Synovus Announces 2020 Chairman’s Awards Winners

COLUMBUS, Ga., March 16, 2021 — Synovus announced today, the winners of its annual Chairman’s Awards. The James H. Blanchard Leadership Award, the James D. Yancey Customer Covenant Award, the William B. Turner Community Impact Award, and the Synovus Game Changer Award honor team members who best represent the company’s culture and its focus on leadership, customer satisfaction, serving others, and innovation. Winners of the awards, which are collectively known as the Chairman’s Awards, are selected from nominations submitted by team members across Synovus’ five-state footprint. This year’s winners are:

James H. Blanchard Leadership Award — Anne Lovette, Executive Director, Wholesale Credit Risk Management, Birmingham, AL; Marie Mikle, Commercial Banking Manager, Atlanta, GA; Bill Roach, President, Globalt, Atlanta, GA; Joseph Shuford, Director, Government Guaranteed Lending, Statesboro, GA.

This award recognizes individuals who demonstrate the best use of leadership and interpersonal skills such as teamwork, communication, and coaching in various corporate, departmental, and community roles. It was named after retired Chairman and CEO James H. Blanchard, who set a high standard for leadership throughout his 36-year tenure at Synovus.

James D. Yancey Customer Covenant Award — Mary Allison Bradford Welden, Financial Planner, Birmingham, AL; April Church, Commercial Support Manager, Carrollton, GA; Jonathon Gurley, Director, Sales and Performance Management, Athens, GA; Dianely Sabina, Retail Market Manager, Hialeah Gardens, FL; Rick Stansell, Consumer Credit Officer, Athens, GA; Maggie Tanner, Private Wealth Advisor, Chattanooga, TN; Mitch Watkins, Community Banking Executive, Columbus, GA; Terri Wilkinson, Retail Lending Center Senior Manager, Columbus, GA; Cayce Williams-West, Director, Small Business Credit Card, Atlanta, GA.

Named in honor of the former Synovus Chairman who always put the needs of the customer first, Yancey was instrumental in the creation of the Customer Covenant, the company’s pledge to deliver exceptional internal (Bradford Welden, Gurley, Stansell, Wilkinson and Williams-West) and external (Church, Sabina, Tanner, and Watkins) customer service.

William B. Turner Community Impact Award — Amanda Carlyle, Commercial Assistant, Charleston, SC; Lisa Lassiter, Business Development Coordinator, Columbus, GA; Nancy Merolla, Community Development Officer, Weston, FL; Crystal Shahid, Loan Workout Specialist, Columbus, GA; Pam Simmons, Market Executive, Albany, GA.

This award was named in honor of the former Chairman of Synovus’ Executive Committee for his deep commitment to serving individuals and the community. Turner has inspired others through his deep moral and spiritual convictions to make a difference in the lives of team members and their families.

Synovus Game Changer Award — Tony Anselmo, Chief Technology Officer, Columbus, GA; Jennifer Baker, Chief Technology Officer, Columbus, GA; Matt Maxey, Senior Director, Payments & Treasury Operations, Columbus, GA; David McLaughlin, Director, Enterprise Project Management Office, Atlanta, GA; Mitzie Stone, Director, Consumer Credit Card, Columbus, GA; Todd Weiden, Director of Strategic and Business Transformation, Orlando, FL.

This award recognizes high-performing team members for making a significant and positive impact on the company with forward-thinking and innovative ideas.

Synovus Financial Corp. is a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia, with approximately $54 billion in assets. Synovus provides commercial and retail banking, investment, and mortgage services through 288 branches in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Synovus Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Synovus, has been recognized as one of the country's “Most Reputable Banks” by American Banker and the Reputation Institute. Synovus is on the web at synovus.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.