Ameris CEO to visit Moultrie
Published 9:10 am Tuesday, September 28, 2021
MOULTRIE, Ga. – Ameris Bank chief executive officer will be visiting Thursday and Friday as part of the bank’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Ameris CEO Palmer Proctor will be visiting Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 as part of the bank’s anniversary and worker celebration, said Michael Quirk, Ameris Bank communication coordinator. Proctor will be visiting the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs luncheon, noon-2 p.m. Thursday. He will host a 50th anniversary celebration barbecue at the Ameris Bank branch on First Street.
Ameris was originally founded in Moultrie with only $1 million in capital, Proctor stated in a phone interview Monday.
“We have since grown into a culturally driven bank with over $22 billion in assets, over 200 branches within our scope and presence in five states throughout the southeast,” Proctor said.
Proctor originally grew up in Tallahassee, Fla., but his ties to Moultrie run deep.
A copper depiction of his grandfather, a World War II veteran, designed by his uncle sits outside the Colquitt County Annex. Eugene M. Vereen Jr., original founder of Ameris Bank, along with the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners helped fund the statue that now sits facing the Moultrie Courthouse.
“It’s a beautiful representation. It’s exactly as I remember him, in statue form of course,” Proctor said with a laugh. “Moultrie is a great place. It’s part of the company’s history as well as my own.”
Ameris Bank first opened its doors in 1971. It has since moved its headquarters to Atlanta. Proctor said the company’s culture since day one has been its biggest asset.
“We have an extremely rewarding, strong and sustainable culture at Ameris. That customer-driven mentality has allowed us to continuously provide the best service for all our stakeholders,” Proctor said.
He added that for the next 50 years, Ameris will continue to provide quality banking for all customers.
“Everything is changing but our customer-centric model will not,” he said. “We will adapt with everything while continuing to provide the same small town banking mentality that we did when we first opened.”
