United Community selects bankers for its 2025 Leadership Academy class

GREENVILLE, SC, UNITED STATES, February 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- United Community has selected 20 team members to participate in its 2025 Leadership Academy class, a nine-month internal professional development program designed to enhance participants’ leadership skills while integrating United’s core values.

“Our goal at United Community is to be a destination where exceptional people can grow and thrive,” said Holly Berry, chief human resources officer. “Leadership Academy fosters talent at every stage, empowering our team to effectively carry out our mission of enhancing the financial health and well-being of the communities we serve.”

During the program, participants will take part in meetings and leadership roundtables with United’s executive management. They will also complete a strategic business recommendation project and a community impact project and graduate from Leadership Academy with Clemson University’s miniMBA certificate. Alumni are also included in quarterly meetings, with rotating board members. Since it launched in 2016, more than 100 bankers have completed the program.

United bankers selected for the ninth-year class are:
• Adam Perez (Orlando, Fla.)
• Alex McClintock (Laurens, S.C.)
• Alison Wasse (Greenville, S.C.)
• Andrew Crisp (Greenville, S.C.)
• Andy Mann (Florence, Ala.)
• Austin McVay (Columbia, S.C.)
• Bryan Rafie (Sandy Springs Ga.)
• Carol Palillo (Cornelius, N.C.)
• Cashida Okeke (Greenville, S.C.)
• Christina Auckland (Greenville, S.C.)
• Dan Crawford (Greenville, S.C.)
• David Fabian (Greenville, S.C.)
• Elizabeth Hughes (Greenville, S.C.)
• Eric Mandella (Ponte Vedra, Fla.)
• Heather Bray (Newnan, Ga.)
• Jairius Johnson (Greenville, S.C.)
• Josh McNatt (Brentwood, Tenn.)
• Melinda Pickelsimer (Blairsville, Ga.)
• Pradeep Chandrasiri (Greenville, S.C.)
• Shelia Partin (Blairsville, Ga.)

About United Community Banks, Inc.
United Community Banks, Inc. (NYSE: UCB) is the financial holding company for United Community, a top 100 U.S. financial institution that is committed to improving the financial health and well-being of its customers and the communities it serves. United Community provides a full range of banking, wealth management and mortgage services. As of December 31, 2024, United Community Banks, Inc. had $27.7 billion in assets, 199 offices across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as a national SBA lending franchise and a national equipment lending subsidiary. In 2024, United Community became a 10-time winner of J.D. Power’s award for the best customer satisfaction among consumer banks in the Southeast region and was recognized as the most trusted bank in the Southeast. In 2024, United was named by American Banker as one of the “Best Banks to Work For” for the eighth consecutive year and was recognized in the Greenwich Excellence and Best Brands Awards, receiving 15 awards that included national honors for overall satisfaction in small business banking and middle market banking. Forbes has also consistently listed United Community as one of the World’s Best Banks and one of America’s Best Banks. Additional information about United can be found at ucbi.com.

Joy Marshall
United Community
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