ATLANTA — J. Thomas Wiley Jr., former chairman, president and CEO of the Coastal Bank and Coastal Bankshares in Savannah, has been named chief executive officer of State Bank and Trust Co. effective Jan. 1.
Joe Evans, who currently serves as CEO of State Bank and Trust, will continue as the bank’s chairman as well as remaining as chairman and CEO of its parent State Bank Financial Corp.
“Over the course of his distinguished banking career and our 32-year working relationship, Tom Wiley has consistently demonstrated excellence as a leader and a banker of the highest integrity,” Evans said. “Placing Tom in this role will create a clear decision-making path inside the organization and will also allow me to focus on State Bank’s capital deployment strategies.
“I expect this move to positively impact our growth— both organically and through acquisition.”
Wiley said he is honored and humbled to have the opportunity.
“As State Bank continues to grow, it is important for our entire leadership team to evolve to meet the demands of running this organization and guiding State Bank’s future direction,” Wiley said.
Wiley is one of State Bank’s founding shareholders and remains a member of its board of directors. He joined the bank’s management team in 2013 as vice chairman and president.
In addition to his role with The Coastal Bank, which has since been sold to Ameris Bancorp, has been vice chairman of Flag Financial Corp. and president/CEO of Flag Bank, where he worked with Evans and others from the State Bank executive leadership team.
ABOUT STATE BANK FINANCIAL CORP.
State Bank Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:STBZ) is the holding company for State Bank and Trust Company, with approximately $2.6 billion in assets as of Sept. 30. State Bank has locations in metro Atlanta and middle Georgia.