We Believe in Community Banks
We believe community banks are essential to lives and businesses all across America. We also recognize that running a community bank in today’s economic, political, and regulatory environment is not an easy task.
That is why we exist – to equip and inspire community banks with the technology and resources they need to compete in today’s banking landscape.
Our goal is to help you win more loans, make sound investments that protect your balance sheet, and improve your operational efficiency. How community banking happens is always changing, but the why behind it — the relationships and lives you impact — will never change.
Meet Our Management Team
Brad Jones
Executive Vice President | Correspondent Division
Brad assists community banks in developing and implementing investment, funding, and other balance sheet strategies. Before joining SouthState, Brad was a Senior Vice President at Silverton Bank and manager of its Capital Markets Division. In addition to capital markets, his responsibilities included oversight of the Bank’s Asset/Liability and Treasury functions, including managing the investment portfolio. Brad graduated from the University of Georgia in 1986 with a B.B.A. in Accounting. He spent five years in public accounting, where he specialized in bank taxation. Brad is a Certified Public Accountant, a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, and holds various securities licenses.
Chris Nichols
President | Institutional Banking
Chris has 30+ years of banking experience, is an active bank investor, small business owner, frequent speaker, co-author of The Successful Lender’s Field Guide, and frequent blogger. Before SouthState Bank, Chris was President/CEO of PCBB Capital Markets, sat on the executive committees of Pacific Coast Bankers’ Bank; helped found FinancialOxygen, a banking technology company; and held operating positions at the Bank of America Corporation, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Chris holds a degree in economics from the University of California, is a sworn law enforcement officer and a flight medical officer.
Erik Bagwell
Senior Vice President | Director of Business Development
Erik Bagwell is Senior Vice President of SouthState Bank’s Correspondent Division with responsibility for all Sales and Marketing. He joined SouthState in 2009 and served as an FVP and Business Development Officer until late 2017. Before joining the Bank, Erik was the Georgia Regional Market Executive for Silverton Bank. He has twenty years of experience in selling correspondent products to community banks around the country. Erik has served on the Executive Committee of The Georgia Bankers Association Leadership Division and is a graduate of the Georgia School of Banking sponsored by the GBA. Erik also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The University of Georgia in 1992.
Bruce Davidson
Senior Vice President | Director of Payments and Corporate Services
Bruce serves as Director of Payments and Corporate Services. He is responsible for oversight of Payment Operations, Product Development, and Risk Management for SouthState Correspondent Division. Bruce assists in the development of the Bank’s overall payment strategy and for developing strategy for Faster Payments within the Correspondent Division. He has been in the banking industry for over 25 years, with broad experience in all aspects of Payments. Bruce graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Economics. He is also a graduate of the Georgia Banking School and a Certified Treasury Professional.
Lisa Samani
Senior Vice President | Corporate Services Manager
Lisa is responsible for Corporate Services, ACH, Domestic Wire Transfer, Account Services, and all aspects of the Division’s Clearing/Cash Management Program. She is also the Product Manager for Converge, our online banking product serving financial institutions throughout the Southeast. Before joining the Bank in 2009, Lisa worked at Silverton Bank as Payment Solutions Manager and has over 30 years of experience in Correspondent Banking. Lisa graduated from the University of West Georgia in 1990 with a B.B.A. in Management.
