Southern First Bancshares, holding company for Southern First Bank, is announced the promotion of Wes Wilbanks to Chief Credit Officer and Executive Vice President.

Wilbanks joined the Southern First team in 2021 as Senior Credit Risk Officer, focusing on supporting relationship growth as well as overall loan portfolio administration and management. A 25-year banking veteran, he is also a graduate of the South Carolina Bankers School and LSU Graduate School of Banking. Before joining Southern First, Wilbanks spent the prior 11 years with a regional bank in a variety of senior credit roles after starting his career in relationship management. As Chief Credit Officer, Wilbanks is excited to continue supporting the growth and risk management goals of Southern First and its team of bankers in delivering exceptional service to clients.

"Wes has been an effective and dedicated leader to our credit team in his tenure, and we are excited to have him step into this new role to create additional positive impact on our company," said Art Seaver, CEO.