worth clients navigate complex financing needs. Over more than a decade in banking, Shirah has built his business largely through a relationship-driven approach to mortgage lending, developing a reputation for structuring solutions for jumbo and non-traditional mortgage transactions. He works closely with clients, real estate professionals and other advisers throughout the financing process. Shirah consistently ranks among his bank’s top mortgage producers and serves clients throughout Alabama and the Southeast. He lives in the Birmingham area with his wife and two daughters and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
Kolby Stamps, First Southern Bank
Stamps is an assistant vice president/commercial banking officer at First Southern Bank, where she works with consumer and commercial loans. She’s a lifelong resident of Killen and the Shoals area. In banking since 2018, Stamps started her career as a part-time teller at another financial institution and worked her way up. Graduating from Athens State University while working full time, she was on the president’s or dean’s list each semester. Stamps has a bachelor’s degree in business management. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
Robbin Thompson, River Bank & Trust
Thompson is regional president for the Wiregrass region of River Bank & Trust, with three offices in Dothan and Enterprise. He began his 30-year banking career after graduating from Troy University. Thompson formerly served as president and CEO of Trinity Bank in Dothan prior to its merger with River Bank & Trust in 2019. Thompson is chairman of the Enterprise Industrial Development Board, president of the ESCC Foundation and vice-chairman of Wiregrass Economic Development. He also serves on the Enterprise Healthcare Authority and the Enterprise Homebuilders Board, and he’s past president of Enterprise Rotary Club and two-time past chairman of the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce. Thompson and his wife, who live in Enterprise, have two daughters.
Kirsten Tidwell, Story Financial Partners
Tidwell is associate managing director at Story Financial Partners, advising clients on treasury management services. A graduate of Mississippi State University with a BBA in business management and a BA in foreign languages, she began her banking career as a financial services representative and subsequently served as a lending assistant and branch and loan support manager. Tidwell is a member of the Huntsville Hospital Development Council and lives in Huntsville with her husband. The couple is expecting their first child later this year.
Miranda Wooddy, First Horizon Bank
Wooddy is senior portfolio manager and senior vice president at First Horizon Bank, working closely with the Birmingham Commercial Group while also leading a team of commercial credit analysts. A graduate of Auburn University, she has worked more than 15 years in a variety of credit-focused roles supporting markets across Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas. Wooddy holds an ABA certification in commercial and business banking and completed Commercial Lending School through the Alabama Bankers Association. She is grateful to work for an organization that has allowed her to be a full-time caregiver to her husband. They have two daughters and live in Montgomery.
This story originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
